Email 19 Nov 2006
Excerpts from Sister Welker's email:hello my family: how are you all doing this week: i am doing really well: very happy: all is going reallygood right now: we just found out yesterday that me and my companion will not be changing: yay: we will most likely be together until the end of december when two sisters leave: i am so happy: i love serving with sister pahio: she is absolutely great: we have a lot of fun together: she is teaching me how to dance tahitian: it rocks: i am actually getting pretty good: i am definitely not like the dancers at the pcc: not yet anyway: we were really scared that we were going to be changed: neither one of us wants to leave this sector: we have at least another month together: i am really being blessed right now: we most likely wont be together for christmas because the sister leave the 23 but hey it is still a long time: already it has been 7 weeks: the time has flown by so fast with her: . . .we have zone conference in three days i am so excited to see all the missionaries again: it has been a very long time: when you are up north you dont see a lot of missionaries: my district just changed: it is now four of us: me and my companion elders beagley and franklin: i have served in the same district as elder franklin for almost my whole mission: whenever one of us is transfered so is the other: he was my zone leader for almost all my mission too: his family and him will be visiting hawaii at almost the same time that i get released the same with elder beagley cool huh: i received the package thank you so much for doing all that: i know the sandals are not cheap: thank you: sister pahio told me to tell you thank you so much: she said it like this merci cest gentile: she loves her sandals: we are twinners now: she wants to take a picture and send it to you: she also made a video of me dancing tahitian that she wants to send you too: oh mom you told me that you had sent a little treat: oh my gosh there was tons of goodies: all the american missionaries were so excited to see the twizzlers: but the french and the tahitians did not like the twizzlers i guess it is just an american thing: we went to the dedication of the tahiti temple it was so good: there was some technical dificulties though and we had to wait for over two hours to see it: but it was beautiful: . . . i am losing my voice mom and dad: i sound like an elder right now and not a sister: i got a really bad cough and it is messing with my voice: the weird thing is that nothing else hurts or is wrong: it is just the cough and the voice: i hope it ends by thursday because i have to give my talk: lets hope: well since you already sent me a package i dont need one for christmas: but knowing you you will still send something so i will just tell you three things that i need: . . .i have been using the calender grandma gave me last christmas: it is the photos of greg olsen: i love it: well that is all i can think of: i cant say i am really looking forward to going back to a new utah ward: i guess i just need to go with a good attitude: i miss hawaii already: . . . well i am running out of time so i gotta go: i love you tons and tons: until next week:
Email 12 Nov 2006
Excerpts from Sister Welker's email:hello my beautiful family: i love and miss you all so much: i just want to let you know that myldsmail does not work when i write but i can receive emails: i cant receive photos though so you can just continue to send the photos here at my address: oh man i love the house: it is so pretty: hey is that my room the one with the pink bed: it is so homey looking: i am so excited: it is going to be weird living in a big house again: i am so used to little studios: dad i loved the photo: it was great: i thought of you on veterans day: i told my companion about you and my grandpas: i even sang some american songs it was fun: it was a surprise to hear that kenneth died: but i knew he was sick: it would have been nice to be with all the family again: all the aunts and cousins: i miss go with you up to idaho: i am getting so excited to talk to you at christmas: it is just a little over a month now: wow time is really flying by: it is so crazy: i have six months left: maybe less i dont know: i am getting really excited to see you too: but dont worry i am staying focused and working hard: hey i dont know if you guys have heard anything but there was a warning or just a rumor maybe of a cyclone hitting here: nothing too dangerous: we really thought there was one coming because the temperature was really bad for the last week: the sky has been a gray color but it has still been really hot: finally saturday it started raining: but today it cleared up but is back again tonight: it is really weird: . . .zone conference is next week: and guess who gets to speak: me and my companion: fun huh: we have to give a talk together: it is really surprising i am not scared: i am so used to talking all day everyday now that i am not scared: i am fearless: well i wouldnt go that far but hey i have a lot more courage than i did when i left: there is also a chance that i wont be able to write next monday because we may have our p day another day: but whatever day we have it i will write you: i received your letter: thanks: it was fun to see the house: i showed everyone the window to my room: i cant believe that thanksgiving is next week: i remember last year we were all together for the last time: and about this time i was set apart as a missionary: wow so crazy: well i love you tons and tons: nothing else really happened this week: thank you for all the work you have done to help me get applied to byu: my mission president is going to be on island next week so i am going to try and see if i cant get my interview with him for the application if not i will have to wait until january: . . . well i love you: i miss you: have a great week: big bisous:
