Life of Elder Swisher

We actually had some lessons this week!!! We didn't have so much
service and we finally were able to go around and actually proselyte!
It's was great!

So on Wednesday we had an awesome appointment with this nice couple
named Ted and Amy. They are not members but wanted to take us out to
dinner. So we went with them to a a place called the wooden Indian and
it was awesome! We sat there and talked about mission and the Plan of
Salvation and they just loved every second of it. Amy was funny she
said the reason why she wanted to take us to dinner was because she
said if my son was in your shoes I would want someone to take care of
him, so I'm doing this for your moms! So mom Amy wants you to know
that she feed me well! Hahaha they even promised to come to Book of
Mormon class on Wednesdays so it will be fun to have them there!

We went on splits the other day and it was Elder Groesbeck's first
time going by himself on splits and I sent him with Brother Hill to go
teach Nigal our investigator. And I we with Brother Violand to this
older lady named Susan. So when we got to Susan we started talking
about the Plan of Salvation. And she did not agree with some of the
points at the beginning so she asked me to show her scriptures that
backed it up in the Bible. So I did and she just would not have it she
said that I was interpreting them wrong. So Brother Violand and I
proceeded to testify that this is why the Book of Mormon is so
important because it is a second witness and after we did so we asked
if she would read it and pray about it to know if it was the word of
god. And her response was "sorry I will never be Mormon." I felt the
spirit start speaking through me at this moment. And I proceeded to
ask have I asked you to be baptized yet and she responded no you
haven't. I then asked what have I asked of you? She said to read the
Book of Mormon and pray about it. I said exactly all I am asking you
to do is to read a book and pray I am not asking you anything more.
Then Brother Violand jumped in and testified that it is not us asking
it is Christ asking this and the spirit was so strong it was
incredible. She had a wrestle with the spirit right in front of our
eyes. But everyone has their agency. And she after a while of fighting
with the spirit said sorry but I will not read your book. And right
there me and Brother Violand knew that we had done all the Lord needed
us to do. We left her with a prayer and headed on our way. I had never
felt so much sorrow in for someone. Mainly because I believe she knew
exactly what she turned down. But Brother Violand and I both agreed
that we did what the Lord wanted us to do.

Saturday we were walking around a place called Rochester. And we saw
this lady with her car and it was dead. So we ran over and got our car
and helped her jump it. And I have never seen anyone so happy that we
helped them in my life! She was saying that God sent us at the perfect
time. And that we were angels sent from heaven! But some guy saw us
helping her and then asked us to come over and talk to him. So we met
Leroy and he said I have never seen two guys go out of their way to do
something like that. He said what are these Mormons all about. So we
proceeded to teach him and he wants us to come back in Tuesday and
teach him! So we are stoked! Miracles!

We also had Zone conference and it was great I got to see some more
good friends for the last time before they go home. And it was just so
spiritually uplifting. President Bednar is amazing and is so
inspiring! He is the absolute greatest!

We were also helping a less-active move some things and I found a card
board cut out of Donny Osmond and had to take a selfie with it
unfortunately I did it fast so no one would judge me! Hahahaha there
you go mom!

Elder Swisher

35 + hours!

So not much this week. We literally gave service all week! I'm not
joking we lost count after 35 hours of service... we wore our shirt
and ties once this week! It was crazy we did everything from cutting
wood, to hauling wood, to finishing a house, to painting a garage, to
building a door for a garage, to moving furniture to moving a piano!
So ya busy week full of service.

Story of the week we had to move a piano! It was a baby grand piano
and only 3 people showed up to move it. Me my companion and the guy
that needed it to move! So as we were moving it someone slipped and
next thing I know this huge piano dropped straight on my foot!! But I
couldn't do anything because I didn't want to drop the piano entirely!
It hurt so bad but the good news is we have 4 foot doctors in the ward
and it is not broken! My toes are just swollen and hurt but nothing is
broken! So that is pretty much the story of the week!

This week everyone we gave service to wanted to feed us so we ate like
kings! I'm talking Texas Road House twice! Some good burgers and more!
I think I have put on like 8 pounds this week! Hahaha

Other then that nothing happened this week. The one night we had a
chance to visit people no one answered the door so I thought that was
funny. But still a great week! Love and miss you all so much!

Betting on the log!

So this week was probably the craziest with service. We gave non-stop
service all week and only had time for like 3 appointments! It was
crazy! I think this was the least amount of time I have spent in
regular clothes.

Well it started out with us going back to help out Layne and Mike with
their house. This time we helped them start painting and start
throwing more things away! This house looked so bad when they started
and is now starting to come together. They are so awesome! After we
help them out they take us out for lunch and then we sit down and have
a little lesson with with them. And Layne is so awesome. He has
genuine questions and really wants to know if God is there.

