First week en el Campo Misional‏

HELLO ALL!!!

So my name is Hermana Walker and I am a missionary. my first area is Ezeiza and my first comp is Hna. Medrano. She is from Bolivia and you guessed it... speaks no english so my castellano is improving rapidly.

So first off it was hard to leave the CCM, it had carpet and the little family I had built for myself so very sad to leave. Singing god be with you till meet again would have brought me to tears if I hadn't been playing the piano.

but i am in the campo now and that is that. The first day was super hard and I went to bed super frustrated and sad and angry and the nexct day I realized it was because I didn't eat dinner. apparentl my comp doesn't eat dinner so I excplained i need to eat or I get crnky and she seemed to understand but she still seems a little weirded out and surprised every time I remind her we need to eat. I don't know my address but I live in a building across a field from the chapel on Ramos mejia. There are 4 missionaries in our ward, 2 elders and 2 hermanas and we split the ward in half. We actually live in the elders area but that is okay. 

​So Buenos Aires (my mission is the province of BA not the city) is not the USA! SURPRISE!!! :) haha but really but no. Our appartment is pretty nice but others.... holy cow talk about humbling. They make do with what they have which isn't much. I feel very out of place here with my blond hair light skin and cheta things. My comp tells me that everything I have is "Cheta" aka nice and expensive. so yeah I definetly stick out like a sore thumb and get stared at ALL day. no biggie.

My castellano is improving and is actually pretty good but I am to say the least a perfectionist and so saying anything not with perfect grammer bugs me. Also I am not a chatty kathy and my comp asks me all the time why I don't ask lots of questions, and i tell her I just don't have many. Sometimes she just tells me talk faster hermana! And I just want to yell, I can't this is as fast as I can translate and congugate in my head but I just smile say a prayer and try to talk faster so she can feel more normal.  Basically my language is good enough to know that people are talking about me and get the gist of what there are saying but not enough to respond to whatever was said so yeah.... poca a poca. Little by little I will improve. But I have definetly had to rely on the Savior and my Heavenly Father to get me through the week. I have been praying though and he is definetly there and answering my questions. Everyday in personal study I stumble across exactly the verse or passage or story I need to get me through the day. And I found so many lines n my patriarcahl blessing that have given me the faith to perservere and stay here. It is hard though. Miracles do happen for sure. Just last night we invited a man with whom we where having our first lesson and he accepted the invitation to be baptized so miracles are real and happen. ​

but yup! I am a yankee (or chankee) as they call me here in Argentina and it is hard. No doubt about it, but as long as I keep in mind why I am here, to help others be happy and be with their families forever, I know I can do it. Prayers of coarse are appreciated though :) Thanks for the support I love you all.

Hermana Walker 

-- 

Abby 

MTC Photos

Abby's MTC or CCM 

Downeast Divas!  

Abby and her companion at the Temple

The Arrival of Hermana Walker

Dear Walker Family,

We are writing to inform you of the safe arrival of your daughter in the Argentina Buenos Aires South Mission.  Attached here you will find a photograph of Sister Walker with President and Sister Thurgood.  Her trainer will be Sister Medrano and they are going to serve in the area of Ezeiza A. Their preparation day will be every Monday and you can expect an email letter on that day. 

Thank you for sharing Sister Walker with our mission.  We truly appreciate your support and also the fact that you have a daughter who wants to serve.  We will take good care of her!  God bless you.

Sincerely,

Elder Pribyl y Elder Maldonado

Assistants to the President

Misión Argentina Buenos Aires Sur

Just another week in paradise!‏

Hola!! 

What a week! Alright so where to start. How about with this little tidbit of info that will make my mom nervous.... so ther are 4 missions in BA because the city is a monster, holy cow it is big. So apparently the west mission is pretty normal, I know nothing about east, the north is the rich part of town.... and the south is the Ghetto!! So yeah I am goin to the hood :) Every teacher I ask about my mission either tells me I'll get robbed a lot or just holds up little finger guns so yeah..... It'll be a blast I am literally soooo excited! :D 

This week is my last CCM pday which is weird juz I don't feel like Ive been here that long. Also I had a one month mark this last week so that's kinda wierd to think I only have 17 months left in the mission. 

We had a north american in the hosptial this last week for like 5 days so that was sad. He had some internal problems and his stomach swelled up like a balloon so we have been praying for him. He seems to be doing just fine now though. He got to watch the Golden Gate vs. Spurs basketball game so he really just seemed happy about the whole thing. Elders! What to do with them we just don't know! :) 

So we went proseliting this last week and that was fun! :) Hna. Myrick and I first got dropped off in our area we didn't feel very safe so we said a prayer to remember that there are protecting angels around us and after that it felt very safe, although it kinda smelled like the zoo.... But proselyting was neat! We ran into the actaul Elders in the area so that was funny! and I'm possibly related to one of them. He says he has a million cousins who are Walkers and he is from Mesa so yeah... I came all the way to BA to meet my cousin Elder Solberg. But the missionaries were in my mission so that was super fun and cool :) Also we had some decent success while proselyting. We "knocked" on a bunch of peoples doors, but knocking here is really clapping. Because most people have gates in front of there door, you just clap outside their house and they come out, super weird. But we clapped peoples doors and met some people and handed out some pamphlets that way. And then we actaully gav e2 people books of Mormon and taught them about the Restoration and the First Vision!! That felt super good to feel like we had accomplished something! :) I understood more of what people where saying too, usually they were just telling us to be safe and to be in a bigger group and to not drink the water, so not very gospel related but hey... I understood it! :) 

I will be very sad to say goodbye to my family here in the CCM in a few days. I don't know if I have ever been closer to people than my district. We literally spend every. waking. hour. together. We eat, exercise, study, learn all day long together! So we are starting to pick up each others manerisms and puns. And one companionship literally accidentally wears matching outfits every day. It is like our minds have synced up! But I love my district to pieces and know they will always be dear friends forever! :) I love district Ammón y me amo Argentina! Gracias por sus oracions! La iglesia es verdad!! 

-- 

​Hna. Walker​

It's Raining, It's Pouring, My Roommates are Snoring

Hello All! So first off, isn't the church and the prophets and just everything in life so wonderful? Seriously I love being a missionary and I am happy 98% of the time and life is just beautiful. God is so so good and loves us so so much. Also it has been really raining here the past week and everyone thinks I am kinda nuts because of how much I love the rain being an Arizona girl :) 

Conference. Holy cow let's talk about general conference, it was pretty amazing. I went into Conference praying for answers to a lot of questions on my mind and every. single. one. was answered. And holy cow apostles and prophets are amazing. I could really tell a difference in the spirit when they were speaking, they really are special witnesses of Christ. Also all conference I was waiting for my favorite talk and then bam Holland closed it out with my personal fav. I love conference!! :) 

So we got a new addition to the district this week, Elder Orozco. He missed his flight and was in Provo for 3 weeks and then flew down to join us hear. So that has been kinda fun having a new addition and personality in the classroom. 

Also I got two new Latin american roommates which is the bomb! But they don't speak ANY English, not a word so it is very hard to communicate, it took 15 minutes last night to try to figure out the word jealous and when we finally all got it we were so happy and just shouting comunicacíon!! Yay!! It is funny! also apparently one of them snores at night but I haven't noticed because one Hermana taught me this neat way to fall asleep fast and it is awesome. She just sits and talks to Heavenly Father, if you ever can't sleep try it! I am pretty sure I am out within 3 minutes tops. 

I have been learning to throw a football this week during actividad fisica so that has been kinda fun cuz I have no idea what I am doing but neither do the latins so we all look goofy together :) 

It is crazy to think in 2 weeks I'll be in the field. The language is coming along slowly but surely but holy cow I am not fluent or capable by any definition of the word. Our teachers tried to get us to play Simon says the other day because we were learning commands but it didn't really work because the only verbs we know are gospel related so it was like, Simon dice read the scripture, Simon dice ..... orar (pray) we know out 10 missionary verbs and that is it so that was a funny thing. 

One of the coolest experiences this week was the testimony meeting we had after Conference. I bore my testimony (in Spanish) and the awesome part was I was able to say what I wanted to say in Spanish. It wasn't long or eloquent but it was heartfelt and it was amazing. If I learned anything this week it is that God loves each of us and is individually aware of each and every one of our specific personal needs. He answered my every question at conference. And he called me to be a missionary here in Argentina in the B.A. South mission because this is specifically where I needed to be and there are specific people here who need me. I don't speak Spanish very well, but I know I will because the Lord wouldn't have called me here if he wasn't going to make it possible. 1 Nefi 3:7. 

I love my mission and can't wait to be out in el campo (the field) helping Gods children. In the words of my CCM pres: I'M IN ARGENTINA AND I'M SPEAKING SPANISH :) and I love every minute of it. I love you all :) 

--

Abby 

Feliz Pascua‏

What a week! I have been in Argentina for 3 weeks holy moly :) and I am more than halfway done wiht my MTC stay can you even believe it? Holy cow I don't know spanish but that is okay :) 

Actually my spanish is doing fine, I am learning lots and can pray really well in spanish and have called to serve in spanish memorized but it is just hard to remember the words I need in the moment I need them. And congugating verbs is the bane of my existence. But el don de lengues is a REAL THING!! Cuz I swear in my IPs I can remember thing so much faster and get the gist of what I am trying to say across which is awesome. My biggest problem right now with spanish is understanding what other people say to me. 

So saturday Hna. Myrick and I went proselyting in Buenos Aires, in an area called Móron. We were there for 5 hours. We talked to lots of people but most of the time we had no idea what they were saying to us, so we just said sí (yes) to everything. Once this lady asked my comp if she was aleman (german) And I knew that word in spanish but she didn't and she just said yes... and I just let the lady think we were german. So I am german apparently :) most people we talked to could tell we were from los Estados Unidos though :) The area we were in was basicall just a neighborhood. But there must not be a speed limit on residential streets holy moly those cars went FAST!!! 

The best part of this week was for sure Easter or PAscua here. I don't think I have ever had a better Easter! Here at the CCM we are focused on Christ all the time so to just take a day and extra focus on Him, basically the best day of my life. Presidente loves music so there were probably a dozen musicals numbers over the course of sunday and they were all amazing. They even got some of our Elders to cry which is a feat! I got to participate on both violin and piano in a bunch of musicals numbers which was awesome! I love president for finding me a violin to use! :) So basically Eater was the best day of my life. I felt so incredibly close to my Savior and when we got to walk around temple grounds on Sunday it was just the most beautiful day, and basically nothing could get me down for a whole 24 hours which was awesome!! We also got chocolate eggs which was awesoem! The Savior is awesome! And he really did die and then rise again. I know it. I know it. Yo sé. I pray everyone will turn to him in their hard times, He is there for you. :) 

Something kinda fun about the CCM, it is small. Really small. And we are all cramped a littel here, but if you pay attention if you sing a song or hear a song at the beginning of the day by the end of the day everyone in the CCM will be humming the same hymn, it just  gets passed from person to person unconsciously and it is funny. 

So just two days ago was a sad day her ebecause all the latinos and the 5 "old" americans went into the campo (the field) and so for 2 days here in the CCM it was just us two american districts and it was quiet. It was really hard to say goodbye to my old roommates and the friends I have made with the latin misionaries. They are so fun. But we got new latins today so no worries, the CCM is a bustling place once more. Some of them arrived at 630 in the morning", and so we woke up to our alarm, and then through the closed window a floor down we heard presidents laughin, he has this super loud distinct happy laugh and we just smiled and rolled our eyes at president. He is awesome though! He and Hna. Benton kinda seem oblivious to the fact they are in Argeninta. :) They just do their thing and their spanish and accents are actually pretty horrible but they speak in it all the time which is a great example because that's probably how I sound and I know I should be talking more. But they are just the happiest funniest people. I got to know president better this week after I passed out in the bathroom in the middle of the night. (I may have a minor concussion but it's all good really) He gave me a blessing the nest day with the help of a latin Elder passing by, it was cool I got anointed in Spanish and then blessed in  English. The preisthood is literally the best thing in the world. So many of us have been sick and relied on and been blessed by the priesthood here, it has really given me a new appreciation for the power of God on Earth. I am grateful that my father is a priesthood holder and that I grew up with that power in my home. 

Sadly today was also the last pday Ill get to go to the temple because it will be closed from now until I leave for cleaning. But on the bright side when I went today I understood the spanish that was said prett well so yay! :) 

​I wish I could explain how hard and wonderful it is being a missionary. Every day is incredibly hard, my head hurts from Spanish and it is hard to have a companion and I want to be the best missionary I can be so I put extra stress on myself. And I'm always tired, I always need more sleep. So being a missionary is really really really hard. But it is the best thing I have ever done. I know that I am being very very blessed as I serve. I feel the prayers of so many people with me, missionaries are the most prayed for people in the world. And the spirit is so close to me always. Ugh, I wish I could explain how wonderful it feels and how different I feel as a missionary, but the power isn't of this world, so the words probably aren't either :) I seriously love my life here so much. I am grateful for this past Easter and how close I was able to feel to my Savior.  I am so excited for general Conference this weekend, And I get to watch it is English! :) I am excited to hear from the prophets of the Lord as I am a servant of the Lord her in Buenos Aires. He lives. Yo sé El vive. En el nombre de Jesucristo amen. ​

​Hermana Walker ​

Then Sings My Soul

Hello world!! :) 

So I am still down here in Buenos Aires and still loving it! This second week for sure went by faster that the first week! 

