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

Can you tie my shoe?

January 12, 2009

We are emailing at Davis Library and there are finally students here! After about a month long break for most students, classes started today, and we are excited! We will be able to work in our own area now!

Last week we were on exchanges with some Elders in Durham. Elder Milovich and I were with Elder Banner. We stopped by a lady that had requested the Joy to the World DVD. We had already dropped of the DVD so we were teaching her about the Restoration of the Gospel through the prophet Joseph Smith.

She was 25 years old and had 6 kids. The last two were really cute twins about two years old. They were eating cereal and milk, spilling it all down the fronts of their shirts. The young lady really said that what we were teaching made sense. She is excited to read the Book of Mormon.

When we were about to leave, one of the two year-old twins, Tyquell, asked me to tie his shoe, which had fallen off. He did so by holding it up, with this sad puppy-dog face and said a string of almost English words. I thought, ‘buddy, I can’t even tie my own shoes!’ We managed to get it on and as we were leaving, he and his twin sister said ‘Thank you’ in the language of two-year-olds.

It has been fun teaching the Gospel to some who are slightly different than those I talk to on UNC campus.

Thank you all very much for all your love, letters and prayers!

Elder Walters

Book of Mormon Challenge

January 5, 2009

I love the Book of Mormon! It really is the keystone of the Restored Gospel. In fact, Joseph Smith said something like, 'Take away the Book of Mormon and the revelations, and where is our religion? We'd have none!'

Preach My Gospel, a guide to missionary work, describes how obtaining and maintaining a testimony of the Book of Mormon is as important for a missionary as it is for an investigator! President Faust said something like, 'you can't raise someone above the spiritual plane you are currently at; you can't convert someone beyond your own testimony.'

In harmony with this, President and Sister Wallis gave all the missionaries a gift and a challenge this Christmas; a nice hardcover copy of the Book of Mormon and a challenge to read it from front to back from January 1st to March 1st. They also asked us to mark each reference/name of Jesus Christ, each time He speaks, and each time doctrine surrounding his ministry/atonement is mentioned.

I have loved doing this challenge. I have felt more at peace and closer to the Lord over the last week. We even extended the challenge to a member of our ward, and he is enjoying reading it as well!

I love the way I feel when I read the Book of Mormon. President Ezra Taft Benson, a modern-day prophet, said, "There is a power within the Book of Mormon which will begin to flow into your lives the moment you begin a serious study of the Book."

I would recommend anyone reading this to evaluate their testimony of the Book of Mormon and study and pray about the Book of Mormon. Ezra Taft Benson also said something like, 'at some time in our lives, each one of us must discover the Book of Mormon for ourselves-and not just discover it once, but rediscover it again and again.'

I am so appreciative of friends and family, Bishops and youth leaders who counseled me to read the Book of Mormon. I know it is the word of God, and because of that, I really do know that Jesus is MY Savior, Joseph Smith was His prophet, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Church that the Lord guides today.

I love you all and thank you for your love, letters and prayers.

Elder Walters

Happy New Year

December 29, 2008

Elder Marlatt has made it home safely to Washington state and Elder Farrell has joined Elder Milovich and I in the Durham 3rd Singles ward! I knew Elder Farrell as Jack back at BYU! We had Physical Science and a lab together. He even pushed me up the hill to class once when we were running late. We also sat next to each other at a few BYU volleyball games after he broke his leg and had to use a wheelchair. He is a good teacher and a hard worker!

I was at a doctor appointment when the Elders saw a member of UNC's Basketball team walk into a restaurant on Franklin Street, the happening place of Chapel Hill. Elder Milovich was thus prompted to eat at the same restaurant/pharmacy, Sutton's Drugstore. While there, a bunch more players walked in and, you guessed it, Elder Milovich got his picture with everyone of them. There are now only a handful of players he hasn't gotten his picture with!

At my doctor's appointment, my doctor told me that there was a young man who had received an injury similar to mine at the c6-c7 level of the neck. Last night, the Spanish Elders and I went to visit him.

It is hard to express my gratitude for the Gospel. This young man was hopeless, like so many others I had seen in the hospital and in so many other places. I told Elder Farrell that he was just so sad and wondered how we could help.

Elder Farrell pointed out that not everyone can have a good attitude because not everyone has the Gospel. His comment made me realize again how grateful I ought to be for what I have been given, and how I ought to share it with others as much as I can.

We had a great Christmas. We went to a bishopric member's for breakfast and another Bishop's home for dinner.

Thank you all very much for your cards and gifts. It was wonderful to see pictures of friends and family, especially a 'Walters Family Reunion’ book. Thank you especially to all who were involved in making that.

Happy New Year!

Elder Walters

Faith, Family and Friends

December 22, 2008

This is always an interesting time of year in Chapel Hill! Student at UNC and Duke got out of school recently so we've been going on a lot of exchanges in other missionaries' areas.

Elder Milovich and I were with Elder Semler in a poorer part of Durham stopping by one of their investigators. They weren't home so we started talking to this guy that was holding what we thought was an energy drink. We told him about the Book of Mormon and asked him how the Gospel of Jesus Christ would be strengthened by having two witnesses of Christ's role as our Savior. We then realized he wasn't holding an energy drink but some liquor as he gave some random response about, 'I WENT to Catholic school, I know exactly what you're talking about.' While often friendly, people can't really feel the Spirit when intoxicated.

As we were headed to the next stop-by, these two little kids ran up to me and one asked, 'Wha's wrong wichu?' I said, 'Nothing, I'm just a lot faster than everybody else.' He goes, 'No you ain't!' So challenged him to a race to the end of the curb...it was close...but he beat me.

Elder Semler said, 'Do you want a picture?' and gave the little kid, Elsey, a pass along card with Christ on the front. He said, 'Wha' dat?' 'That's a card' 'Who' dat?' 'That's Jesus Christ, our Savior.'

It's always interesting going to different areas and seeing how Jesus Christ is literally the Savior of the whole world, and noticing how He saves us all from a variety of challenges, making bad men good and good men better. I know myself and my own weaknesses better than I know anyone else and I am thankful for the way the Gospel of Jesus Christ gives me hope and strength in my own challenges.

Yesterday, December 21st, was 3 years since I had my accident at work. A few months after my accident, our Stake President asked me to speak on what I was most grateful for. I focused on faith, family and friends. Those are the three things that have gotten me happily and hopefully through the last three years. I love testifying of the importance of these three things everyday in North Carolina.

The three are connected. The Gospel, keeping Christ's Commandments, is what makes us His friends. The unit of the Gospel is family, where we can obtain our greatest happiness. I love the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. It brings me hope and happiness continually in a way nothing else can do. And I am appreciative of you, my friends and family who I am strengthened by daily.