We went to help out the Goettmans! They needed help hauling wood and
then splitting it. They are so funny and crazy it is entertaining! Art
Goettman the grandpa is like 90 years old and he just says whatever he
wants. The entire time we would go to chop a log with the ax he would
laugh and say "my money is on the log." Eventually he started to
realize that he lost the bet every time. So we settled on having him
take us to Taco Bell! Hahahaha he gave us a challenge to split this
monster log that was the size of a tractor! So we took all the wedges
and sledges and axes we could and me and Groesbeck started hammering
at this humongous log! After like 30 minutes of us putting everything
we got into it. It finally split in half!!! Hahaha I think that was
what won us Taco Bell!

We then went to help out a members neighbor by stacking wood for him.
He had this huge pile of would that needed to be stacked so without
thinking I just started grabbing and throwing the wood up to Groesbeck
for him to stack but this would had been sitting there for a while. I
heard Groesbeck yell and I turned and I saw the biggest spider in my
life sitting on the log I just threw over to him. Like this thing was
the size of my face! Elder Groesbeck then took another log and smashed
it as fast as possible. I then realized I had been doing this without
gloves the whole time and I think I have like 10 spider bites on my
hands and arms now... hahaha live and learn.

We then were able to visit a family called the Kruczeks. They are
awesome and this visit they expressed to us that their daughter has a
YouTube web cast about faith and so they asked if we would like to be
on it. So she told us that it would be like a faith to faith talk
show. She went over the questions with us and the stuff she wanted us
to answer and it was all great things like what are the basics of your
beliefs and how has your faith helped you and awesome questions like
that. So next time we go over we will have the chance to be on a faith
to faith web cast.

This week I wanted something to do that would attract young people to
start inviting friends to activities. So the missionaries are starting
up Tuesday night basketball and the ward is pumped I already had so
many young men come up to me and say that they are going to bring some
friends! I can't wait to get this started up and see what comes from
it!

This week we also got a chance to meet our new mission President! He
is awesome!! President and Sister Bednar set up a meet and greet and
so we went down there like a Zone conference and they told us about
their family and a little bit about themselves. They are just amazing
people. I can't wait to be able to get to know him better tomorrow
when we have interviews with him!

For the 4th we tried to go visit people but no one wanted to visit so
we then headed over to a members house for a picnic. We watched them
set off fireworks and had some good burgers and had a good time.
Nothing too much on the 4th.

We went to a picnic last Monday and I left my iPad on the table and
some young women got a hold of it and took a ton of pictures so I will
send you some of the pictures they took on it! Hahaha

Also a couple weeks back a older lady in the ward was trying to sell
some junk from her house and she had a bunch of old guitars. So I was
looking at them and she said that because I have helped her out so
much I could have one. So she gave me one. I took it home and scrapped
off the inch think of dust and grime that was on it. And I just got
brand new strings for it and it sounds amazing! So now I have 2
guitars! Hahahaha

Elder Swisher

Pictures:
1 & 2. Pictures the young women took
3. Random artillery in Beaver
4. My guitar I fixed up
5. My ward mission leader Brother Giaimo
6. Had to try Boxed Water
7. Beaver the other morning

Service for days!

So my new companion is Elder Groesbeck! He is from Firth, Idaho. He is
a big farm boy and is hilarious! He has a lot of the same sense of
humor as me so it's been a party! Training has been fun because he
came so prepared that I don't feel like I'm training.

Also president and Sister Johnson are now officially gone and
President And Sister Bednar are here! I haven't met them yet but I
will have that chance on Wednesday! So I am excited to met them!

So this week started off with finishing up the roof we started on the
other week. We met up with Brother Hill and finished Sister Walkers
roof. So my greenies first day was hard labor in the sun which he is
already used to. The next day was more service! We helped haul some
wood for a member and then we had a huge burn pile and we helped him
fire it up and we watched it burn!

So the other day we were walking around a place called Rochester. And
we were walking up this street when all of a sudden these two guys
come around the corner and yell "Hey Elders!" So they stopped us and
one guys name is Mike and he said that he just got back from serving
his mission in Utah. He is from Maryland and his buddy that is with
him is a non-member and they are up here for a little while renovating
a house. So he wanted us to come up and help them out a little and
also teach his friend about the gospel. So we came up the next day and
helped these guys clear out the house they are working on and then
they took us to lunch and we had a little lesson with them. His
friends name is Layne and he is so cool. He had such real intent and
was asking such sincere questions. He really does want to know the
truth. So they invited us back this week so we will go help them with
the house some more and teach Layne again! So I'm looking forward to
it!

So a couple weeks ago I mentioned a guy I talked to that had survived
cancer and we really connected. Well Nigel is his name and we finally
had a lesson with him. And so I started off teaching about the Plan of
Salvation and then at the beginning I just felt something was wrong so
I switched and started telling him about the Joesph Smith story. His
attention instantly changed and he was so focused on what we had to
say. He was speechless at the thought of Christ's church begin back on
the earth today. He was so excited to start reading the Book of Mormon
and to pray about it! I am so pumped to see him again!

