¡Hola!

A lot has happened this week! So much has happened I feel like this week alone has been a month! Hermana Clausen and Hermana Dickson are my companions, we are a trio once again! On Sunday we were made Sister Training Leaders and the Elders became the Zone leaders. The other district left and we were all that was left haha! We got a new district on Wednesday and it is so much fun! The Elders are: Elder Memmott, Elder Noyes, and Elder Tyler. The hermanas are: Hermana Greenwall, Hermana Jones, Hermana McPhie, and Hermana Anderson! They're all incredible and we are so lucky to have them in our zone! I feel like I got four new sisters this week and three more brothers! Also, a Sister Swapp arrived here this week! She's from Nevada, but her great grandpa is from Southern Utah, so I definitely think we're related! She's headed to Russia, but we were both freaking out when we saw each other just because Swapp is not a common name! And... Johny made it to Guatemala this week!!! I'm so excited, and thank you everyone for writing me and updating me! He's going to be the most amazing missionary! 

Gregory Schwitzer from the Seventy came and spoke to us this week. It's so incredible and I feel so extremely blessed to hear from all of these amazing men each week. Don't worry, no bats came out this time. 

Class is going good, and I'm learning more and more Spanish each day! I'm a little frustrated because I wish I knew more, but I just keep reminding myself that as long as I'm giving it my all, God will help me with the rest! We learned past tense this past week and let me tell you, that's some tricky stuff! haha, but I love the language and I feel incredibly blessed to have the opportunity to be learning it! 

So every week every body has to prepare a talk and when we get to sacrament meeting the Presidency calls up random people to give their talk so nobody ever knows when it's their turn to speak. It's a little scary. Well this week I totally forgot about it and I didn't have time to write my talk, so I threw one together the best I could right before the meeting and it was super mediocre. And I got called up! It was so great and so bad haha! But it's okay I got mine out of the way and won't have to worry about it anymore. I'm the only one from my district who has spoken, so that means they all probably will have to speak this week and I can just relax and watch ha! 

I got my travel itinerary this week! I was so excited I was screaming! I leave on May 2nd and my flight is at 8:30 so that means I'll probably get to call you Mom around 7! Sorry it's early I know, but if it makes you feel any better I have to be at the travel office at 3:50 that morning! And guess what else I'll be flying with 8 other people! It was so fun I was in the cafeteria and I ran into that sister going to Kentucky and she stopped me and her whole district is going to Kentucky!! So there's four sisters and I was able to meet them all, they're all so cute and I'm so excited to get to know them! And there's two Elders in their district going to Kentucky as well, but I haven't met them yet! And then there's two other missionaries flying with us so I don't know if they're serving in Kentucky or if that's their layover or if they're going to Kentucky, but speaking another language, but we'll find out! It was so exciting meeting them all! 

Our lessons with our investigators have been so good! The spirit is always so strong! Sophia committed to baptism and so did Martha (I don't know if I've already written this so sorry if it's a repeat), but it's so incredible. I know they're not "real" investigators, but it's incredible how strong the spirit still is. I can't wait to get to Kentucky and I can't wait to teach people! We have a little motto here in our companionship, it was started by Hermana Tracy, but we have a sign in our room that says, "It's a great day to save a life." I try to work the hardest that I can work here so when I get to Kentucky I can save a life. I could not imagine a life without this gospel. I could not imagine a life without God in it. I could not imagine a life without the happiness this gospel brings me. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has saved my life, and I hope I can give that to somebody else. 

I have nine days left here and then I'm out in the real world. I am so excited, but I'm also sad to leave the MTC. It's such an incredible place. I know with all my heart that Christ is here with us. This is His work and I know He is sitting next to me in class, I know He is sitting next to me in my lessons I teach, I know He walks with me everyday, and I know He is training me. No one at home needs to worry about me, because how could I not be happy with the Savior next to me at all times? I'm so grateful for the sacrifice He made for me, a mission is nothing compared to His sacrifice, but just like the Savior saved me I hope I can help Him save someone in Kentucky. This church is true and don't ever forget how much Heavenly Father loves every one of you. And don't forget how much I love you too. I'm so blessed to have you all in my life. Have fun celebrating Mom this week, and make sure she has the best birthday she's ever had, because she deserves it! 

Estoy agradecido por la iglesia. Yo sé que es verdadera. Yo sé que Jesucristo es mi Salvador y mi Hermano, y le amo Él mucho. 

I love you all very much,

Hermana Swapp

 I had to get a picture with the peak!

 The sisters from the new district!

 

Our zone at the temple together!