Thank you all for your love, letters and prayers!

Elder Walters

Happy Thanksgiving!

We were invited to Thanksgiving dinner at our ward mission leader, Brad’s, house along with about 15-20 other people. We had great food and enjoyed our time with Brad’s family and many members of the ward who stayed in North Carolina for Thanksgiving. Brother Nichols, the Chapel Hill Institute Director, invited us over for dinner with his family later that day. It was great to spend Thanksgiving with families, even while serving in a Singles Ward.

We’ve been teaching Dirk for several months now, as he has been coming to church with his fiancée, who joined the church about a year and a half ago. We have been reading from the Book of Mormon with him for a while now, stressing the importance of gaining a spiritual witness from the Holy Ghost of the truthfulness of that book and this Church. It has really helped put me at ease as he has stated more than once that he does not want to do anything, including joining the Church, for the wrong reasons.

We talked with him yesterday about baptism, and asked him what he understood about baptism. Among other truths, he stated it was how we establish a covenant relationship with Jesus Christ, and that it was symbolic of the Savior’s Atonement and Resurrection, helping us to remember what He has done. I was surprised at how perfect his response was, because so many think of baptism as just joining the church.

Dirk has decided to be baptized December 13th, one week after he gets married. For now, we are helping Dirk realize the spiritual witnesses he has had and will have in the time before and after his baptism. He knows what the Holy Ghost feels like, his heart is sincere and I’ve been there more than once as I knew he was feeling the Holy Ghost!

I love my mission. I love why I am here. I have been thinking of what I am grateful for and realized that I have everything that I want at this point in my life. This is exactly what I believe the Lord wants me to be doing, exactly where, whom with whom He would have me serve.

I thank each of you for anyway you have helped and continue to help me serve!

Love,

Elder Walters

Message from Sister Gywn to Barry & Bridgette

Before I head for my journal and then bedtime I want to send you a quick update from Pennsylvania where I am happily providing a spare pair of hands for my daughter Laura who’s now expecting her 4th child.

Altho’ my mission at the Chapel Hill Institute ended more suddenly and much earlier than I’d expected, my family is my most important eternal mission! My main purpose in typing tonight is to let you know how very grateful I am for your favorite missionary in North Carolina. How powerfully he magnifies the Priesthood he holds, and how deeply he touches the hearts of those of us privileged to serve with him! I’m so thankful for my opportunity to be a student in his weekly Book of Mormon classes, and to be able often to add my witness as he joyfully taught the Gospel to our investigators! I am especially grateful for his invitation to me Friday afternoon to accompany him with Elder Milovich and Elder Marlatt for a dinner (at our Ward Mission Leader’s home) and teaching appointment Friday evening with a great young investigator, Christie Pennell.

As always, Elder Walters taught with both a calm assurance and an enthusiastic depth which invited the Spirit to fill all our hearts, and we all celebrated (with dessert of pumpkin cheesecake :) after hearing her answer of “Well, I’ve prayed and He’s answered, so Yes!” to his baptism challenge.

It was cold and dark and rainy on our way home that Friday night, but we 4 missionaries were too happy to notice. :) Elder Walters said, “Now that’s the way missionary work should be! Wasn’t that a great way to end your Institute mission, Sister Gwyn? :)”

I am thrilled to know that Christie will become a wonderful addition to our Durham 3rd Ward Young Single Adults with her baptism scheduled for Friday, November 21st; and I am especially grateful for his heart’s understanding that one more sharing of teaching the Gospel would be a much better finale for my Institute mission than just driving away after washing the last dish and putting up the last Friday Forum flyer.

It became even more meaningful as I remembered the rainy Friday night in Libertyville, Illinois when Elder Steve Sowby (who was nearing the end of his mission) and his companion Elder Roger Allred in Libertyville, Illinois found us again (after we’d turned them away the first time since Art had been sanding the hardwood livingroom floor in our home, so we’d had no furniture for them to sit on :)) and started teaching us about the Savior and His Church. So now, thanks to your son’s invitation, I’ve come full circle from receiving the Gospel on one rainy Friday night to sharing the Gospel on another rainy Friday night 42 years later! :)

Oh, how grateful I am for our agreement – long before we knew that my release would come so early – to keep in close touch! We’ll be emailing updates (I’ve already requested that he tell me all about Christie’s baptism! :) as he continues his mission, and I’m looking forward to seeing him and my Durham 3rd friends whenever I’m back in Carolina (altho’ we have no idea when that’ll be since I’ll be available here as long as Laura needs me).

I am so grateful to you two for all your love in raising a son of such caliber and sharing him with all of us, and I am so thankful for my mission at the Chapel Hill Institute serving with Elder Walters as we renewed and continue our eternal friendship! :)

Gratefully,

Sister Lois M. Gwyn

Christie is Baptized by Elder Milovich

Christie read and prayed about the Book of Mormon, received a witness from the Holy Ghost that it was true, and is now the newest member of the Durham 3rd Young Single Adults Ward! Christie asked Elder Milovich, my companion who originally talked to her about the Church, to baptize her. I have been really excited for him ever since we started teaching Christie.

Her path from UNC’s ‘Pit’ to the baptismal font has shown us what kind of person she is and the depth of her spirituality. I still am amazed that she called us back after talking with Elder Milovich and reading a pamphlet on the Restoration. I’m not trying to sound glum, but no one calls us back! If they ever do, it’s because they usually want to Bible bash. We met with her with a member, Ryan, who really helped her see that Mormons aren’t weird.

Anyone who reads and prays about the Book of Mormon with a sincere heart, real intent and faith in Christ will receive the same sweet, indescribable answer Christie received. My mission has taught me that many times. I think other than her spiritual witness and reception of that witness, the key to what enabled Christie to choose to be baptized was the involvement of members.

Christie was welcomed into the Ward by everyone, but the examples of a few young ladies really helped her in this huge step in her life. Cayce and Maria, who joined the Church this year, were, I believe, literally instruments in the Hands of God.

So often people see missionaries and run! But when real life people-students (with religions of their own and families who often oppose the decision) receive a witness and act on it, a miracle has occurred. When non-members see these people make these courageous and probably pretty scary decisions, it gives them strength to believe that they, too, can act on the answer they’ve received. Christie’s conversion was a perfect example of how I believe the Lord wants missionary work to be done, with missionaries and members working together.

Her baptism on Friday, November 21st was wonderful! Cayce spoke on Baptism, Maria on the Holy Ghost. The relief Society room was full of members and friends. Christie spoke for a little bit on her further conversion to Jesus Christ. She said that this step just felt right, like when she first made the decision to come unto Christ in High School. Christie also asked me to confirm the Gift of The Holy Ghost upon her in Sacrament Meeting.

