Sister Welker & Sister Freeman 

Email 23 April 2006

Excerpts from Sister Welker's email:
I am glad that you got my package already: i thought it would take longer: i didnt say anything about sending it because i wanted it to be a surprise for dads birthday and for mothers day: i forgot to tell you that you were supposed to open it until dads birthday: i thought i would keep in suspense a little but i forgot to tell you: how are you guys doing: i miss you tons and think about you all the time: we have transfers today: we were told wednesday what was going to be happening: it was definitely a shocker: we all thought that i would stay in mont dore: but nope i am in pk7 now: i was really sad to leave mont dore: but i have accepted it and am ready to start in pk7: soeur freeman also got transfered she is opening a new area in river salle: my new companion is soeru duby: she is from france: she does not speak hardly in english: a few phrases and thats all: she is really cool though:. . .i am really excited to serve with her: hopefully my language will come by serving with her: man it was so cold the other day: i was freezing to death: i wore a jacket all day and then at night i slept in my warm ups and socks in a big comforter: it has been raining a lot: it is supposed to be the beginning of their winter right now: i am nervous to find out how cold it really gets: but soeur freeman gave me some rice packs to keep me warm at night:. . .hey dad thanks for the post card: i liked your saying even though i dont really know what you meant by that: on mothers day you will probably have to call me it is cheaper that way: soeur freeman said that her mom bought several calling cards: she said that the 500 minute ones only lasted like 30 minutes: so i dont know what you want to do: but i am given 3 hours to talk:. . . i will be here for awhile it looks like. . .i am in a walking secter now so i wont be stuck in a car: and in this area the members dont feed us as much. . . i wanted to share with you a scripture i found the other day during my companion study: it is doctrine and covenants 135 verse 3: it is a really good scripture: and a really good one for me while on mission and when i testify of joseph smith: my love for that man has increased so much since i have become a missionary: he is incredible and each time i teach about him it grows more and more:. . .i wanted to wish you a very happy birthday daddy: i love ya tons i wish i could be there but i am there in spirit: i hope you have a good day on friday: i will be thinkin about ya: i love you both tons and i miss ya: until next week:

Email 16 April 2006

Excerpts from Sister Welker's email:
how are you doing? happy late easter or in french joyeuse paques: how was your easter: mine was really good: we had a really nice sacrament meeting and then we had a easter concert at night: the district choir sang: they were really good: and then they also talked about jesus and showed pictures of him: i wanted to cry so bad: it was a really nice night: i am so very grateful for my savior jesus christ! my appreciation of his sacrifice has grown tremendously since i became a missionary: it is amazing to think about how much love he had for all of us: just to explain to you a little bit about the chuch here: we do not have a stake yet: we have 8 branches and one district: we have to have 250 more baptisms to get a stake here: once they get a stake they can get a patriach and then maybe someday a temple: the average baptism rate is about 50 a year: they only had 38 last year: our goal this year is 100: right now we have like 10 the work here is really difficult but we just have to continue to have faith that the lord will prepare people for us: i received your package on friday: thank you so much: . . .lindsey and thomas sent me a package too:. . . with a letter and a cute little paper bunny:. . . we have a baptism on may 6th and we have 3 siblings that want to be baptized all together: they just have to set a date: we did porte a porte the other day: that is tracting in french: it was pouring rain when we went: but we still went: we took one of our investigators with us and she introduced us to her family and friends: we got two new investigators because of it: . . .we still dont know about transfers yet: we were told that we should find out today but they also said maybe thursday: it is really stressing me out: i just want to find out: oh yesterday at church i met a lady who didnt speak french only english: come to find out she is from hawaii: i was so excited she is from kaimuki: i talked to her a lot and my companion translated for her: . . also yesterday during our sacrament meeting: we had a drunk guy trying to come in: we had a few members get up and try to help him: he just started yellin and making a big fuss: but our members handled it really well: they calmed him down and escorted him away from the chapel: everything is going really well here: i love it: my french is coming: still not fluent yet but hopefully soon: i love you tons and miss you tons: hugs and kisses

Email 09 April 2006

Excerpts from Sister Welker's email:
hey how are you today? i hope everything is going well: i am doing a lot better: this week hasnt been to good for me: i started off the week in the hospital: on monday remember when i told you i wasnt feeling good: well it took a turn for the worse: the pain got really bad and it was not fun at all: and for some reason i could not stop shaking! my hands were shaking really bad it was horrible: everyone thought i needed food but i had just eaten something: i was sick to my stomach and had to keep going to the bathroom: i didnt know what to do to stop it so it scared me a little bit: well that little fear turned into shock: i didnt know what was going on where i was or anything: my companion and president koncurat after told me all that happened: they said they rushed me to the hospital: i had to stay overnight so they could observe me: it was not fun: i did not feel like a missionary at all: but they found out that i had two infections. . .it has to be the worst pain i have ever felt: it was just horrible: it wiped me out: on tuesday we couldnt work because for half the morning i was still in the hospital and then i just didnt have the energy: wednesday we worked but i was still weak: but thursday was the worst: the pain all came back and i had absolutely no energy what so ever: i felt like i was dragging myself everywhere: well i have my energy back now: and i was taking some perscription: i still have some stomach pains every once in awhile: they havent gone away yet: hopefully soon though: i lost about 4 pounds in one day: i think that is why my energy is gone: but i am feeling a lot better and so is my companion: general conference was amazing we watched the third and fourth sessions yesterday: it was so incredible elder scotts talk about missionary work was very good: it gave me a lot of strength: i especially liked this quote from him: you will never regret going on a mission but you will regret not going: i really liked that: i actually saw elder scott in the mtc: he came and talked to us: he is an awesome speaker: i also really liked president hinkleys talk: he is so fantastic: but it almost felt like he was saying goodbye: it was kind of sad: he is so awesome though: transfers are coming up soon: in about a a week and a day:. . . i am so sad to lose sister freeman: we are both really sad: she has had a lot of companions already but she said that i have been her favorite: that means a lot to me because i have a lot of respect for her:. . . we are going to be friends forever: i think i will stay in mont dore and they will transfer sister freeman out: i am a little nervous about that because i will be the senior missionary in that area: i wont be the senior companion but i will have to show my new companion where everyone lives and what we have taught them and what not: i am so glad that i am staying in mont dore: i love it here: we still have a baptism set for may 6th: i am so excited. . . if mel is still there tell her hi:. . . hows the ward: i got the camera manuel from lindsey: . . .well i love ya and miss ya tons: hugs and kisses:

Email 02 April 2006

Excerpts from Sister Welker's email:
hey how are you doing: i hope everything is going fabulously. . . we had zone conference this week: i was really looking forward to it until monday afternoon when president koncurat asked me to give a talk at zone conference my topic was why did the lord send me to new caledonia: what a question: i was so scared because it was in french for 5 minutes: but when i got up there my fear went away and i was calm: i think that was the lords doing right there: i was also called upon during one of our trainings to answer a question: that was also a little scary: then at the very end they always have new missionaries and missionaries who are leaving bear their testimonies: well because they didnt have me do it last zone conference they had me bear my testimony this time: again more speaking in french: it was a good experience for me though: i am braver now: no fear: i am learning a lot and the french is really coming: i am so surprised: general conference was amazing: we have only watched the saturday session so far: we watched it yesterday: we are going to watch the sunday session next sunday: i really enjoyed the talks: the american missionaries were able to go into another room in the chapel to watch the transmission in english: thank goodness i dont know how much i would have gotten out of it if it had been in french: i really enjoyed elder haights talk it was really good and elder nelsons was good too about marriage: we were laughing so hard when he told the story of the couple on the airplane: our investigators are really progressing: there are four investigators of ours who have been investigators for several years but they are getting closer and closer to baptism: we pray for them all the time they are really good people: we went and found an old contact the other day and started teaching them: we had never met them before but other missionaries had: it is two young guys: 21 and 18 we had a nice talk with their mother first. . . they are from vanuatu. she wants us to come back from our missions and marry her sons and then move to vanuatu: when we go to their house their is this big bridge we have to cross that is over this very fast running river: it is very high above the water and there is no wall or anything to keep you from falling in: it scares me every single time: but it slowly getting better: i just pray everytime i go across: i dont know if i told you last week but transfers are coming soon for the sisters: in about 2 and half weeks: i am really quite sad: i love sister freeman: but i know my next companion will be great. . .well i love ya tons: thanks so much for the recipe: miss ya have a fun week talk to you next monday:

Email 26 Mar 2006

Excerpt from Sister Welker's email:
how are you guys doing: i cant believe that another week has gone by: the time is just flying here: i have been here now for 7 weeks: and i almost at my 4 month mark: i cant believe it is almost already april: so how is everything going in hawaii: is everyone doing okay: i am doing great here in new caledonia. . . well some other news i will update you on the gross things i ate this week: i ate lobster for the first time in my life and hopefully the last: but i have to admit it is not as bad as fish: i just drenched it in mayo and it tasted okay: i was forced to eat two pieces of the chocolatest cakes i ever tasted: it was so gross. . . it was just pure torture for me: i saw the biggest spider the other day: i swear i have never seen a spider that big in my life. . . his body was the size of like a quarter and then with long legs: yuck: i have zone conference again this week: it is on friday: i am really excited: maybe i will be able to understand at this one. . . i got two letters from sister kim: she is doing really good in france: she is in a city called nimes: she said she was good. . .i have an awesome companion . . .thanks for the cheese stick things and the starbursts we dont have starbursts here or those cheese things so it was a nice treat: district meeting went well: i just followed the spirit and it turned out pretty good: it is a little itimidating to speak french with my district because they are all french except me and sister freeman and elder griffin: we have 8 in our district: thank you so much for the cd of your family home evening with the boys: it was so funny i really enjoyed it but i do wish i could have been there. . .i will have a lot to tell you next week because of zone conference and general conference . . .love ya tons and i miss ya tons: xoxoxoxo p:s: thank you for telling me about whats going on in your lives: it makes me very happy to hear how you are doing