Monday, July 28, 2014

Grandma is fine..‏

Hello Family and Friends,
Transfers are next week, so I will not be emailing until Wednesday next week. 

I hope you all had a wonderful 24th of July. I cannot believe that July is almost over. It is crazy how fast time flies. I am almost at my year mark! AHH This week has been really good. We had interviews with President and Sister Daines. We had about 30 min with each of them. They are wonderful. I had such a good time getting to talk to them and get to know them. We had some good laughs about me praying for mountains to climb but trying to pick my mountains . I like to say "asking for ohio mountains" (which for those of you who dont know are hills)  My prayers go something like this "Heavenly Father, please give me mountains to climb, but something that I can handle, not too hard, and please dont let anyone die. I dont want that mountain. Oh and please let my health be good." Ha as I was talking about it with sister Daines, we got the biggest laugh out of how silly I sounded. I really had prayed that way and I hadn't realized how silly I sounded until I was sharing it. ha ha but he answered my prayers. there have been mountains for me this area. Which I am grateful for because I can see my growth and talents that I am developing because of them.
Also when I get into interviews with president he has a paper with my picture and the areas I have served in. Ha he looked at me and was like " you have only been in two areas your whole mission???" Uhh yes. ha ha He told me I was one of the lucky ones. but he also made me feel like he was going to have to change that. it will be interesting to see what happens next week. but pray for some sort of change ha
Ok so Im sure you are wondering about the title of this email. This is our the plains funny moment for the week. We were driving down the street and we see a woman crying. So we turn around and pull up next to her. We ask if everything is ok and this is how it goes...

I just saw a smashed dog on the side of the road, it makes me feel so sad when that happens. I always tie up my dogs, I dont understand why others dont.
Oh no we are so sorry, is there anything we can do for you? 
(tears stop immediately)
Do you have any food? (big toothless smile as the smell of alcohol drifts into the car)
No, sorry
Do you have any money? 
We are sorry we don't.
Well Grandma will be fine then. 
And she walked off. So we drive past where she was crying and there laid the dead dog.. Wait no that is a skunk. We thought it was so funny that she was crying over the dead skunk and then it went on and on about how we hate when people forget to tie up their skunks. ha ha  It is terrible of us to make fun of people who arent quite sober, but sometimes their logic just isnt there.
I cant remember if I told you all about James, but he is awesome and he came to church again this week and he is going to bring his girlfriend to our next lesson. So that should be great! Hopefully we can get them married and then baptized. Paul is still getting baptized this weekend. I am so excited for him! I will send pictures this next week. I am grateful for my mission and the growth that I have seen in myself. I couldnt ask to be any where better right now!! I am grateful to all of you for your love and support! Thank you! 
Love Sister Zwahlen

Our church has a sign :)









Monday, July 21, 2014

Sunday Love‏

Hello Family and Friends.
I feel like this week will be a really short letter and I am sorry. I have no idea what has happened this week. I do know that It was a tough one though! It seemed as though everyone dropped us, and no one wanted to talk to us and we were tired from knocking doors and talking to everyone in sight. On top of all that I got sick. I guess that flu bug came all the way from Utah to see me.
It seems to be a trial of our faith as we work to find people. However the miracles are awesome when they happen. We had a guy that cancelled his appointment get back in contact with us (it rarely happens) And he wanted to come to church! It was really good. His name is James but I call him Luigi, because he looks like him! ha he is really great.
Also Paul has to go out of town this weekend so we had to move his baptismal date to August 2nd. He is still amazing and every time we talk about him it makes me so happy. He is so prepared and he passed his Baptismal interview. It makes me think of a couple of scriptures. First is D&C 18:15-16. How great shall be our joy when we bring souls unto Christ. I have never had this scripture stand out to me so much!! It is so true. I have such complete joy when I see how happy Paul is and how ready he is. It also reminds me of Alma the younger and the sons of Mosiah.  in Alma 26 30 " And we have suffered all manner of afflictions, and all this, that perhaps we might be the means of saving some soul: and we supposed that our joy would be full if perhaps we could be the means of saving some soul."
I wont lie, this area is really hard for me, and I try and stay positive but it seems like a lot of work just to have people reject you over and over, and then to have creepy people say creepy things to you all the time. It really isnt the most fun. but ALL of those trials we go through as missionaries or as people in general. They are all worth it when we help bring that "one soul" who is ready. I love it. None of the bad things seem to matter at all when you find that one person you have helped find the truth. I really love this gospel and the work that I get to do every day.. even the hard days.
Also we met a woman named "Sunday Love" This week and she wants to learn more. ha ha i think it is quite ironic that her name is that. I hope that we get to work with her more so that I can think of lots of puns for her and the gospel.
Well all is going well here. I am sorry it is so short this week. It flew by and I dont really have anything else to tell you about!! Have a great week! Love you.
Sister Zwahlen