Thank you all for your letters, love and prayers!

Elder Walters

Christie is getting baptized on Friday!

(Above is a picture frame Elder Walters made for Sister Gwyn . . . while I can't read it, I can only imagine it is full of wonderful memories, lessons learned and insights shared. Sister Gwyn has been an unbelievable blessing to our son as well as the students in the Durham 3rd Ward. She has been the answer to many prayers and will always hold a special place in all of our hearts. Bridgette and Barry.)

These last two weeks have been amazing! I guess I’ll start where I left off last week. Christie is the young lady Elder Milovich contacted at the Pit. She not only called back, she has since met with us a bunch, been to church every week, gone to every other activity she can, met a lot of members, and most importantly read and prayed about the Book of Mormon.

Brad, our ward mission leader, invited Christie, Sister Gwyn, Cayce and the Elders to dinner on Friday. Christie told us she’s read and prayed about the Book of Mormon, she received an answer and would like to be baptized! She will be baptized this Friday, the 21st of November!

Sister Gwyn’s daughter is expecting in the coming months and Sister Gwyn has gone to help her. While her service at the Institute is over for now, she will be back to visit soon, hopefully!

The short months I knew Sister Gwyn from her time here in January were wonderful. She made a huge difference in my mission and my outlook on life.

We hope to welcome a senior couple here soon, however I am the first to admit that no person, no couple, no dozens of couples could ever replace the warm kindness that Sister Gwyn brought to the Institute and the Durham 3rd Ward. Sister Gwyn was instrumental in Christie’s welcome to the ward and countless other people’s lives. I am thankful I was privileged to serve with her and I hope to serve with her again. I also want to serve the rest of my mission as she served hers, by focusing on the Lord and forgetting myself.

I love you all! Thank you for your letters, love and prayers!

Tracting at "the Pit" . . .

Elder Milovich contacted a young lady at “the pit” at UNC a week ago. She was really nice, but she said she’d call back if she was interested. Elder Milovich left her with a pamphlet with our number on it and…she called back!

We met with her with a great member of our ward on Friday and she came not only to church yesterday, but to the break the fast, the broadcasted fireside with Presiding Bishop H. David Burton, and she walked back to her dorm with some young ladies in our ward! Sister Gwyn did really great to welcome her. She gave her a tour of the building and introduced her to a ton of the members!

This was to me a great example of sharing the Gospel the way I believe the Lord has asked us to share it-not just the members, not just the missionaries, but both sharing the Gospel and helping each other!

Thank you all so much for the cards and packages you sent me for my birthday! I got some great ties and treats and I really enjoyed some pictures from the Hatches. My other sister, Whitney, is expecting an addition to her family about a week before I come home!

I love and appreciate you all very much!!!

Elder Walters

Contacting at UNC

October 27, 2008

Contacting at the University of North Carolina is always interesting. There are all types of people, views, religions and lifestyles all right next to each other. It is never boring!

We were visiting a member of our ward on Tuesday, and were about to read from 3rd Nephi 11 about the Savior's visit to the Americas. It was a really nice, sunny day so we decided to read outside at a picnic table at his apartment complex.

At the table next to us, this really nice guy was having his lunch. We said hi and talked for a minute, then started reading with our member. The guy at the table had to head out, said bye, and left.

The next day, we were contacting and I passed by this nice guy in his mid-twenties and we both sort of smiled and nodded our heads. Only after did I realize it was the guy at the picnic table the day before.

I turned around caught up to him. We started talking about church and our shared belief in Jesus Christ. I told him that I wanted to tell him more about what my belief in Jesus Christ has meant to me and how the Book of Mormon strengthens my faith in Him. We set up an appointment the following morning, which went really well. He is receptive of the message, and is willing to read and pray about the Book of Mormon. We have a return appointment at the Institute building near UNC's campus. We are so excited to have a promising investigator!

After I talked to this man on campus, I saw Elder Milovich talking with Elder Gillins. Elder Milovich loves everything to do with sports, especially baseball, football and basketball. As I rolled up, he said, "Guess who I just saw?" Judging his excitement I guessed "Tyler Hansborough?" the 6 foot 9 center on UNC's Basketball team. Most people say he's the best college basketball player in the country.

"Yeah! Tyler Hansborough, and I didn't even have my camera!" "Did you say anything to him?" "Yeah, I said, ' 'Sup, Tyler?' and he said, 'Not much, buddy, how's it goin'?' and I said, 'Good.' Pretty amazing, huh?"

Elder Johnson talked with Tyler last year and even set up a return appointment with him...which Tyler must have forgotten about.

Thank you all for your letters and support and especially your prayers!

Love,

Elder Walters

What Does the Lord Want us to Sacrifice?

October 20, 2008

Elder John Madsen from the first quorum of the Seventy came to tour our mission this week! We got to hear him and Sister Madsen speak on Friday along with President and Sister Wallis. Sister Wallis spoke on faith and President spoke on sacrifice. Sister Madsen talked about William Tyndale, a reformer, and Elder Madsen spoke on the Gospel being the Atonement.

Doctrine and Covenants 97:8 says we must be willing to obey our covenants by sacrifice, every sacrifice the Lord requires. Sometimes the Lord has us give up the things we want more than almost anything else…in exchange for what we do want more than anything else.

I’ve wondered lately how Abraham went as he took Isaac to be sacrificed. The point is that Abraham was willing to do whatever the Lord wanted, no matter if it cost Abraham the greatest blessing he thought he’d never have. I’ve wondered what it is that I ought to give up, sacrifice, so that I can live my covenants more fully.

I love you all and appreciate your prayers and support!

Love,
Elder Walters

Cayce Speaks in Stake Conference

(Maria, the Elders and Cayce, November 2007)

Elder Gillins' and my new companion, Elder Milovich, is a great, hard-working missionary from Price, Utah! He is three weeks into the field, straight from the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah. He loves football and is exited to play today with some other missionaries.

We had Stake Conference yesterday. Cayce, who was baptized in February, spoke at the adult session Saturday night along with President and Sister Wallis! We were there to see and support Cayce, her own conversion in particular. It was so great! She had read the Book of Mormon twice and been to church for about two years and decided she would really like to be baptized.

Sister Wallis spoke on miracles and the importance of recording them. I realized when the scriptures were first written, they were just journals of very inspired people who recognized the Hand of the Lord in their life.

President Wallis spoke on Preach My Gospel. I love and am so thankful for Preach My Gospel! He related to the visual of 1) doctrines, 2) principles and 3) applications. The scriptures contain the doctrines and principles, Preach My Gospel is how we apply them.

I hope all is well with you!

Thanks for your updates on your lives' and families!

