B-day serving the Lord

So highlight of this week was definitely turning 20 but also being
able to spend my birthday serving the Lord. The best birthdays of my
life have been these past two were I didn't think of myself once and
just got to serve others the entire day. No better feeling then
serving on your birthday!

Well this week has been fun! I went on exchanges with an Elder who has
been out one transfer longer than me so we are definitely old guys out
here. But his name is Elder English and he is an awesome dude! We had
a good time on exchanges. We tracked down some less-actives and almost
every single one just said please never stop by again but in nice and
not nice ways so it made it easy to know not to knock on those doors
again. Hahaha

We got to give service for this old lady that lived in a farm and I
smelled horse poop for the first time in a long time and it made me so
happy! I know that sounds weird but I kinda missed that smell! It made
me feel like I was home! Haha but we just helped her get her garden
ready and also took care on cleaning out her barn so it was fun!

We also just were told that we will be getting a car for a single
purpose to get to church and get to Book of Mormon class. We have been
struggling to get to those places because no one can really give us
rides and the buses don't always run. So we are getting a car but are
still walk Elders. So that should be fun!

Last night we were walking in a place called Moxham and this guy sees
us and he yells at us to keep walking. So Elder Swisher being Elder
Swisher stops looks at the guy and says why?! He looks at me and
starts going off about how he does not like Jehovah Witnesses and I
looked at him and said we are not Jehovah Witnesses. He stopped and
was in shocked and replied well who are you I yelled Mormons! He just
looked at me and said same thing now get out of here! So my companion
now wanting to be obnoxious starts telling him the differences and
this guy actually warmed up to us and just had a nice conversation.
But that kills me it's like bro we aren't even close to your house or
looking in your direction and you yell at us to keep walking obviously
he wanted our attention. Hahaha well he got it and more!

That was just about my week! Thanks for all your love and support!
Peace out till next week!

Pics below include:
My birthday presents!
Our wonderful sidewalks in PA
My birthday cake that night
And me randomly with a BOM

Elder Swisher

J-Town walk

This has been an interesting week! We had a Zone conference all about
Facebook and our mission President introduced it and gave us the
permission to start using it. We can communicate with investigators.
We can coordinate better with the members but it is really weird to
get used going on Facebook every time I click on it I feel like I'm
breaking so many rules! But the conference was awesome and you could
really feel the spirit! It was also good because I got to see my boy
Elder Holley and my mission grandson Elder Bowring so that made it
pretty cool!

Other than that we have been busy trying to track people down.
Johnstown is a crazy place we have started to try to contact all the
less-actives in our area and it has been crazy times.

The ward this Sunday was talking about the missionaries and it was
funny because they said we need to make sure the Elders get feed
because only people in our area can feed us but everyone lives in the
sisters area so in order to remain obedient none of the members can
feed us. So it was funny when they brought it up because everyone was
silent until someone spoke up and said well are you asking us to break
the rules! I started laughing so hard!

We have a weekly service project that takes like 30 minutes and we go
to this TV station and we record Music and the Spoken Word and then we
make it so it gets broadcast throughout Johnstown. And it is pretty
cool to be in a TV studio!

Well that's life in J-Town walk for the moment being! Thanks for all
you do! I love and miss you all!

Elder Swisher

Miracle Referral!

So this weeks highlight has been when we were at a gas station. This
lady came up to us and asked if we still go and visit people. I said
yes and she said go visit my friend. So she gave us his name and
address and then just walked away. So me and elder Duley had no idea
what to expect so we went over and knocked on his door the next day.
And this guy opens the door and lets us in we asked if he was Terrance
he said yes and was really confused. Well we told him the story and he
started laughing. He had no idea who the lady could have been but then
I asked why do you think we were sent here. And he started thinking
again and said well I'm having a hard time with churches right now and
now that I think of it I used to investigate your church. And then all
these good memories overcame him! He said I remember getting an
awesome feeling when I would read the Book of Mormon and pray about
it. And attending your church is great everyone is so nice and I love
how great it feels there. I don't know why I stopped investigating!
Hahaha so right now I was in complete shock. And he said could you
guys start visiting me twice a week?! And we said heck yes we can! So
we found a bomb new person to teach from some random lady!! Miracles
really do happen!

Well this week I am also giving everyone a heads up! We are officially
getting Facebook this week so if you see changes on my Facebook it is
not disobedience it is because after this week we will be using
Facebook! I freaked out because I had to long in and start cleaning my
old one out and it was so weird!! But ya so this is a thing now... not
sure how I feel about it. Also another big change is starting January
missionaries in a tablet mission will no longer have tablets but will
come out with smartphones!!! Crazy changes are happening in missionary
work!!

Other than that I got to attend Johnstown sacrament meeting for the
first time and this ward is tiny and awesome! They are some of the
weirdest and funniest people I have ever met! It is a congregation of
about 40 people! And it is awesome not many people there but they are
some characters and it's great!

