Email 25 Mar 2007

Excerpts from Sister Welker's email:
oh wow the time is flying by: i am really getting nervous to come home and excited: everytime i think about it i get butterflies in my stomach: i only have seven weeks left: so crazy: i still do not know what day i will be home for sure: i just know i will be leaving here the 12th: but i should find out next wednesday: i have my last interview with president ardern and my last zone conference: so sad: but all is well: so many people are going crazy trying to schedule to have dinners and what not with me before i leave: i love all these people but i would rather spend my last few weeks working and not just eating: but maybe i can do both: i really hope you are not too shocked when you see me: i look a lot different: my hair is really light and i have gained some weight: so brace yourselves when i walk off the airplane: oh that was so weird to think about walking off the airplane: eek: i think it is coming faster than i think: it looked like you all had a lot of fun with everyone from hawaii: wish i could have been there: i hope we can do it again sometime: well i have thought a lot about it and prayed a lot to know if i should stay at home or live away and i feel i should live away: i want to stay at home but i feel it would be good for me to go away for college and meet new friends and all that fun stuff: i still dont know what classes i am taking: . . . : i might take a french class so i could keep my french and also if i take a test after this class and pass i can get 12 language credits so i want to try: and i was even thinking about french as a minor: . . . it is really hard to think about all that right now as a missionary it is a little distracting: but i will let you know before the day for registration: . . . well in this weeks news: my companion and i taught the nursery yesterday: it was fun: we had four cute little kids: all the adults had to go to a combined meeting so we were volunteered to go watch the kids: the elders got the primary kids and we got the little ones: they are so cute: we also taught a lesson in english yesterday too: it was the first time on my mission: oh it was so hard: i really had to think about the words: and i still said a lot of words in french: but it was still a really good lesson: it was great: we were teaching someone from australia: it is the second time teaching him: he is a friend of one of our members: . . . we found a new investigator this week: she is so cool: i will have to tell you about her when i get home: she has a lot of potential: i hope she will accept the gospel: already she has read the joseph smith brochure and she took a book of mormon: she is one of those one in a million type of investigators: . . . my companion and i had a fun little walk through a jungle the other day: we were trying to get to an inactives house but it had just rained so there was mud at her house and we didnt want the same thing to happen as the other week so we went to another members house a little ways away to park our car: when we got there the little ten year old boy said he new a shortcut to the inactives house so we followed him: well this shortcut included hiking up this mountain thing and then going down it again and walking through trees and grass that covered my head: jumping over little streams and ducking branches: it was really adventurous: we were so glad when it was over though: it still took about half hour to get there: we did all this in dresses and sandals it was very interesting but the little boy did it with no shoes on: but then we did tracting also with this member boy: he showed us where people lived and introduced us to people: he is such a good little missionary. . . well i dont have much time left but just to let you know sister rowberrys homecoming is the eigth of april the same day you talk: good luck i will be praying for you both: . . . you will have to talk to some of the missionaries: you might recognize some of them from the pictures: . . . well i gotta run: i love you all so much: have a good week: . . .: hugs and bisous:

Email 18 Mar 2007

Excerpts from Sister Welker's email:
hello my beautiful family; i love you and miss you tons: how was your week: mine was pretty good: we finally have gotten back into the swing of things after sister titel being really sick: she is feeling a lot better: we actually had an investigator that has been an investigator for fifteen years come to church today for the first time in three years: it was so great: i was so happy: he told me after that he had really felt the spirit and had really enjoyed it: the amazing thing is that the blessing i told him he would receive if he came to church would that he would be touched by the spirit and that would help him get the motivation he needed to obey all the commandments: it was amazing: i could really feel the spirit talking through me: i am hoping he will come again next week: we have really been working with him: he progresses little by little: but i know one day he will be able to obey all the commandments and be baptized: he is an amazing person: he is 76 years old: . . . well to let you know about my release date: the 12th is the day i will leave new caledonia: we are not sure yet if i will be going through new zealand or fiji yet: my mission president wants me to go through fiji and stay there until the 14th: but the church board may say no because there are no flights from fiji to hawaii: but there are flights from new zealand to hawaii: if i go through new zealand i will get to hawaii the 12th: but i dont know yet: i have to wait to see with my mission president: well there are two elders who will be in hawaii the same time as us: they leave in two weeks to go home: but their families are going to hawaii in may: the 19th of may: so they are going to come to my homecoming: that will be fun: because they are my two favorite elders here: we were all in the same district for a long time: one of them you might meet at sister rowberrys homecoming: i will give you all the information next week: i forgot it today: i am so excited for general conference: i cant wait to hear everyone talk: four days after that we have zone conference: talk about spiritual uplifting: this will be my last zone conference: it is really sad: it is going to be hard to leave this people: i have to bear my testimony at the end: i will be the last one: i know i will cry: oh man so hard: oh man my arms are so sore today: we did some more weed whacking: but this time it was on this really steep hill: oh it was difficult but really fun: i fell down a couple times: but i got to wear these really huge boots: i think they were about six sizes too big: it was quit a sight to see: we are going to be doing a lot of tracting this week because we need new investigators: can you please pray for us to find someone: we need someone to teach who is ready: i have faith that we can too: rumors have it that maybe we will be transfered soon: i hope not: i just want to stay here until the end: when we have transfers i will only have five weeks left: we shall see though: i will know in two weeks: well i love you all so much: i miss you all so much: see you in less than two months: eek:

Sister Titel and Sister Welker

Getting the car unstuck, uck.

