"The choice is yours, and the choice is mine, remembering that our choices, our decisions, determine our destiny. God will guide you in your determination to serve Him and keep His commandments as you listen, as you learn, as you labor, and as you love." - President Monson
Family and Friends,
Hello and greetings from Ohio. I am sorry to let you know that this will probably be my last email. I still have one more time after this one. but lets be honest. I might not write a group email that week. but maybe I just dont know what will happen. I do know that I am sick of emailing. I never know what to write these days. I will do my best to keep you updated from what happened this week.
First, Winter came this week and it has been really cold. In the single to negative digits and that's not with wind chill added. Then we got a "huge" snow storm we got about 8 inches of snow. Which with their ability to clear the roads I can kind of see why they freak out when it snows. ha Snow is good though because it allows us service opportunities galore. We were able to shovel several peoples driveways and sidewalks. So that is always fun.
Also it was a blessing because this week we were really busy and we had a couple meetings as well. We had Zone Conference on Wednesday and Friday this week. We were taught about goal setting and achieving as well as on brief powerful statements about the gospel for contacting people on the streets. It was really good as part of the conference we were assigned to demonstrate how to extend a 2nd baptismal date. Which just means inviting people to go to the temple with a family name. So that is always nerve wracking when we have to demonstrate in front of other missionaries. We also had to "role play" contacting someone on the street. We had been warned beforehand that the leaders were going to be picked on and then told what they did wrong. ha so the other leaders went first and by the time it got to us we had time to practice so they didnt have anything bad to say about ours. Im a little bit proud of that:)
Also the Mormon Amish family provided our lunch for us! It was so yummy and they made sure to make Amish Donuts for dessert. If you have never had an Amish donut, you are missing out. They are the absolute best! mmm.
We also got the opportunity to have the "cross-talk" with someone who has been a member for just over a year. She loves wearing her cross' we were nervous to talk to her because we didnt want her to feel bad and be offended but it was really neat we asked her about Christ and the importance of focusing on His life. She wants to serve a mission so we told her about the importance of living her life in a way that reflects that she is a representative of Christ. Anyway it went really well and it was a spiritual experience.
We are teaching the New Member Lessons so a Recent Convert named Nancy. This Friday we had the opportunity to go to the temple with her to do baptism for the first time. It is such a great experience to be in the temple with someone for the first time. She LOVED it. She was so excited that she had the opportunity to help 10 people that night. Also it was perfect because I was able to see my mini missionary since she was there. AND there was a couple from Athens there, that had just got out of a session. It was so good to see them!
Ok last but not least, Yesterday in Church, There were 3 speakers assigned and one cancelled that morning. The other one was a recent convert who spoke for 5 min. Then the last speaker was a boy about to leave on his mission. ha needless to say they both got done and we still had 20 min left in sacrament meeting. So bishop got up and announced that after he bore his testimony that "our dear sister missionary that will be leaving us" will come up and take the rest of the time. Ahh I knew he was going to call me up there, but I sometimes am emotional about leaving and yesterday was one of them. ha so I got up and bore my testimony. Man people. This is hard. Unless you have been here you have no idea what it is like to be at the last couple weeks of your mission. It is such a rewarding time and a sad time and a happy time. Its great and stressful and scary and wonderful. Everyone came up to me after and told me that it was a very powerful testimony and parents this is what I am supposed to tell you "I want you to know that if I was your parents and had been her to hear your testimony. I would be very proud" -from a man in my ward.
Well I guess that is about all for now. I got my travel itinerary in the mail this week! Crazy!!
Love you all. Until next time...
Sister Zwahlen
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