¡Hola Familia!

I hope everyone has had a very happy first week in January. I don't
know who all reads my emails but I want to start this email with a big
thank you. Thank you to everyone who fasted for me or who has been
praying for me. I started to cry when I found out everyone fasted for
me and I am so grateful for all of the amazing people in my life.
Thank you everyone. I'm so grateful Heavenly Father has blessed me
with so many amazing people in my life.

And just an update I start physical therapy this Wednesday and then I
go back to the doctors on the 24th to get my shoulder looked at again!
I just know it's all going to be okay though thanks to all of you!

So this week has been a little different we received our transfer
doctrine so we've been busy getting things ready for that. Arcadia is
being white washed and so the elders will be coming here. President's
exact words were, "We need to get these sisters out of the hood!"
Haha! We've been making tons of notes and cleaning and visiting all of
our investigators and less actives to let them know they will be
getting new missionaries.

Hermana Boyson is going to Paris and my heart just exploded for her
because she is going to the best area in the whole mission! (I
secretly want it to be me that's going to Paris). But she is going to
be the most amazing missionary Paris has ever had and I'm so excited
for her! And I will be going to Shelbyville and my new companion is
Hermana Heil. I don't know her super well but everyone says she is
amazing so I'm excited! President also has called me to be a sister
training leader, I was in the bathroom sick all Saturday morning after
I got the call because I was so nervous. I'm certainly hoping that God
qualifies me because He certainly didn't call the qualified with this
one haha! But I am grateful and excited for this opportunity.

We ended our week with lots of service! And it was so much fun. We
went over to Sister Hansgen's this week to help her with a quilt. Her
health hasn't been good enough to finish it so we told her we would
help her! She's the one where her esposo isn't a member and he didn't
want to join in on the lesson last week. Well while we were working on
the quilt I felt very promoted to talk sports with Ed, I know weird
right? Ed's her esposo. So I said, "Ed, what's your favorite sport?"
And he said, "Baseball!" And I said, "No way! Mine too! What's your
favorite team?" And he said, "Pirates!" And I said, "No way! Mine
too!" And he asked me why that was my favorite and I said, "Because of
Roberto Clemente!" And he started freaking out because that's why the
Pirates is his favorite team too. So while we worked on the quilt we
started talking about baseball, golf, and basketball. He loves Steph
Curry so thanks to Payton I actually knew a little bit about Steph
Curry to talk with him. He thought it was so cool that Payton and
Hunter played sports and said, "I didn't know Mormons play baseball."
Haha! And guess what! He invited us over everyday for the rest of the
week. We watched meet the Mormons one day, had a lesson about prophets
the next, and then had a lesson about temples and family history the
next and he loved it! It was such a cool little experience! And the
good news is the Elder coming here is the biggest sport fanatic so I
think those two will get along great!

Some other little miracles... We were teaching Yajaira and Eric but
they dropped us out of nowhere. Well we ran into their mother outside
one day and she invited us in. She first started by arguing with us
and saying that we were wrong and she was right but Heavenly Father
just gave us the right words to say and her heart was softened at the
end of the lesson and even invited us back over. When we said goodbye
to her yesterday she was so sad and said she wished we could stay. It
was crazy to see the change, I love the Atonement!

We've found lots of other people on the streets and had some pretty
amazing lessons with our less actives. There's miracles every day out
here and I am so incredibly lucky! I feel so blessed to be a
missionary! I feel especially blessed for everything I have learned
out here. We were talking to Sister Hansgen and she asked me what the
one thing I've learned on my mission so far is. And I said the one
thing I've learned is how aware God is but my testimony has grown the
most on Joseph Smith. I am so incredibly grateful for the knowledge I
have of the restored church of Jesus Christ. And I am so grateful for
Joseph Smith, I know I just recently bore my testimony of this but I
am amazed at how sure I have become that it is certainly true. That
everything Joseph Smith said happened, actually did happen. I know
it's true. And I am grateful to be a witness.

I love you all so very much and thank you again for all of the love,
support, and prayers. My heart is so full of gratitude to all of you.
I hope you all have a very good week and know how much I love you.
Wish me luck this week! And be happy, because life is too short to be
anything else!

Con amor,
Hermana Swapp

PS: "Wherefore, all mankind were in a lost and in a fallen state, and
ever would be save they should rely on this Redeemer." -1 Nephi 10:6

The Mushalas!

The Valencias! 

Last week P-Day!