This is It

Well this is it.

I can't believe it! These past two years have been great! I wouldn't trade this experience for anything. This week was a good one. We had one of our flat mates move out to be the new assistant which meant we were in a trio and had a car! So thankfully we spent less time in the rain this week.Transfers have come and gone and Elder Palmer will be training a new missionary here in Sheffield, so that's great for him.

I am so grateful for these past two years and all of the support everyone has given me from back home. I am thankful for the people I have met and the miracles I have seen. I cannot believe some of the experiences I have had but I am so happy for every moment I have spent here in England. For all of the doors knocked in the rain, all of the doors slammed in our face haha, and all of the wonderful people I have met in the process. I have loved it all!

Leaving home was hard but that was only for two years, living my mission will be harder because that will be for life. I know that although I won't have these two years back again, I am so happy for the work that has been done. It's all true. I am so thankful for my Saviour. I am so thankful for the chance and privilege I have had to serve in England. I love you all! See you in a couple days!!

For the last time,
Elder Walter

Uno

I don"t have much time but this week has been great! 

A couple cool highlights.

Our recent convert Alex has just told us of his decision to serve a mission next year. That is SWEET! One of the highlights of my mission. 

We are also teaching this awesome bloke named David. He is so ready. He takes everything on board so well and is just itching to get baptized. Sadly I wont be here when he does but it is still amazing to watch his conversion.

We are still teaching loads of great people who are coming to church and loving the gospel. It is true, lets just remember that. 

I cant believe this is my last week. It is quite scary but exciting. There is a lot to be done this week and we need to get a head start. Sorry that its short this week but I will make it up in my next one. LOVE YOU ALL!!!! 

Elder Walter 

Simko

What's up!

Another sweet week for the books! 

Our main man Simko was baptized this weekend! He is Kurdish so he is a beast. He doesn't have the greatest English but he is always just so happy all the time. We recently called a translator to help us understand Simko better and he was able to bear testimony about Jesus Christ. It was so great to hear his testimony in his own language... just awesome.

This week we were blessed to find some incredible people.

One experience in particular... Elder Palmer likes to drink monsters. So before we do some finding he likes to go and buy one. I on the other hand do not like them and I don't like taking time to go and get them. On one occasion this week he persuaded me to go and grab one. Once we left the store we talked to the first person who walked by. He looked at us and asked if we were "Gods people." When we answered in the affirmative he told us to wait for a couple minutes. When he came back he invited us to his place where we were able to teach him. He talked about some things he was going through and how recently he has started to believe in God. Our encounter was not mere coincidence. It was pretty cool. We had a great lesson and we are excited to see how things go in the future.

My companion and I gave talks this Sunday and it was a good experience. We were able to see loads of our friends come and hopefully they weren't disappointed. I talked about what I have learned on my mission and it was crazy to think that I only have two Sundays left! It is really sad. But I am so happy I will end my mission here in Sheffield 1. 

Well there are still two weeks of work to get to. So it's time to get stuck in. Love ya! 

Elder Walter 

Success

Well it's been another fantastic week.

The work- so this week we saw our friend Alex baptised and it was fantastic.This weekend our friend Simko is being baptised as well. We are going for the turkey here #3inarow. But the miracles don't stop there. We are seeing people come to Christ every day.

This week as well we had two elders added to our area. They are both awesome guys who I have served around for a while so it's great to have them around... plus they have a car haha.

This week I asked if I could go to mission leadership council and they let me. It was a great time but at the end they had the departing missionaries bear our testimonies. It was quite sad. Around the room were my friends and former companions. It was sad to realize that I may not see them again. But I was quite happy to say that I
have worked hard throughout my mission and just hope that all of the missionaries in the room will give it their all for the remaining time.

I remember when I first came to England I had the expectation that I would likely not see anyone get baptised, if I was lucky maybe one or two people. But since I have been out I have seen that it's all about our attitude. Sometimes people don't expect success and so they won't see success. England may not be South America but if you put your mind to it and have a good attitude, you will see success.... that is a promise. Especially with the Lord's help, success can be found anywhere.

Well it's been a party! I miss and love you all! See you soon!

Elder Walter

Shoes

Hey family! 

This week truly was nothing short of exciting, scary, stressful, and awesome. 

We saw our friend Yasmin enter the waters of baptism which was fantastic but I will get back to the baptismal experience shortly. 

