Transfer Time -- South Chicago Spanish Speaking:)

Hello there!

Sounds like a busy and awesome few weeks for you all! I've been pretty busy, but unlike you, I don't get much of a tan while I do it! :P At least not yet.... Sister Ouimette and I have a car so were not really in the sun at all. I'm glad to hear that everyone is doing well! Including the people you ran into at trek and stuff!!

And thank you for your thoughts from the talks :)

Yes, the Missionary Broadcast was AWESOME! Sister Ouimette and I thought they did an awesome job with that and the little videos they shared! It was great, and inspiring, and I love listening to those conferences.

Sister Oimette with Megan Baird & Alex Bernal

The main thing that I got out of it was that we need to teach and act in love. That's proved to be huge in my mission so far. That's why it's so hard to leave Sister Ouimette and the Belvidere Branch and all the people that I've been able to meet and teach and help!!

The Baird Family of the Belvidere Branch

Oh, speaking of that... Funny story.... It's transfer time! And on top of that, it's mission split time! Which means that half the mission will be Illinois Chicago and Illinois Chicago West. Rockford is going to be within the boundaries of the Illinois Chicago West Mission. But funny thing- I can't be in the Illinois Chicago West Mission because I was reassigned to the Illinois Chicago Mission, and it would mess up all the logistical visa stuff if I was in the Illinois Chicago West Mission when I got my Visa. SO I got a call from President Fenn on Saturday that started with the phrase, "I'm really sorry to do this to you, Sister Walton, but...." Yeah, that was great! Haha so he started off by explaining the Visa thing and how I would need to be within the boundaries of the Illionis Chicago Mission when the split occurs on July 1. He then proceeded to say that he was going to move me to Chicago (Illinois Chicago Mission), and leave Sister Ouimette in Belvidere (Illinois Chicago West Mission) and give her a new fresh greenie to train.

Katherine, her Daughter Hailey and her LDS friend Rain

 Tomorrow during transfers, I will be moving to the South Side of Chicago, in a place called Midway. Awesome! Small town to big city. Oh and here's the real kicker.... Did I mention that I will be with two Hermanas? Yep, I'll be learning spanish on the fly in the south side of Chicago :) I can hear Mom laughing now ;) 

I am so bummed to be leaving Belvidere and Sister Ouimette!! I have grown to love everyone and I am kind of surprised how sad I am to leave- it's only been 6 weeks! But in a mission, that's definitely long enough to get a little attached.

Sister Baird Seminary Student & Missionary Wall

Sister Ouimette has been absolutely stellar. I'm betting she's the best trainer ever. That could be biased, but I doubt it ;) She is going to have a blast training her third greenie and I am so excited for her! Plus we have so many investigators and investigators on date for them to work with! After Charlie got baptized, I remember looking at our white board filled with names, but hardly any investigators or progressing investigators, and zero on date. In the past couple weeks, we have definitely changed that. I am definitely going to miss the Branch. The members are awesome, and so helpful, and I have felt nothing but loved and welcomed. And I am going to miss our investigators so much. You feel so much love for them as you teach them and help them come closer to Christ. And they are progressing SO GREAT!!! I am amazed at their progress and understanding and willingness to come unto Christ and follow him. I'm going to miss them a ton. One of them is a 52-year old Italian guy named Frank. He's gone through a lot in his life, but is making excellent progress. I absolutely love this guy! Yesterday after Sunday School, he had to leave early to get to work, but before he left, I called out his name and told him to come give me a good bye handshake. He did, and then leaned in and whispered "thank you so much" and then left. Four simple words, but I can't explain how much that meant to me. It means a lot coming from a guy like him. And it meant a lot to me to feel that reassurance that I've done good work with my time here. It has been great.

Well, moving away from sentimental stuff.... ha :P When I first got here, all the farmland was just brown. After my time here, the corn has sprouted and begun growing.

Corn -- No Longer Brown Dirt:)

It's cool to see. This is how exciting my life is.... haha just kidding :)

So... apparently, the HOLBROOKS went to the MoTab Concert in Chicago a week or two ago! I know because Sister Hamilton and Doxey told me! And they showed me the picture they took with Lauren! I was so excited!!! Bummed I couldn't be there, but glad that the Mormon world is so tiny! Tell Lauren I want the low-down on her mission papers!!!!!!!!

On Thursday, we have Weekly Planning. We sit in our apartment from like 11 to 4 and just plan the next week. Well, I got my fizzy water and sat on the couch as we started weekly planning... after a couple hours, I was laying down, and after a little bit more time passed, I was not making any sense. At the end of weekly planning, I told Sister Ouimette, "I'm so sorry I'm so tired! I don't know whats going on!" (because usually I'm bouncing off the walls) Then, I grabbed my fizzy water to top it off and noticed something on the front in big letters- "Lavender Relax".... Great.... that's why. I hope you guys thought that was funny because Sister Ouimette and I are still laughing about it.

Sister Ouimette and I sang Come Thou Fount in Sacrament meeting yesterday. It was great I liked it :)

Well, I'm bummed to be moving on, but so grateful for the time I've had here, and I look forward to the adventures ahead! In Spanish! On the south side of Chicago! If you want to know what I'll be doing, feel free to read Helaman 6:37 ;)

Have an awesome week, because I will!  I love you all :)

-Sister Hayley Walton

Happy Fathers Day!

Hey!  Happy Father's Day!

I'm glad you all had fun on trek! It was awesome- I loved it. What a unique and special experience :) Sounds like a blast. I was going to say that I hope you took pictures, but let's be honest.... You probably took a billion, I hardly need to ask ;) good thing everyone survived.

Glad to hear everyone is doing well! I'm glad Lexi is taking care of little Schnookums- I totally second that decision :) Tell them thanks!

Thank the girls for my postcards- I got them and I love them :)

This week has been pretty great! The weather is definitely heating up and humidity is a blast. Not something I'm super used to yet. But apparently, the lightning bugs will be coming out soon! The members say their excited to see my reaction to them. That makes me even more excited to see them come out :)

We've been meeting with and finding a lot of people lately! I'm working with several families I just adore, and can't wait to see where this goes :) I find that the longer I'm out here, the more love I have for the people I meet, which is AWESOME. I love these people so much. I come in contact with the coolest, most unique people ever, and I'm not even in Brazil yet!

Speaking of Brazil, I got a call from the office today- Salt Lake FedEx Expressed them some stuff for me to sign ASAP and send back. Don't know what that is yet, but we have to coordinate a way for that to happen and get it off as soon as we can. That's all the visa stuff I've heard of so far. But I'm still enjoying my time here :)

Another thing- I didn't realize there were like a billion versions of the Bible. You learn something new every day! :)  

Sister Ouimette got out this Celtic Women CD that she got for Christmas (I remember Becca being OBSESSED with that a few years ago) and we love it. It's the best. Almost as good as Alex Boye and Andrea Bocelli :) haha Welcome to my life.

I really liked something Pres Fenn said, something about going to bed every night and being able to say to our Heavenly Father "I did all I could do today", and then waking up the next day and commiting to be better. I feel like I've really adapted that into the kind of missionary I am. Every once and a while we have experiences in life where we look back and either regret, or think we could have done better. I refuse to let my mission be one of those experiences. I knew going on my mission that I wanted to come, serve, and go home with the reassurance that I served the best mission I could to the best of my abilities. Because while a mission can be hard, I have 18 months to serve, and the rest of my life to think about how I did. I want to be able to look back and be happy and proud of the missionary I was. And that idea to be able to go to bed every night and say to our God, "I am far from perfect, I messed up a lot... but I did the best I could today and will promise and strive to do even better tomorrow" has really helped me to live up to that goal of serving the best mission I can. Every day, every lesson, every contact, every minute of study. Constantly trying to be more influenced by the Spirit, more aware, more obedient, more patient, more loving, more kind. Sister Ouimette says she prays every night that she did the best she could do, and proceeds to ask the Lord to take her meek and humble offering of her missionary work and consecrate it to do what He needs with it. I do that too. I know my contibution is small and imperfect, but I know its the best I can do, and through the Lord it will be enough.

We share a unique message. We really do. And the best part about it is that it's true! Awesome, huh?? And while we are the ones knocking door-to-door, going to appointments, and studying, it's really the Lord who's in charge. I know where I fall short, I try as hard as I can to improve, and simultaneously find other areas where I fall short, and work on them too. I may stutter at the door, or accidentally miss part of the First Vision (I constantly keep skipping the "pointing to the other" phrase for some reason), but I know that as long as I am doing my best, the Lord is pleased and my performance will be consecrated.

And the nice part about having a message that is true is that people can deny it. But people can also accept it. And even though I mess up, there are people who recognize truth for truth. And they recognize it because they are prepared, and because I am prepared and doing my best. It's awesome. I've had a couple different little experiences with that. The people who are ready for the truth will see it. Maybe not all at once- most of the time it will be line upon line... but they recognize it.

That was a lot. Sorry there weren't any specific experiences. That's just something I've been thinking a lot about lately. I hope it all made sense :P I love being out here. I love serving a mission. Like it says in PMG, I have been called by a prophet of God to share what I know. I know that this message I bring it true. I know the Atonement works... I'm only 19 years old. I have seen and heard  and met SO MANY PEOPLE in some crazy and hard situations in life. It's rough. I've only been out for a few weeks but have already seen so much (and I know I will continue to see and hear more). But what's comforting is my testimony and my faith in the fact that while I am only 19 and don't know a single thing about what any of the people I meet are going through, Christ does. Our Heavenly Father does. And I know that Christ decsended below all so we could be comforted, healed and forgiven. There is nothing the Atonement can't help or heal. I may not know much, but I know that to be solid and true. I have had little glimpses here and there over the past few weeks of that. It's incredible. This church is true, and I am grateful for it. I love being a missionary :)

I love you all so much!!! Have an excellent week! Especially at Lake Powell :) In my honor, I request that you do something super cool and send a picture to me of it. We always do super cool things, but make it extra unique somehow. Like take a picture holding something that represents either me or Brazil on top of a canyon, or on top of Lone Rock, or jumping off a cliff, or maybe a sand castle, or something.... surprise me ;) And if you guys have a request, send it and I'll take a cool picture for you :)

Love Always!

-Sister Hayley Walton 

Well this week has been super busy and awesome!

Sister Ouimette and I found some awesome people this week. I am so excited to see where it goes with them all! We found a majority of them while we were just walking around the neighborhood. It was the best. I love when the Lord puts people in your path when your doing what you need to be doing. Blessings and miracles come from obedience, truly. During that walk, we also ran across and taught a guy who was really high..... well, we taught him about as much as you can teach someone whos on drugs! :P Oh and Charlie got ordained to be a priest in the Aaronic priesthood Sunday! whoooo!

Visa update: VISAS EXIST!!! weird, right? Haha Sister Ritter got her Visa last week and flew out today, as well as another Sister I knew in the MTC (her aunt and uncle are in our Belvidere Branch so they kept me posted with news from her :)) Pretty crazy. It's weird living week-to-week knowing at the back of my mind that any minute, I could get a phone call that I'm leaving for Brazil. It keeps me on my toes. But luckily I don't have enough time to think about it too much :) Plus it makes Sister Ouimette sad when I mention the possibility that I could be leaving a little earlier than expected :P But theres the update there!

The Cubs game was awesome! 

At Wrigley Field for a Cubs Game 

They lost (shocker?) but it was fun to be there with the mission :) On the way into the city, we took the little train/transit thingies. It was so cool to see a HUGE group of missionaries walk into the little train car and within minutes, everyone was talking to everyone else. There were a lot of people that day who got acquainted with the gospel. It was so cool to see :)

All the Missionaries at the Cubs game

After the Cubs game on Friday night, we got to pick up our mini-missionaries!! The Stake has this really awesome program (hint hint, Bishop Gibb, President Walker? maybe?) where youth in the ward who are interested get to spend Friday night through Sunday evening with missionaries in the area. They get little mini mission calls and do stuff with us to see what being on a mission is like until they go back home.

Our "Minni's"

It was so cool! We got two 17-year olds, Sister Franklin and Sister Webb, they live in another part of Rockford. They could leave on their missions tomorrow if they wanted to- they are awesome! I think I learned more being with them than they learned from being with us. We let them teach lessons and make contacts, and helped answer questions and understand what missionary work is like. It was awesome, and I think they really liked it. Sister Ouimette and I felt bad though, because we worked so hard on Saturday that the girls could barely make it through church on Sunday morning! Poor things. Ha but they survived and it was great :)

There have been a couple different times where I've just thought to myself, "this is exactly where I need to be"... and I really felt that again this morning. I knew that going on a mission was something that I needed and wanted to do SO BADLY, but it's just nice every once in a while when the Lord gives you those little reaffirmations every now and then. I love it. I love being here- it is the best decision I could have made. I am learning so much about myself, the gospel, the Atonement, and a ton of other things.

I Loved This Burger:)

Happy Father's Day to Dad!! (That's this Sunday, right? They don't really keep us posted on this stuff :P) I love my Dad so much- he is awesome. He is such a hard worker and has an incredible testimony. I have mentioned many a story to Sister Ouimette about him ;) Ha but he always wants the best for us, and I am so grateful for his example and support in my life. I also love that he takes us to Lake Powell and lets us shoot guns and makes us fun breakfasts and makes us laugh and makes us popcorn and makes us filet mignons wrapped in bacon and helps me figure out my life and lets me help with the yardwork and house fix-up stuff and it's just a blast :) LOVE YOU!!! And thanks also to all my uncles, grandpas, and leaders- happy father's day!!

At the Cubs Game with Elder Ray and 100 other Missionaries

Sister Ouimette and I

Me, Sister Ouimette and President Feen

I love and miss you all- have fun doing all your crazy and fun activities! I look forward to a hearty smoked pork sandwchich from your new smoker when I get back :)

Love Always

Sister Walton

Still in Chicago!

Haha you guys always have so much going on!! :) I love it! Hope the girls have a blast in Oregon- I love it up there, and I hope Parker survives EFY! Enjoy prep for the trek- I loved that experience a while back :)

It's so exciting to hear about all the mission calls (and arrivals and updates)! Thanks for keeping me posted. And I bet the missionaries will say thanks for the Zone Conference lunch, but I'll say it for them just incase- THANKS FOR MAKING US LUNCH! I love when people feed us- we love their company, love being in a home, and love eating food made with love... there's just somethin different about it :) and we always appreciate it

Yeah, it took us a couple days to hear about Sister Monson passing away, but I was so sad  to hear about it. It's a beautiful thing because that relationship and love can continue on after this life, but it is probably pretty lonely to be without your loved one for a while. Our prayers and gratitude go out to our dear prophet.

Well, this Friday our whole mission is going to the Cubs game! Whooo! :) So excited :) If anyone's watching the game by chance, keep a look out for the missionaries- the Elders will all still be wearing white shirts and ties :) It will be an adventure!

Not much has changed since I wrote on Thursday. Sister Ouimette and I are working so hard. We feel an especially urgent need to find someone who needs the gospel in their life in the next couple weeks, so were working really hard to make sure we're doing the best we possibly can.

As a missionary, there are all sorts of little successes and miracles that you can have. Anything from waking up on time to baptizing an investigator, and everything in between. But this week, Sister Ouimette and I felt we had some pretty special successes. Charlie, who's baptism was a week ago is still going strong. We are so happy for him and love going over and working with him still :) Yesterday, we had a less-active who hasn't been to church for YEARS come again. He was particularly touched by a testimony that was shared in Sacrament meeting, and his nervous and timid feelings for coming back to church were eased pretty quickly as branch members came up and expressed their gratitude and excitement for him being back. It was awesome. And we had a lesson with a recent-convert as of a few months ago who kind of lost hope. He is struggling with things that a lot of members struggle with, but felt that he was alone in those trials. He had kind of a negative and almost vengeful idea of God and how upset He is at this particular brother for having these struggles and trials. But Sister Ouimette and I shared D&C 18:10 about how the worth of souls is great in the sight of God, and we got to help him renew his hope. It was awesome.

I love being able to be an instrument in the hands of God in bringing His children back to Him. It's such a wonderful feeling, and such an incredible opportunity to take part in that :) I love it!!

Life is still awesome out here in Chicago! Sister Ouimette and I have a blast- we meet all sorts of people and have tons of adventures :) I love petting people's dogs. I love sharing the Book of Mormon! I'm getting better at being bold, but I am always trying to progress. I know I have plenty of funny stories but I can't think of any to share right now off the top of my head-- sad!! But I'll think of one for next week :) Got's to go, love you all so much!!!!

LOVE ALWAYS

Tchau tchau

-Sister Hayley Walton