Transfers AGAIN!

Hello hello!

I cannot believe it is transfers AGAIN! Yes, this transfer was only 5 weeks because of Christmas next week, but it FLEW! My mission is going so fast! I cannot believe I haven't seen any of you lovely people for 7 months! Crazy. Anyways, I am staying in my area and I will get a new comp tomorrow!

This has been such a wonderful week. We had Christmas Conference with the whole mission. It was so great. I loved seeing everyone and hearing all of the music. I loved it all! I love this time of year! We have been caroling instead of knocking on doors! So fun! Yes, a few doors awkwardly shut while we were singing and we have been chewed out by many Jehovah Witnesses about how this time of year isn't even when Christ was born..but we met some wonderful people! We are teaching so many wonderful people right now. Oh goodness I love serving a mission and focusing on bringing others to Christ. It is the best thing ever. 

Okay, well I love all of you! I hope you all have a wonderful week! Good luck on finals to all those at school! And congrats to those graduating! So exciting!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

xoxoxox,

Sis Walton

 

 

She said she that she knew Heavenly Father heard her prayer

Hi!

 

I am so excited its December! Time to sing Christmas songs:) (I've been singing Christmas songs since October, but now its official).Yay!  

 

What a week. Its been hectic. One of my sweet companions went home! She had back problems. So sad. We miss her! Hopefully she'll be back soon. And Thanksgiving was the weirdest event of my life. We had all day Prep-day and we got so bored by like 10am. We went to a batting cage for like 5 minutes. That was pretty fun. And we played soccer in skirts. And then we were with a couple sets of elders for a while and ya. One decided to bury a dead squirrel. I probably shouldn't have mentioned that. It was so weird. There are times on the mission that I feel really old. Enough said... Hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I was thinking of all of you!

 

I am really beginning to love this area. I love the people we are teaching so much! As they are putting

forth effort to come closer to Christ, I can see the change in them. Its amazing. I love being on a mission! Yesterday the mom of a family we are teaching prayed for the first time with us. She said she that she knew Heavenly Father heard her prayer. She felt it. It was so sweet. Oh goodness I love that family!

 

I love you all! Hope you have a wonderful week!

Love,

Sis Walton

 

A new adventure!

Hello, Hello!

So, I had my last week in Porter. I seriously love those people SO much!  It was so hard to say
goodbye to everyone! I took a few pictures with some other investigators, as well as a couple of those that were recently baptized! They are so wonderful.

I'm now training and I am in Broadway! It will be quite the adventure! The new missionary is so sweet, her name is Sis Muir. From Maine...and her ward actually meets in Canada? So we are defiantly from opposite sides of the country ha-ha. She is so sweet and was baptized only a little over a year ago! We also have a visa-waiter with us. She is really sweet too! There are 15 missionaries in this one ward! Crazy. Totally new to me. I'm excited. Sounds like there is a lot of work to do:)

I am so grateful to be a missionary! I know the message that we share is true; I love seeing the change in people's lives as they allow the Atonement to play a role in their lives. Blessings are being poured out upon all the recent converts I've come to love, especially Gina and Bob. It is unreal. I love being a witness of it all.

I love you all! Choose the right:)

Love,
Sis Walton

Oh, forgot to mention. The pic with road. I like almost died. Had to cross the street to meet up for exchanges and almost went straight into that ditch! No signs at all!! I was a bit shaken up, but we were protected! That was crazyyyy!

Ok, bye for real! Love you!

 

 

Yesterday was the best!

Hi!

Hope everyone is doing well! I'm so excited Abby is going to the same mission Jordan went on!!! AHHH! So excited for her:) AND Happy Birthday to miss Sadie! 19!

Okay, so yesterday was definitely one of the best days of my life. Two ladies that we have been seeing (Gina and Violet) were baptized and confirmed! I love them so much!   I feel like I've talked about Gina before, but she has had many Mormon friends like all her life, and has always been interested in learning, but was never invited. She finally came to a friend in our ward and asked to learn. She was so prepared to hear the gospel. I really feel that we did like nothing.

So at the baptism a few of her friends spoke, it was so sweet. Gina and Violet (Gina's mom) kept looking back and making eye contact throughout the service. They thanked us so many times for teaching them the gospel. I am so grateful I was able to be a part of it. The room last night was so packed that people were standing outside. A few other investigators came, so that was fun! And President and Sister Crawford came! The Spirit was so strong in that room. I cannot really put it into words. I love being a missionary! So wonderful!

That was really the highlight of the week! Life is wonderful! Have a wonderful week, and I hope to hear from you all soon! Miss you!

LOVE YOU!!!!!!!

Love,
Sis Walton

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh- and a cute little cat found us and we adopted her. She is so cute. I named her Charlie. I'll try to remember to attach a pic

Hello Hello!

Hi!

What a WONDERFUL couple of weeks! General Conference - such good talks! I cannot wait to read them again! Oh goodness. And we went to the temple last week! I love the temple!

Life is so great! I do not have too much time to write, but just thought I'd share some pics:)

The pic with 2 ladies and my comp- they are Violet and Gina. They

are so sweet! They are mom and daughter. The pic is at Relief Society session of General Conference and we also watch general conf with them yesterday! They loved it!

There is also a pic with Sister Crawford, our Mission President's wife. Mom away from home. I love her.

And then pics with the district, sisters in our zone!

Love you all!

Love,

Sis Walton

BEST WEEK EVER!

Hi

Seriously. This has been SUCH a wonderful week. I don't even know where to start. I guess I'll just go chronologically.

Bob was BAPTIZED on Friday! It was such a wonderful service. On Friday we had this crazy rain storm and the power went out at the church (along with like half of town) like 1.5 hours before the service was supposed to start. So we had to fill the font up with cold water and we asked everyone who was coming to bring flashlights. We were prepared. But, at 7 - like on the dot - the lights came back on! It would have been kind of fun to do it in the dark, but it is great that the lights turned on:) We went and saw him the next day and he was seriously glowing. Definitely a new man. As we were driving away he came and stopped us and looked at me and with tears in his eyes said thank you so much for coming up and talking to me that day we met him. I am filled with so much joy. Indescribable.

 

Ignacio was BAPTIZED on Saturday! It was so wonderful! His wife and family were so happy. I loved being a part of it! He comes from a Catholic background, and he was a bit nervous to tell his fam. So on Friday (the day before the baptism) he told his parents! They both came! And they came to church on Sunday! Our Mission President and his wife came to the service as well, it was so wonderful! Ignacio and his wife are planning on getting sealed next year! I'll still be on my mission so if everything works out, I can go:)

Crazy. No baptisms for months and then both the same weekend, but it was wonderful! They were both confirmed on Sunday! Oh goodness, it was so great!

On Sunday this woman we've been seeing for a while came to church with 3 of her kids. She really enjoyed it and said she wants to come back!!:)

And on Sunday night a woman who is getting baptized in a few weeks went to a fireside at the Mission Home last night. Her name is Gina and has a ton of Mormon friends and wanted to learn more. She is getting baptized next month. She is TOTALLY ready to get baptized, and was planning on this next weekend, but she broke her collar bone and fractured her neck when she was playing with her granddaughter. She is so funny. At the fireside last night she looked at me and said she wants me to marry her son ha-ha. I told her she better convert him then because I want to get married in the temple ha-ha.

So that was my week! It has been WONDERFUL! I love serving a mission! I love inviting people to come to Christ and then have the blessing to see the difference in their lives when they do.

Love you all!

Love,

Sis Walton

..fits on the miracle list!

Hi Everyone!

This has been a FANTASTIC week. So great. I love it out here. It has definitely been a week of miracles, and I love that I really had nothing to do with it.

1. Our investigator Bob (I think I attached a pic with him last email) came to church and is planning on getting baptized this Friday! The bigger miracle with it all: so 2 weeks ago he relapsed, and we were told that he did last week as well because a member went to pick him up on Sunday morning and Bob told the member that he isn't going to church. The member just left and told us he looked like he was having a hang over. I was very disappointed in the whole thing..BUT...he didn't!! He was up all night looking at the clock because he didn't want to miss church hahah. Oh my gosh. When he told us why he wasn't at church I just started laughing. Oh geez. He is so great. At church yesterday he was talking with like everyone he could..like almost dodging us. He fits right in.

2. We went to find a member on our congregration's list that is less active/ no one knows who he is. We knocked on the door and we asked for Stephen Millar. The man who answered said he didn't live there, but that he was a Mormon and hasn't been to church in 20 years! What?! He was really happy to meet us and wants us to come back when his wife was there. 

3. This is a funny story. So we met this lady a week ago and she wanted us to come back. I sorta had the feeling that she was lesbian the first time we talked with her...definitely confirmed the second meeting hahah. So we were talking with her on her porch and she kept complimenting my companion, "you have really nice lips, I like your shirt, etc." And then her partner comes out and started yelling at us about how they are gay (she told us 5+ times) and how in the bible it says that is not allowed. I didn't really know how to respond. I just asked if she would like us to leave. But..the miracle in it all: I handled it all pretty well..didn't even laugh when she was hitting on my companion. I def lost it in the car after, but I handled it better than I would have expected hahha.