Oh we also found a guy to teach! He was a member referral and he is a
former semi-pro basketball player! And he is going to come down to the
church with us a play sometime! Can't wait to get dunked on!! Hahaha

Well that's about it for my week! Nothing much else thanks for all
your love and support! Love and miss you all!

Elder Swisher

J-Town

So Johnstown is middle of nowhere and the people here know it and hate
it! Hahahaha they are funny they just keep telling me welcome to
nowhere! Hahaha

Walking is the best I missed walking and we have been working our
butts off! So my companion is Elder Duley from Oregon he is a cool
dude. He doesn't know too much about the area so we have been figuring
out things together. We have missed a couple buses and have gotten
lost once or twice but it's been fun. So the walk Elders used to rely
heavy on the drive Elders for rides but we now have sisters as the
drive missionaries so we can no longer get rides with them. So it has
been an adventure getting to church and getting wifi. Hahaha but
J-town is great.

So there is an old man in the ward that needs us to help him each week
and then he takes us to dinner. Well I walk into his house and see an
old mandolin and so I asked if he could teach me some and so he
proceeded to teach me how to play a little of the mandolin and then he
proceeded to give me an extra mandolin he owned and said take it, and
practice and you can keep it! So I am now teaching myself the
mandolin!! Hahaha

My first dinner here I went over to a house and the wife said she is
from Fremont and I laughed and said I am from Brentwood and then she
asked if I know the Taylors and I laughed even harder and she just
looked at me like I was crazy! Hahah then I explained that McKenna is
my best friend and she started freaking out. So it was cool to meet
her!

General Conference was amazing! We had to take a bus and get off on a
highway and then walk 2 miles uphill to get to the church so it was
quite the adventure on Saturday. On Sunday we got to enjoy Conference
from a members home named the Wingards and it was great to be in a
home again to watch Conference instead of at the church building!

Other than that nothing much has happened. We are just working hard
trying to learn the area and where we are going!

Love and miss you all hope you have a great week!

Elder Swisher

getting transferred

Well i am getting transferred! I am going to Johnstown!! Not only
Johnstown but Johnstown walk!!! That's right back to a walk area! If I
finish my mission in this area it will make it 10 out of 17 transfers
in a walk area!!! Hahaha walk Elder for life!! My companion is Elder
Duley and I don't know anything about him besides he has only been out
for like 8 months. But I'm pumped. Johnstown is in the Altoona stake
and is in the middle of the mission so I'm excited!

Well leaving beaver on a good note we have an area that we cover
called Hookstown and it is middle of nowhere and we have been tracking
down less-actives out there and we have found 3 part-member families
that want us to come back and share the lessons with them. I drove out
there with a team up the other day and I decided to try an old Book of
Mormon referral she said she didn't want someone to drop off a Book of
Mormon that she would just get one from the library. But that was a
couple months ago so we go out all the way to hookstown just to try
her. And she was so happy to get her own copy because she had to
return the library's copy. Hahaha but she has been studying about the
church for a while and wants the missionaries to come over and teach
her more. She says she really likes what she has studied so far! She
also wants us to start teaching her family! So unfortunately I'm
leaving but I a, leaving Elder Groesbeck with lots of people to teach.
No more drought! Beaver is booming!!

I got to go on exchanges with my boy Elder Bryan and he taught me some
more things on the guitar and we also got to have some bomb lessons
and found some new people for him to teach in his area.

It was hard to say bye to the Beaver Ward. This ward is the best ward
ever! And has become family to me! I have some pictures of the
greatest people I have ever met! And so the pictures below are some
extended family now! Hahaha my adopted family!

Well thanks for all your love and support! I love and miss you all!
Hope your week was great!

Elder Swisher

How did you find us?

So this week we had a beast Zone Conference. Where Elder Neilson of
the seventy came and talked to us. It was such a cool conference. He
taught us all about Christ's Atonement and the different parts to it.
And then he focused on us and how we could help our investigators
apply the Atonement in Christ's life. It was so awesome to be able to
hear and learn from him.

So this week I got to go on an exchange with an Elder in my district!
Elder Wood. And he is an awesome guy and likes to sweat. So he ran me
to the ground on bikes. I think he had us bike up every hill possible
in their area but it was good for me. Hahaha

So the other night we had a feeling to stop by a less-active who's
name we had never seen before. And it's not too far from our house. So
we go there it was late at night and we knock on the door and this
lady answers and before I can say anything the first thing that came
out of her mouth was "How did you find us?!" In an interesting way. I
had had this happen before and it was usually followed up by someone
yelling at us or a door slammed in our face. But her husband came to
the door and it was the less-active and he was so excited to see us.
Apparently she responded like that because they had just moved to that
house like 2 weeks ago. So how we got their new address so fast I have
no idea! Hahaha but their son was about to go through a big hip
surgery again and he is only 2 years old. So the dad wanted us to give
him a priesthood blessing. So before I felt the need to explain what
it was to the wife, who is not a member, and share my testimony of
them. Afterward we gave him a priesthood blessing and in it the words
were said "let the doctors know what will be best for him at the
moment." And so the surgery was the very next day and we text the dad
to see how it went and he sent this huge text telling us how amazing
it was. The doctors were about to do the surgery when they decided to
take one more X-Ray to see what is going on. And right before they
were about to put the little guy to sleep one doctor came in and said
don't do it. He then showed the X-Ray and his hip had showed recovery
it was growing normal it was on its way already with no surgery
needed. The Dad and mom were so happy that their little boy didn't
have to go through another surgery. Especially since he has already
been through so much. They want us to come over and visit every week
now. Miracles really do happen. The priesthood is real.

