April 1

Happy April fool's day! The library and post office decided to play an April fool's joke on the entire city and close so that desperate missionaries waiting to email home couldn't! How rude, right? haha just kidding, it was a holiday here celebrating some famous guy... I forgot what he did... I think is name was Ceasar Chaveraz?? So, hence my email being a day late. BUT!! Today was transfers!! Nothing much has changed from our area. We just lost one sister and turned into a tri-panionship. It's going to be lots of work now, cause the are was split between the two companionships, but now we have to cover the whole branch, which is a huge area... But it's going to be fun! I'm so excited!! 

It was Easter this weekend too!! Happy Easter!! I wish I would've appreciated more fully before my mission what Easter is all about. I mean I knew, but I never really understood I guess. It's definitely become my most favorite holiday. My Easter was fantastic! We went to one of our member's wards and had a blast! Although, the dress I was wearing in the morning ended up being a different color by the end of the night... We dyed eggs and I accidently spilt the blue egg dye all over my lap. I have no idea how it happened, but it turned the dress and my legs blue. My new nickname is Sister Smurf. But, I soaked it in resolve as soon as I got home and washed it and it came out! It was a miracle!! Who would've known that resolve gets blue dye out of white dresses. 

Today was transfers! The sister that left is training too! She only got here ONE transfer before I did! She literally just finished her training and now she gets to go through it all with her own trainee. That could be me! It could've been me this transfer. Some of the sisters that came in with me are training. The aren't even done with their own. but isn't it awesome!! That just goes to show how much this work is hastening!! And actually, that might be me next transfer. My trainer has this curse; whoever she trains always ends up training right after she's done training them... It's cause she's so awesome! So! I'm gaining a niece!

Let's see, what else happened this week.... Umm We FINALLY got over our sickness after two weeks. Actually, we're still a little sick, but it sure isn't as bad as it used to be! Oh and Elder Holland! I promised notes. I don't have my notes with me, but it was soooo awesome!!! He talked to us about how he would arm wrestle anyone who tried to tell him that their mission changed them more than his changed him. I just love Elder Holland. He gave a similar talk that I saw while I was in the MTC, but it is so much better in person. He told us that we need to be our first investigator. And everything that we want for OUR investigators, Heavenly Father wants for US. We want them to read their scriptures, he wants US to read our scriptures. We want them to go to church and pray everyday, he wants US to go to church and pray everyday. Reading just my notes does not give the experience the justice that it deserves. I wish you could've just been there! It made me even more excited for Conference!! Yayyy! Oh and the spirit that was in the entire building! Oh man. I can't even describe it. We were walking out to leave and there was a guy that was just in casual clothes, maybe an investigator, I don't know. but he was standing there and my companion said hi and she was like "Can you feel it?! Can you feel that Spirit?" And he was like "yeah!" And she was like "That's the Spirit of an Apostle of the Lord! Isn't it cool?!" And he was like "Yeah!" it was so cool! 

I have a challenge that I'm extending to all my family and friends... This week, I'm challenging you guys to look for all the good things in your days. Yeah, bad things might happen, but is there really anything you can do about it? There usually isn't, you sometimes just have to let it happen and figure something out. But why have a bad attitude at the same time? If you have a good attitude about the things that go bad, they won't seem as bad as they really are. I've been sick these past two weeks stuck in the apartment with a couple other sisters and yeah it's been terrible, but it's not like I could do anything about it. I just kept telling myself "Hey, at least I'm not stuck here alone!" It gave me a chance to get to know the other sister that just got transferred too and we've become such great friends because of those two weeks that we were stuck inside together. So, just remember that when you go throughout your day. You can't rewind and prevent that thing from happening, so you might as well just deal with it and do it with a good attitude! :) Look for the silver lining in every situation! I love you all! I hope you have a good week!

Love,

Sister Swapp