Okay so I think I need to tell you all about the super cool experience I had this week of LEAVING THE CCM!!! I left the little prison compound can you believe it? It is for sure the most beautiful little prison in the world, but it is still a little constricting. I know pretty much everyone here at the CCM very well. But anyway I left and went into the middle of Buenos Aires!! It was amazing! The city is biggest thing I have ever seen in my entire life. We literally drove for 20 minutes through city and in every direction you looked was city as far as the eye could see, you may think I am exaggerating but no, little for 20 miles in every direction were high rise apartment buildings and it is huge. No wonder there are 4 Buenos Aires missions!! 

​I think we went into the very very center of downtown though, it basically looked a lot like time square but with trees everywhere. Also there are some roads here that are like 12 lanes across. But we went downtown and on this one building somehow Evita's face was part of the building and there was a giant BA made out of grass letters and it was all very cool. We weren't there being tourists though, we were there to get out Visas! So it seems like I will officially be in Argentina for the next long while :) But holy cow the city is huge and awesome. It is kinda basically like a huge New York not constrained by an island so it got really big, but then 75% of everything is in Spanish and so yeah :) Pretty cool, although  very intimidating because well.... I don't really speak spanish! ​

​But apparently that isn't gonna stop us from doing the work because I am going proselyting for 6 hours, just me and my little Californian companion in the middle of a huge city trying to proselyte.... I'm kinda a little nervous but super excited too :)

Okay so the food here is still amazing, but I am definitely starting to miss spice in my life. Basically we eat potatoes, meat, pasta, and rice or some combination of those 4 things for lunch and dinner every day. So super yummy but not varied at all.  ​I was trying to ask my teacher and from what I can gather... cilantro and tortilla chips and just mexican food of any kind is not a thing here. One latin Elder overheard me comparing part of one of our dinners to the massa in tamales and he just had never heard of and couldn't imagine a tamale and it kinda really broke my heart. The dulce de leche almost makes up for the spice but not really :) Everyone this week, besides me so far, has been in need of serious pepto bismol, I don't know what's going around I just hope I don't get it :) 

My comp and I have been working better together which is super nice. Our lessons with our IPs have been going better and smoother and we are able to plan them better. Although it seems like half the time we prep a great lesson and learn all the Spanish grammar and language and then we get into the lesson and just get prompted to completely throw the lesson out the window and go a different direction but it is all good :) The best lesson we taught was on the Plan of Salvation and it was so cool because I could feel the presence of the holy Spirit so strong and I just wanted everyone to be with their family forever the way I know I will be with mine. 

I really want to tell a bit about my district. We are blessed enough to all get along SUPER well and it is awesome because it is like a little family. WE for sure get along better than the other NA district. So we have 3 elders and they are somehow all polar opposites of each other. Elder Maxwell, in last weeks picture on the far left, is just the goofy typical missionary, he gets way to stressed and is district leader so he carries the world on his shoulders and got himself sick. So some of our district has been asigned specific movie or show characters that the are the doppleganger for, so if you have seen Phineas and Ferb he acts and talks and looks like Doofensmirts.  Next to him is Elder Jensen, he is a dynamic personality and basicall just watch the movie Madagascar and he IS Alex the Lion. Super funny and makes us all laugh. Next to them is E. Vonasek, he keeps the other two from killing each other and can do the best voice impersonations of just about everyone. The front row from back to front is Hna. Bennett, super cute sweet gal, Hna. Barnes, kinda quiet but whenever she does say something we are all roaring with laughter for days. Then mi y mi companera. :)

The back row of Hnas fro back to front is Hna. Poulsen, you just tells dumb puns all day and makes us laugh more, and her comp. Hna. Vara, you know a joke is funny if you can get her to laugh :) Not that she is mean, she loves us all she just is that way :) and then Hna. Tinsley, a little bit ditsy (the poor thing is serving in Santa Fe which is basically farmland and all she brought was super cute clean TOMS) but she loves everyone so much you can't help but love her. And then Hna. Slade who is one of my favorites, just super sweet and sensitive and observant :) We get along super well. I don't honestly know what I would do without my district and if we all didn't get along cuz we literally spend 12+ a day together. :) 

So for an Easter message. I am so grateful for the Savior Jesus Christ, or as I have come to know in Argentina Jesucristo. He is my friend here and I rely on him to get me through every day. He really did live, and he really did die for us and then was resurrected. I know that with all my heart. I can't say that very well in spanish yet but this week my CCM president was able to get ahold of a violin for me and I have been able to bear my testimony through the power of music which has been amazing. I really feel like the words of How great thou art resonate with me this week. {Then sings my soul, my savior god to thee, how great thou art.}

Happy Easter everyone! :)

So yeah thats my update for the week! :) If you made it all the way through that you must really love me cuz its a lot. 

--

Abby