Elder Walters

Reflections From Last Week

We received a letter from Elder Walters a few days ago and I wanted to share a couple of parts.

. . . Maria’s baptism yesterday was great. I realized that her baptism was the three year mark of my receiving my mission call to Brazil. I thanked her and thanked God for allowing me to be involved in her struggle, victory and baptism. Hopefully you’ll get a chance to meet her.

. . . I talked with Brandt last night after rugby practice. He’s a big kid about my age, a really kind, talkative kid. He is so amazed that I am serving and want to serve a mission. He asked if living the Gospel and “the rules” is just too hard at times. I realized and told him that living the Gospel is what makes life easier, it’s what helped me get through my accident. I knew that was true for myself, but it brings it to a whole new level when you tell someone else, especially not of our faith about what we believe.

Love, Bridgette

Nice Ride, Elder Walters!

Maria's Baptism

Maria is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints!

Her baptism yesterday was great. I have never seen or heard of so many people at a baptism! There were tons of members of the ward there along with some of Maria’s friends from school, her uncle and aunt, and the families of two of her friends on missions.

It was neat to have a huge group of people that support her in one room. We used the chapel, because there wasn’t enough room in the Relief Society room!

After her friend’s dad spoke on baptism, Maria, Elder Milovich, Elder Gillins and I headed down to the baptismal font. The Elders helped me down to a plastic chair in the font and Elder Gillins helped stabilize me on the chair. Everyone came into the Relief Society room and Maria came down into the font. The second attempt I got her right elbow totally immersed and she was confirmed by Brother Nichols.

It was a great experience for her and we were all glad to be a part of it!

Thanks for your letters and support and prayers!

Elder Walters

A Wordle for Ryan

love, Rebecca :)

(to make your own Wordle go here)

Lesley Hamilton and Marty Isom

Lesley Hamilton was baptized by Cameron Lamb.

Elder Walters to be a New Missionary Trainer

Thoughts from Missionary Mom

Dear Family and Friends,

A few thoughts from Missionary Mom . . . we have heard from Elder Walters over the past month and wanted to give you a glimpse into his life as a missionary.

A couple of weeks ago, we received a phone call from Lesley Hamilton (see pictures above) inviting us to her baptism. Lesley began taking the missionary discussions in Colorado during the summer. The Elders were at UNC when Lesley approached them and asked if they would teach her the discussions. I’m sure that doesn’t happen very often! We attended her beautiful baptism in the Willow Creek Ward. Marty Isom, a young woman we’ve met several times from the Durham Third Ward, gave an amazing talk and promised the members in Colorado that the members in the Durham Third Ward would take good care of Lesley.

Barry and I have spent more time at Craig Hospital lately and it has brought back many memories of our time there with Elder Walters. We’ve had the opportunity to get to know Josh Pack and his family. Josh is an adorable young man who has an injury similar to Elder Walters. Seeing Josh takes me back to the early days of Elder Walters’ accident. There were so many unanswered questions. Would he be able to be independent enough to take care of himself? Would he be able to attend college? Would he be the missionary he always wanted to be? So many unanswered questions. . . When visiting with Josh and his family we are able to give them hope knowing what Elder Walters has been able to accomplish with the help of his loving Heavenly Father, family and friends. If you would like to learn more about Josh, you can visit his blog at “joshpackupdates.blogspot.com”.

Elder Walters has the opportunity for a second time to be a trainer. We received the following letter from President Wallis (see actual letter above and readable letter below) :-)

Dear Brother and Sister Walters:

It is my great pleasure to notify you that your son, Elder Ryan J. Walters, has been called as a New Missionary Trainer in the North Carolina Raleigh Mission. He will be training his new companion, Elder Nicholas Paul Milovich from Price, Utah with Elder Hunter Gillins from Nibley, Utah.

You can be very proud of him for the fine work he is doing. We have confidence and faith in his ability to magnify his calling in this new and challenging assignment.

As you may well understand, one of the greatest influences on a new missionary is his trainer who is responsible for teaching him how to do the work he came here to do. These trainers must be obedient, exemplary, dependable Christ-like missionaries, and they are carefully and prayerfully selected. We are pleased to have a missionary such as your son to whom we can turn to fill these important responsibilities.

We appreciate his dedicated spirit and capable leadership and know that with your letters of encouragement, he will continue to inspire the missionary with whom he labors.

Hopefully we will receive an email for the blog from Elder Walters very soon. We appreciate your love and support.

Love, Bridgette

UNC Is Back In Session

September 1, 2008

School is in and we are busy! We have so many more people to talk to now at UNC. We have been teaching a lot more people on campus. For the most part people are willing to listen. Some have been interested in meeting with us again. It seems like we teach so many people once, then we never see them again. Hopefully we’ll teach people more consistently this semester.

Institute started up last week! I taught a Book of Mormon class over the summer and loved it, and we were able to keep the class going this fall! Next semester we’ll finish up the final third of the Book of Mormon. I really love the students in the class. Their comments make it worth teaching. When they share something I really feel the Holy Ghost. It’s great!

Elder Regnier, Elder Henley and I just finished running at Kennan Stadium, UNC’s football stadium. I brought the new rugby chair that I got about a month ago, partially through a grant from the Challenged Athletes Foundation and a lot of my Dad’s hard work. I’ve been exercising a lot with the chair. Elder Regnier plays football and said that if I’m going to do well in rugby, I need to look good. Accordingly I spent 25 dollars on an under armor shirt. Hopefully it will make me faster!

We had better go…Chick-Fil-A is giving out free chicken strips if you have a college logo on your clothes. This will be our third time there today!

Thanks for your prayers, support and letters!

Elder Walters
106 Shadowood Drive Apt. D
Chapel Hill, NC 27514

A Note to Hayley's Family

August 25, 2008

Elder Walters sent his sister, Hayley, a letter for us to pass on to her. I could feel his sweet personality in the letter and wanted to share some of the excerpts with you.

Hello! It was so great to hear from you in your note from the family reunion! . . . We did service tonight at the nursing home, which inspired my letter to you! We had SO MUCH FUN! It was Bingo Night! Holy Moly, there were all types of folks there. I asked Roger how he was doing and he said, “I don’t sleep well,” then wandered off, staring at things. I felt so badly. Billy, an eighty year old lady with oxygen, six kids and a cast where she fell and broke her thumb was SO friendly and talkative! She could carry on a shouted conversation so well! I was calling out the Bingo Number as LOUDLY as I could. Billy was sitting next to me, asking about my family and home. Then Flora kept shouting “Shut up, Billy, and let him read the numbers!” Then everybody got mad at Ben and Elizabeth because they had 5 or 6 Bingo sheets each. I was just smiling and chuckling the whole time! Last week we came to the nursing home and taught 30 to 40 people the Restoration and about the Atonement. When we came to the nursing home tonight for service, Flora said, ”I haven’t got time to listen to you again . . . I’m going to play Bingo.” Maybe when other people we try to teach say they don’t have time for us, we should just offer to play Bingo with them. We always ask people if we can serve them, even if they don’t want to hear our message. I like that. I imagine that’s what Christ did. I love Matthew, Chapter 9, how Christ serves people, so much and often and also preaches the Gospel . . .