Email 05 Nov 2006
Excerpts from Sister Welker's email:oh man i miss and love you tons: . . .well i got tons to tell you this week: oh man i cant believe that another week has already passed by: time flies when you are a missionary: it is absolutely crazy: i only have less than seven months left: eek: i dont know what i am going to do after: can i just stay at the house with all of you forever: i am definitely not ready to get married: i still have a lot of growing up to do: but i definitely want to go to school and get that done: oh mom i think you would have been proud of me the other day i helped a little bird that was stuck in our house: in flew in through the door and was trying to get out a window we cant open: so i just went over and kind of picked him up gently and helped him outside: he was so scared: but he was fine after that: we did a lot of service this week: oh man am i hurting: but it is all good now: i like doing the service: we did it for two member families: the first day was tuesday: we chopped down and cut of branches of these certain trees to make some type of medication: oh my gosh all we had was a machadi: i think you spell it like that: our hands were absolutely raw after: we had blisters: and i got really sunburned: we worked for almost four and half hours: i only got really sunburned on the back of my legs: they havent seen the sun in over a year: my arms and the bottom of my legs and my face are really tan right now: they just keep getting darker and darker: i have a farmers tan: hehe: i have a cool tan line from my watch and my snadals also: the second service we did was friday: we went to the members field and weeded out her vegetable garden: oh man it is huge: it is not the normal small garden like in america: man we worked for over three hours and didnt get very far: but we had to squat and bend over the whole time so by the end our backs were sore and our legs: . . .thank you so much for buying the sandals for my companion she is very grateful: we are going to take a picture together with our sandals and send you a copy: she says thank you very much: . . .: i understand now mom and dad when you work in the yard and you come in with sweat dripping from your face: that is what happened to me friday: i have never had that happen before: at first i thought it was raining or something but nope it was sweat: oh man was i hot: the temperature right now is either really hot or super hot: we walk all the time too: it gets really hot: we sweat all the time: we are always wet: oh for christmas they came up with another rule: we can only talk for 45 minutes: so not cool: we cant talk for 3 hours like last time: but i am going to follow all the rules now: because like i said before with obedience comes the blessings: . . .oh mommy i found another person who plays accordian: it is the only other person i know in the world that can play too: it is one of our investigators: she is 86 years old: her accordian is not like yours though: it is smaller and doesnt have as many buttons: she played the national anthem for me though it was so cute: she loves americans: well my family i love you and miss you tons: i cant wait to talk to you on the phone in less than two months: i am doing well: oh by the way i am still in boulouparis with sister pahio: we dont have to worry about changing for at least another 3 weeks: yay: but i love you:
Email 29 Oct 2006
Excerpts from Sister Welker's email:. . .i am going to be obedient: well just to let you know my new email address is . . .we had district conference and a general authority came and talked to all the members: it was a really good talk: i really enjoyed: other than that nothing else really happened: we are going to be able to go to the transmission of the dedication of the tahiti temple: we are really excited! because it is my companions temple: oh i forgot i do have some exciting news to tell you: i am having my first baptism soon: november 18 is the date: his name is l. . .i am so happy: mom and dad: he is so ready: he has changed so much: and we found him: i actually feel like i have helped out now: my mission has been a success: oh man am i happy: i get to go too: yay: well i am sorry this email is so short but i dont really have anything else to tell you about: i love you and miss you all: hugs and bisous:
Email 24 Oct 2006
Excerpts from Sister Welker's email:oh man i miss you tons and tons: you have probably been wondering why you didnt receive an email on monday from me: well the reason was that all the email shops were closed in our area; so we had to wait until today to do our internet: oh man i was really excited for today: it was so good to hear that you now have a house and you are getting settled in: it is kind of weird to think that i will going back to utah when i am done here: it does not seem real: i only have seven months too: scary huh: i cant believe how fast time has flown by: i have been thinking about what i want to do after my mission and i really have no idea: i think i will apply for byu: that is the only school that has stayed in my head so i will try and go there: . . .i was thinking also that i wanted to be an efy counselor in the summer when i get back: i think that would be tons of fun and i could stay at home with you and just earn money for school: . . .dad i have a question where in germany did you serve: because two missionaries just arrived from germany: i was talking to one of them and they asked where you served: we just had a zone conference last week: it was so good: i really loved it: i learned a lot: i also had an interview with my mission president: it was so spiritual: i really grew as a missionary: he told me that he was prompted to say that the lord was proud of me: i just started crying: i really needed that: he also said that the lord has confidence in me: i was really lacking the confidence the week before in my new area: it was just an awesome interview: there is another transfer this saturday: i am praying that it does not effect me and my companion because we work really well together and i really like my new area: i dont want to change again . . . : i am just going to trust in the lord: and have faith: well i almost got attacked by another dog again but this time it was worse: the dog actually came charging at me snarling and everything: oh man i thought i was going to have a heart attack: it scared me to death: i really thought he was going to hurt me: there are so many loose dogs here it is ridiculous: that is the only thing i dont like about my new area: there is a family in my new area that is so cool: they have got to be my favorite family of all new caledonia: they are amazing: they are recent converts: it has only been two years for the wife and she is now the relief society president and only a year for the husband and he is now the clerk: they are absolutly fabulous: i love them to death: they really help with the missionary work too: we are going to do tracting with the sister this week: it was her idea to come out with us too: oh we dont have a telephone here in our apartment we have to go to a payphone to make calls: so this family is our emergency family: if the mission needs to get a hold of us they call this family: oh yesterday i got this really horrible pain in my back: it was in my lower to middle of my back: it hurt so bad: and i got really nauseas: i dont know how to spell that: i called our president and he said to drink lot of water because they thought it might be a kidney stone: well i drank tons of water: the pain is still there but not as bad today: i really dont know what it is: i am hoping it is just a muscle pain and nothing else: well my dear family: i love you more than you know: you are constantly in my prayers: i miss you: . . .i am going to be completely obedient: that is the only way that the lord will bless me: well i hope you have a good week: love you : hugs and bisous
Email 08 Oct 2006
Excerpts from Sister Welker's email:how are you this week: hey i just want to let you know that i love you and miss you tons: i hope all is going well: did you get that house you wanted: wow five rooms: that is a lot: does that mean i get to stay with you forever even with my husband when i get married: i have to make up for the time i have missed with you: i wish i could be there with you to help you find a house: its got to be frustrating: hey if you get that house in draper we will live by sister rowberry and her family: . . .we did not get to go to our new sector: my old companions companion did not come until saturday so we are going up today: i am getting a little nervous because everybody has been telling us it is a lot different than my other areas: they have been saying it isnt a good area: but i am not going to go with a bad attitude: i am going to go postive: i am going to work hard and never give up: oh i have another question: i need to renew my international drivers license because it expires soon and i will be the driver so i need a new one: oh man i really dont like driving: i have tried a couple of times but i staled out and everything: i dont like it: i dont feel like i am in control of the car: i dont like manuels: i will never buy one: ever::: i almost rolled back into a car yesterday it was so scary: oh we went to a dam the other week for p day: it was so much fun: it was really cool: i really enjoyed being out in nature and just sitting and thinking: it is something i havent done in a long time: i love nature now: it is very peaceful: i took some pictures so i will show you later: in boulouparis there is a lot of waterfalls: i am so exctied: i am going to take lots of pictures: well this week really hasnt been very eventful: i just stayed in riviere salee for the week: but we are leaving in about five hours for my new area: i will be back down next week though for zone conference: i love you all tons and tons: i miss you tons and tons: i hope all is well: i pray for you all the time: hugs and bisous:
Email 01 Oct 2006
Excerpts from Sister Welker's email:how are you: how is utah: is it the same as before: i cant say i am overly excited to go back to utah after my misison: but oh well: if you are there it will be great: well i miss you tons and love ya tons: i have a lot to tell you today: the first and most exciting news is i got transfered once again: i am going to the furthest north that a sister can go: it is called bulaparis: i am going en brusse: which translated means going to the bushes: great huh: it is going to be a little different than my other sectors: i was just told as well that i might not be able to write emails every week: i hope i can: i cant even imaging missing a week of talking to you: my new companion is sister pahio: she is tahitian: she is great: we get along really well: she is awesome: i am senior companion again: the difference this time is that we are opening this sector and whitewashing it: it has been closed for about three months: and it was the elders before: they told us they didnt have any investigators so it will be like starting a new: i am a little nervous but i will be okay: it is a car sector: . . .oh my birthday was great: it felt like any normal day but still some of the missionaries were really cool and got me little gifts: i got a top and a carrot: sister rowberry gave me the top and elder franklin gave me the carrot: kind of as a joke because he knows i dont like vegetables: eew this morning i was making breakfast: there was four of us at our apartment and i was pouring in a bowl some flour and a cockroach came out of the bag and climbed on my hand: oh my gosh it was the grossest thing ever: i felt all of his little legs: i freaked: i dropped the flour and screamed and so did another sister: then everyone started laughing: oh it was huge: yuck: . . .oh i wanted to tell you a little about some of the culture here: we give two kisses to the woman here and shake the mens hand but when the mans hand is wet or dirty we shake their arm it is so weird: i dont like doing it: i feel weird: when they have marriages here everyone gets in their cars and drives around honking it is really cool: they wave at everyone: there are usually tons of cars: it is great: mom i dont know if you were able to watch the relief society fireside but it was so good: i loved it: but i was missing you so much after: it talked about moms a lot: i just wanted to be there with you: the conference was awesome: i really enjoyed it: it passed so fast though: i love our church: it is the greatest: i really miss americans though: it was so great to watch in english: i miss hearing english: we have a rule in the mission now that we cant talk english: it is really hard: sometimes we do though: it is just easier but i am trying to only talk in french: well i got to run but i love you all so much: big hug and bisous:
Email 24 Sep 2006
Excerpt from Sister Welker's email:
i love you tons and tons: and i miss you tons and tons: the past few days have been kind of hard on me: i have missed you a lot: i wish i could be with you right now: but i am doing okay : i have been praying a lot: ive gotta admit that a mission is hard: it is the hardest thing i have ever done: it has been probably the hardest ten months of my life: i cant say i have really enjoyed all ten months: there is definitely moments i would never change though: and if i was asked to do it again i would because i have gotten closer to my heavenly father: my knowledge has grown tremendously i have changed as a person too: i am definitely more patient: that is for sure: you have to have even more patience when you are a senior companion than as a junior: geez its hard: but it is a good experience: i really am blessed to be a missionary right now: . . .i feel like the past few weeks i have just been a robot: and i needed a moment to be a normal person again and crying was the only thing i could think of: it was really good for me though: i got all my emotion out and now i am better than new: but sorry for telling you that: i just wanted to share with you what was on my mind: hey i wanted to know if you have the home address of micah: he goes home next week and i want to be able to write him after his mission: i got your package: thank you so much: there was so many goodies: i was so excited: all the other missionaries were excited too: they attacked me to get the starbursts:not literally attacked me but formed a circle around me: it was funny: thank you for the cheesecake: i am so excited to eat it: we are going to make it on my birthday: i got the birthday cd also: thank you so much: i really needed that: it was cute: thanks: oh dad one of the elders thinks you are so hilarious: he listned to a little of the birthday song: the end when you said are we done okay good: it was funny: what a lot of surprises in that video: mom and lindsey your hair is so long: wow: you guys have all changed so much: i cant believe that james got married: wow: i was shocked: good for him though: what the heck bob: what is that mo hawk: what happened to preppy bob: that was the thing that shocked me the most: thank you all so much for doing that: i love you all so much: well the other day we were walking and down the street someone sneezed: oh my gosh it sounded exactly like you dad: i forgot for a second that i was in new caledonia and not at home with you: i could hear it clear down the street: well all the members have been telling us that there is a cyclone headed our way: do you guys know anything about that: oh man i think the hardest thing about a mission is the companions: man i have had so many very different companions: three of the five have had very strong personalities: the other two i got along great with but our companionship did not last long: the others i have been with for a long time: i think the lord is really trying to help me work on my patience: . . the last two days i have been sick: my skin has just ached and i dont know why: but it may be because of stress so i am going to try and calm down and try relax a little more: oh man i was so excited at church yesterday we had a lot of people there: we have been working a lot with inactives and it has payed off: the lord has really blessed us: there is three men we have been working with to help them come back to church and all three of them came to church yesterday: it was the best feeling ever: also our new investigator who we found by the lords guide came to church yesterday: for the full three hours: it was awesome: his name is l. . .: he is from fortuna: he is sixty years old: he is so cool: we commited him to quit smoking and he agreed: oh i am so excited: he is really progressing: oh man i cant believe i will be turning 22 soon: that is so odd: i am getting so old and i am still not married eek: just kidding i am not stressing: thank you for all the birthday surprises: oh i also got the dvds thank you: oh i dont know if you guys have the book our heritage but i wanted to tell you it is a really good book i am in the process of reading it: it is awesome: i love it: well i love you tons and tons and miss you tons and tons: hugs and bisous:
