Random Pictures from North Carolina

Tyler Hansbrough going for a layup in warm ups before UNC beat Orrell Roberts University

Jessi's baptism . . . Elder Walters, Jessi, Cayce, Elder Farrell and Elder Milovich

Celebrating Elder Farrell's 18 month mark with a Chili lunch.

I'm taking a wild guess . . . all these tents are set up prior to the UNC / Duke basketball game.

Elder Walters and their district on P'day . . . Elder Walter's exercising using his rugby chair while playing basketball with the other Elders.

Jessi was baptized!

February 16, 2009

Jessi was baptized! She asked Elder Farrell to baptize her and our ward mission leader, Bradley, to confirm her as a member of the Church and give her the Gift of The Holy Ghost. President and Sister Wallis also attended. It was a great service, about forty minutes long, which is the right amount of time to focus on why we were there, Jessi’s baptism, not the talks or the songs.

The talks, by the way, were great. They were given by Cayce, a recent convert, and my companion, Elder Milovich. Maria, who was baptized in October, sang ‘Baptism’. It was neat to see how Maria, Cayce, Christie and other new and not-so-new members gravitated around Jessi and included her as part of the ward. Jessi has also done her part in jumping into a new social network because she’s realized the truthfulness of the Church.

On Wednesday the University of North Carolina’s men’s basketball team competed against Duke University’s men’s basketball team. The score was 101 UNC 87 Duke. We have members attending both Universities whose trust in the missionaries might be compromised if they were to read Elder Walters’ feelings about the outcome of the competition. This being said, my thoughts will remain unwritten in this email.

I’ve been practicing wheelchair rugby with a team in Raleigh and we had a tournament a week ago which went well. We ended placing 4th out of 6 teams.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true. Both good and bad experiences have proved this to me, but mostly the sweet feelings of the Holy Ghost.

Thank you for all that you do!

Love, Elder Walters

Modern-day Prophet

February 9, 2009

We contacted a young man on UNC campus that seems pretty interested. He’s a Religious Studies major and had learned a little about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in a class of his. I asked him if he thought it were possible for a prophet of God to be on Earth today, leading His Church. He really seemed to connect with the idea of a modern-day prophet. He said, “It seems like Christianity, both before and during Christ’s time, always had a prophet, a leader for the Church.”

Greg also really connected with the whole idea of another witness of Jesus Christ, namely the Book of Mormon. He had a lot of questions about the book, where it came from, how it compares with the Bible and why it is important. We met with him again on campus and it was really one of the best lessons of my mission. I think it was so great because the Spirit was really there, and Greg was really receptive of the main principles of the Restoration of the Gospel.

Thank you all for all you do. Please pray for Jessi, who will be baptized by Elder Farrell this Saturday, February 14th!

Love,

Elder Walters

"Condition of our Heart"

I believe that the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ is the saving power for every person on the Earth. My mission and these last few weeks especially, have really solidified this fact. While Jesus Christ suffered for everyone’s sins and pains, he also won’t force anyone to do anything they don’t want to do, or to be somewhere they don’t want to be. In life, I really believe we eventually get exactly what we want.

We met a young man near a member’s home and chatted with him, then saw him the next day on UNC Campus and contacted, taught and set up a return appointment. We struggled to teach him over the next several months because he and his wife wouldn’t return calls. The real reason they failed to truly investigate the Gospel, however was the condition of their hearts.

This young family lacked just one example of an element of the Gospel that many don’t accept or don’t really believe in. This element is personal revelation, the fact that God can and does speak to man. There is a promise in the last pages of the Book of Mormon, assuring that any person can know of the book’s truthfulness by receiving a spiritual confirmation from the Holy Ghost. However, there are requirements. We must have a sincere heart, real intent, having faith in Christ.

I wonder how often I lack these requirements, limiting my opportunity to receive revelation from God. I love this Article of Faith, which is one of several short statements describing the basic beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

9 We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.

Another scripture came to mind.
1 Cor. 2: 14
14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Long story short, we had to stop teaching this family because they were unreceptive, and it was a sad, frustrating moment. However, we are teaching an amazing young lady named Jessi.

Jessi went to church with a member family in her hometown in North Carolina to help take care of one of the family’s children who is disabled. She loved what she learned at church and felt that it was true. I was preparing for the Book of Mormon class so I missed the first lesson with her when Elder Milovich and Elder Farrell taught her the Restoration. She has accepted to be baptized on Valentine’s Day, February 14th! She hasn’t told her parents about it and is worried about how they will react. Please pray for her to be true to her witness and for her parents to be open and understanding!

Thank you for your love, prayers and support!

Elder Walters