Sister Welker and President and Sister Ardern 

Email 19 Feb 2006

Excerpts from Sister Welker's email.
oh my heavens it was so good to hear from you guys: thank you so much for sending all the emails it really made me feel loved: everything is going really well here: i love it here: . . . . well to begin i absolutely love my companion more and more each day: we have so much in common and we work really well together: she is really patient with me because i still do not the language very well so i dont speak to people all that much and she teaches most of the time: . . . we have so much fun together: we always sing at the top of our lungs at our apartment: . . . my apartment is really small but i like it: it is very homey: it is kind of all open: we have our kitchen and dining room in one big room with our desks and then our beds are in another and then we have a small bathroom: i love it and i feel at home so thats whats important: i am in a driving area right now: we are the only sisters that have a car: i am so glad i dont know how to drive a stick so i dont have to drive but they are talking about teaching me how to drive a stick. . . . the people here are amazing they are so humble and nice to me even though i dont understand most of the time what they are saying: we have been eating a lot at members homes. . . . they have something called poi here but it is not like the poi in hawaii: it is so yummy i am adicted to it now: it is very sweet and the one we ate was pumking flavored: we have been teaching several people lately there are 3 couples who are so close to being baptized but they have to get married first . . . . all three are trying to get married it is just a long process here . . . . the area i am in is so much different than in the city: there are a lot of homes we call squats which are basically make shift homes: they are tiny and have dirt floors: an average squat size is the size of our living room and your room: but it may be even smaller than that: it is kind of sad because those who live in those houses are the nicest people ever: everybody owns a dog here some people own more than one: they are everywhere: and you know i am terrified of stray dogs: yesterday we went to one house and they had two huge dogs that came up to me and jumped on me and were licking me and stuff: so gross: i was absolutely terrified: but they didnt hurt me: the weather is great here i love it: it is usually pretty warm it does rain a lot though: i havent gotten really hot i have gotten cold though: and it is their summer right now: the kids are absolutely adorable: they really like us because we are different looking: they like to play with our hair: there is one little girl that has really taken to me she is about nine years old: she always just sits and looks at me but the other day she gave me some of her bangel bracelets! she is so cute: my language skills are still really bad but they are improving. . . . . i love it here but i miss you guys tons: i think about you all the time: and i have told my companion all about you . . . . how did the race go mommy? tell mel that i send my love. . . . can you tell all the other kids hi for me and grandma . . . . love ya miss ya: xoxoxoxoxo

Email 13 Feb 2006

Excerpts from Sister Welker's email:
It's Preparation day again. I have so much to tell you. alright just to let you know that i will not be captilizing or putting periods in this email! the keyboards are so weird here! it is taking to long trying to find the periods and finding the shift button! so how are you guys? is everything going okay . . . well i guess i will start from the beginning . . . .i got up early so i could be ready on time: the elders came and picked me up and took me to the airport: we had a lot of adventurous at the airport: we had to stand in line forever and ever and then when it was my turn they told me i was over weight on my bags: the reason for that was that i was only allowed 44 pounds for the two bags together not for each: they would only allow me to take one bag . . . president ardern came and told me he would take my bag and bring it to me when he comes on the 28th: so for right now i pretty much only have my clothes and my tooth brush and a couple other things . . . . i love my companion sister freeman: she is absolutely fantastic: she is from North Carolina: she is just amazing: i really got blessed with a good companion: she works really hard: she is a great missionary: i love her to death already: i met president arderns councelor who is on this island his name is president koncurat: i also met his wife and his daughter . . . i have met my district: it consists of four sisters and two elders: . . . . i love the people here they are incredible: they are so nice and friendly: i dont understand everything they say though because they only speak french: we have been teaching one family a lot lately . . . i love the work mom and dad: i am so happy here: . . . i bore my testimony to the branch i am in yesterday: they just kind of told me right in the middle of sacrament meeting: i was really scared but i did it and felt good after . . . . love ya miss ya xoxoxoxo

Email 06 Feb 2006

Excerpts from Sister Welker's email:
I arrived on Saturday at 4:00 AM. The flight didn't seem as long as I thought it would. I didn't really sleep very much. I did sleep for about a half hour on my tray table thing, When I woke up I was so stiff and sore so I know never to do that again. But when we were in the airport in Los angeles we met our mission presidents son. He was flying to fiji to visit his parents and then on to New Zeleand. . . . . When we got off the airplane we were greeted by a fijian band playing for us. It was really cool. And the first thing I heard was bird's whistling and I felt the really nice warm air. It made me think of home and think about the two of you. Well we were stopped when we showed our passports. The people checking the passports asked what we were doing there and we told them we were missionaries but were going to New caledonia in two days. They had immigration police come out and talk to us. They told us we could not preach in Fiji. So I have not been able to say anything about the church since being here. They finally let us go and we went and got our luggage and then went through customs. Our mission president and his wife and two missionaries were there waiting for us. We greeted them and then the two elders took me to the sister missionaries home. . . . Oh let me just tell you what it is like here in Fiji. There are mainly two types of people Fijians and Indians. I have seen a lot more Indians here in the city I am in than fijians. I am in Nadi. It was a total culture shock for me. It was not what I was expecting at all. When we go to the market they have Indian music playing really loud and there are so many people. They drive on the opposite side of the road. And they drive crazy here. There are so many pot holes and they drive so fast. It is really scary. . . . We went to church on sunday that was nice. We went and shook all of the members hands. My mission president was also there. They bore their testimonies. It was really amazing. They had such amazing testimonies. I met one young girl who had just been baptized in April and was the ward missionary. She was the only member of her family who had joined. She was really nice we talked for awhile. she would like to go on a mission but she still has three years until she can. I went and had an orientation with my mission president and his wife today. We met in a hotel. They told us all about the mission and they told us the mission goals and averages. They told us about the island and what we could and could not wear. My sandals are good they said. Then they gave us an envelope of where we would be serving and who my first companion was going to be. I will be serving in Mont Dore. I was told a lot about this place. They told me it is very beautiful and the people are really friendlly. I was told about this place while I was still in the MTC. This was the place I wanted to go really bad but they said that sisters didn't usually serve there. So I was way excited when I found out . . . . Well I ran out of time. But I love you and I miss ya! I will write the next time I have Preperation day. I don't know when that will be yet. Take care. XOXOXO

Sister Welker and Bob at the SLC Airport 

Sister Welker and Sister Welker at the SLC Airport