Blazing hot to Huge rainstorm!

This week was pretty good. Full of great lessons and rain.

So we had a lesson with Matthew again this week. He is a youth pastor
(orthodox Christian) and he wanted to learn more so we have been
teaching him. We took Brother Belliston with us and we had a great
lesson. Matthew just kept asking more and more questions about the
great apostasy and we were able to answer every single one. And he
agreed with everything we had to say. Finally at the end I could tell
he was trying to come up with more answers so I bore my testimony
about the Book of Mormon and said how that can answer all questions
and concerns. Brother Belliston then bore his testimony no the spirit
was so strong it was amazing. At the end Matthew looked at us and said
"I will for sure read it this time and pray thank you so much"! Best
lesson I have had on my mission so far!

We had a zone conference this week but it wasn't just a zone or two it
was a conference with half the mission. Because 2 general authorities
came and visited. We had Elder Perkins and Elder Meurs come and visit
us. It was awesome to hear what they had to say. They talked to us
about keeping faith to find people to teach. It was amazing. I also
got to see a lot of my mission friends. Like Elder Davidson!!! But it
was a good time.

Then yesterday it was stake conference and Elder Perkins spoke at
that! So I got to hear him twice! It has been a very spiritual
uplifting week and very enlightening.

But then yesterday afternoon it was blazing hot as we were walking
around. So we were talking about how much we would love a random
rainstorm. Then out of nowhere we get caught in this HUGE rainstorm.
It flooded some streets and we had to walk home in it and there were
some points where the water was shin high! Me and Elder Butikofer got
drenched but it was so fun I guess. But moral of the story is be
carful what you wish for!
love Elder Swisher

Fastest 7 months of my life

This week has been a pretty good week. We taught a bunch of lessons
this week and we had some awesome experiences.

So our investigator Martez we were able to see again and we taught the
plan of salvation to him and his wife Sora. Sora is already a member
and she just married Martez and so now Martez is interested in
learning more. So we taught the plan of salvation. And it was so cool
to have the spirit testify through me and elder Butikofer about the
truthfulness of the plan of salvation. We weren't too sure how the
lesson went because Martez doesn't show a lot of emotion but this
Sunday our Patriarch came up to us and said I just talked to Sora and
she said that Martez really felt the spirit that lesson and loved and
really needed to hear what we said. Me and elder Butikofer felt so
good to hear that Martez felt the spirit that lesson. He is
progressing so well so far.

Our other investigator Danielle has been progressing so well too. She
has been reading the Book of Mormon and knows that the priesthood has
been restored. She loves everything we have to say and wants to learn
more and more!

We had a lesson with a guy named Matthew. He is a youth pastor and at
first that scared me a little. But he turned out to be an awesome guy
that sincerely wants to learn more. He had some disagreements with the
restoration but he never argued with us. He loved to hear what we had
to say. He had some interesting questions but nothing too bad. But it
was great to be able to have a great discussion with someone that
understood what Jesus Christ taught.

Well life is good here in Pittsburgh. And the work is progressing. I
can't believe I have been out almost 7 months now. Feels like the
fastest 7 months of my life!

Elder Swisher

Wiz Khalifa's Grandma!!

So this week has been great! The work in this area is progressing!

So we have an investigator named Danielle. Her husband is a member and
she has never been religious. But they just had a baby and it was only
15 ounces and has been fighting to live. They have been going through
a rough time and she is now interested in our message. So we visited
her to teach the restoration and she is golden she was asking so many
questions and has a sincere desire to learn more. Later on in the week
they called us and asked if we could stop by and give her baby a
blessing. We stopped by and gave him a blessing and the spirit was so
strong the mom asked me to give it and it was so cool to feel the
spirit speak through me. I can't remember a single word that was said
because it was not me saying it. It was cool to feel me be an
instrument in Gods hand.