The next day she arrived (her name is Hermana Clausen) and she is awesome! She is from Canada and is going to the Mexico Puebla Mission. We have had a ton of fun. So it became Hermana Dickson and Hermana Clausen as a companionship and Me and Hermana Tracy as a companionship and it was perfect! Mine and Hermana Tracy's lessons went so well! We taught Sophia and she is getting baptized so that was good news! It's crazy how perfect the companionships are! Then Thursday came... that morning we found out that one of our Elders from our zone went home and it broke all of our hearts. We were so sad to see him leave and it changed the mood for the entire zone. We went to lunch and it was just kind of a downer feeling. When we came back to class Hermana Litster asked me and Hermana Tracy to practice our lesson for her. I talked the entire time and I could tell something was wrong with Hermana Tracy because she wasn't saying anything. I stopped in the middle of the lesson and asked her if she was okay and she ran out of the classroom to the bathroom. She was sooo sick. I thought she had the stomach flu because she was throwing up so much, so we decided to go back to the dorms. She slept for the entire day and I studied for the whole day. 

We finally went and got a sack lunch that night for dinner and we brought it back to the dorms to eat and sure enough she started puking again. So the Elders gave her a blessing and she came back in and slept some more and I studied for the rest of the night. Friday morning we got up and got ready for the day and she was feeling okay. So we went to class. After an hour we went to breakfast and sure enough during breakfast she got sick again so we went to the doctors office. We spent half of our day at the doctors office and then we went back to the dorms where she slept some more and I studied some more. I was studying out in the hall and the sister training leaders found me and said someone needed to meet with Hermana Tracy so I went and woke her up and we went and met with the guy. I waited in the waiting room for an hour and Hermana Tracy came back out and we started to walk back to the dorms together and she stopped me and said, "I don't know how to tell you this, but I'm going home. My mom is coming to pick me up in an hour and a half." 

We found the other sisters and went back to the dorms and helped her pack. I guess she had stomach problems before she came out here and they were never able to figure out what was wrong with her and it just got worse here so she's going home to figure out what's wrong and then she'll be back out! But last night was awful. We were all crying, and hugging, and sobbing, and packing, and then we had her all ready to go. Her mom came and got her and we said goodbye! It was so sudden and I am so sad because we got so close, but it's the best thing for her! She needs to get her health back! 

But other than Thursday and Friday, this week has been really good! We got to host again on Wednesday and it was so fun! I was waiting at the curb when two sisters walked behind me and right as they were walking by the one asked the other where she was going and she said... KENTUCKY! I ran at her and screamed and gave her the biggest hug in the world. I'm pretty sure she thinks I'm the biggest freak. She's English speaking so that means we get to fly out together! I was so happy to see her and I see her around every now and then and it's so fun having another person here coming to my mission! Also, I escorted a girl who is going to Sweden! It makes me think of Dad every time. I got to walk her to her class and the classroom was decorated with the Sweden flag and there were pictures of Sweden hung up all over the room! It was fun to hear them talking in Swedish too! 

This week in gym was so much fun. My district has just been playing basketball and trying to make these ridiculous shots that no one can make and even though we're not supposed to bet we make bets on bags of cookies. My NBA play is Steph Curry. I have to represent Payts. So every time I shoot I have to yell Steph Curry and Cookies to make sure everyone knows who is placing the bet and what the wager is. I thought Payton would be so proud, I represented Steph Curry well. Also, Daniel Willett. Who the heck is Daniel Willett? I cried ten tears when I found out Spieth lost the Masters. All I'm saying is he better win the US Open. 

But just a little fun fact for you, every Sunday night we watch "movies" which are just devotionals that have happened here. And most of the devotionals we get to watch you can't find anywhere else except for the MTC and they're amazing!! I wish everyone could watch them. We watched one by Elder Holland this Sunday and it has seriously changed my life. I have never wanted to work harder, I have never wanted to be more Christlike, and I have never wanted to serve more in my life than I do now after watching the video. It was incredible. The whole talk he said when you signed up to be a missionary, you didn't sign up for just 18 or 24 months. You signed up to be a missionary for the rest of your lives. And he ended by saying, "For as long as I can breathe and as long as I can move my lips I will be a witness of Christ." It was amazing and it was exactly what I needed to hear. 

I love you all so much, and I'm glad you're doing well. Keep me updated and know that I am so grateful for every single one of you and I'm grateful for all of the support. 

Les Amo!

Hermana Swapp

 

 

 Saying Goodbye to Hermana Tracy. I know we all look funny, we were bawling our eyes out. Also, Hermana Clausen is on the end! She is awesome!

I hope everyone is doing well, I love you all so much and I miss you a ton! Thank you so much for all of the packages and letters this week! You are all the best and make me feel so loved! I don't know how I got so blessed to have an amazing family like you! I hope you all know how much I love and appreciate you. 