4. I heard BYU beat the Longhorns? If that is true..fits on the miracle list!

So it has def been a week of miracles! We have also been meeting our goals! We set pretty high goals of having a member with us for a lesson each day, and we are meeting them! Often it takes about 5+ phone calls to get someone with us, but we eventually get someone! I have never been one to set goals, but I believe in the power of goal setting now!

Its also been fun to be companions with a sister training leader because I get to go on exchanges all of the time. I attached a pic with one exchange that I had last week. We were on bikes like ALL DAY in 100 degrees! I was dead. So, not my best pic haha. The other pic is with my companion we took this morning. She is sweet.

I am so excited that Sadie is going on a mission! She will be so great! Missions are wonderful.

I love you all!

Love,

Sis Walton

TRANSFERS!!

Hi!

 

So, this week was transfers. I stayed here in Porter/New Caney area, and I have a new companion.

Her name is Sis Kempton, she graduated from BYU in humanities in 2012, been out on the mission for 9 months and is from Rexburg, Idaho. Definitely a huge change from Sis Smith. Like totally different. So, it's been a challenge to adjust, but I'm trying! I attached a pic of sis smith and my last p-day together!

 

Such an awesome week! Bob (my fav who Sis Smith and I have been meeting with for like 2 months) came to our ward social on Friday, church on Sunday, and is preparing to be baptized on Sept 7th!!!! He is such a miracle story to me. The way we met him, as well as the change I have seen in him is a testimony to me that people can change and that Heavenly Father knows and loves us each. So- the way we met him: Sis Smith and I had planned to go on this street to go find people, but we got lost (neither of us can really follow a map - I just bought myself a GPS this week) but anyways we just decided to drive down this one road that didn't have a street sign and was back in the sketchy part of Porter. After talking to a few people we were about to head back to the car and then we saw bob outside. He looked a bit sketchy, so Sis Smith started walking the other way. My body started walking towards him, I really didn't have much control over it. I found myself talking to him, and he was much nicer and a gentleman which you would not expect seeing his environment. We ended up chatting for a while. Anyways..so later - like a week later - we found out we ended up on the street we had planned on going to! So cool! He came so prepared to hear about the gospel. Friends have been telling him that they see a change in him! So cool! I've seen it to! I don't feel like we did anything. He is awesome. I attached a pic of us at church yesterday!

 

Life is wonderful! I miss you all! Miracles happen! You just need to look for them!

 

Love you! xoxoxoxo

 

Sis Walton

Hi Y'all!.... Happy 50th to my mama!

Hi Y'all!

Hope everyone's week has been fantastic! We had a wonderful week! Had zone conference, met with some wonderful people and a couple in our ward were sealed!! They like begged our mission president for us to be able to go to the sealing, but didn't happen.. The reception was wonderful though! They were glowing! I hope I remember to attach a picture of the reception.

Transfers are next week! I can't believe I have already been out here for 3 months. Time flies when you're having fun:) I'll def miss Sister Smith! She's a doll. It is so great being out here! I love meeting so many wonderful people and seeing the changes in their lives as they come unto Christ. It has definitely been an adventure so far, I'm excited to see what will happen at transfers. If we follow the pattern, I will probably stay here in Porter and Sister Smith will leave. Our mission is at full capacity now, so only a few new missionaries are coming in. Since March its been like 20+ new missionaries each transfer. Crazy!

Love you all! Have a wonderful week!

Love,

Sister Walton

T.H.E.Mission Newsletter

Dear Parents and Loved Ones,

Thank you for your support of your missionary and the Texas Houston East Mission.  Sister Crawford and I have recently completed interviews with all the missionaries.  I am pleased with the growth and development of these wonderful young missionaries.  It continues to be a wonderful experience to compare and contrast their arrival in the mission field to where they are at the time of the interview.  Whether the missionary has been with us for three weeks or twenty three months I see such changes and I am amazed and thankful for the strength they have earned.

