March 27

Hello!

No, my spanish is still at the same level it was when I came out here. Haha My week was rather boring. It was filled with lots of naps and soup. No, I'm not being disobedient... I'm sick. I've been sick all week. The only time that we've left our apartment really was to go see Elder Holland. It was totally worth it though. The amazing thing is that we were all feeling really good that day... Up to the moment we left from hearing him speak. The Lord blessed us with enough strength and health to get through seeing him and then, we were back to feeling yucky, so we went home and back to bed. It's the weirdest sickness too. It's some sort of flu virus. Some mornings, we'll wake up and be like, "Oh I feel fine today!" Then we'll get out of bed and start doing things and be like, "Nope, I'm going back to bed..." 

One of the sisters in our branch told us that her mom had the same exact thing over Christmas. It lasted for 2 weeks... I am really hoping our's doesn't last for another week... 

Anyways, we just left the house to let our family and friends know that we are still alive. I love you all! Have a great week this week!

Love,

Sister Swapp

March 18

Dear family and friends!

This week was great! Not really number-wise, but that's not what matters, right? I can't remember specifics but I just remember that it was great! Haha How's that for a start to this letter... 

I'm serving in a YSA branch in downtown San Jose and it's awesome! The people here are so great! We've started working on Personal Progress with the relief society. I'm excited! I get to do it all over again. Now that I realize the importance of Personal Progress. As a youth, I never really put my all into it, which also meant that I barely got anything out of it... Which is sad. But I'm grateful for second chances! Aren't they fabulous! That's why the atonement is soo amazing!!! I love teaching about the atonement and all the things that it can be useful for. My favorite is that it can make up for our short comings. I've come to appreciate the phrase "Do your best and the Lord will do the rest." It definitely has A LOT more meaning as a missionary mainly because that's all we can do as teachers; our best. Then, the Lord will provide a way to help the people we teach understand. 

Guess what?!!??!?!?!?! Guess who is coming to our mission to speak to us this Saturday?!?!?!?!? I'm so excited!!! Okay, I'll just tell you... It's.......................... Elder Holland!!!!! I'm so excited!!! We get to shake his hand and everything. I can't wait!!!

Oh and more exciting news... They changed the emailing policy this past week. Oh I remember what happened this week now too, we had zone conference. But anyways, we can now email friends too. And previously, we were only allowed to send one email every week but now that rule is out the window. So now, anyone can email me and I can reply on email! It doesn't have to be snail mail! (Although, snail mail is still wonderful to get. Especially during the week when I can't check my email...)

And guess what else? I get to experience another religion tonight. We teach these two guys that are friends - 1 of them is Muslim, the other is Hindi - but they invited us to go to their temple tonight. So we are going to the Sikh temple. I'm kinda excited to experience another religion's temple. We also have another investigator that is Hindi and he was giving us advice. He said that we need to wear our missionary tags (but that's a given) and if anyone tells us to hide them, don't. The people will accept us anyways. And he made sure we knew to bring scarves to cover our hair. So last night, we were trying out the scarf thing and ended up with turbans... Haha don't worry, I have pictures. I'll send some home sometime. But do you have any idea how comfortable those things are?! 

Man, I feel like I've been out here for a year already! But I've only been here for less than 4 weeks. This Wednesday, I'll have been on my mission for an entire transfer (counting MTC time). 

Well, I can't think of anything else exciting and new. I love you guys so much!! 

Love,

Sister Swapp 

P.S. My address out here is:

315 E. San Fernando St.

San Jose, CA 95112

You can still send it to the mission office, but it will get to me faster with this address.

MTC letter

Sarah is out of the MTC but I wanted to update the blog and let everyone read how the MTC was for her. I should be receiving more emails from her here shortly and I will be sure to update as often as she sends letters. If you would like to leave comments, I will be sure to get those comments back to her.

Dear family,

 

Sorry I haven't been able to email you yet. I know I said that I would email you on Thursday (yesterday), but our schedule got switched around on us because there are soooo many people leaving this coming week and they had to split up our In-Field Orientation into two days. So our P-day got changed to today. =)

 

There are sooooo many missionaries here! They told us that they are at full capacity right now. Our group last Wednesday was a record breaking group at 870 missionaries entering on the same day. Previously, they only had an average of 300-400 each week. How crazy is that!?!? This week was just as many as last week. It is so awesome to be a part of all of it!! The ratio between elders and sisters is starting to even out big time. It wouldn't surprise me if the sisters passed up the elders here soon.

 

My companion is awesome!! Her name is Sister Goodman. She's from Utah. We get along so well together! And we laugh all the time. Which is a good stress reliever. Haha We've gotten several comments about our laughing (all good though). I feel like we've been friends forever, but it's only been 10 days. Haha It feels like it's been waaay longer... She's also going to California. Half our distric is going to California and half is going to Wisconsin. The ones going to Wisconsin are getting used to the cold, whereas, the ones going to California will appreciate the warmth so much more. Haha

 

I have to tell you about our progressing investigator! She is sooo awesome!! Usual the people that work as the "fake investigators" are members pretending to be investigators, but our's is an actual no-member! Her name is Ailani. She moved here from Hawaii and is living with her aunt who is mormon and got her a job here at the MTC. We've only gotten to work with her twice, but she is amazing. I just love her so much. And we probably won't be able to meet with her anymore. =( Sister Goodman and I were so sad. We got her address though so we can write her. But she just has the best personality. We were so nervous the first time we went in because it was only like our 3 day here and we barely knew anything, but we said a prayer before we went in and it went so great! We gained her trust and got to know her so well. She's going to be an awesome member one day. I just know it! She's been attending the single's ward where her uncle is in the bishopric and says there's a guy that has been kind of showing interest in her. But she's doesn't want to get too invoolved because she doesn't want to get baptized for just a guy, which is awesome! She's in her late 20s maybe, by the way. But we have just loved working with her and will miss her greatly. But it gives me hope for the field. I feel like when we're teaching our teacher "investigator", it's lots harder because he knows what were supposed to be teaching, but with a real investigator, it's easier to get to know them and teach them what they need. That's what we're supposed to be doing anywasy, right?  

 

This morning, my companion and I got to go into the real world! Haha We had to go to the urgent care center on BYU campus. Sister Goodman hit her eye on her bunkbed pretty hard and the clinic said she might need stitches. But we went there and they just glued it up!

 

Everybody here is so awesome! The elders treat the sisters so well here. The other day, I was out talking to my companion in the hallway (it hadn't been the best day, and I'm a girl, so emotions were running wild) and we were in a spot were we could see into another district's classroom and I saw an elder look at us and point us out to his companion, which was kinda embarassing, but then he stood up and started walking towards us and I got even more embarassed. Well he walked up to us and handed me a flower made out of stiky notes and said, "Smie sister" and walked back to his class. It was the sweetest thing ever! It made my day. =) We see those elders every where now. Haha they are so friendly. One of them is from London.

 

Well, my computer keeps freezing up... So I guess that's all for this week. The next time you hear from me, I will be in SUNNY CALIFORNIA!!!! I love you! And I hope I got the right emails for you.

 

 

I love you all and miss you like crazy!!

Gotta go!!

 

Love,

Sister Swapp