We were blessed this week to have a lot of opportunities to get in and teach the gospel. One effective way we have been able to get in doors this week was with my shoes. They are in such a pathetic state that if I mention how I need to sit down because of the massive gaping hole in them, we get invited in and have the opportunity to teach. Gotta love the shoes!

Our really good friend Alex is going to be baptised this next weekend so we are mega pumped for that. Our friendship with Alex started my first day in Sheffield on the bus. It's so crazy what can happen from one conversation. 

I have been asked to give a talk in a couple Sundays just about my mission and what I have learned. So I started thinking about it and it's just crazy to look back at all of the experiences that I have had. I can't believe how these two years are almost up! I was talking with my old companion Elder Manu'a earlier in the week about experiences we had when we were together. Like the time I got whipped by some kids, teaching a possessed guy, finding a wonderful lady named Sue who got baptised, and rapping to people on the street. Through it all I found out how to have fun while working hard. I haven't loved every moment of my mission, no one does, but I look back on all of those moments and I love what I learned from them. 

Oh yeah the baptism. Well first of all the day of the baptism was a trial by fire. We don't need to get into it but just know it was a trial by fire. So the baptism was going right on schedule. Yasmin got baptised and it was looking good but as I go out into the hall there were 2 police officers there. They took someone at the baptism away to help them out. It was not for anything bad but the fact that they came made the day even better. Then once the baptism was over there was another one happening shortly after so they fill the font just slightly but turned on the tap and forgot about it. Next thing we knew there was a flood in the hall of the church... definitely some interesting events to top off one crazy day. Love ya! Elder Walter

Christmas

Christmas was a party! So good to Skype and everything! I could tell my English humour will be appreciated in America, that's for sure.

We are seeing some sweet miracles here. We had three of our friends pass their baptismal interviews! But this next week two of them will be getting baptised. Alex and Jasmine. We are super pumped! Christmas can be a tough time to get people to church because all of the buses are shut down but we got a van from a member who was able to help us pick up all of our investigator. Christmas is awesome.

We had the mission Christmas party this week and it was awesome. Got to see a lot of people for the last time, which was sad 😭 But what are you going to do?

Christmas Day we spent at a few awesome members homes! They hooked us up with some sweet food and his raspberry ginger beer which made me want to die..... it was soooooooooooooooo good.

This week was sweet though! We are sooo excited for the baptisms the next week! It doesn't get much better. Christmas time just makes people so happy, and we have been able to see how it opens people's mind to the Saviour and the true meaning of Christmas. Something I have noticed is that the more we let Christ into our lives the better our life is. He is the center of all that we do. When we make anything else the center we make a BIG mistake 😃.

Love you guys!

Elder Walter

Reason for the season

Hello! 

This week was.... wait for it.... great! As usual. It seems I say that every week but it's true! We have been working hard here in Sheffield 1 and had some sweet miracles!

Let's start with Alex. So the man has been coming to church the past 5 weeks. We were wondering what's going to happen with baptism as it has been a difficult subject the past couple weeks. But he tells us one lesson that he has been living the word of wisdom and telling everyone that he is a Mormon... when we heard that we were like, "REALLYYYYY?!?!" So then we asked, "well what do you think about baptism then?" And he said, "oh yeah, I was going to text you guys earlier that I was ready to be baptised." So there ya go. He will be getting interviewed in a couple days. 

We are back to teaching our Kurdish friends! Just like in Middlesbrough over a year ago. One of the recent converts in Middlesbrough moved here to Sheffield and she has already brought a few friends into the church. My Kurdish is rusty but hopefully this picks it up again . 

Elder Kearon the Europe area president came to our mission this week. He is English and he is hilarious! He is a convert from about 26 and he told us that one of the things he did not like about the church was all of the callings and hierarchy that it had. He says that God has a funny sense of humor because of the position he is in now. One thing he said that stuck out to me was to, "teach as simply as the youngest person in the room." I have found that the best way for people to feel the spirit is when they understand what you are saying. And in order for people to understand the gospel you must teach simply, so simply that a child can understand it. I took that to heart and am trying to apply it to my work. 

Someone opened their door this week and "rebuked us in the name of Jesus". First time that has happened. 

We are getting into the Christmas season over here. We sang at an old persons home yesterday and had the ward Christmas party this week as well. There was also a primary nativity which was awesome. Christmas is such a good time to talk to others about the Saviour. Who is the true meaning of Christmas. 

Love ya!

Elder Walter