Well we have a new investigator. She is an old lady we meet. She told
us to call her Grams. She later on told us and should us pictures that
she is Wiz Khalifa's grandma!!! We started freaking out so of course I
got a picture with her. She has a desire to read the Book of Mormon
and wants us to stop by as much as possible to share more with her!
She also gave us some free Wiz Khalifa stuff. Like a backpack. Hahaha

This week we were trying some potential investigators when we knocked
on a door. This guy in a wheelchair came out and said ok what's your
guys message?! Without thinking much of it me and Elder Butikofer
shared the restoration with him. He was so accepting of it and
afterwards said I have always wanted to talk to guys like you but have
never been able to catch you guys and then here you are knocking on my
door. It's like it was meant to be! His name is Ace and I'm excited to
teach him more!

Well other highlights consist of buying a 2 1/2 pound bag of gummy
bears and also getting lost in the jungle?! Haha Pennsylvania is so
green that the plants take over everything and makes it look like we
are in South America!

Oh! And my investigator Janet Thomas from Williamsport that I found
and taught got baptized on Saturday!!!

love Elder Swisher

First week in Pitt!

So I am in the Pittsburgh 7th ward now. And I have been called as the
district leader. So this area covers a lot of ground. It is the
biggest walk area in the mission! So Pittsburgh area covers a lot of
little boroughs. So I cover a bunch of boroughs and then a small part
of downtown Pittsburgh! We ride the bus as much as possible because
there is no other way to cover all that ground.

My companion is Elder Butikofer. And me and him get along a little too
well! Haha we are already very good friends we like to work hard but
have fun at the same time. He just got done being trained so I am his
second companion. It's cool to have him bring that greenie fire back
in me.

So this week has been strange trying to get used to a new area. I have
been studying the bus routes and where everyone we visit lives so I am
not lost. This area doesn't have a lot of people in the teaching pool.
But I guess it's time we get that back up. I know it is going to take
hard work and some time but me and Elder Butikofer are determined to
make this area great!

So we have one solid investigator his name is Martez he just married a
member. She is very active and so he wanted to start learning more
about the church. So my first night here we went to their house to
teach him the restoration. And I could just tell that he has been
prepared. He said that all of this makes sense and he can tell that
what we say is true. He said he is definitely going to read and pray
about the Book of Mormon! It was such a cool lesson to be in the
spirit was so strong it was incredible. The funny part is right after
we taught Martez our team up started talking and he basically taught
the restoration all over again by himself! Hahaha I was trying not to
laugh because he literally repeated everything me and Elder Butikofer
had just said. Haha

So I guess we taught two great lessons. But ya that was the highlight
of my week.

I'm doing great and hope I get to hear from you all!

Getting transferred for the first time!

I'm getting transferred!!!
I'm getting transferred to Pittsburgh! I was excited to experience a
car for the first time until I realized I am getting transferred to
another walk area... So ya I'm going to be walking around Pittsburgh
so it should be cool.

It was hard to say bye to this amazing ward. Williamsport has become
my family and it was hard to say bye but I'm excited to see my next
ward and area. I will be companions with Elder Butikofer. I have never
met him but he has just gotten done training so I will be his second
companion!

So Williamsport is starting to fill up with Golden investigators!
Janet is doing amazing and has started to see how much happiness this
gospel brings her. She keeps every commitment we give her and she is
stoked to be baptized. Natesha and her kids come to church every week
and her kids came up to us and asked if they could be baptized so we
picked up a family full of investigators! We visited a new
investigator named Anton he is a huge black that is so cool he loves
spiritual conversations and is so open to our message. He wants us to
come meet with him every week. I'm glad to be leaving Williamsport
knowing the next missionaries will have some bomb investigators.

