Hey Fam!

Happy Memorial Day! I hope you're all having a wonderful day and I
hope you're all having so much fun at the cabin! Looks like Hunter's
having some fun dancing around! I watched that video you all sent me
ten million times and now I can't stop singing WHAT DOES THE FOX SAY
and now I'm pretty much an apostate missionary for singing a song that
isn't a church song haha! (I actually sing apostate songs all the
time, that's the hardest habit for me to break. But I'm getting
better!) but Hunt, it's time for a hair cut (; so I've shown the
family picture of us on Mother's Day to lots of people and the
Hispanic people all think me, Dad, Hunter, and Payton are all Mexicans
and all the young women in the ward think Hunter is cute haha! It's
funny and everyone is so shocked when they see mom is my mom because
our coloring is so different. It's funny!

But I don't feel like I have a whole lot to write about because I
don't feel like a ton has happened this week but I'll do my best!
First of all it's been kinda fun this week because there was a movie
being filmed here in Paris. It's going to be called Above Suspicion.
There were two big names here this week but I can't remember them
haha! The girl is off of The Game of Thrones (is that what it's
called?) and the guy I think his name is Jack Houston but he's on The
Longest Ride! I didn't see them but I kept my eyes out haha! But it's
cool there's these huge movie trucks everywhere and trailers where the
actors are staying and they were filming outside so it was cool to see
some of the actors and all the cameras going! Hermana Crowther and I
kept walking by holding our Book of Mormons up so if anyone goes to
that movie you'll have to see if you can see two missionaries in the
background (;

But I'll start last week with Monday. After Pday we went to The
Linkers for a dinner appointment. They are a family in the ward and
they are so incredible, and their story is amazing! And they're the
nicest and most giving people you'll ever meet! But I was freaking out
when I got there. Why? Because they have a Sheltie!! I died. Her name
is Memsie and she is so cute it was just like playing with Jasper! And
she's not scared of the camera! It made my whole day! But we had a
super yummy dinner and it was so fun getting to know the family, like
I said before, they're incredible.

Then Tuesday came and we did our service at the Bargain Box. That place is so fun, I want to do a reality TV show with them because they are the cutest and funniest ladies ever. You have to know them but it really would be such a funny show! After the Bargain Box we went to Beverly's and finished painting her house, it looks so good! Then we went to Winchester for the day. Winchester is hard because we don't know the area and there's never anyone to teach but we did find Juana and Francisco (they're from Guatemala - I got so excited and I think you all know why). And we taught them a lesson! At the end we asked them if they would get baptized and they said yes! So we extended the date of July 2 and they said no because they were already baptized. So Hermana Crowther and I were super confused and we explained proper authority over again like 4 times and we finally decided we should just leave because they weren't understanding it haha! It was kinda funny because after they told us they don't really speak Spanish and they speak some language I've never even heard of before so we're thinking they just really didn't understand what we were saying! It was great. But after all our lessons we finished the day with a late dinner at... ARBY's!!! I was pretty happy. 

Wednesday: Sister Elizabeth was with us the whole day and that rocked! We first went to Angela Rodriguez. She's a member but her records are lost so the previous missionaries were looking for them and could never find them. But we went over and met her. She's amazing and so sweet! She's actually white she's just married to a Hispanic so that's why her name isn't white haha (I know, I really need to start taking pictures with people). Then we went to a trailer park to look for Teresa but she wasn't there but we found two men and we went up and started teaching them The Restoration but we had to stop half way through because there was no way the spirit could be there. These men were super drunk and high haha!! The bloodshot eyes should've been our first hint, but they were super nice but they just weren't with it hahaha so I don't think we'll be teaching them again soon. We then went and visited some people in the ward. Remember the Salas family with the really cute 2 year old who doesn't stop talking? Well she's allergic to peanuts and ate some and spent all of Tuesday in the hospital so we went over Wednesday to check on her and don't worry she's okay and loved telling us the story haha! Then we went to Fidencio's for his lesson and he didn't show up.... Fidencio. So we found Kristina and set up an appointment with her. 

