Sister Walker-- Serving Wherever the Oklahoma Wind Takes Her: Week 47 & 48

So I feel so bad I haven't had a weekly email in about 3 weeks! Let's just say technology always gives sister Walker issues😜but the last 2 weeks in Pawhuska have been amazing and full of miracles!

Sisters Lewis, Walker, Cronin, Sampson

As a district we have been setting goals for our areas. Our focus right now is getting members out with us. We gave a lesson in 3rd hour in church yesterday about how vital members are to the work. The missionaries will not always be there to fellowship those new members of the Church or those learning about it. The members most likely will be there in years down the road to help them when they need it. You members also have strong testimonies and experiences that can truly influence many people. Members are vital:) Another goal we have is to OYM (open your mouth) to everyone we see and meet. I am personally working on this, but together Sister Sampson and I have been doing great at talking with everyone. She is so good at it, I am learning a lot from her.

We have 2 investigators right now participating in the ARP program with the church. It has been so cool to see the change in them as they do the 12 steps to change and recovery. We will be doing this program as a mission in a few months, and I'm excited to see how much growth can come from this. Everyone can do this, and there is even a website that you can watch videos, and read of experiences of those who have struggled and have used this program along with the Atonement of Jesus Christ to be clean, and happier in their life.

THE Longest Sandwich, and they've
made it 50 ft. before!
Made by Bruce and the scouts!

POW WOW!!!!

The other day we were at dinner with members of the Ward, Bruce and Sharon. We were about to give the dinner message when one of Bruce's scouts, Sammie, walked in the door. He isn't a member, but loves the Church! We had a great conversation about how to feel the spirit in our lives. Sammie expressed to us that he always feels a good spirit when he comes to scouts in the Church, or even when he is around the members. He said he felt a feeling he never felt before. We told him that it was the Spirit, and the Spirit tells us when something is true and that can come from a good feeling. He wants to come to church, but he has to wait 4 yrs till he's 18. Its amazing though that he had such an experience. Sister Sampson and I predicted he will serve a mission no doubt after he joins the Church. I have never seen someone light up so much about a simple but big feeling he had just being in a church. The Spirit can work in any place at any time, I have a sure testimony of that. In the meantime he is reading the Book of Mormon, and Bruce is doing great at involving him as much as he can in the youth programs at the Church. Sammie has such a bright future ahead of him.

Sister Sampson and I went to a POWWOW the other night! It was so cool!! We are serving on the Osage reservation, and these people are amazing! Sister Sampson being native herself explained so much about the symbolism of their chants and dances. Its beautiful and powerful! You can easily tie back their beliefs to our beliefs in the Church. They know that a "White God" will come again and rule the earth. They are stalwart believers in their faith.

So sister Sampson went to a leadership training meeting and I got to go missionary in Owasso with Sister Baker! We are in the same district again, and i am so excited! She is awesome and my Idaho buddy:)

Don't mind the Eyebrows...but yeah...never let your contacts
soak in allergy relief solution overnight and think
that it will work like contact solution...cause this will happen.
No worries, I'm fine now 😂😂

The first day we got up a little early to drive the sisters to the Church. I quickly put my contacts in so we could get there in time. We got to the Church and Sister Baker looked at me funny and very concerned. "Uh, why is one pupil bigger than the other??" Sure enough my left eye was completely dialated, and my other one was super tiny. I figured out that when I forgot my solution the night before I thought it was fine to just put it in this allergy relief solution as a substitute. Yeah no, super bad idea haha! I spent the whole day with sunglasses on and getting super weird looks in Wal-Mart. It was funny while it lasted. But it went away the next day. Miracles even happened from it! A member saw Sister Baker in Wal-Mart while I was getting real contact solution...and she got her number which helped them fellowship an investigator who is progressing really well!

Sister Walker & Lewis
The MERC is soooooo good!

We also got to go on 2 day exchanges with the Bartlesville sisters this past week! Sister Sampson went to Bartlesville with Sister Cronen. She just got to the mission and she is so sweet! Sister Lewis came to Pawhuska with me, and man was it quite the adventure!

WE LOVE THE BOOK OF MORMON!
and our investigator Savannah:D

The first day we had back to back appointments, and were biking all over Pawhuska! We met Father Donavon, the Catholic preacher, we talked with lots of tourists down by the Merchantile, and pointed them in the right directions. We also had a lesson with one of our investigator's Mom and Dad (Kellie and John) at their Book shop in town. That was a miracle because Sister Lewis forgot her bike helmet, so we called Bruce and he had 2 for us, so we met him at the book shop. We are helping Kellie know that there is absolute truth out there. Bruce walks in and felt prompted to show this paper cross object lesson. It was AMAZING and just what Kellie needed to hear! Oh we also got to wear these bomb Helmets. Spiderman and Green Lantern! #letsgo! Dinner at the Merc that night was also pretty good. Like way good!

What a day!

We forgot our helmets so Spidy &
Green Lantern will have to do. LOL

So when they say that "if you don't like the weather in Oklahoma, just wait 5 minutes" it's not a joke. Tuesday we had beautiful weather for biking, and Wednesday was a wet mess! It rained all day! It felt pretty nice actually due to the fact that we kept going back and forth from one side of town to the other each appointment we had. Yeah we did some really bad planning. We were also fasting that day for someone going into surgery. Needless to say we were physically, emotionally, and spiritually exhausted and were grateful for BBQ with the wheelers at the end of the day:) but it was such a great exchange and is going in the record books for the craziest

Back with the "Storming' Normans"
(Can you spot lil' Sis Williams)

Miss the ward and people in Noble,
but Love Pawhuska too

We had Zone conference the next day and I am so grateful for our mission President and his council to us missionaries. He is inspired and directed by the Lord. He talked about how we could just hand out copies of the Book of Mormon and those we give them to will flip through them and not know what to do with it. He said why don't we make it more personal and write our testimonies in each of them, and highlight at least 5 of our favorite scriptures and mark them with bright colored tabs. This will help anyone see that there is something for them to read or even start reading. And it is promised that by reading this incredible book the Spirit can manifest it's truth unto us.

Your Challenge is to do just this. Write your testimony in the front of the Book of Mormon and highlight your favorite scriptures and put in tabs. I challenge you to think of someone to give it to. It will change their life and even yours:) As each person reads the the Book of Mormon they will find that it is personally for them. I love this book and it has changed my life.

I hope you all have such a great week! Love Y'all!
Sister Walker