Big News!!!

Hey all!!!!

THIS WAS THE BEST WEEK EVER!!!! I can't believe it!!! Number one the Lord has blessed San Antonio with the most beautiful weather!!! 90-87 light breeze and sunny!!! Wow!! It was nuts!!! I have seen so many blessings!!!! So YES!!! Tricia Williams was baptized on my BIRTHDAY!!! It was incredible. Elder Berntson baptized her on Saturday and on Sunday I confirmed her. Elder Berntson baptized her because Sister Jones is being baptized the 31st and we thought he would be transfered before then, which he is (more on that later!!!). But it was the most spiritual baptism I have ever been to or been apart of haha. She is just such a special person and the night before the baptism she even gave me a cake!! She is just the best ever!!! She will do great things for the ward and will be great for her family. So sorry if that is kind of just confusing, what matters most is Tricia is now celestially inherant haha!!! Gosh I am so happy for her!!!!!!!!!!!! She is just the best!!!

Then so the news... We got "the" phone call... The transfer call... Elder Berntson is being transfered... And I...am... TRAINING!!!!

GAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

I am so happy!!! I just finished my first two training transfers, now I am training!!!! I am so grateful for this!!! So grateful for this calling!!!! I am so humbled and excited for it!!!! I meet him fresh out of the MTC this Thursday hahah!! It seems like only yesterday that I was just there!! There will be some difficulties especially with the the language... Haha there will be a lot of prayer involved. But man am I stoked!!! So yeah that is the bg news and he will be apart of two baptisims in his first 11 days in the mission!! Sister Jones and then Glenn!! I am so stoked and I really couldn't be more excited to learn all I can from this experience and all at the same time helping others come unto the gospel!! I am so grateful!!!

So Tricia had the sweetest baptism ever!!! We will see her as time goes on to follow up on the new member lessons.

Sister Jones had her interview and she is set to be baptized this Sunday!! She is such a trooper!! She has worked so hard to get herself prepared for baptism.

Glenn is just the best, he has kept every commitment we have left him and Has accepted the invitation to be baptized on the 6th of November!!! We are so excited for him!!!

Thank you all for your birthday wishes!!! I hope all is well for you and your families!!

Love,

Elder Walter

Hey,

So wow this week was great! Different than most, but I was able to see some fantastic miracles!!

Sister Trisha Williams is a sweetheart! So we had committed her to have her baptismal interview this past Sunday which was a pretty big hurdle. A great step of faith for her, she almost had to back out of it, but we made it work for her and she came. At about 20 til' the top of the hour she left sacrament meeting to be interviewed by our zone leaders. She came back at the end of sacrament meeting. We went up to her and asked how it was, she said it went well and continued to ask how the primary program went and such (SUPER CUTE), and we just kept talking as if she wanted to avoid the subject. She asked me what I had planned on the 23rd for my birthday. We had said that the only thing is that Elder Berntson and I would take our hour dinner at 8 and come home so he can make me dinner. She then said that we now had different plans and proceeded to invite us a baptisim she would be having for herself on my birthday...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I just started jumping and laughing, mind you this was outside the chapel. I was so happy for her!! This was such a big step for her and her family!!! She will be forever blessed and her husband will feel that!! They will have an eternity together!! She is just soooooo great!!! I am so excited!! Best of all, she is so excited!!

So if that wasn't enough, on Saturday was one of the most spiritual baptisms I have ever witnessed. What was better is that we had sister Jones with us... So Saturday was a high stress day, we had told Sister Jones of the baptism only 2 days previous and told her we would get her a ride. Well after a few people fell through on the ride, we were going to have to call her and let her know that unfortuately we didn't have a ride and we already had so much we had to do, but she actually called us first and asked if we had found her a ride and that she really wants to go... When an investigator calls and says that she wants a ride to a baptism, YOU GET THEM A RIDE!! Especially an investigator who about a week earlier told us that she isn't ready and that she wants to go back to her baptist church!! So we called the whole ward, then the stake... eventually people from Louisiana to give this poor woman a ride the baptism! Finally we found someone who happened to be going that lived down the block!!! Everyone else was either sick, out of town, or whatever!! We made so many calls! But we got one, and that isn't even the miracle!!! We met her at the baptism, her second one, and we sat next to her and listened to the wonderful program!! Then the baptism was performed and on the way back I pulled her aside and we just talked and at the end, we asked her what she was waiting for? She said that she didn't know but that this baptism was just a feeling that she couldn't describe. She looked awestruck and then Elder Berntson bore a powerful message and said that God is talking to you right now that this is your answer! And she said, "I think it is. I will be baptized on the 31st." Wow... I was just stunned at the way the Holy Ghost took that. Haha He know what He is doing!! Then she came to church and said for the first time that her mom was excited for her and that just by the glow she had that this was something she needed to do.

I have a testimony of the Holy Ghost. That He is very real. That there is nothing on this planet that creates faith besides His witness. That everything that is genuine and good in our lives, depends on obtaining and keeping His presence. The blessings of the Spirit come when we need it most as we work to fulfill the work of the Father. As we heed these promptings, we too can know of our Savior just as Sister Jones and Trisha experienced. That happiness lies in that still small voice and first recieving that gift! I pray that we can all have an added portion of the Spirit in our lives as we follow the commandments! I love each and every one of you! Thank you so much!

