¡Hola Familia!

This last week was great! It was so busy and we got a lot done! We finally found some new investigators too, I was so grateful! We got 7 new investigators this week and we have 6 people preparing for baptism, so we're pretty excited about that! 

We had MLC this week and it was amazing! I can't explain the spirit that is there at those meetings, but it's pretty special and I'm so grateful to be a part of them. We no longer have zone meetings, only zone conferences and the STLs get to train at those now so we got trained for our trainings at MLC. We went back to the basics with finding, teaching, and baptizing as the three trainings and they got me pumped haha! Somebody at MLC said, "We need to work as if it all depends on us and pray as if it all depends on Him." And that has been on replay in my mind all week. I've never prayed so much in my life before! Zone Conference was amazing too, Hermana Heil and I got to train on baptizing, and I think it went okay. I always get so nervous to do trainings, but Heavenly Father always helps us out. It was a very spiritually uplifting week! 

Raul is okay. He's still better than he was when we found him but he's so hard. He feels the spirit at his lessons and he's so motivated to change or do what we commit him to do and then the second he leaves us it's like he forgets it all and it's so hard to set up another appointment with him. We had an amazing lesson about humility, we read about the pride cycle in the Book of Mormon and talked about the importance of humility and he loved it. But we haven't really been able to have good contact with him since. Opposition... 

Kristy and Aniyah are doing much better this week. We were able to help pick Kristy back up and move forward again. They're still planning on baptism for May 27, I'm hoping we can get Kristy ready in time but I'm pretty positive Aniyah will make it. 

So a cool little story, Kristy's mom Bonnie lives with them and she never joins in on the lessons. Well we got to their house one day this week and Kristy didn't want us over but we weren't taking no for an answer so we stepped into the house anyway. It was pretty chaotic over there and kids were running around everywhere and they were eating, but Kristy softened her heart. Hermana Heil sat down with Kristy and the kids and started talking to them about what they need to do to prepare for baptism. I got the impression to go to the kitchen, so I did and Bonnie was sitting at the table eating. I told her hello and she yelled at me, "I'm eating, leave me alone." So I pulled out the chair and sat next to her. 

I honestly do not remember what I said to her but the next thing I know she moved her plate of food over and we had a lesson on the Plan of Salvation. The spirit was so strong and Bonnie was a completely different person. Her eyes lit up as I explained the spirit world and temple work. Most of her loved ones have passed away and she thought it was the most amazing thing that she could be baptized for her family members and eventually live as an eternal family one day. She accepted a baptismal date for July 1st and she is excited. 

The next day at church Kristy and her whole family came to church and Bonnie sat next to me she had brought her Book of Mormon and Plan of Salvation Pamphlet that we left with her and during Sacrament she leaned over to me and said, "Sister Swapp, I read the whole pamphlet. And I even read Alma 40 and 41 and I'm going to read 42 today. The whole thing is amazing, it's true." And I looked at her pamphlet and on the back of it she had written my baptism: July 1st. 

We had another cool miracle, we had thirty minutes before coordination on Wednesday night and our appointment fell through. We prayed and asked Heavenly Father who he wanted us to go see and after a minute we decided to go to Bland St. As we were driving there, there was a cute little Hispanic walking down the street. Hermana Heil slammed on the breaks and we rolled down the window and we yelled at him and asked if he had 20 minutes for a lesson and he did! We found ourselves a parking spot and we got out of the car and had a lesson on the curb with our new friend Andres. He actually was a potential investigator in our area book. We taught him the restoration and he accepted a baptismal date in June. He was so sweet and he reminds me a ton of Mario from Paris! I was so grateful for that little experience. 

Okay another cool one, I'm sorry this email is a novel but there were so many cool experiences! We went looking for another potential investigator named Adela. She came out and the first thing she said was, "I'm a Jehovah's Witness." (In Spanish of course). She starts to Bible bash and so we just said, "We love that you love our Savior, we do too. Your purpose is to bring others closer to Christ and that's our purpose too so let's work together. Who do you know that needs a message of Jesus Christ?" She kinda just looked at us for a second and then said, "Well my son won't listen to me, you can see if he'll listen to you." And so we had a lesson with Adela and her son Chavo and it was amazing. He was super receptive and Adela had a change of heart too. We've been able to stay in contact with Chavo over Facebook this week and we have another lesson with him this weekend. 

We found Faustino again this week (we taught him a couple weeks ago). We saw him on his driveway and we asked him how he was doing. He told us he had been reading out of the Book of Mormon and he said, "Hermanas it's true. I know it is and I know everything you told me about Joseph Smith was true too." It was incredible! 

We had so many other amazing experiences this week too but this email is already too long! But the blessings that have poured in have been amazing and I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father. I can't begin to explain the gratitude I have to be able to serve a mission and to work so closely with the Savior. It is the neatest thing to watch somebody change their lives with the help of Jesus Christ. I know that He truly can change men. Now it's our job to change the world right? "Christ changes men, and changed men can change the world." -Ezra Taft Benson

I love you all so very much and I hope you have the best week. Happy Mother's Day this week to my amazing mom and to all of the other incredible mothers out there. I can't wait for our skype call. Have a great week and be happy, because life is too short to be anything else. 

Con amor,

Hermana Swapp

PS: "And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope:And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." -Romans 5:3-5

MLC with Sister Endemann!

Hermana Heil, Sister Endemann, Sister Thomas, Sister Bogardus, and Sister Honey

 This is Emalene. Her mom told me that she picked out a flower dress and said, "Look mom, I look like Sister Swapp!" I was sad I didn't wear my flower dress to church on Sunday!