So we got a text from a member the other day telling us to contact his
friend. So his friend just proposed to a girl in the ward and they are
engaged, well the family doesn't like that he is not a member but he
doesn't know anything about the church. So because he wants to make
decisions for himself and not for his future in-laws he wants us to
teach him the lessons but keep it a secret so he doesn't feel pressure
from the family. So we started teaching him and he is just an absolute
amazing guy. Crazy thing is he is my age! He graduated the same year
as me and so it was cool to teach someone that I could relate with
very well.

There is a less-active that I have done a lot of service for his name
is Pat. And he wanted to repay us for all the service we did and so he
took us out to dinner and a Brazilian steak house one of those places
were the meat just keeps coming. Ya he took us there and it was
amazing! I have never been so full in my life!

That was pretty much my week. So pretty good week. Love and miss you all!

Oh ya and a member gave me a dope bowling ball to use for P-day today!

Elder Swisher

Knock Knock

So moment of the week! I got to go on exchanges with my MTC comp Elder
Chafin! It was great to be able to catch up with him but he is serving
in a bike area so I had to ride a bike again. I haven't ridden one
since I was in Williamsport over a year ago. So I got on and it felt
natural but I told Chafin I was still a little nervous! So we ride
down this huge hill pick up momentum to get up a big hill and we get
to the top no problem and so we are coasting down the road and we need
to turn left so I was signaling with my arm because there was a car
behind us and I'm trying to turn and brake with my other hand and next
thing I know my front tire turns sideways and I hit the pavement!
Hahahaha I flipped the bike and some how rolled out of the crash and
ended up on my feet! Hahaha the car behind me stopped and was just in
complete shock and so I just waved him in to keep going! Chafin was
laughing so hard I thought he was going to crash! But of course
because of the adrenaline, or shock I didn't feel anything but the
next day my leg hurt so bad! But it was on for the books!

Other than that it's been week full of finding. We have been using
every finding idea in the book. But nothing is coming from it. But it
has been fun we have been walking around everywhere and talking to
everyone and knocking on tons of doors. We have met some interesting
characters not interested in the gospel but have told us all about
their lives. Like a male escort, an old drug lord, a Canadian football
player, a hobo named Hank, and so many other random people! Hahaha
it's a blast talking to everyone and hearing their stories!

So I don't have much today nothing has really happened. Each day we go
and knock so more doors and nobody is really answering so I don't got
much to tell yinz. But thanks for all your love and support! I love
and miss all of you so much!

I got some old pictures of me back in the MTC days!

Also my cut on my foot from the crash looks like the Nike Swoosh! Hahaha

Elder Swisher

Happy Days!

So to start off the week their is a family that moved into the ward
when I first came here. And they moved here because their house burnt
down. And before they got here the mom ended up in the hospital and so
did the dad for different medical problems. The dad finally went home
and just as that happened the daughter went into the hospital and then
the mom finally went home and the dad went back in and the daughter
came home and the mom went back in and it was craziness like this for
the past couple months. I have given all 3 of them countless blessings
since I have been here and they have been such a great family to get
to know. They were always smiling and happy when we visited them and
gave blessings. Well this week the mom past away. We got the phone
call from the daughter how then proceeded to ask me if I could be a
pallbearer at the funeral. So the funeral was on Thursday and I got
the chance to be a pallbearer. The ward had a great service for the
family and it was just filled with the spirit the whole time. Some
great testimonies of the Plan of Salvation were born and it made me so
grateful to know that families can be together forever!

Well this week I also got to go on exchanges with my man Elder
Cooper!!! He was my companion for 3 months in Harrisburg! So it was
cool to be able to go on exchanges with an old companion! I went to
his area and we went around teaching some less-actives and we also
visited with an investigator that literally didn't stop talking for 2
hours straight. Whenever we would try to say something he would just
speak louder! Hahaha PA Ramble at its best!

We also helped cut down a tree for a guy and afterward he made us ribs
and it was the best thing ever! I love how people "pay" us in food! It
is the best thing ever! Hahaha but serving is a pretty close second
Hahahaha.

I guess something must have bitten me while we were cutting down the
tree because I had this huge bite on my leg the size of a quarter! And
at church one of the doctors in the ward saw it and told me it was a
tick bite so we were running around asking people for their opinions.
And finally after a big scare and an almost trip to the emergency
room. We came to the conclusion it was a spider bite! So false alarm!
Hahaha

Besides that we have just been working hard finding people to teach
and looking for those willing to accept the gospel! I also got a new
shirt! Haha

Well thanks for all your support I love and miss you all!

Elder Swisher