Ryan goes on to express his love for Hayley and Ryan and baby Logan.

Miraculous Blessings

Transfers tomorrow!!!

Elder Nelson has been our great district leader for the past transfer, but he has been here for about 7 and 1/2 months, so we will likely be getting a new district leader tomorrow!

I saw this quote on the first page of our blog on Saturday December 31st 2005, “We pray for, have faith in, and expect miracles in the days to come. Those miracles will be chronicled in periodic updates to this website.”

There truly have been many miracles performed by the Lord in my own life. Many of them are recorded on this blog as often as we’ve been able to share them. While in Craig Rehabilitation Hospital my parents and I would often reflect on the amazing ways in which the Lord had blessed our family. Before Dad went home for the night, he and I would usually chat for a few minutes about the situations in which God had blessed us that day in particular. I could never fully describe the ways the Lord blessed me while at Craig. The Hospital was only about twenty minutes away from our home and my sister Whitney’s home. This meant that I was often able to see my Mom, Dad, sister Kaitlyn, and the whole Henwood Gang, including my sister Whitney, her husband, Justin, and three of my favorite little people, Callum, Isabelle and Tate. The Lord had also blessed me and other patients in that Craig is one of if not the best of Spinal Chord injury Rehabilitation Hospitals in the world. The medical care was excellent and compassionate and the therapy programs, including Occupational, Physical and Recreational made my progress enjoyable and gave me something to challenge myself with.

And the mission has been just as miraculous. A review over the past year shows many of the ways in which Heavenly Father has blessed my life, and the ways He continues to do so.

Thank you for all of your prayers and support!

Love, Elder Walters

Elder Walters has asked me to write about some of the miracles I've seen in the last 32 months . . . I'll be sharing my thoughts in another post. Bridgette

July 28, 2008

Dear Blog Readers,

Elder Walters sent this blog last week but we have been in Island Park for a Walters' Reunion and recently returned to civilization so I'm just now posting it. It was wonderful to see all the cousins and Barry's parents at the reunion! I'm hoping we will receive another email from Elder Walters tomorrow. Love, Bridgette

Hello from Tar Heel Country! The work is going well out here. This is a slower time of the year because Summer session just got out and fall semester won’t start for about two weeks. We’ve had a lot of fun just tracting and getting better at transitioning into teaching. We’re going to help out the other Elders’ areas by tracting in their area and going on exchanges with them. That should be a lot of fun! Our district is huge right now! Eleven missionaries!!

Happy Fourth of July!

I’ll probably never have another Independence Day quite like this one. So we were mooching off of a barbecue Friday night that Brother Price from the Chapel Hill First Ward was nice enough to invite us to. We had also had breakfast with the Chapel Hill Second Ward, so at least we were mooching in a balanced effort.

From the Institute building we walked over to Kenan Stadium, UNC’s football stadium. We started contacting people who had gathered there to see a fireworks show in the stadium. We were talking to some of the firefighters when their radios said it was starting to sprinkle on the other side of the stadium. We went to the entrance of the stadium to find a place to stay dry and huddled under a small balcony as the rains and winds picked up.

Pretty soon we realized we were in a huge storm! The shape of the stadium made the winds focus on us under our little balcony and within a minute or two we were as wet as if we’d gone swimming. This big 65 gallon trash bin next to us got thrown up in the air and hit a car and then I started to go with it. The Elders grabbed me and we were laughing so hard!

Then this door under the balcony opened and this athletic trainer guy let us into the lacrosse team’s locker room where we spent the next two hours waiting out the storm, talking with the firefighters and security people huddled in there. Elder Regnier and Elder Gillins ran back and got the van at the institute building and the firefighters let him drive the van into the stadium right next to the field to pick us up!

On Thursday we got a call from the mission office and learned that someone had called and asked if the Elders could stop by the hospital and give his family member a blessing. We showed up at the hospital and learned that he had cancer. He was in a lot of pain and was taking a heavy pain killer and was just about to go have surgery when we showed up.

He said he was really glad when he saw it was the Elders and not the surgery guys. He hadn’t eaten for a long time and was being feed through his veins. He said it was like torture seeing the newspaper advertise steaks and burgers and watermelon for the Fourth. He even started describing his perfect meal to us.

He was a very funny guy! He kept making jokes even though we knew he was in pain. He described a certain scripture and asked if we knew where it was. I think he was talking about Proverbs 3:5 so I shared it-

5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

We gave him a blessing and he was crying. He said, “ I guess this is how the Spirit works.” It was a very spiritual experience for me, and a reminder to always be worthy to exercise the priesthood.

Thank you all for your prayers and love!

Elder Walters

I LOVE being a missionary in the Durham 3rd Ward!

I'm okay! I got bit by a spider and got sick and now I'm fine! In fact, I couldn't really feel when I got bit or when my nurse at UNC Hospital, Ursula, had to drain the 'puss blood and dead tissue' from my arm that was twice its normal size. It was kind of cool in a very weird way.

Ursula was so excited when she was working on it, just smiling and telling me all the medical terms for what the spider's poison and the infection were doing to my forearm. I'm going to send a few kind of graphic pictures of my arm, we'll see which ones get through the Mom filter. My nurse sisters are going to love this.

I love hearing the comments at our ward's Book of Mormon class on Tuesday nights that I get to lead. There are non-members, investigators, recent converts, missionaries and returned missionaries that share their thoughts and ask questions. I love it!!! It's always so nerve-wracking preparing for class.

We are teaching a 'golden investigator' named Andy. He is one of those that just seems to have been prepared by the Lord. He is a very kind, courteous 24-26 year old guy.

I was getting prepared for a Book of Mormon class and Elder Regnier and McCann tracted into him. He was baptized as an infant, then as a Baptist, so he wanted to know why he needed to be baptized again. We talked a lot about priesthood authority.

Two amazing members in our ward helped in teaching Andy with us. Brad is our Ward Mission Leader. He, Rob and Dan (my wheelchair buddy from BYU) are working together right now to really get our ward excited about and loving missionary work. I am so excited to help them for the next year!

Aaron also helped us teach Andy and others as well. He really helps us out, with giving us and investigators and members rides, going on a lot of exchanges, feeding us and other things.
There are so many members of our ward who really help us with the Lord's work. Many are returned missionaries who know the importance of member help with missionary work. Others are helping introduce us to their friends and are inviting their friends to learn about the restored Gospel.