Thursday, super funny! We went to Winchester again and were supposed to talk to everyone of course so we found Dave and we started talking to him. Oh Dave.... Hahaha! He started telling us about this conspiracy theory and how it's related to Revelation in the bible and he drew this whole thing for us and kept talking about the Kennedy's and the Bush's and the twin towers and then a rapture. It went right over my head. I kept trying to interrupt him so I could draw the plan of salvation for him but Dave doesn't stop talking. Once he's talking and drawing he's not going to stop and he's certainly not going to share his pen haha! It was awesome and so funny but I couldn't laugh because he was so concerned about a rapture that was going to happen only in Kentucky and was so concerned for us and was trying to tell us how we can protect ourselves. He was a really nice guy though. But we left for an appointment with Carlos and we taught Carlos but then we came back past Dave's house to get to our car and Dave came chasing us down. And it was pouring rain so we thought he was bringing us rain ponchos and we were so grateful. But then when he got to us and handed us the rain ponchos we realized they were mosquito nets! He said, "when the rapture comes get some grease and rub it all over yourselves and then hide yourself in these nets." HAHA it was awesome, he's the nicest guy, just looking out for the sisters! But just a fair warning to everyone from my friend Dave: if Jeb Bush and Arnold Schwartzinager win the election the rapture is coming so grab your grease and nets and hide! After we went back to Paris and taught Fidencio! The lesson went super good and he's on track for baptism and he promised to be at church on Sunday! 

Friday all of our appointments fell through so we walked everywhere and talked to everyone!! We met 9 Hispanic men too which never happens! It was a tender mercy for sure! And we even got an appointment set with one of them his name is Margarito! 

Saturday we had our weekly coordination (a meeting with us, the elders, and the ward mission leader). And then our lessons fell through except for we had our lesson with Esmerelda! I just love her. She helps me a lot with my Spanish too. But she said she wants to get baptized!! She said she knows it's what she needs to do and she knows she will get baptized she just doesn't want to be rushed and wants to be ready and learn more first. So I'm super excited for her! After Esmerelda we found Kristina and invited her to church and she was super excited and said she would be there and that Carmela's family was coming too! Then we went in for the night and set up our mosquito nets for the rapture!

Sunday: we got to church and set up the translating equipment for all of our investigators and then we waited and waited and waited. And none of them showed up! I felt like somebody ripped my heart out of my chest and stepped on it haha! I was sooooo sad! But oh well there's always next week! But we had our lesson with Margarito and right before we started his friend Vicente joined us! The lesson was incredible! The spirit was so strong and it was probably the best lesson we've had. Vicente told us at the beginning that he was Catholic and he's going to stay Catholic but he'll listen and respect our beliefs. At the end of the lesson he said, "we're all lonely, we left our families back in Mexico and all we have is God and that's all we want is a relationship with God. But we don't know how to do it and we need help and I know you were sent here for us." It was amazing he was so excited to read the Book of Mormon and learn more and he said he would get baptized after he learned more! Margarito was amazing too, and I had the strongest feeling that him and I knew each other really well before our lives here on earth. The spirit was incredible. After sister Elizabeth came with us and drove us to Carlisle for an appointment with Mario. He's been calling us twice a day everyday ever since we got here but the other sisters told us to ignore him because he's kinda creepy. But Hermana Crowther and I had the strongest feeling to go see him so we went and met him. And I felt horrible that it took us so long to meet him! I don't know what the other sisters were thinking but he is amazing and so prepared! He knows so much about the church and wants to get baptized and he totally understands the commitment of baptism. It's something he's been waiting and working for and he even stopped working on Sunday's so he could go to church, he just needs a Ride! He's incredible and he's getting baptized July 9th! It was such a good way to end the week! 

Kentucky is so much and it is getting HOT. Like real hot! But it's beautiful and I saw my first lightning bug this week (they're lightning bugs not fireflies here). I'm having so much fun and loving this experience. But the most amazing part of all of this is how much love I have for all of these people. I know God is showing me these people through his eyes and it's amazing. There's the quote by Marjorie Hinckley that says, "There isn't a person you wouldn't love if you could read their story." And I know God is showing me their stories and I feel so incredibly lucky to meet all these amazing people. It's really something special. 

I love you all so much. I hope you have a fun holiday day today and a good rest of your week! Happy early birthday Hunter!! You big 16 year old! I hope you get some cake and eat it too! I hope you all know how much I love you and how grateful I am for all of you. Until next week! 

Hermana Swapp