There is this old time candy store down the street from our house
called Grandpa Joes! So we went there real quick and there is at least
50 different glass bottle sodas there. So we saw a sign that said buy
5 get one free. Well needless to say they got us! We bought some cool
flavors and tried them out! Some of these are the best soda I have
ever had and the Bacon flavored one was probably the worst thing
every! It smelled so bad and tasted even worse! But we had to try it!

The other day we had dinner at the Buzzell home. And afterward brother
buzzell had us go outside with him and he showed us that he had 300
water balloons filled up and ready to go! So we got his family
together and had a huge water balloon fight to cool down from the hot
day! It was so much fun! We got drenched!

And last but not least we went to dinner with a family and they
brought out their pet rat! It was so cool it just crawls all over you
and is pretty cool! They said that it would end up growing to 3 times
the size it is now! Hahaha I couldn't imagine a huge rat crawling
around my house! Haha

Well that was pretty much the week! Hope you are all doing well! Love
and miss you all!

Elder Swisher

It's a boy!

Well transfers have happened and I have found out that I will be
staying in Beaver and I will be training a new missionary! That's
right I'm getting another boy! I am surprised he is letting me train
again especially since I didn't do the best job last time... (sorry
Elder Holley). Well I find out who I am training at the training
meeting tomorrow. So right now I have no idea who will be my
companion. I am so excited to get a greenie though! I need some
greenie fire! Elder Gatrell is heading up to Erie. This is also
presidents last couple of days. We will be getting President Bednar
any day now!

So Monday night the sisters sent us over a former investigator family
that lives near our home that was in their area Book for some reason.
So we felt the need to stop by and the mom and her oldest son answered
and let us right in. The mom proceeded to tell us how she loves the
Mormon missionaries so much. She then asked if we could share our
testimonies with her. And I paused and was just stunned. Did this lady
seriously invite us in her home just for us to share our testimonies.
It was such a spiritual experience it was amazing! The family had met
with missionaries a long time ago and was sad they stopped coming by
because of the feeling they brought to their home. So when they saw us
they were ecstatic! They want us to stop by and visit whenever we can!

On Tuesday we had splits that night and I went on a split with a
return missionary named Anthony. This guy has only been home from his
mission for like 3 weeks and he is a stud! He is my hero and has
become my best friend. We went out and taught our investigator Loretta
about the Plan of Salvation. She enjoyed it so much and Anthony is
still a missionary so it felt like a normal companion the whole time.
When then had a feeling afterward that we needed to stop by a
less-active on our way back so we did. And he answered and said now
wasn't a good time but we talked to him for a little bit because he
had never answered before. And then before we left Anthony asked him
if there is anyone he knew that we could visit. He right away said yes
my neighbor across the street he just moved in. So after he closed the
door I looked at Anthony and asked if he was down to knock on a door
real quick. He was sprinting to go knock on the door! Hahaha he looked
at me and told me how much he misses doing missionary work already. We
knocked on the door and he answered we proceeded to just talk to him
and he came out and talked for a little bit, we then shared a Book of
Mormon with him and he said he wouldn't mind a visit from us again. So
overall one of the best splits I have ever been on!

The next day we got told that this old lady needs help putting
together her exercise bike. So we went over there with a young man
from the ward and helped put it together for her. She was surprised
that 3 young men in shirts and ties would come over and freely put
together her exercise bike. She loved it so much and she loved sitting
there watching and talking with us. I love giving service to others.
You meet some amazing people that way.

Saturday was an interesting day. It started off with no one answering
their door. And no one would talk to us so I was thinking it was just
going to be one of those long days! Then all of a sudden we are
walking down a street in Aliquippa. And this little 6 year old kid
walks past and stops us. He then asked if he could have one of our
books we said of course and went to give him a Book of Mormon he then
said no can you drop it off at my house! It's the yellow one right
there. So me and Elder Gatrell were so confused and said sure. So we
went up to this house having no idea how this would go. Telling some
lady we met her 6 year old child and want to give him a Book of
Mormon... so we built up the courage and knocked and the mom answered
and we told her the story and she started laughing and said well then
I guess I better get his book for him! Hahaha we then started talking
to her and she wants us to come and share a Christ centered message
with her family! So we got an awesome referral from a 6 year old!
Hahaha

After that we ended up finding 2 more investigators. So it took a lot
of rejection at the beginning of the day and it eventually led to
blessing upon blessing upon blessing! That night the Sisters had a
baptism. And it was awesome! This ward is growing so fast!

Well that was my week! I hope you all had a great week! I love and miss you all!

The pictures are of my weird district...
And of me getting bored during planning and putting on as many things
as I could and then my comp took a pic
And then a cool run down church sign we saw!

Elder Swisher