In short, I love being a missionary in the Durham 3rd Ward. I love the members and missionaries here. I love those we teach, and I see the joy that the Gospel begins to give to people's lives. That joy starts as they learn by the Spirit, then just keeps getting bigger and bigger as they live it.

I really do believe that Jesus guides this church through the Holy Ghost. He has told us what we need to do through the scriptures, tells us what we must do through His prophets and will continue to tell us how we can be happier by revelation.

Thank you all for your letters and prayers!

Elder Walters

Brown Recluse Spider Update

We wanted to update you on Elder Walters' spider bite. We spoke with his nurse as well as Sister Wallis and he is doing much better today. The swelling has gone down and his right arm is about the size of his left arm.

Today was Zone Conference and Elder Walters was able to be there for all of it except for a short period when he was at the doctor having his dressing changed. Sister Wallis said he ate a great lunch . . . that’s always a good sign!

Elder McCann and Elder Regnier have been a great help. We didn’t know until yesterday that Elder Regnier's mother is the nurse for a doctor who is also a quadriplegic. Elder Walters said he is so good to help him and is able to anticipate his needs. Another one of the Lord’s tender mercies.

Sister Wallis is convinced the brown recluse spider is in the Elder’s apartment so she has asked them to thoroughly clean out everything and find the spider. A few years ago, another Elder was bitten by a spider and they later found the spider on top of a door jam. Hopefully their unwelcome guest well be found and removed soon!

Love, Bridgette and Barry

Brown Recluse Spider Bite. . .

We received an email from Ryan’s case worker on Monday letting us know that Elder Walters has a spider bite which is most likely a brown recluse spider bite on the inside of his right forearm. The arm is swollen up to twice the size of his left forearm and is red and infected. Elder Walters went to an urgent care facility on Saturday and they started him on an oral and topical antibiotic. His primary care physician prescribed a much stronger antibiotic when she saw him on Monday and had her nurse thoroughly clean out and drain the wound. Elder Walters is having the dressing changed daily. If the swelling goes up past his elbow they will admit him to the hospital for IV antibiotic therapy. One of the doctor’s main concerns with the bite is Autonomic Dysreflexia.

What is "Autonomic Dysreflexia?"
Autonomic dysreflexia, also known as hyperreflexia, means an over-activity of the Autonomic Nervous System causing an abrupt onset of excessively high blood pressure. Persons at risk for this problem generally have injury levels above T-5. Autonomic dysreflexia can develop suddenly and is potentially life threatening and is considered a medical emergency. If not treated promptly and correctly, it may lead to seizures, stroke, and even death.

AD occurs when an irritating stimulus is introduced to the body below the level of spinal cord injury, such as an overfull bladder or skin irritation. The stimulus sends nerve impulses to the spinal cord, where they travel upward until they are blocked by the lesion at the level of injury. Since the impulses cannot reach the brain, a reflex is activated that increases activity of the sympathetic portion of autonomic nervous system. This results in spasms and a narrowing of the blood vessels, which causes a rise in the blood pressure.

We spoke with Elder Walters Monday evening and he was running a fever, had the chills, stomach ache and a bad headache. He seemed to be feeling better when we spoke with him tonight. He is staying hydrated and controlling his discomfort with Tylenol.

Brown Recluse Spider Bite Overview
Most spiders are absolutely harmless to humans. In fact, of the 20,000 different species of spiders that inhabit the Americas, only 60 are capable of biting humans. Within that small group, only four are known to be dangerous to humans: the brown recluse, the black widow, the hobo or aggressive house spider, and the yellow sac spider. Within this select group, only the brown recluse and the black widow spider have ever been associated with significant disease and very rare reports of death.
Deaths from brown recluse spiders have been reported only in children younger than seven years. Brown recluse spiders are native to the Midwestern and Southeastern states. Documented populations of brown recluse spiders outside these areas are extremely rare. Fewer than 10 individual spiders have ever been collected outside of these native states. Most false sightings are due to confusion with one of the 13 other species found in the same family.
The most common non-brown recluse spiders are the desert recluse found in Texas, Arizona, and California, and the Arizona recluse. No deaths have ever been reported from non-brown recluse spiders. Bites from these cousins produce mild to moderate local skin disease.

Features: Brown recluse spiders are notable for their characteristic violin pattern on the back of the cephalothorax-the body part to which the legs attach. The violin pattern is seen with the base of the violin at the head of the spider and the neck of the violin pointing to the rear. These small nonhairy spiders are yellowish-tan to dark brown in color with darker legs. They have legs about one inch in length. The name of the genus, Loxosceles, means six eyes. Most other spiders have eight eyes. Yet this unique feature of the brown recluse is lost on the casual observer because the eyes are too small to be seen with the naked eye.
Habits: These spiders are not aggressive and bite only when threatened, usually when pressed up against the victim's skin. They seek out dark, warm, dry environments such as attics, closets, porches, barns, basements, woodpiles, and old tires. Its small, haphazard web, found mostly in corners and crevices, is not used to capture prey. Most bites occur in the summer months.

There are some scary pictures of patients with spider bites I haven’t included in this posting. We will update his blog as we learn more information. As always, we appreciate your prayers and the concern you show to Elder Walters. Love, Bridgette and Barry

Elder Walters' One Year Mission Turns into Two

June 12, 2008

Sorry it’s been so long since I’ve written! I’ll try to update you! Overall, the work is going great. We’ve been working a lot on trying to find people to teach. Since the last semester ended, many of our investigators have gone home for the summer. It’s been a good learning experience looking for people to teach through tracting, contacting and asking members for referrals.

Since August, I’ve been holding a mission preparation class with Andrew and Matthew, who are twins. Ben and Dallin left in January and February to Salt Lake and Anaheim, respectively, and the Burtons received their calls a few weeks ago! They are both going to Japan! Andrew is headed to North Japan, I think it’s called Sapuro, and Matthew is headed to Kobe, south Japan. It will be good to keep in contact with all of them.

Elder Christman was transferred a few weeks ago to Dunn, a country area. Elder Roseman is his Zone Leader, so they still get to go on exchanges a little, I’ll bet they’re enjoying that.

Elder Regnier, pronounced Rhen (like a chicken) yea (like yea verily) has been serving with Elder McCann and I for a few weeks now. He’s from Prescott Arizona, red-shirted in football at the University of Arizona and is a lot of fun! We’ve had a lot of fun just getting back to the basic finding techniques of missionary work.

I guess the biggest news was that my Mom and Dad came out a few weeks ago and visited me. We spent some time repairing my van, meeting the missionaries and Institute faculty I work with and showing them around Chapel Hill!