-Elder Tommy Walter

Hey all,

Man have I learned a lot this week!! A lot of patience and a lot of trial and error (more than I cared for) but I have learned and the Spirit has been able to work more effectively in the people we are teaching. I have a testimonies of miracles. That missionaries are set apart and given their calling to invite others to follow the gospel and to bring unto our Savior Jesus Christ. That change is a miracle. The ability to change because of the Holy Ghost is a miracle. Through the Spirit, King Benjamin was able to bring to pass an incredible miracle. Everyone that heard him speak, everyone save it be the little children came to the words which he spake. The words of hope, of love, and true miracles. I have a testimony that Jesus Christ lives and that He performs miracles today and as we work through that gift of the Holy Ghost, we can witness them. I see them everyday as a missionary!! I love this work!!! I am a witness of the miracles that can happen as we choose. I can firmly promise all eternal life as they follow the gospel... Hahahaha if that isn't a miracle I don't know what is!! Hahaha gosh I love being 19. It has been an incredible time!! But better 20 will be one of my faviorite years for the rest of my life, because it is the only one I will have entirely as a missionary!

Sister Jones experienced a little set back. She is an incredible lady! We pray for strength for her at this time. She is a warrior and has a sincere desire to put God first in her life!! She is awesome!!

Trisha has a set baptismal date for my birthday haha. That is the best birthday present!! We will pray for her that she can contine to be as awesome as she is and that she can really have a testimony of the power of the Atonement! She is just like a sponge she just rucks through what we teach her because she knows it is true.

If Trisha is a sponge, Aaron is the sham-wow of gospel soakage. He is 16 and after we taught him the gospel he said, Oh shoot... if baptism is the gate to heaven, then I want to be baptized. Haha he hasn't slowed down, he since has told us that because he lives the word of wisdom and the law of chastity he has more confidence in himself! WOW!! I learn something from that kid everytime I talk to him. I love him to death. Him and Charles are good friends and they really help eachother. They both have a date for the 24th.

Thank all yall so much for yall's prayers. It really gives me strength when at times I feel none. Hahah can I just say I have never been so tired at 10:30 in my life ever!! My mom might disagree, I remember one time I slept walked into a wall coming back from Grandma's in Vegas when we lived of Yerington. Good times, good times :)! I love all yall!! And take care, my prayers are with you.

Hey,

I love saying "hey", this is because a member in the ward guessed I was from the west coast because only people from the west coast say "hey". Hahah so I say it every chance I get. This week has been absolutely fabulous!! Wow it truly is the greatest blessing ever to be here as a helper, serving the people in San Antonio! It truly is one of the greatest blessings I have ever had!! I was so honored and grateful to be able to stand with the other 52,000 missionaries serving across the world as Elder Nelson ask us to in the Priesthood session!! I didn't shed a tear... Haha wow. The second the prophet and apostles had just finished speaking, the first thing Elder Jessup said was, "wow I can't believe there is a prophet and are apostles who just spoke to us." Hahah I laughed, then he said, "I have just been spiritually bloated, now I have to digest it in 6 months, that will be tough." I then laughed harder. I love this gospel!! It is perfect and I have had no greater manifestation of this then through the Holy Ghost. It is through the Holy Ghost and only through Him, can have faith confirmed. I see this everyday in Eunis Jones, Trisha Williams, Charles Martinez, George Alverez, Bambi Silva, and on on on. The list is extended as I see all these people act on their faith to become that of their creation! As they follow the gospel they too can enter into that promise given to them since the beginning! I am so grateful for their example! It reminds me everyday of the joy that comes from our Savior! These people are genuinely happy! They are fulfilling their promise and in turn they are seeing God bless them! They recognize it and they are so grateful! They love without end! I love them soooo much!! I have grown because I have been blessed to see them grow! I love being a missionary!!!!

Eunis Jones is set to be baptized this Sunday!!!!!!!!!!!! She asked me to baptize her on the condition that I worked out more so I wouldn't drop her haha. I didn't know I looked that skinny, well I guess next to Elder Berntson anyone would (Full ride scholarship to play football at Utah State, 6'4" 240, raw muscle). But she is so excited!! She just loves the gospel and constantly tells us how she doesn't even watch TV anymore, but instead reads! She is incredible and will help a lot of people in the church!!

Trisha Williams is just awesome still!! We go over and she is a sponge!! She can recognize the Spirit so well and acts on it!! She prays with her two little boys everyday before they go to school!! She loves it she says, and then the other night her son Nathan (7yrs old) prays and tears of the Spirit flood her eyes as she continues to thank us for what we do. I couldn't help but think at that moment how much that should have been the other way. I know God lives. He really gave her that moment! We were simply tools!

Charles came to conference! He is so sweet!! He came and then on the ride home he was still so stoked to be baptized!! Gosh he is so faithful! He just listens to the Spirit as we teach and he acts on all of Gods commandments and clings to these standards even if the circumstances might be tough. He is a great kid! I am so excited for his opportunity! He loves bringing his friends and brothers in to listen and we are trying to work with them too! Charles will be a great example to them!

George Alverez is a busy man!!! But still finds time for us and the gospel!! He a great guy who has a testimony of testimony haha. His good friend is serving a mission in California right now! He loves who he is and what he does! With this example he has desired to be more and learn of the order of God! He is so active in our lessons!! It is so sweet!! He just really loves to feel the Spirit and the more active he is, the more he feels it!!!

Lastly I would love to thank all yall for your support!! I love you and my littlest sister Katie!! Happy Birthday!!! She is 9 yrs old this Friday!! I can't believe it has been this long!!! Dang, anyway she is incredible!! Learns like a sponge, is currently in drama productions and learning the violin!! Sounds like her mother alright! She has the best smile and it has always and will always pick me up when I am down. I wish her the best and a happy birthday from a proud bigger (in stature, but not in heart) brother! Love ya kiddo!!

- Elder Tommy Walter