First Transfer!

Hello all,

This was a very busy and fun week!! I was transferred on Thursday from the North Zone to the South Zone. I am in the 5th ward area. I am again covering one Spanish and one English ward. 10th ward is the English ward and the 5th ward is the Spanish ward. It is a lot different then good ole St. Cloud. A lot bigger of an area. It is right below downtown, reminds me very much so of where I used to live on the East Side of Vegas. It is very populated and a lot more dogs haha. We have had some close calls but my companion is showing me the ropes. My companion is once more a native Spanish speaker from Panama and unlike Elder Morales has only been in the United States for 2 years. his name is Elder Andreve. So we speak a lot of Spanish between us. It is nice. He is a great Elder, he actually came out with me. I have been out 6 weeks longer though because he only had to be in the MTC for 3 weeks learning spanish. So it is cool to be out with someone with that kind of experience. I got a call last night from the 5th ward Ward Mission Leader who asked me to give a talk in sacrament meeting next Sunday on missionary work. I am really excited to give my first spanish talk. I will start it tomorrow, otherwise I won't finish it haha. It will take me a long time to write it and translate it. But then I have Elder Andreve to make sure everything is good to go. It will be a great experience.

January 20th made it 3 years on that day that Elder Layton and the shorter one in the back (Elder Parkinson) knocked on my door ;). It was so great to really reflect on those two haha. They truly were two very prepared Elders. They were great because of how well they desired to fulfill their calling. They worked very hard to do just that. They were masters at following the Spirit which allowed them to be very successful in the most important work there is. It is weird to think that Jason had as many months in the mission as I do now. I am very grateful for those two Elders and for their example and love to see the Lord's work through. Now, they're still goofy with another goofy friend. I wish them the best.

Well speaking of January 20th, that was transfers. And we went out to contact this family that night. And in particular there was this 17yr old kid... Who had been reading the Book of Mormon... We asked if he liked it and had prayed about it... He had said he had and had received his answer... that yes the Book of Mormon was the word of God and that he wanted to be baptized... I think my mind just exploded of pure joy!!! It was the coolest and craziest thing! It was the coolest blessing ever!!

It was so great. I am so grateful to be a missionary and to be able to find and meet the great people we have. I love you all and hope all is well!!

Elder Walter

Ps this is my address!!

Elder Tommy Walter

130 Camino De Oro #603

San Antonio, TX 78224

Finding Like Crazy!

Hello to all,

Wowzie this was a fantastic week!! A mountain of blessings! This week we really wanted to really focus on finding people to teach and something President Jones has really been helping us realize is how to find those people who are ready now to be baptized. The mission is pushing everyone to baptize monthly. It is so sweet. So we have really studied how to plan following the guidance of the Spirit and then going ahead and make a plan to do that. There are three stages as missionaries we need to do in order to achieve our purpose. Simply that is to find, teach, and baptize. Elder Morales and I found like crazy this week and we found great people because of our faith!! It was such a blessing and now with the news that I am actually going to be transferred, Elder Morales and his new companion will work on effectively teaching them, helping them repent and keep commitments, towards baptism. These people are so great! I am so excited for all of them! It is so sweet! This area is looking very good!

Jenny came to church this week with her kids and they all loved it!! They are continuing to just be amazing as she loves reading and has found that relationship with our Heavenly Father! She loves developing that and has really strengthened my testimony of the strength in that.

Hermana Martinez. We call her Sister Martinez because her husband is already a member in the Mote Vista branch and she is sooo sweet and is very excited to be taught!!

I know this is truly is a great and marvelous work and I am so excited to be here and to be working with these great people!!

Elder Walter

Spreading Joy

To all,

I simply want to share an incredible experience I had this week and the time limit and me actually putting it into words don't do it justice, but I will work my little fingers to the bone!!

So we have these great members all set up and ready to go to this lesson. The entire day was filled with the same thing that the week was really filled with, which was just teaching a lot of people the first lesson and committing them to a second appointment and then them not being there. It has been a real trying time for myself, luckily Elder Morales is just a great missionary and really pushed us to give all we had. We get into this lesson and we start teaching and the first thing that we learn from her is that she doesn't have any relationship with God. We then start talking a little more and we learn that it is perhaps because of the lack of a father figure in her life. So we tell her about who God our Heavenly Father is and she just completely breaks down. As tears of joy just escape her as she for the first time knows that she has a father who loves her more than anything... I know that God is our Father in Heaven. That He loves us more than anyone else on this earth!! It is the greatest blessing and it opened her thoughts to the fullness and the restoration of His gospel. I am so grateful for that knowledge!!

Elder Walter

Happy New Year!

To all,

Happy New Year!! This is going to be a super great year!! I am so excited!! This will be the only year that I am a full time missionary for the entire year. It is crazy how fast 2010 was... I am always excited for the new years and for the goals I want to accomplish as a missionary this year. As I have studied how to set goals and what my goals should be, I have learned that goals should help us further ourselves in our progression to our goal of eternal life. Breaking down this goal can go all the way down to making sure time is taken to study the scriptures everyday. Depending on where you are starting from a change could be reading a chapter a day to wanting to read with an hour of study. The point is to stretch ourselves to become more Christ-like. I know that there is a great Spirit in setting and accomplishing a goal of God. Especially when great effort has been made and you have pushed yourself to accomplish them. I love seeing it in other people. Right now we are working with Albert Garza who is really working so hard to get baptized. But step by step I am seeing the gospel change this mans life and the joy he is receiving because he is making and accomplishing little goals on his way to baptism!! Gosh there isn't anything better!! Albert is great and we are very excited for his coming baptism.

Another family we are talking with is la familia Reyes Moreno!! They are sooooo sweet!!! They have 3 kids, 17 Juan, 15 Pablo, and 12 Jesus and all of the just scream best missionary ever!! They just smile and laugh and have great insight!! We just met them and we are very excited to continue seeing them!!

Hope all is well!! Congrats to Mitchell Tullstrup(sorry on the bad spelling) on his call to Richmond, Virginia!!!!!!!!!! That is so sweet!!!! You will be incredible!!!

Elder Walter