I don't want to sugar coat anything, I want to be completely honest with everyone! But the start of this week was so incredibly hard for me. I was so beyond home sick on Sunday. I missed my family and I was so sad I couldn't be there for Maddie's birthday, I missed my friends, and I missed my sweetheart. And then on top of it, some things were happening in our district and we were all having a hard time getting a long so it was very hard for me. But I am so grateful that Sunday was General Conference. It completely boosted my spirits! (And don't worry everything is fine with our district again. We're still a family). But how amazing was General Conference? Both Saturday and Sunday! Amazing. I hope everyone was able to watch it. It was so cool as I was preparing for General Conference I prayed and asked God specific questions that I really wanted the answers to. And every single question was answered word for word with how I asked them. Those men are so inspired and I am so grateful for a living prophet and apostles. 

And then to make Sunday even better BYU Vocal Point came that night for a devotional. It was perfect. It was the most perfect devotional they sang us a bunch of songs and each person bore their testimony. The spirit was so strong and I know a couple people in the group so it was nice to see some familiar faces. Also, speaking of familiar faces I've seen Madi Golding a lot here and it's been such a blessing to be here at the same time. We always just go into each other's rooms to talk. I'm so grateful Heavenly Father put us here at the same time! 

So wanna here something funny? Okay I knew you did. On Tuesday night Ian Ardern of the seventy gave the devotional and in the middle of the devotional a bat comes out of no where and starts flying around! It was the greatest thing ever. No one could focus on him because we were all too scared that this bat was going to land on our heads. Even the cameras were following the bat so the big screen was just a video of the bat flying around haha! But I don't know what happened to the bat but it eventually went away, it was just super funny. But in all seriousness the devotional was amazing. I think it is so cool that I get to see a general authority every week. It's incredible and I'm so glad that I can see and listen to them in person. 

So we have 3 investigators now and we get a new one on Monday, Martha (Hermana Bradshaw acting), Eric (Hermano Corbin acting), and Sophia who is a student at BYU. The lessons with Sophia are going super well. She is seriously the cutest girl in the world and she is so fun to teach. And she's really easy to understand. And she's fun because when we don't know how to say something or we don't understand what she's saying we play a little charades. I'm so grateful we have her for an investigator. But the lessons are going super well, we taught her how to pray and she's been praying a lot, and she committed to reading the Book of Mormon which I'm super excited about! She makes me so excited to get to Kentucky to teach people!

This week was super cool because I got to host! It was so fun we all lined up on the sidewalk and every time a car came in we all did the wave. I know, we looked like morons but we had fun. The girl that I hosted was adorable, she's from Utah and she's heading to West Virginia. But it broke my heart her and her family were all bawling. It reminded me of when I was dropped off and how sad I was to say goodbye to everyone. But the second we got walking she was fine and excited. You're just way too busy to be sad on the first day. But it was really fun. And at first me and my companions were assigned to traffic duty so we got these really cute bright yellow jackets to wear but we begged them to let us be hosts so we did. I've got a sweet picture coming your way. 

It was cool so they're building a new building for the MTC just because they need more classrooms and so they had these two giant beams and they wanted all the missionaries to sign their names and their missions on the beams. So we did. And yesterday they had a huge ceremony and we listened to speakers talk about the importance of the building and the tradition of the beams. And then we got to watch them put the beams on the very top of the buildings so that's cool. If Hunter and Payton ever come here they'll get to be in the classroom where my name is! 

I love it here, even though the start of the week was super rough, it ended up being a really good week. The weather is beautiful so we're able to have class time and study time outside and it's so nice not being surrounded by white walls all day. There's flowers every where and there's popcorn all over the apricot trees. (I think someone might kill me if I sing that song one more time). I keep looking for Bob, but I haven't seen him yet, and I haven't worked up the courage yet to break an elevator. Maybe the day before I leave I will. Oh and DAD!! Guess what, we went to the temple this morning and we ate breakfast there and they had Apple turnovers! I didn't even have to sneak out to get a turnover from Arby's. Blessed. I love you all so much, thank you again for all of the prayers and the support. I love you and I hope you have the best week! 

Les Amo MUCHO!! 

Hermana Swapp

I made it through my first week, can you believe it?? It's crazy how fast and slow it's been I feel like I have so much to tell you!! First of all thank you for the package, thanks to you me and my companions are no longer starving anymore. We refer to the package as the treasure chest because it's like gold to us haha. Anytime we're hungry we say, "I'm heading to the treasure chest real fast. haha! And also, I forgot to tell you last week but I got a bottom bunk! My prayers were heard haha! So right now there's like no missionaries at the MTC. They all come in the summer and winter so Me and my companions have a room to ourselves which is way nice there is so much room everywhere! There's 3 bunk beds so we all got a bottom!