Email 11 Mar 2007

Excerpts from Sister Welker's email:
hello my beautiful family: how are you all doing this week: jamesy how is your finger. . . the first thing is that the elder will not be bringing stuff home for me: he doesnt have enough weight so i am just taking it: i should be okay i think: i am leaving almost all of my clothes: but i have a lot of books and other stuff that people gave me: it is so crazy right now: everyone just keeps giving me gifts because i am leaving soon: i have so much stuff already: . . . so you got a call from my mission president huh: yeah he gave me the choice of may 12th and june 16th those are the only two days i can go: but anyways i had a lot of questions to ask you about school: . . . : i am getting really excited but also kind of nervous: that is so much fun that you will be having everyone over from hawaii: wish i could be there: it has been a long time since i have seen everyone: tell them all hi: it will be fun to see them all again: . . . we have been going running about four times a week: it is great: i love running: i might just do what every body else in our family is doing and start training for a marathon: that would be fun: oh i wanted to share with you a scripture that i found the other day: i have been kind of frustrated with investigators and the work and really doubting if i was doing any good here anymore: i was reading in helamen 10: 4&5: it is an awesome scripture it really helped me bounce back: i feel good now: and i feel the lord is proud of me and the work that i have done: i have no doubts now: sister rowberry just left: she will be getting home pretty soon: she went with her parents to australia first and then they will be going home: her homecoming is the eigth of april if you wanted to go. . . a lot of the missionaries from my mission will be going. . . . well we had quite an adventure the other day: our car got stuck in the mud: we were going to visit an inactive member: she leaves at the end of a dirt road but it had just rained so that dirt turned into mud: we were almost there when we got stuck: i tried pushing by myself but i think you can probably guess the outcome of that: the inactive members husband came out with his friend to help us: he actually called someone to come get us: the guy came but couldnt help us because we were too far in: so we had to do it ourselves: we put long peices of dried grass and branches under the tires and behind the car: we decided we would try pushing again: well i was still in my skirt and shirt put i went to push anyways because there was only three of us: we were pushing in front and i was on the right side: well we started pushing and mud went flying everywhere: all over me: as you can see in the photo: it was all over and that was just the first time: we had to push a second time and i got a little bit more mud on me: well we finally got it out: but before we left they let me go rinse of a little: the sister we were visiting told her son to wash my sandals for me because he does it all the time and then she told him to wash my feet: i told her no that is okay i could do it but she insisted: well you all know i hate when people touch my feet: it was very uncomfortable: he was a little eleven year old boy: . . . that is just there culture: they live in this tiny make shift home and dont have a lot: but her kids are amazing i love them to death: she also told us to go shower but we only rinsed off: their shower was just a small covering: there were tin sheets leaning against each other as the walls: and a big barrel of water: it really humbled me to see that: they dont have a lot but they were willing to give: it was a good experience for me: oh i had a question for all the boys: there is a missionary here who will be moving to utah in july or august who is from alaska and asked me if i knew of any jobs in utah he could do: well i thought i would ask you boys if you have any openings at your works: he is willing to do whatever: if you guys hear anything will you let me know pretty please: oh by the way i dont think i mentioned this by i have been praying a lot lately and i received an answer the other day that i will be coming home the 12th of may: i wanted to extend but i feel this is what the lord wanted: i love you all and miss you all so much: i will see ya in less than two months: hugs and bisous:
p:s: vater; ich liebe dich:

Email 04 Mar 2007

Excerpts from Sister Welker's email:
hello my beautiful family; oh wow: i am exremely happy; excited; surprised; and nervous all wrapped into one: oh my i didnt think that i would get accepted and not as fast as it was: wow: i really am at a loss for words: i have been so stressed about it: i didnt think they would accept me but viola: i am extremely excited: oh gosh: i saw your subject mom and i started getting excited but then i thought you were just talking about the byu game: but then at the end there it was: thats so much fun: i will now be close to you all and some of my friends will be there: i wont be alone: yes: i just cant stop smiling right now: thank you so much mom and dad: but anyways how was your week: i have been thinking a lot about you this week: i was worried about not being able to tell you my release date: i knew you were very excited mom: but i should get it soon: and by the way the time is flying here it will feel like tomorrow: i really cant believe that i have just a little over two and half months left: it is so crazy: i am really excited to see you all: i have a bittersweet feeling inside: i will miss this work; i will miss these people but i really am excited to see you all and start school again: but my goal is to still work as much as i can with the missionaries: i have grown to have such a great love for this work: it is absolutely amazing: i have seen and been a part of many miracles: i have changed tremendously and i love it: the change was neccessary i believe: i grew up a lot as well: i still have a lot of growing up and changing to do before i get married though: well how is max this week: i have not been able to see the video: we have no where in our sector to go to watch videos but when we are in noumea next which will be for general conference i will watch it: how was your date bobby: i am sure it went well and you swept her off her feet: . . . oh to answer your question yes i am still with sister titel yay: we made it through this transfer: the next one is in the beginning of april: i am hoping we can just stay together but we shall see: there is more rumors going around about me being a trainer again: i am just going to put my trust in the lord: the things he wants me to do i will do: and by that time i will most definitely have my release date by then: . . . we received some bad news the other day that one of the members in our sector son died the other day: he wa only about eighteen months old: he drowned: it is actually the grandson of two huge families in our sector: it is really sad: he was such a cutie: but they are all handling it well: they know they will see him again: and i know they will as well: but in other news i used a weed whacker the other day for the first time ever: it was really fun: i have never used one: i know i tried when i was younger but didnt succeed but this time i did: it was fun but the only bad thing was that i had basketball shorts on so rocks kept flying up and hitting my legs: it hurt: but it was fine: i got to wear a mask too: that was the best part: i took a picture: . . . well that is really all the news this week: i love you all so much: thank you so much for your support and love: miss you: