I got an email from a very sweet lady who took the time to take this in the grocery store and send it to me!

Made my day!

I really have no idea. :)

Skyping on Mother's Day!!

May 6, 2014

Hello!

Well, I am finally out of the MTC. It's actually been a week since I left. Crazy. Feels like yesterday. Anyways, we took the FrontRunner train from Provo to Ogden, and we actually arrived like an hour early so we just kinda hung out at the Ogden station and waited for our rides. Weird story time. As we were sitting there waiting, this  Native American guy came up to all of us. Clearly very drunk/high/possessed, I don't even know. He told us about how he has seen "diablo" and that we all remind him of the mafia. Also, he went on about how he is Catholic and that we Mormons needed to worship the Virgin Mary if we want to be good people. Finally, the Assistants got there and talked to him. He got pretty stoked up and yelling, and the Assistants just tried to calm him down. Eventually they did, and the guy just hugged them super hard and said "my brothers" and cried a bit, then just walked off. Weirrrrrrd. Still to this day, I'm convinced that it was all an elaborate role play set up by the mission to try and scare us.

We then went tracting in South Ogden. It's not even close to the most ghetto place I've ever seen... But jeez it's in bad shape. There's so many people walking around clearly just taking drugs, and then police cars will drive by or detectives walk past and they will legitimately hide behind a bush or a tree, or just the nearest building. Such a weird place. My first attempt during tracting was so weird. I talked to a guy who was probably 400 pounds, wearing nothing but cutoff sweats. He opened the door, and I was immediately terrified. Like, what do I even say? I'd never even knocked a door before so I was completely lost. We finally ended up talking a bit and I asked if he'd be interested in meeting with missionaries. He said that he actually used to, and that he was mad because they "gave up on me." I had no idea what to say, so I just was like... Well, wanna try again? And he teared up and said, "well put it this way. I've been reading the Book of Mormon." After that, one of the Assistants that was nearby overheard and took over, which I was glad about. That guy looked like he hadn't bathed in a month. I just wanted to have him put on a shirt. Anyways. That's that story.

So now I am in Smithfield. It is a much much much cleaner, normal place. I'm already liking it a lot. The members are pretty great and help us out a lot. Because its Utah and everyone is Mormon, it's pretty hard on our own to find people to teach. My trainer, Elder Ambrose, has taught me something though. When you need to find people, don't see the Bishop or the Elder's Quorum President. Don't even go to the Ward Mission Leader. Go to the Primary and Relief Society Presidencies. They know EVERYONE and EVERYTHING about everyone. We just ask if they know anyone we can teach, and they grab a neighborhood map and mark it our for us, going from house to house and saying "active, active, nonmember, less active, active active active active." It's so helpful.

Again, because of the nature of Utah, a lot of our work ends being reactivating people as well. We do a lot of lessons with families who've just stopped coming and can't seem to get back in the habit of Church. One thing I've learned already is this. DON"T WORK ON SUNDAY. I've already seen soooooo many people here who years ago started to work on Sunday, and then just stopped coming. They still believe in God. They still even consider themselves members! But they don't come to church, they don't do anything. And then they fall into bad habits, like alcohol or things like that. It's nuts. Keep the Sabbath day holy, okay? It's such a slippery slope. It may seem like you can skip a few weeks, and just go back in a few months. NO. NO NO NO. Do what you're supposed to do and go to Church. If you don't, you will slip and make mistakes. Not even an argument. If you don't go to church... you will make mistakes. Unless you are deathly ill and have to stay home, go to church. No matter where you are. Go. Even on vacation. Do it. It's worth it. That is all.

So, frustrating story. Remember how the dress code for missionaries changed? We can wear khakis now? Yeah, that applies to everyone except Utah. Apparently, members in Utah believe that missionaries cannot be effective if we wear khakis, so we can't. That's seriously the reason, is that the members believe that despite it being REVELATION TO THE FIRST PRESIDENCY it still needs to be the same. So, we can't wear khakis. I have two pairs of slacks hanging in my closet, just aching to be worn that I never will be able to.

So my foot is still having some issues.... We spent all Saturday moving people into new houses and doing service, from 10-7. It was crazy. I lifted heavy furniture and boxes all day, and when I took the boot off for bed that night.... ooooooohhhhh man. So much pain haha. A member here that feeds us a lot is actually a physical therapist, and he looked at it for me. He basically said that it sucks, but its the kind of injury that just hurts sometimes, and will basically be a nuisance my entire life. So.... Fun! But, it's ok. I can still walk, I have my voice back finally, and eventually I have no doubt that my foot will be fine. I'll always be smaller than your average 12 year old, but eventually I will go back to my normal, curiously strong self. 

Some SHOUT OUTS TO THE AWESOME PEOPLE WHO'VE WRITTEN TO ME! Mom, Dad, Madi, Nicole, Bailey, Jessica, Kendall, Frieda, Tyra... I apologize if I've forgotten anyone. Now, time for me to repent and apologize to people I need to write to. Sister Fredricksen, Maryanne.... I think that's everyone. But if you wrote me and I forgot, I am so sorry. I keep all my letters in piles where I have replied and piles where I need to write back. So I swear I will get to your letter and write to you. I'm just really slow at writing and have limited time to do it, so... sorry. My fault. I will be better. 

(Quick details on writing and packages: if you send me a letter or a package, send it to the Utah Ogden mission office. I don't know the address off the top of my head, but just google it. Send ALL PACKAGES by USPS. That's actually a rule. I know it's a pain to use the actual postal service but the mission office wants them all sent that way, because it is easier to forward on to me. If you send me a package by USPS, it'll probably take a week and a half to get to me. If you use FedEx or UPS, it'll take at least a month. So, use the good ole' United States Postal Service.

Now, time to call out those who should write me and haven't. This week, we have actually only one person who I'll call out. (DISCLAIMER: haven't checked the mail today. If this person has sent a letter and I just haven't got it yet, ignore this whole next section.). SLADE BARTSCHI WALKER. You have written me a whole lot of nothing. This is your public humiliation. write to me. You are the dirt between my toes!!! I leave you gifts and wonderful electronic devices as I leave for two years, and this is my repayment??? Silence?????????? O repent ye, repent ye... And write me a letter! 

Also, to a lesser extent but still. Cole. I wrote you a letter like a week and a half ago. Come on now, send me a letter. You can do it.

Anyway that's about all I have to say about that. Like Forrest Gump, I'm gonna stop now because I'm tired. So, if you have any questions for me about anything at all, email me at walker.zachary@myldsmail.net. You can also write a letter, google "Utah Ogden Mission Office address" and send it to that. Send me pictures! I loooooove pictures. I promise I will send pictures next week. I forgot my camera today and I feel so bad, but I'll repent and be better. So expect some MTC and Smithfield shenanigans pictures coming soon.

-Elder Walker

Jacob 6:12

PS from Tammy:

His address is:

Elder Zachary James Walker

Utah Ogden Mission

4380 S Orchard Ave.

South Ogden, UT 84403