 At the conclusion of every interview, I ask the missionaries a series of questions to gauge the depth of their understanding and commitment to the Savior and the work.  I ask the following questions:  “What do you think about the Book of Mormon?”  Without exception I get smiles and a statement such as: “I love it.”  I then ask, “So it is a good novel!”  Then the reply is given more seriously, “I know it is true.”  I ask them how they know it is true.  The answer is typically that they have read it, felt its goodness and prayed about it.  I ask if they have received an answer to their prayer.  The vast majority say, “Yes.”  Some are still looking for that spiritual confirmation, which is fine with me because I tell them it took me five and a half months on my mission before I had a spiritual confirmation that the Book of Mormon is true.  The next question is, “If you know the Book of Mormon is true then you must know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God.”  The answer is positive.  I then state, “If you know that Joseph was a prophet then you must know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the restored church of Jesus Christ and has authority and power.”  They answer “Yes.”  To which I then state, “Then you must know that the doctrines of the Church are true.”  Again the answer is positive.  With that I ask my final question which is straight from the first principle of the Restoration lesson from Preach My Gospel: “Then you must know that God is our Loving Father in Heaven, that He knows you personally, and He loves you more than you can comprehend.  Do you believe that?”  Many say yes and many look at me with tears in their eyes and say they are working on that belief.  In short, many missionaries believe God loves them but maybe not as much as everyone else.  That is not surprising to me as it is a very mature concept to grasp.  I tell you all this because I want you to know that from this moment to the time that we turn this mission over to the next Mission President, Sister Crawford and I will be working faithfully to help your son, daughter or loved one understand how just, holy and loving our Father in Heaven is and that they are known, loved and numbered by Him.  

 We will constantly push to become better Preach My Gospel missionaries, to become better finders, teachers and guides to bring people to Christ.  I will not change our goal to baptize 50 people per month on a consistent basis and will then increase that goal to 70 people on a consistent basis.  However, our greatest desire is for the testimony of the Book of Mormon to sink deep into their hearts and to know that, despite their individual shortcomings and weaknesses, their Father in Heaven knows them individually and loves them, that he doesn’t hold grudges and that the Atonement of Christ is magnificent and applies to all of us.  That knowledge will sustain them in the hard time and balance them in the good times of their mission as well as for the remainder of their lives. 

Sister Crawford and I love your sons and daughters.  We thank you for them.

President Crawford  

I'm happy, free, confused and lonely at the same time! I'm feeling 22!

Hi everyone!

First - thank you to Em and all the friends that wrote on the bday letter to me! You are all so sweet! I miss you all SO much! LOVE YOU!!!!

Hope everyone's week has been amazing! Mine has been pretty fun! We had exchanges - 3 days in a row! So one sister was w/ me Mon-Tues and then we met up and another one of the Sisters came with me from Tues-Wed! We also had a mini missionary with us from Tues-Sunday. I didn't really know what a mini missionary was..I guess she just signed up and interviewed to come out with missionaries so they assigned her to us? Anyways, she was a cutie. She is 16, and pretty shy so I hope we didn't scare her too too bad haha. Also- we had interviews with the President this week! He is amazing!

Well, other than all that craziness, nothing else toooo exciting happened this week. Few more investigators are continuing to progress. We have been meeting with this old man named Bob. He is the sweetest old guy. We call him Grandpa Bob (fam, yes - I know I have a gpa Bob, but i guess I'll just have 2). Anyways, so he has a really hard time saying prayers, so he decided to write his prayer down and then read it to us the next day. It was like the SWEETEST thing I have ever heard. I def almost started crying. He is reading the Book of Mormon and is like past Jacob, so he is moving right along:) We have been trying to get him to church, but that might be a while. I have a pic with him below!

We've also been meeting more of our neighbors. They are so funny. They are like always drunk. But they wanted the BoM and wanted us to come back and teach! 

I love you all! Choose the right! And - give referrals to the missionaries!:) Okay, thanks!

Love,

Tessa

ps- So, incase you don't listen to tswift..its her lyrics on the subject line... you should know that though:) I'm making Sis Smith sing that to me on Wed.. okay bye

Such a CRAZY Week!

Hi!!

This week has been absolutely crazy! We met some great people who are interested in learning more about the gospel and taught so many lessons!

And on Saturday morning, someone tried to break into our apartment! It was so scary! So we were about to leave on our little morning jog and right as we were about to leave - the door knob shook! I..of course...made my my comp go look through the peep hole to see who it was. Some weird lady kept shaking it and then she would look at the parking lot. After she walked away we decided to go out and then when we were walking away we saw her walk back to the apt!! So we tried to be all sneaky so she wouldn't see us, but then we saw her trying to open it with a credit card..it was weird. I asked what she needed and I think she was high or something? I mean, it was 6:40 in the morning!! Anyways, so after we were in the apt we saw her drive away there was a guy in the car with her. It was weird. But we're safe:) We even guarded the door the next night with a table haha.