But Easter was awesome Elder Ballard came and it was so cool!! The second he walked in the feeling in the room changed, seriously the most amazing feeling and the spirit was so strong. It was so cute when the devotional was over and he was leaving, we all stood up and he was about to walk out the door and he turns around and gives us a huge smile and a big wave. I don't know how to explain it but it was just an amazing feeling. Easter was good here we had two more devotionals that day and it was not fast Sunday for us so we could eat all of our candy! We had another devotional on Tuesday and Terence Vinson from the 70 came and it is seriously the coolest thing having general authorities speak to us! 

Our zone is a singing zone so we're all required to join the choir and I'm so happy because it is amazing! The choir teacher is incredible as we're learning the song he teaches us the history of the song and the history of the church that goes with it. The spirit is even incredible during choir practice and I'm so happy our zone is a part of it! 

So Johny and Maddie you are going to be so proud of me! But every day we have an hour to work out and guess who is actually working out... that's right ME! Me and Hermana Dickson go up and do all the workouts you've shown me Maddie and I think Hermana Dickson is going to kill me haha. We both laugh the whole time because we feel like dying and neither of us can walk after we work out. But we have a super fun time. And then the last few minutes of work out time we go down and play four square. I'm pretty much always in the queen square. No just kidding I stink. But I wear my Kentucky shirt Johny got me for Christmas and that's all anyone calls me around here! I'll walk in my classroom and they call me Kentucky not Hermana Swapp, but I love it! haha. 

But remember that investigator I was talking about last week? Well her name is Mayra. And she forgave the elders and they were able to teach her again. We taught her everyday this week except for Friday. Monday and Tuesday's lessons were really bad. I felt like crying and giving up because I was struggling with the Spanish and everytime we plan a lesson she has questions for something else and we have to bag the plan and make up something on the spot with the Spanish we know. It's super hard and frustrating. On Tuesday she said she didn't know what to do because her boyfriend was beating her for taking discussions so we didn't know what to say! So we just told her to pray and promised her that God would protect her. So then on Wednesday our teacher came in and said just so you know you're teaching Mayra today for 15 minutes, you have a half hour to prepare. So we decided to read her 1 Nephi 7:16-18. It's the story of Laman and Lemuel tying Nephi up and they want to kill him but Nephi prays and the Lord bursts the bands. She started crying and said she didn't know why she was letting her boyfriend beat her up and that she wanted to be a member. So we met with her Thursday and she told us that she broke up with her boyfriend and committed to baptism so the spirit was super strong and it was really amazing! But get this... We got to class Friday night for our evening class and our teacher Hermano Corbin walks in with Mayra!! Mayra is one of our teachers we were all so surprised! She served her mission in New Mexico and Mayra was someone she taught so she was just acting her part! I don't even know her name she's just Mayra to me haha!

But are you ready for a super funny story? Well Mayra was teaching our lesson and she was reading a scripture about someone asking for bread so she kept saying he asked for bread. And so he asked in spanish is pidá (pee-dah) and bread is pan. So she kept saying pidá pan and everyone understood her except for me and Hermana Dickson and we just kept looking at each other because we had no idea what was going on and so finally Mayra asked her what we didn't understand and I said, "I just don't understand what Peter Pan has to do with any of this." And everyone just started laughing I don't think anyone could breathe for like 5 minutes and then she finally explained to me that she was saying he asked for bread and not Peter Pan. You probably had to be there for it to be funny but it was good. Also, it was super funny my companions and I were all getting ready to go one morning and this loud alarm sounded like way loud and we just looked at each other like is there a fire or what's going on? And all of a sudden this urgent voice gets on the intercom and says, "ATTENTION LADIES THERE IS A MAN IN THE BUILDING, I REPEAT A MAN IN THE BUILDING!" We all just died, they acted like we have never seen a male in our lives. It's happened a couple times since and we just laugh every time. 

I'm still loving it here the spirit is amazing and I've already seen so many miracles. Here's a couple... This week on one of the nights I got the worst sore throat in the whole entire world and my nose got stuffy and I was feeling awful! I thought there was no way I was going to be able to make it through the next day if I felt this sick. So I asked Heavenly Father to help me make it through the next day and when I woke up I felt completely fine, my cold and my sore throat was gone and it hasn't come back! Another miracle, Hermana Tracy forgot to set the alarm one night and Hermana Dickson just happened to wake up right at 6:30 the next morning, I have no doubt that it was Heavenly Father waking us up. Heavenly Father is amazing and he is very aware of us. Also, I can feel all of your prayers, thank you so much! And I hope you all know how much I love you, I pray everynight that you know how much I love you. I think about you every morning Dad when I walk to class and I see the peak! And I think about everyone at home everyday! I love you all and I miss you very much! Thank you for all the letters and packages. The days I get mail are so much better! I hope you all had a very happy Easter and April Fool's Day haha! 

Les Amo,

Hermana Swapp

Oh and ps: My address isn't unit 9 anymore it's unit 211