We also had a dinner with President and Sister Wallis. I have been called to serve for a year, meaning my mission would end next month in July or August of 2008. I have considered trying to serve longer and made it a matter of prayer.

At dinner with President and Sister Wallis and my parents I told them I wanted to serve for another year, and President Wallis and President Milton have allowed me to do so! So I’ll serve in the Durham 3rd Singles Ward in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, for another year until June or July of 2009! The best part is that I’m staying at the same address, so you can go ahead and send the letters you’ve already put “106 Shadowood Drive Apt. D Chapel Hill, NC 27514” on!

I think I always knew that I wanted to serve for two years. I wanted to wait to make that decision until I was past the first few months of my mission. I feel very peaceful about my decision. I really feel and believe that this is what the Lord wants.

About 2 weeks after I left Craig Rehabilitation Hospital, my Mom and I headed out to Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. While living in married student housing together, (“I’m married, he’s the student,” Mom would say) we met Dan Leslie who was finishing up a Master’s degree in Accounting.

Dan was also quadriplegic, about a C-5 injury, I think. He used a ‘sip and puff’ wheelchair to get around campus and was just a fun person to be around. He was always very upbeat and eager to talk with people.

I found out a couple of months ago that Dan was coming to Duke University for Law School, and would be in the Durham 3rd Singles Ward, my ward! Dan has been a great addition to the ward! Everyone loves his attitude and sense of humor. He was also called recently as Assistant Ward Mission Leader! It will be great to work with him and have some more fun times!

This summer I am teaching a Book of Mormon class on Tuesday nights! We’ve had three so far, and I have really, really enjoyed it so far! My favorite part is hearing what the students think and feel about the Gospel.

I’m trying to stay away from just lecturing and I’ve been trying to get them to participate as much as possible. It’s a very diverse audience, from investigators and recent converts to missionaries and returned missionaries.

We’ll be going from the Book of Mormon’s Introduction through 1st and 2nd Nephi, Jacob, Enos, Jarom, Omni, Words of Mormon and Mosiah over the next two months! It’s about 3 pages of reading a night, or 20 a week. I am so excited to keep learning together!

Hopefully this explains what I’ve been up to for the last several weeks! I hope you’re all doing well and that you are happy and healthy!!!

Love,
Elder Walters
106 Shadowood Drive Apt. D
Chapel Hill, NC 27514

A Visit to North Carolina

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?

Saying Good-Bye to Elder Walters

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!

A friendly game of foosball at the Institute

Elder Walters and Elder Christman

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.

Two of Elder Walters' Favorite Elders . . . both from CA

Salad before the pizza . . .

Sunny and Marty, from the Durham Singles Ward, suggested pizza at the restaurant on Franklin Street. It was delicious!

Painted Wall on UNC Campus

A "photo opportunity" on our way to have pizza on Franklin Street.

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.

"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

FIRESIDE & TEACHING CHRIS

Hello!

We started teaching Chris this week! A member of the Chapel Hill 2nd Ward was roommates with Chris, and started telling him about the Church. Chris was and is very interested in investigating. He was really eager to learn about the history of the Church, like how the succession from Joseph Smith to Brigham Young took place.

He had been attending the Chapel Hill 2nd Ward for about a month with Elder King and Elder Cardinet, and noticed how noisy sacrament meetings can get with all of the children. Someone said there’s about sixty infants 18 months and younger! Chris even asked us why they don’t have a separate sacrament room for them.

He came with us to the Singles Ward yesterday and really enjoyed it. The ward was very, very friendly with him and a lot of people came up and introduced themselves to him. He kept telling Elder King and Cardinet how much he liked the Singles Ward. It doesn’t hurt that most of the members are girls his age.

President Yates is a counselor to President Wallis, our Mission President. He had a fireside at his home last night for recent converts and missionaries. Cayce, Kristen and Maria came and all three of them bore their testimonies. It was so powerful! The three of them have all felt a lot of family pressure in their decisions to be baptized. Kristen was baptized about two years ago, Cayce was baptized about 2 months ago, and Maria has a very sincere desire to be baptized. There was a lady at the fireside who is investigating with her LDS fiancée. She really enjoyed Kristen, Cayce and Maria’s testimonies. It is so amazing to see the three of them together, supporting each other and others with their faithful examples.

Thanks for your prayers and letters!

I will try to respond sooner!

Elder Walters

HELLO FROM CHAPEL HILL!

Things are going well. Elder Roseman went to Fayetteville as zone leader and Elder McCann came from the Durham fourth ward to join us in the Durham 3rd singles ward. He’s a lot of fun! He’s from California and is great at contacting people. He is also serving as district leader for the first time in our district, the Chapel Hill District.

The Tar Heels made it to the Final Four, but were beaten by Kansas…I think. It’s very strange to be serving at UNC and at Duke University and having almost no idea what is going on in the basketball world. The UNC and Duke rivalry is supposed to be the biggest rivalry ever in sports, and our ward consists of almost entirely UNC and Duke students and graduates!

We ran a 5K race yesterday in support of the early detection of breast cancer. It was all around Chapel Hill and started and finished at UNC’s famous ‘old well’. Elder King and I had set a goal to run the race in 28 minutes. He and Elder Cardinet would help me up the steep hills with one hand each, then I’d fly down the other side. Then on the next hill I’d push until they caught up. My arms felt like jello afterwards, but they said they’re whole bodies felt like jello.

We’re going to try and catch a turtle today! Elder King and Cardinet and I saw some in a pond the other day, so we’re going to make a net out of some big bamboo that Elder Skidmore and Olsen found. The turtles look pretty big, like a foot long.

My sister Whitney’s kids have been taking really good care of my lizard, Joanna, since I left for BYU. She’s been getting crickets and mealworms and plenty of attention and people to crawl on. However, I found out last week that Joanna got some sand caught in her digestive tract. Whitney took her to a lizard doctor who put water in Joanna’s mouth, but Joanna just spit it back up. Callum and Issy and Tate sent me a letter the other day reading, “Somebody died. Joanna did. We tried to take really good care of Joanna. Love, Callum, Issy and Tate.” I sure do miss those little three!

Elder Cardinet and King met Elder Bednar from the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles yesterday. He was in town to help bless his son’s twin babies.

We are handing off Javier to the Spanish Ward Elders, he is still in High School, so that ward will be the best for him. He said the other night that the white kids at his school have been wanting to fight him and his friends. He was wondering if he needed to repent for being mad at some kids who hit him at school. He is such a kind, sincere young man. We’ve been teaching him in Spanish, and I’ve been trying to keep up in Spanish.

He asked the other night ‘why don’t all white people treat me like you do?’ I said the difference between the missionaries and members of the church and others who aren’t members is that we have the true gospel, and that affects our actions and behavior more than anything else. Javier is so sincere about wanting to learn about Christ’s Gospel!

Thank you for all of your prayers and letters!

I really do appreciate them!

Love, Elder Walters

TRANSFERS!

Elder Roseman is saying goodbye to Chapel Hill as District Leader and is headed to Fayetteville as a Zone Leader. He’s been in Chapel Hill for 6 months now and is having a tough time saying goodbye to the ward. Elder Christman and I will find out tomorrow who our new companion is!

I think that General Conference for a missionary is a lot like Christmas for a five-year-old. I love General Conference! What an increase in testimony, energy and gratitude we are blessed with every six months!

Elder Roseman and I realized soon after President Hinckley’s passing that we would have the opportunity soon to watch the Prophet’s mantle pass to another while we were serving as missionaries. How amazing this weekend has been for me, to see that the work continues to roll forth, as President Hinckley said, ‘like a stone cut from the mountain.’

It is so wonderful to hear a Prophets’ voice. I think they said Conference was being broadcast to 92 countries in 96 different languages. How amazing is that! So many people have the opportunity to watch/listen to/attend conference. Then we have the opportunity to read/watch/hear conference again and remember the witnesses we had from the Holy Ghost! I really liked President Monson’s advice, “Let’s incorporate this into our lives.”

It’s like Heavenly Father gives us the energy, direction and inspiration to improve our lives and come closer to Him then gives us a time period to act on it. Then, when we’ve tried our best for six months, we have the opportunity to come back and be inspired and instructed again by continuing revelation.

I love General Conference!!!

Thanks for all of your prayers, love, support and letters!

Elder Walters

I love you!!!!! even when I don't write, and I will try to write every week.

April 3, 2008

Elder Roseman and I had a neat experience while we were stopping by some less active members in Durham a few weeks ago. Elder Roseman went up to the second floor of the apartment complex while I waited on the sidewalk below, keeping an eye on him.

The young man we were looking for, Juan, had apparently moved out some time ago, however Elder Roseman began to teach Javier, the young man who answered the door. We pray to find people that have been prepared by the Lord, the elect, and Javier is a perfect example of someone that was prepared beforehand! He has simply soaked up the Gospel, and has been very touched by the Holy Ghost as he learned.

The Raleigh Sidewinders got to play in the United States Quad Rugby Association’s Atlantic Sectional Playoffs! The best 8 teams in the Atlantic area were invited, and the Sidewinders squeaked in the 8th place spot by scoring the game-winning goal in the last few seconds of a tournament a month ago. So we came into sectionals seeded last, but came out in 7th place after beating the Carolina Crash. We had a great weekend and learned a lot as a team. We also got to play with some of the best players and teams in the world. I love playing Wheelchair Rugby! There is such a bond between the players, regardless of whose team you are on. It is so easy to just start talking to other players. We’ve all been through similar challenges so there is a brotherhood in this sport that I have never seen in any other sport! It is also great exercise!

On Saint Patrick’s Day, we met Daniel as we were shopping for the week. He had glasses, a mustache, and longer hair and was very friendly and scatterbrained. He just walked up and asked me, “So what happened to you?” It was fun as we talked about the Gospel and his past experiences with religion, and his belief in God and how He helps us through our trials. He hadn’t realized I was a missionary, since I was shopping in jeans, and was really excited to meet with us, so excited he called me several times later that day to see if our schedule changed so we could meet earlier. It was really a neat experience, because I had prayed specifically that I could find someone that p-day to talk with about the Gospel. We have since met with him a few times, and had some great lessons and spiritual experiences. He really feels the Spirit as we pray.

Thank you for all of your letters and prayers! I will try to write more consistently!

Elder Walters

Angela's Baptism

March 10, 2008

Angela’s baptism on March 1st was great! Her boyfriend Aaron did the baptizing and some of his family came in to give their support, including Aaron’s dad who flew in from California and did the confirmation. Angela had asked me to speak on baptism.

I realized how similar her story is with my Mom’s and it made me want to learn more about my Mom’s baptism. Mom sent me an email describing in detail how she’d always noticed something different about members of the church. She had many friends who were members in her youth and chose to go on a semester abroad to Salzburg through BYU where she met my Aunt Nan. Later, my Mom and my Dad began dating. Like Angela, Mom wanted to make her decisions of getting baptized and marrying Dad separate.

I promised Angela about the amazing blessings and consequences that would come from her decision, that she had received a witness that this was the true church and that her decision would also benefit her children and their children so much. I also told her that of Mom’s five kids, two have or are serving missions and three have been married in the temple so far.

In other news, we heard that there was a shooting in Chapel Hill on Wednesday. We didn’t learn until Thursday that the victim was Eve Carson, UNC Student Body President. She was a senior doing Pre-Med and everyone commented on her bright, positive, energetic attitude. She was graduating next month. As you can imagine the students and community have been shocked and the police have few clues about what happened.

In the wake of unexpected acts of violence or accidents or disease, people always have the tendency to ask why. We often feel confused and out of control or helpless. The truth is that we aren’t in control, God is. Our part is to focus on what is in our control and leave the rest up to Him.

Thank you for all of your support, prayers and letters!

Elder Walters
106 Shadowood Drive Apt. D
Chapel Hill, NC 27514

What an Amazing Week!

March 3, 2008

What an amazing week! At transfers our district had a couple of new Elders. Elder Skidmore is coming from Boise, Idaho via the MTC and Elder Cardinet is coming from Falls Lake. He is from Northern California and is a very hard worker and is really easy to get along with. I knew him when he was district leader for the Durham District. Our whole district has had a fun Preparation day together so far, shopping, emailing and exercising.

We taught Zodi again, she’s a UNC student working on her dissertation for epidemiology. She is very fun and loves talking with us, we’re trying to show her how to exercise faith, she has more of a ‘seeing is believing’ mind frame.

When we came back from talking to students at UNC a couple construction workers waved at us. At first I thought they knew us, but they started asking us about which church we go to. The cool part was that it was all in Spanish, and I was able to talk with them about the Gospel. Hector and Jorge asked if I believed in the Bible and people like Pablo and Juan, Paul and John. I said that I did and I also believed in other people who believed in Christ and lived in the Americas whose words are recorded in the Book of Mormon. We also talked about the Restoration of Christ’s Gospel. It was so amazing! I’ve got to practice my Spanish gospel terms because I doubt “apostalos’ is a real word.

I’m running out of time and I don’t want to rush important stuff so I’ll talk about Angela’s baptism next week. In short, it was terrific!!

Thank you all for your love, prayers and support!

I hope you are all feeling the joy the Gospel can bring into our lives!

Love, Elder Walters