One of our new investigators surprised us and came to church yesterday! That was exciting! Missionary work is so fun:) Sis Smith and I have too much fun haha. One of the pics - we decided to celebrate both of our bday's so we made a cake. Her bday was a few weeks ago, and mine is next week! Party! And a sad note - my like fav investigator (idk if we're allowed to have those) Darrell is in the hospital! And on his bday! So we went to visit him..so there is one pic at hospital..They have such fancy hospitals down here. Looks like a mall. Oh also! I learned how to tie a tie!! One of the members - Eddie - taught me! He is awesome. Converted a few years ago and received the priesthood yesterday!! Love that fam.

Alright, well you're all wonderful. And I love you!

Love,

Sister Walton

ps- someone better sing 22 by TSwift for me next week or I might be sad. 

I'm in Houston!

Hi friends and fam!

I hope everyone had a wonderful week! It was a bit of a roller-coaster week with some great things and

some difficult times! Yesterday, one one our investigators - Ignazio - came to church! He is still preparing to get baptized! We will see him on Wed. I'm excited to see him. We also met a few new investigators who seemed very interested in learning more about the gospel! So that is hopeful:) On the other hand, one lady who we've been teaching for a while told us she doesn't want us to come over any more. That was difficult to take. She is a sweet lady and its hard not to get discouraged, but I'll just focus on the good stuff!

Nothing too funny has happened recently..just the same 'ol. Creepy old men making kissy faces at us or asking if we're single..Ew. Also, seriously like every day Sis Smith

and I get asked if we are either related or twins...? Well we both have red hair and we're white? Haha..I don't see it.

We are having a little better success at getting the ward involved with helping us with the work! Its a difficult ward..but we are doing the best we can.

Well, life is wonderful! I love meeting so many wonderful people out here!

Oh, ya! We had New Missionary Training this past week. So I got to see friends from the MTC! It was so fun to see them! They are in a pic below! I also learned how to do a new hair style haha..so that's another pic:)

Have a wonderful day! I love you!

Love,

Tessa

I've never sweat so much in my life haha

Hi!

Elder Golden from the First Quorum of the 70 came this week! It was great! We had a fireside that he spoke at for investigators. One of our investigators (David - the one that came to church last week) came, so that was cool! And yesterday we had zone conference with Elder Golden. It was long, but great! He taught mainly about faith, which is always a wonderful topic.

We didn't have any fun storms this week..but we did get chased by dogs. It was so scary. We were out biking and three dogs like attacked us. I don't think I've ever biked so fast. We made it out alive though!

Also, what everyone told me is true. I've never sweat so much in my life haha. Sorry, thats gross. But really. Almost no point to shower because you walk outside and you're all sweaty again. I'll keep showering though..no worries.

I have my first comp exchange tonight! That should be exciting!

Love you all! Have a wonderful week!

Love,

Tessa

Monday, June 10, 2013 11:29 AM

 

Hi!!

Another great week! And - another investigator wants to get baptized! It was such an amazing experience. So his name is Ignazio and his wife and daughter are members. We shared a lesson with him about the gospel of Christ and the Spirit was so strong. When we were about to ask him if he would be baptized, his wife stepped out to take care of a child. So we like lingered for a min and waited for her to come back and then talked with him about baptism - and he is going to prepare for baptism! The wife was like "what did I miss" haha. After the lesson she walked out with us and told us she has never seen her husband show any interest in baptism. She was way excited. 

One of our investigators, David, came to church yesterday! And he wants to come back next Sunday!

When we were out talking to this one potential that we found when we were tracting, she told us that the Jehovah Witnesses had talked to her about the Book of Mormon, and then she was thinking we were like the same as the JWs?? Oh geez that was confusing. We've had some weird experiences with the JWs.. haha. On the positive side, we left her house and found a cute young family that was outside and the mom seemed very interested in the church. We shared with her the restoration, and she showed a lot of interest. Hopefully that goes somewhere! She was a sweet heart.

The mission is going well! I love the people out here! And- I love the storms! We had a CRAZY one yesterday. I attached some pictures of it! It was a bit scary to drive in - at one point the water was like half way up the door..but we made it:) Also - I didn't really want to get in the water..but my comp did haha. ew. Another pic - the one with the crowns - we won the zone's competition for the week! We were the companionship that best met our goals!!

Love you all! Email me back! I'd love to hear from you!

Love,

Sister Walton