So I got into a bible bash on Tuesday. We were trying old
investigators from a long time ago and we knock on this door that is
like connected to a church. (Already a bad sign) And this guy named
Joel comes out and he just starts ripping on the Book of Mormon. He
says that he can only believe something that has facts and proof. He
says because he can't trace the Book of Mormon back to its original
text like he can the bible he says it's not true and that we are going
off of a subjective view! I asked him if he needed proof and hard
facts for everything. He said yes and it probably wasn't the best
thing to say but I was tired of being yelled so I looked at him and
said "where is your faith?" He looked at me and flat at said "faith is
subjective. Anyone can argue with it." After that I knew there was no
hope for this guy so I just shared his hand and walked away. I hate
bible bashes so much because I tried to feel the spirit in lessons and
a bash just makes it so the spirit can't be there . And you can't
teach without the spirit so... In other words bashes are a waste of
time.

Well that was my week it was full of good byes, bashes, and awesome
investigators! Being a missionary is the absolute best calling in the
world and I have determined I am going to be a missionary for life.

Tour of the Philadelphia Temple!

So I had Elder Goeckeritz lead out this week to make sure he learns
the area and can do it for when I leave. He did a really good job. It
was nice to be able to a take some stress off of me because I had a
lot of stress the weeks before.

So highlight for this week was OYMing. I tried to talk to everyone I
saw and tried to share the gospel. It turned out great we gave out
about 4 Book of Mormon and a lot of pamphlets and pass along cards.
One guy named Anton said he would love for us to stop by anytime and
talk with him. Another lady named Barbara invited herself to church.
It was just awesome to listen to the spirit tell me who I needed to
talk to. It's the best part of being a walk missionary.

Transfers are a week away and I am freaking out. Had interviews with
President this transfer and he started it by saying "Elder Swisher you
have been here a long time haven't you?" I was like so does that mean
I'm getting transferred and he just looked at me and said "well Elder
everyone gets transferred eventually." That just drove me crazy!
Hahaha

This week we set 2 of our investigators with baptism dates. We set
Natesha with a date and our other investigator Portia. The work here
is progressing so well it is crazy!

Diane was not baptized unfortunately she has kinda disappeared we
can't seem to get in contact with her which is really devastating
knowing how close to baptism she is.

Best part of the week was getting a VIP tour of the Philadelphia
Temple. We got to go yesterday and take an investigator with us. We
took our investigator Janet. She loved it so much and said she can't
wait to be baptized for her parents one day! It was a cool experience
everything in the temple was so beautiful and it was just amazing to
be some of the first people through it. My favorite part was sitting
in the celestial room. It was so peaceful and you could feel the
spirit sooo strong!

Well that was my week thank you for all you support I love you all.

Elder Swisher

 

Hardest week yet

Hey!

So this week has been the hardest week ever. Bad news after bad news
after bad news.

It started with Diane cancelling her baptism because she is having
some health problems and needed a heart monitor that can not get wet.
I'm hoping she is ok because we have lost all communication with her.
She hasn't been home when we knock and her phone is not working. So I
don't know what is happening but I'm worried about her.

Then we just kept having cancellation after cancellation and no one at
all wanted to meet with us. And the lessons we did get were lessons
that I was not happy with the spirit wasn't in any lesson besides one.

We gave lots of service and I just have to thank my dad for teaching
me how to work hard and how to serve others.

Anyway the one amazing part about this week was Natesha. We had a
lesson with her again this one was about the gospel of Jesus Christ.
She just absorbs all information and is hungry for more. The spirit
was so strong in the lesson it was incredible. Natesha said she wants
to be baptized but she doesn't want to set a date just yet. But she is
progressing so much and her and her kids love church and have been the
past 2 Sunday's. She is truly a golden investigator. She finds a way
to church every Sunday she reads the bible and Book of Mormon every
night by herself and with her kids.She is truly prepared.

This week the biggest lessons learned was at night before I go to bed
after a bad/rough day that to make it better I think of how I saw
Heavenly Father bless my life that day. It truly makes a difference. I
was at least able to end each day happy and grateful.

It has been a rough week but I am grateful for Heavenly Father and his
small blessings he gives us each and everyday to be able to continue
on and endure.
Scripture of the week that helped me get through the week is D&C 84:88.