8-15-16

Hey Yall! 

   This week has been a really good one for us. Even though things have been fallin through, we have been workin hard and Im so tired! The weather is starting to cool down and it is so nice! Its gone from the 100's to the 70's and 80's. Its crazy that it can change so fast! But we have had some fun this last week! 

   I want to thank yall for the birthday wishes! It was a great birthday for sure! The Bishop Family threw me a little suprise party with the help of my wonderful parents! It was amazing! Thank yall for the notes too! I also got a pair of new boots too! It was a good day and Im glad that I got to spend it with wonderful people who we love! Thank yall for your wonderful love and support as well! It makes missionary work so much easier when you have friends and family who love and support you. Yall Rock! I hope that everything is well with yall and that you dont forget where your blessings come from! Love yall!

Elder Walker

A gorgeous sunset

Carla Stokes Ranch 

and my new boots!   

8-8-16

Hey yall! 

   I wanna apologize for not writin the last few weeks! Our mission president has limited us to 2 hours for email so I have had tons of emails to respond to! Last week we had even less time to email so when I opened my email account to find 48 messages from different people I felt bad because I knew that I could respond to all of them! So sorry for that but thank you for your emails!

   But this week we had some awesome times! We had our Specialized Training Meeting/Zone Pday on Monday, A Leadership Training Meeting on Tuesday, our Zone Temple Trip on Thursday and a District Meeting on Friday and Exchanges with Both the AP's and the Elders in Ada too! Holy Smokes! Its been wild! And in there we had a little bit of time to work (: But we still killed it! 

   So I wanted to share an experience with you that I had this week while I was on exchanges in Ada. We went to a Drug rehab center because they have some Investigators there. Their names are Andrew, Mike and Ricky. We walked in and everyone there started talking to us about God and asking questions and stuff. We pushed our way through the crowd and had to find a spot where we could sit down and have a discussion. We were sitting there with 3 criminals. Very rough individuals. They were all covered in tattoos and scars and honestly looked pretty scary. But I had never come across anyone on my mission that was so humble. These 3 men were so hungry for something more. Something that would change their lives and give them hope. Something that could allow them to feel forgiveness. In Enos 1:4 is starts out by saying "And my soul hungered..." These mens souls were so hungry. They ate up every bit of what we taught! They had amazing questions and wanted to learn more! When we invited them to be baptized they were so fast to say yes! It was amazing to see how these men were prepared to receive the gospel. To see someone who was so hardened by drugs, alcohol, prison, and who knows what else, what really humbling. There was a light in their eyes like their spirit was trying to come out and say yes! This is what I need! That was super cool. Too bad there isnt a rehab center here in Pauls Valley! Anyhow, that was the highlight of the week!  

   We also caught a wild tarantula on the road on friday night! So we held him and named him John. Hes pretty friendly! Anyhow, its been a great week and there are lots more to follow! 

   To all those whom I didnt respond Im sorry! I'll getcha next week! Love yall and have a great week!

Elder Walker

Elder Van Halder goes home this week! ): I made the departure list! and The Pauls Valley Zone! 

July 18th

Hey Y’all!

   This week has been a great one! On Wednesday I said good bye to Elder Riffenburg and Welcomed Elder Whitten to Pauls Valley! He is from Blackfoot Idaho and comes from a farm! He’s my second farm boy companion from Idaho and I love it! He's been out about a year and came here from Vernon Texas. I am so excited to work with him! He is a new Zone Leader which is fun. We get to learn together! 

   We've been busy and hard at work this week. We have lots of People that we visit and teach! Its been fun to see all the progression and miracles here! We had a crazy experience just last night!

    So last night we were walking. We are low on miles and figured we could walk for an evening. Since my bike is out of commission) As we were walking we saw this man sitting on his porch smoking. We walked up to him and started talking to him. We gave him a "Jesus Card" (that’s what we call them) and asked about his beliefs. He said that he was Baptist and loved God and Jesus. We were starting to get into a really good conversation and then his neighbor pulled in the driveway and got out of her car and stormed over to us and started firing off questions that were very provocative and rude. Completely interrupted our discussion we were having. She was railing joseph smith and the Book of Mormon and Thomas Monson and I started getting really mad. How dare someone start talking about my prophet like that! Then she went off and said that God doesn’t work through prophets anymore and that it’s a bunch of bull **** blah blah blah. That we were liars and false prophets and all this other stuff. I was then extremely mad. Then a quote popped into my mind by elder Holland that he shared in a mission president seminar. He said, " Don’t bash, don’t bash, don’t bash, but when you bash, bash to win!!" I hate bashing. If there is anything about Oklahoma that I hate, its the bashers. But I asked her a question. I said, you believe in the bible. There are many prophets in the bible. If God is the same yesterday today and forever, why would things be any different now? God Doesn’t change! She was real quiet for the first time since she came over and said, "I can’t answer that question." BOOM Got em!! From there, I started teaching and testifying of the Prophet Joseph smith and the Book of Mormon. I don’t even remember half the stuff I said. I know that it was the spirit talking. Not me. I honestly felt like I was gonna grow wings and fly away. It was an interesting experience. But by the time that she left, she had her heart softened a ton. It was amazing to witness firsthand how the spirit works on people. It never ceases to amaze me! Anyhow, crazy experience of the week. 

   Moral of the story is, testimony never fails! I love the chance that I have to bear my testimony and have that even be an expectation! 

   I just found out that my bike is finished being fixed! I will get it back finally after about 2 months of not having it! And we can bike now! The Lord is good to us and the work is going forward here. Love y’all and have a wonderful week! 

Elder Walker

Cadillac Monster Truck!

Elder Whitten 

July 11th

Hey Y’all!

   This week was something else. It seemed like we spent all our time in meetings! We met the new mission president on Tuesday, had MLC on Thursday, Friday went to Ardmore. twice... (missionary probs) then Saturday went to OKC for a baptism!! Jay Hardy, a guy who we baptized up in the city baptized his girlfriend! (Lilah) That was so cool! 

   It was busy busy, busy! It was fun though. We did lots of service as well. 

   The focus of our new mission president (Who is amazing btw) seems to be strengthening the members before baptizing new ones. He doesn’t care about numbers. He cares about conversion! So that’s’ what we are gonna be focusing on! And the Pauls Valley Ward could really use some strengthening in that sense. So look out, here we come! 

   My companion Elder Riffenburg is getting transferred! To Enid! My new comp will be Elder Whetten coming from Vernon. I’m so excited to work with him! It seems like change happens often and keeps us from getting too comfortable! Remember that. Sometimes, the Lord needs us to change something around! So be willing to do it when it is presented!

Love y’all and have a great week!!

Elder Walker  

Jay and Lilah at her baptism

And our nerf gun fight with Ronan Weingartner! SO FUN!!

July 5th

Hey Y’all!

   This week has been amazing! I don't think that I have ever sweat so much in my life. It seems like it’s getting hotter and hotter every day. The heat is only amplified by the humidity. But that comes with summer time here in Oklahoma. And it’s only the beginning of it all. It’s been consistently in the high 90's with a day or 2 of 100+ degrees. I prefer the cold but I guess I don't mind it too much. 

   As always, we have had so many chances to serve this week. Mowing lawns, helping others move, serving at a food bank, clearing brush on a ranch... the list goes on and on! I love it! And through that service, we found 3 new investigators as well. Which never hurts :P That was definitely a miracle! At the food bank we do service at there is a guy Rodney who runs the organization. We have wanted to teach him but he is a tough nut to crack. Last week he asked us if we would help him move his sister in from Ohio. She got here on Tuesday and we showed up and moved em in quick like the Mormon moving crew always does! Then afterwards we taught him, his sister and her daughter! So neat! They were so receptive! But sometimes that what it takes is a little service! 

   Our 4th was awesome! We couldn't email because the library was closed and the stores were all closed. We drove through downtown Pauls Valley (Which consists of about 2 blocks of stores and buildings) and the streets were lined with American flags. Both sides all just waving in the wind. There were probably 50 of them! It was so cool to see! The people here love their country for sure! So we went out to the Carnegie Ranch to go fishing! We caught tons of fish there! We caught bass, bluegill, yellow bellied sunfish, and some sticks. It was really cool! They had also killed a timber rattle snake that I skinned and am curing to make something cool with! It’s been an awesome week! 

   Time is short and we gotta go meet our new mission president! I love y’all and hope that y’all have a wonderful week! 

Elder Shane Walker

June 27th

Hey Y’all! 

   This week was crazy! It was so much fun! It’s been full of service and lots of lessons! We started the week off on a good note. We were able to do tons of service! We have the chance to mow several lawns for members in the ward each week. We may as well start The Elders Lawn Services! Seriously! I think that they need to issue the elders here a mower and trailer and also a tractor! It would come in handy!

   It seems like do almost as much service as we do teaching! But we have been asked to do that by our awesome ward mission leader! So we are doing all of it! So we mowed lawns Tuesday in Pauls Valley, we cut split and stacked wood on Thursday in Sulphur, and then cleared forest on a ranch in Pauls Valley again on Saturday. Then today we mowed some more! That’s why I’m sending this off so late cuz we were busy all day! Anyhow, all between that we taught a bunch of lessons and met some awesome people! It may sound like we just do service all the time but we really do work! I promise! There are plenty of service opportunities to be had here! It’s the first place that I've been where we can ask if someone needs something done and they say yes!! I love it!! 

   But it’s been busy and I’m glad that it’s over. Now onto this week! This week we get a new mission president! That will be exciting! Onto new things! It’s gonna be different adjusting to the new president but I’m sure that he will have nothing but good things to contribute to the mission and the people here in Oklahoma. 

   Stay strong and endure! I love y’all and have a great week! 

Elder Walker 

June 20th

Hey Y’all!

   This week has been crazy! I say that every week I know but this week really was crazy! We started off the week with a good pday. We just chilled. It was really nice! 

   Then Tuesday, we drove all the way to Lawton to do car inspections at a zone conference there! That’s a solid 90-mile drive from us. When we got into Lawton, we drove straight into a WILD thunderstorm. We could see the front of the storm from probably 20 miles away! It was huge! On the way back we ended up driving super far east to give a blessing in Sulphur. It made for a long day and lots of miles. But it was all approved so it’s all good. 

   Wednesday we drove up to Norman for OUR Zone Conference. That was awesome! President Walkenhorst talked about Obedience and its blessings. So good! That was the last time being able to see him before he goes home in a week! Also that evening we drove out to a little town of Antioch to pick up a member to go teaching and found a washed out road that made us take a super long detour. It sucked but it was bad! Its gonna take a while to fix that one! 

   Thursday was a normalish day. We found like crazy and got 3 new investigators! That was a miracle! 

   Friday we went to Seminole for district meeting and exchanges. That went really well! 

   On Saturday we went out to a little town called Stratford to install an amp and stereo system in a 79 blazer for a member of our bishopric! That was fun! 

   Then Sunday was wild too. Meetings in Pauls Valley, then a mini sacrament meeting in a little town south of here called Sulphur. There are lots of people that live there that can’t afford to drive all the way up here to PV so we take it to them! Then we had a really good visit with some pig farmers in a town called Paoli. They are the Kidd family and are members that are struggling a bit but they are awesome!  

   Anyhow, this week was long and busy and I’m glad that its over! This coming week should be a good one! We have lots of service planned and y’all know how much I love service! Good stuff! 

   One thing that I have learned this week is that obedience brings so many blessings. When we have a desire to be obedient, Heavenly Father blesses us with the strength to do so. It can be and usually is really hard. But through Him we can be obedient. It requires constant reflection and much repentance. The commandments provide a way for us to live higher than the world. To have an improved quality of life. To TRULY be happy! Its so awesome! 

   Anyhow, I love y’all and hope that you have an amazing week! 

Elder Walker