Zone conference

The will of God

Monday, July 14, 2014

Cinnamon Bears!‏

"You will come to know that what appears to be a sacrifice will prove instead to be the greatest investment that you will ever make" President Hinckley We will always be required to make sacrifices on this earth but I know that when we make them for the right cause we will always be blessed. Whether on this life or in the life to come.
Ok so we were at a member dinner this week and talking about how yummy cinnamon bears are to the members and they stop us and they are like "what in the world are cinnamon bears???!?" Uh everyone knows what a cinnamon bear in its a cinnamon.... bear.... a candy... its gummy.. "Oh like a gummy bear??" Uh kind of. So we have been on a search for others who have heard of cinnamon bears and people in Ohio think you are crazy when you ask them if they know what a cinnamon bear is. Go figure. I am going to have to start carrying them around and having people try them. Thanks to the NIcholls Family I have a whole bag of them.
This week has been a great week, and a week of trials. It seems like everyone drops us and Anti. is everywhere. I have never heard so many untrue things about our church. I think that especially with the students they want to research and the internet is right at their finger tips. Of course they dont look up the websites we tell them to. Who would do that. ha ha but it has been eventful. We were teaching a man named Tyler and he told us that God gave him a nightmare about fireflies and somehow it meant that the book of Mormon wasn't true. ha ha dont ask me how.
I got asked out this week as well. We were talking to a 36 year old man and he was talking about random things that I didnt understand so I was like "We actually have to get going to an appointment (which we did) but we would be happy to teach you more about the book of Mormon another time. He was like "actually I would really like to take you out."
Uh.. we dont date as missionaries..
Well you wont be on your mission forever. 
Thats true. How about I give you a website to look up with really uplifting videos about what we believe?
How about you give me your number and I will use it.
To learn more about our church?
No. To ask you out. 
Oh, well here is a card. There is a really great website. Have a great day.
AWKWARD!! Sister Tueller laughed all day about it. Gross.

Dont you worry though because I am an awkward person. Some may even say crazy.  We were talking to a man on the street and he was in a wheel chair. I asked if we could give him a card and he said "no church isnt for me, I dont need it." So, of course I have to act without thinking and I put a card into his shirt pocket and tell him that one day he might. and that he should look up the website on the card ha ha You just cant take no for an answer as a missionary. ha 

We met some really great people this week though as well. A man named Dave or "friendly dave" He is wonderful. We taught him for the first time and he is so open and willing to listen and pray about the things that we have taught. Anna is a college girl who doesnt shave.. uh that is ok no judgement, just different. She is cool though and came to church on sunday. Joe is in a wheel chair and he cried during the 1st vision and then told us that we needed to have lunch with his pastor. That might be fun ha ha But the greatest person of the week is Paul. He is so prepared. He is telling all the members about his baptism on the 26th and he cant wait. he finished the whole book of Mormon in 2 weeks! and he is going to start reading the bible. ha He makes our day everytime. I am so excited for him! He is going to be such a great member!
This week has been wonderful and I am grateful to be here, and ready for change all at the same time ha ha I hope you all have a great week!! Love you all.
Sister Zwahlen
Happy Yadhtrib Banner! (Mom glued it backwards! Oops!)

One of the oldest confectioneries in the nation

My cheesecake

Grilling on the 4th

A german  chocolate cake for me:)

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Happy yadhtriB!!‏

Hello Family and Friends,

Thank you so much for all the birthday wishes! I had a great birthday!! When I opened my birthday banner Birthday was spelt backwards ha ha so that was exciting. Sister Tueller was a little sneak.. just as I suspected and she had members decorate our apartment with balloons and stars and a cheesecake. yum. It was a great birthday. We got to help with one of our young mans eagle projects. Which was a 5 k run. So we were at the half way handing out water. So that was fun. I wish I could have run it... but I am really out of shape and sister Tueller didn't want to. So it all worked out:) We also had a couple part member BBQ's to hit. I ate way too much. I turned 23 and I gained 23 lbs as well. ha ha ok not really.
This week has been week of the weirdies. So  all who know about  how I always seem to attract the weird ones, a mission isnt any different. We were walking on campus and I had this guy stop me and he was like "hey, I like your socks... They are HOTT" Uhhh that is weird. plus they are normal socks. anyways I almost asked if he meant as in temperature, but I was scared of the response so I just went with a " hey thank you, have you ever heard of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints?" ha ha gets them everytime. Then we run into a guy that we start talking to and he seems really great.. Crazy but great. We invite him to church. AND he comes. Great right?!? Wrong. It was testimony meeting. We are all sitting there and all of the sudden we hear a man from the back start talking. I looked back and my heart fell into my stomach. We comes up to the front and starts yelling about how he felt the spirit and he loved these people, but he had severe anxiety and had to go to his church. and then he is like "I was invited by two beautiful ladies. oooo there they are and he points to us. Oh we could have died. We just waved and then we runs out the door and says Amen Brothers and sisters God bless. Everyone looks around and you hear a kid say "what in the world just happened?" Then there mom says just say amen. ha ha we had a good laugh from that one. ha ha
Paul came to church again and he is SO excited to get baptized!! he is really awesome and on date to be baptized on July 26th! I hope that he wasnt confused by our outburst friend in sacrament meeting. ha He seemed fine though. I will tell you this week has been so sad we have had so many people drop us just as they are about to come to church.. GRRR darn satan. ha he knows how to get them. Its ok though it just means they arent prepared!! Well I guess that is about all for this week. I had a great birthday! I love you all. Have a happy week. It hit 100 degrees this week. Not good. such is life
Sister Zwahlen