Email 28 May 2006

Excerpts from Sister Welker's email:
happy anniversary: i have been thinkin about you a lot this week: it sounds like you had a really good weekend: . . .: i am so proud of you guys for reading the book of mormon everyday: i can testify of the power of that book: it has helped me so much on my mission: i have really come to appreciate the bible more too: we use the book of mormon and the bible a lot: there is a good scripture that i like in 2 Timothy chapter 1 verse 7: it has helped me a lot: . . . i dont know if you guys still get the church news but the other week they had an article on the new mission presidents all over the world: well one of the new mission couples is from new caledonia: they are actually in the area i am serving in: we go to their house all the time and they give us rides to church all the time: they are leaving in three weeks to the madagascar mission: i am so excited for them: they are going to make a good mission couple: they come to our zone conferences all the time: it is great: . . .they are wonderful people: i wanted to tell you about a recent convert that is in area: . . .she is 79 years old: she was baptized about four weeks ago: she is from casa blanca morocco: she is absolutely fantastic: i came about a week after her baptism: but we still see her like three times a week: i love this woman: she is so great: . . . i love talking to her: we have a strong bond already: she went to the hospital the other day because the doctors thought she had a heart attack but it ended up just being stress: we went and visited her in the hospital: we would sit with her on her hospital bed . . . she kind of treats me like one of her grand kids: i love it: she is so smart: i have been here only 2 weeks in this sector but my love for the people here has already grown a lot: we dont have any progressing investigators though: so thats really hard: we have done a lot of contacting and porte a porte: it kind of sucks not having a steady person to teach: nobody is really interested in this sector: we walk tons more than in my last area: this is the largest walking sector in the whole mission: by the end of the day i am so dead tired: but i still love it and we are working hard trying to find people but for now there is no one: so please pray for the people here: oh tomorrow is my 6 month mark: i cant believe it: it is so crazy that i have been out that long already: i only have one year left: it doesnt seem like very long at all: . . .that scares me a little bit: because i cant imagine my life not being a missionary: it is a little sad to think about leaving here too but i am just going to enjoy the year i have left and work hard: for this is the lords time not mine: my companion and i are sill doing great: . . .i love her to death: yesterday was mothers day for the french: in relief society they asked us to give the spiritual thought so we read the definition of mothers in the index and then we bore our testimony of the importance of mothers: when it was my turn i just thanked them for their love and their example and i thanked them for all they did to help me feel at home and feel loved: and then i started talking about you mom: i got teary eyed and told them i missed you a lot and that you were my best friend and the greatest example for me: i missed you a lot yesterday: it was kind of hard but today is better: well i love ya tons: you guys are the best: i hope everything is going well: hugs and bisous:

Email 21 May 2006

Excerpts from Sister Welker's email:
how are you guys doing today: i am doing really well: i am very happy and very healthy: everything is going just great: i have so much to tell you: i want to start by responding to your email: i cant believe that james is getting married: that is so much fun: is he getting married to jen? i am so happy that he is not getting married until next july: it would suck if i wasnt there: i am so excited for him:. . . i will definitely pray for you when you give your talks: you guys are going to be awesome: just follow the spirit and he will lead you to want you should say: thats what i do as a missionary: i am so absolutely grateful that the spirit is with me when i teach: i need all the help i can get because of the language: but the language is coming along pretty well: i am doing half of the teaching now: and i can talk to members and our investigators by myself and understand: before i never wanted to talk by myself: thankyou so much for sending another package: i feel really bad for asking you for things: i really appreciate all you do and have done for me: i know my companion and i are going to have fun eating all the goodies: i have been totally blessed with my new companion: she is a really good cook: she went to culinary school to be a chef: her food tastes so good: she makes vegetables taste good:. . . : i totally love my companion mom and dad: we get along so well:. . . we work really well together: it is like a dream come true having an awesome companion: we keep telling our mission president that we want to stay together for a very long time: we really want to open a new sector together: they have been thinking of opening a sector in the north for sisters: i think it would be so much fun: i love my new area though: i love the people and the atmosphere: it is a lot busier here than my other two sectors: there are more real french people here: the work is a little more difficult here though: we had zone conference this week: it was the best ever: it was the most spiritual experience i have ever had outside the temple: president winkle of the seventy came and spoke to us and trained us on somethings: he is our area president: his wife came also: it was amazing: him and his wife and then president ardern and his wife spoke and then we had a huge testimony meeting: every single missionary and all the presidents and their wifes bore their testimonies: it was very emotional and i cried really hard and so did my companion: well actually my whole row was crying really hard: . . .: oh i have had cold showers for the past week and a half now: it is like ice cold: we have been trying to get it fixed but nothing has happened yet: i have to say i dread having to take a shower: But thats all the exciting things that happened this week: i love you tons and miss you tons: i hope all is going well: i pray for you every day several times a day: tell everyone i say hi and i love them: hugs and kisses: or what they say here is bisous: which means kisses: