A few pictures and thoughts from Elder Walters' mom, Bridgette.
Barry and I were planning to attend Tyler's (Elder Walters' older brother) graduation from the University of Virginia Law School on May 18. UVA is only three hours from Elder Walters' mission in North Carolina. We asked President Wallis if we could visit Elder Walters for a couple of days while we were so close. After talking with Elder Walters, President Wallis felt it would be okay for us to visit (one of the great advantages of a service mission).
We thoroughly enjoyed seeing Elder Walters and meeting the other missionaries in his district, the staff at the institute, as well as some of the students who attend the Durham Third Ward.
Elder Walters is healthy, happy and growing in so many ways. What more could parents ask for?
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Elder Walters' friends from the Institute at UNC
A quick lunch with Sister Morris, the institute secretary, Bridgette, Elder Walters, Barry, Sister Gwyn, a service missionary, and Brother Nichols, the Institute Director. Elder Walters spends part of his day with Sister Morris, Sister Gwyn and Brother Nichols working at the institute. The other part of his day is spent teaching with the Elders. They are amazing, loving people who work hard to meet the needs of the students at UNC and Duke. Elder Walters is so lucky to be associated with this group of people!
Family Home Evening
A group photo following FHE, first a lesson and then a game of Dodge Ball. Daniel Leslie is in the power chair on the left side of the picture. Elder Walters and I first met Daniel when we were all living at Wymount in Provo in 2006. Daniel's family is from Evergreen, Colorado. After Daniel finished his Masters in Accounting at BYU he was accepted to Duke Law School where he began classes last week. Daniel is an amazing young man who is extremely smart and a joy to know. He has been called to serve as the assistant Ward Mission Leader. Daniel and Elder Walters will both attend the Durham Single Adult Ward.Just another example of how much Elder Walters' life has been blessed while he has been a missionary.
Green Eggs and Ham
Elder Christman, Elder Walters and Elder McCann. Elder Walters trained Elder Christman who was being transferred the next day. In this picture the Elders were giving a lesson out of the Green Eggs and Ham book by Dr. Seuss which had been adapted to help members see how easy it is to invite their friends and neighbors to learn about the Gospel. We are in Bishop and Sister Condie's home where we enjoyed a wonderful dinner.
Salad before the pizza . . .
Sunny and Marty, from the Durham Singles Ward, suggested pizza at the restaurant on Franklin Street. It was delicious!
Preparation Day
Elder Walters with other members in his district on preparation day. The Elders had just emailed their families and are shown in the "pit" at UNC.Saturday, May 10, 2008
"Ask in Faith"
May 9, 2008
Chris was baptized on May 3rd! He was planning on being baptized on the 10th of May, but we realized that he had been to church enough and been taught enough. Chris has been so exited about his baptism. He always lights up when we talk about it, he had been looking forward to it so much. He spent a lot of time preparing for it through prayer and even tried fasting.
He was very peaceful before his baptism. As we filled the font we both read from the Bible Dictionary about Baptism and talked about the symbolism and covenant he was about to make. I remember talking about the way I feel at baptisms, how it is such an important and powerful moment, when our sins are completely left behind. In the week preceding his baptism Chris kept saying how exited he was to feel that remission of his sins, that “chance to start anew.”
Members from the singles ward and the Chapel Hill 1st and 2nd Wards began trickling in. We heard a great talk about baptism by Aaron, a med school student at UNC. Then Chris’ baptism was performed by Elder King.
When Chris and Elder King returned, we heard a talk on the Holy Ghost by Rob who is in the process of finding a house in our ward boundaries. Rob has already given a ton of service to our ward, including going on exchanges multiple times, a lesson at FHE, and giving rides to investigators.
It makes our roles as missionaries so much more effective as our awesome ward continues to give us support, rides, meals, fasting and prayers and most importantly when they introduce their friends to us and help us teach them the Gospel. So far, a member has been involved lovingly in every investigator’s successful conversion to the Gospel of Jesus Christ in my time in the Durham 3rd Singles ward.
Elder Bednar’s last talk at General Conference “Ask in Faith” was right on the mark -- it defined the roles of both full time missionaries and members in missionary work. He stated that missionaries are to be the full time teachers and that members are to be the full time finders. I believe it was Elder Holland that said “This is HIS work and HIS glory and we will do it HIS way or it will not get done.”
I have seen both through successful and not so successful experiences that the roles described by Elder Bednar are the roles that we are to fulfill if His work and His glory is going to be offered to His children. It is amazing to see how well the work goes as the members of this ward continue to share the Gospel with their friends and introduce them to us, the missionaries! As the work is done His way, it also becomes so apparent that we have so little to do with the miracle of a person’s conversion to Jesus Christ’s Gospel!
The members invite their friends to experience the Gospel in some way. The missionaries teach them the principles of the Gospel. The Holy Ghost enlightens their understanding, adds feelings of conviction in their hearts and gives them a desire to repent. Then they covenant with God through baptism, receive the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost as they are worthy and start the cycle over again by strengthening both members and non-members alike in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Sister Gwyn is a perfect example of a member who strengthens all of those around her. I realized recently that while I talk about Sister Gwyn a lot with people and write about her in individual letters, I’ve never really described her in these emails. Sister Gwyn is simply amazing! She has so much energy and is so exited about her mission here and the people she gets to serve here! One of her 7 daughters recently had Sister Gwyn’s 16th or 17th grandchild, however you would be amazed at how fast she works and serves!
I really don’t know where to begin in describing her, so I guess I’ll start at the beginning. She and her husband Art were the parents of three girls when two missionaries came knocking on their door decades ago. After family requests kept Sister Gwyn and Art from joining the church at that time, they later did so and were sealed in the temple.
Art has since past away and Sister Gwyn has spent the last several years serving missions, packing up everything she owns in her little blue Buick, visiting her 7 daughters, then starting the next mission!
I feel extremely fortunate to be serving the Lord and the Singles Ward with Sister Gwyn. About a week and a half ago, we got a call from Cayce as we were finishing dinner with Bill Barlow at Duke. Cayce said Sister Gwyn had lost her footing halfway down the stairs to the basement at the Institute. Sister Gwyn hit her head on the way down but was otherwise okay. She said she felt okay but when she got back to our office, she decided to ask Cayce to call an ambulance just to be on the safe side.
We got to the institute to see the ambulance and a fire truck already there. When we got to our office at the rear of the institute we could hear the E.M.T.s asking Sister Gwyn if she was in pain. I was relieved to hear her say, “Of course I’m not in pain. If I were in pain, you’d know it! I don’t do well with pain.” She said her strength wasn’t all quite there, as she squeezed the E.M.T.’s hand she stated, “If I had my full strength, YOU’d be in pain right now!”
Sister Gwyn asked if we could give her a blessing before they placed her on the stretcher and asked me to be voice. I really felt like I was just a tool in Heavenly Father’s Hands and have since reflected on the fact that it always seems that the first thing Priesthood holders are prompted to state in Priesthood blessings is a manifestation of God’s Love for those receiving the blessing. I believe that the World’s problems and my problems would gain greater perspective if we remembered always God’s Love for His Children.
They loaded Sister Gwyn on a stretcher and checked her out at the hospital. At 10:30 that night, they let her go home. She is now feeling a lot better and is visiting her daughters and going to her granddaughter’s wedding. I’m exited for her and other students to return for summer term on the 23rd of May!
With my love and appreciation,
Elder Walters
Chris was baptized on May 3rd! He was planning on being baptized on the 10th of May, but we realized that he had been to church enough and been taught enough. Chris has been so exited about his baptism. He always lights up when we talk about it, he had been looking forward to it so much. He spent a lot of time preparing for it through prayer and even tried fasting.
He was very peaceful before his baptism. As we filled the font we both read from the Bible Dictionary about Baptism and talked about the symbolism and covenant he was about to make. I remember talking about the way I feel at baptisms, how it is such an important and powerful moment, when our sins are completely left behind. In the week preceding his baptism Chris kept saying how exited he was to feel that remission of his sins, that “chance to start anew.”
Members from the singles ward and the Chapel Hill 1st and 2nd Wards began trickling in. We heard a great talk about baptism by Aaron, a med school student at UNC. Then Chris’ baptism was performed by Elder King.
When Chris and Elder King returned, we heard a talk on the Holy Ghost by Rob who is in the process of finding a house in our ward boundaries. Rob has already given a ton of service to our ward, including going on exchanges multiple times, a lesson at FHE, and giving rides to investigators.
It makes our roles as missionaries so much more effective as our awesome ward continues to give us support, rides, meals, fasting and prayers and most importantly when they introduce their friends to us and help us teach them the Gospel. So far, a member has been involved lovingly in every investigator’s successful conversion to the Gospel of Jesus Christ in my time in the Durham 3rd Singles ward.
Elder Bednar’s last talk at General Conference “Ask in Faith” was right on the mark -- it defined the roles of both full time missionaries and members in missionary work. He stated that missionaries are to be the full time teachers and that members are to be the full time finders. I believe it was Elder Holland that said “This is HIS work and HIS glory and we will do it HIS way or it will not get done.”
I have seen both through successful and not so successful experiences that the roles described by Elder Bednar are the roles that we are to fulfill if His work and His glory is going to be offered to His children. It is amazing to see how well the work goes as the members of this ward continue to share the Gospel with their friends and introduce them to us, the missionaries! As the work is done His way, it also becomes so apparent that we have so little to do with the miracle of a person’s conversion to Jesus Christ’s Gospel!
The members invite their friends to experience the Gospel in some way. The missionaries teach them the principles of the Gospel. The Holy Ghost enlightens their understanding, adds feelings of conviction in their hearts and gives them a desire to repent. Then they covenant with God through baptism, receive the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost as they are worthy and start the cycle over again by strengthening both members and non-members alike in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Sister Gwyn is a perfect example of a member who strengthens all of those around her. I realized recently that while I talk about Sister Gwyn a lot with people and write about her in individual letters, I’ve never really described her in these emails. Sister Gwyn is simply amazing! She has so much energy and is so exited about her mission here and the people she gets to serve here! One of her 7 daughters recently had Sister Gwyn’s 16th or 17th grandchild, however you would be amazed at how fast she works and serves!
I really don’t know where to begin in describing her, so I guess I’ll start at the beginning. She and her husband Art were the parents of three girls when two missionaries came knocking on their door decades ago. After family requests kept Sister Gwyn and Art from joining the church at that time, they later did so and were sealed in the temple.
Art has since past away and Sister Gwyn has spent the last several years serving missions, packing up everything she owns in her little blue Buick, visiting her 7 daughters, then starting the next mission!
I feel extremely fortunate to be serving the Lord and the Singles Ward with Sister Gwyn. About a week and a half ago, we got a call from Cayce as we were finishing dinner with Bill Barlow at Duke. Cayce said Sister Gwyn had lost her footing halfway down the stairs to the basement at the Institute. Sister Gwyn hit her head on the way down but was otherwise okay. She said she felt okay but when she got back to our office, she decided to ask Cayce to call an ambulance just to be on the safe side.
We got to the institute to see the ambulance and a fire truck already there. When we got to our office at the rear of the institute we could hear the E.M.T.s asking Sister Gwyn if she was in pain. I was relieved to hear her say, “Of course I’m not in pain. If I were in pain, you’d know it! I don’t do well with pain.” She said her strength wasn’t all quite there, as she squeezed the E.M.T.’s hand she stated, “If I had my full strength, YOU’d be in pain right now!”
Sister Gwyn asked if we could give her a blessing before they placed her on the stretcher and asked me to be voice. I really felt like I was just a tool in Heavenly Father’s Hands and have since reflected on the fact that it always seems that the first thing Priesthood holders are prompted to state in Priesthood blessings is a manifestation of God’s Love for those receiving the blessing. I believe that the World’s problems and my problems would gain greater perspective if we remembered always God’s Love for His Children.
They loaded Sister Gwyn on a stretcher and checked her out at the hospital. At 10:30 that night, they let her go home. She is now feeling a lot better and is visiting her daughters and going to her granddaughter’s wedding. I’m exited for her and other students to return for summer term on the 23rd of May!
With my love and appreciation,
Elder Walters
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)