"But I don't know how to read" - September 29, 2014 - From Luzern

Sister Katie at the Swiss Temple with Sister Oswald, her  companion

Hi Family!

Life is good/hard.  Luzern is gorgeous Sometimes I don’t think I’ll ever be able to come back to Switzerland enough.  I should live here for awhile. 

Last week we went up the Rigi! (this is a cogwheel railroad that goes up the the to of Rigi Mountain)...  which was awesome and free with a GA (rail pass)  Soon we will go up Pilatus.  Which is not at all free but we will do it anyway.  I love Pilatus.  It is a way cool mountain.  It makes me happy when I can see it.  I just wish we had time on P-Day to hike it.

Quess what? Sister Kervinen is in my district!  And she’s my sister training leader!  I just love her.  

I went on an austausch (exchanges with another missionary companionship) to Olten this week with Sister Wüst. I saw the Rivella (a kind of bubbly drink)  and the Lindt/Sprüngli (chocolate) factory just during our normal working day. Olten is very industrial. We had an awesome lesson with a less active they hadn't met before.

I got your package! Esther Jäger came to visit a friend in Luzern last weekend who is actually an active member. She told me before I left Solothurn that usually when she come to see her for a weekend she would sleep in and her friend would go to church alone but that because I would be there she would come. So she was there for my talk! Which went really well because I had Sister Wüst correct my German when we were on austausch. And Esther brought me my package.

This week we saw an awesome former investigator who hasn't been seen in forever. I called her up, made an appointment, and this week we were there. She is amazing, but her husband is really against any kind of organized religion. So we'll see what we can do.

Something I have learned, or maybe just internalized, on my mission is how incredibly precious people who are less active are to Heavenly Father.  I mean, of course they are, we all are, but He will never stop reaching out to them.  And I am privileged to be a part of that.

I don't even know how to explain today and the fact that I am emailing SO LATE. Basically, we went adventuring with a member family today for P-day and it was incredible (Lauterbrunnen Valley was very pleased to have me back even if it was just for a little while). (ahhh....Katie and I have wonderful memories of hiking down into this valley from the Kleine Scheidek and then the next day hiking from here up to Obersteinberg and then the next day to Murren) 

 And we had a really good spiritual family home evening and we were doing service by showing them around (Sister Oswald and I together are pretty good tour guides if I do say so myself). So that was today. Hopefully all the kids will go on missions now. The quote of the week is from from Sister Thornton to her 5-year-old (is she 5? I think so?) daughter.

Sister Thornton: "I would be so proud of you if you went on a mission someday. That is such an honorable thing to do."

Sophia: "But I have to know how to read first."

We also saw Nancy, and talked to her about defending her faith to her friends. She is a less active and I really hope we can make so much progress with her.

Our appointment with our friend from the city tour didn't work out because their schedule changed, but don't worry we're going there tomorrow. CAN'T WAIT.

Well, life is good. We found some potential investigators this week. That made me really happy. We met an Austrialian today in Lauterbrunnen who will be in Luzern for the weekend and will hopefully come to general conference!

I loved schwestern versammlung!! (this is referred to General Women's Conference which took place this last weekend.  It is a worldwide broadcast for the sisters of the church). I love the focus on the fact that our church is a global one. The gospel of Jesus Christ is for everyone. We watched it at a member's house in English it was great.

I love you all!  Sister Lewis a.k.a. Kate

Dancing in the rain?

September 22, 2014 - From Luzern

Monday, September 22, 2014

I will send you a quote from my friend Maddie from her email today.

"You CAN make a difference in that city, but don't feel like everyone's salvation is on your shoulders, because it's actually on Christ's. You can do it."

I thought that was good advice. I am happy here being a representative of Jesus Christ.

  

Yesterday was easily the best day so far in Luzern. To start with, three less active people we have been working with came to church, including the one we talked about in the ward email (I sent it to you Mom). Then we were waiting for the bus to take us home from church and a member family drove by and offered us a ride. They convinced us because they practically pass our house on their way home. Then while we were in the car they decided to invite us for dinner. But you have to understand. This family has 5 kids and one on the way. When the 6th is born they will have 6 kids under the age of 8. I know, crazy. Someone told them it was better to have kids really close together than to have teenagers and toddlers or something like that. So this family isn't exactly eating stake for dinner. We actually heated up the canned ravioli that we all ate for dinner but HOW COOL ARE THEY?! They are willing to share whatever they have with the missionaries.  They are awesome and they have such strong testimonies of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. So after that we realized we were close to the home of an less active we had been meaning to visit. And she is our new favorite. 

Back up. Earlier this week we had the best relief society activity ever. What that means is, we walked around Luzern with the relief society and one of the sisters told us everything about everything. She knows as much as any tour guide. We invited everyone we have been working with to come, but none of them did. But two other less actives sisters did come with other members and it was so good that we were there to meet them and to spend time with the other relief society sisters. Not to mention, it was nice to go for a good little stroll around Luzern.

Now fast forward. The lady who is our new favorite who we visited yesterday is one of the ladies we got to know on the city tour. Sister Oswald has seen her one time at church but that was it. And we stopped by yesterday with a note and some chocolate for her and her husband and the whole thing just could not have been nicer. Her husband was just stepping out the door to go pick up their grandson, and any other day she would have been going with him, but that day she hasn't been feeling very well. Which is why she didn't come to church that day. Sad because she had grandkids in the primary program!  But she is wonderful and hilarious and after yesterday I am convinced that a big reason that Sister Oswald and I are here in Luzern together is to help her and her family. While we were there her very less active son dropped by for a visit, and her husband came home with their grandson who they take care of who I don't think has ever been baptized. She is a convert, and she told us that she never actually got the lessons before or after she was baptized (what??). So I said something like, well you know who needs practice giving the lessons is us. And she agreed to be taught the lessons. We have an appointment on Thursday. Their son also wants to come. I don't know how to help you understand this but there were so many little miracles yesterday. And it was so good because it has been easy to get discouraged.

Also, we helped this family move/clean for sooooo long one day this week. But now we are really good friends with that family! And they are from America and fed us . . . Mexican food!! And we're hoping to get ourselves invited for Thanksgiving. :-)

I read the talk from last conference about Joseph Smith this week and I love it so much. As I read the list of truths restored by the Prophet Joseph Smith I was overwhelmed with the knowledge that he was absolutely divinely inspired. I know the things that he revealed to be true. With all of my heart. And that is how I know he was a prophet of God. I also thought the part about his persecution was interesting. Here is the quote:

"Look for the biggest dust cloud billowing above the most dirt that is kicked at One who was most opposed, challenged, and rejected, beaten, abandoned, and crucified, One who descended below all things, and there you will find the truth, the Son of God, the Savior of all mankind. Why did they not leave Him alone?

Why? Because He is the truth, and the truth will always be opposed.

And then look for one who brought forth another testament of Jesus Christ and other scripture, look for one who was the instrument by which the fullness of the gospel and the Church of Jesus Christ were restored to the earth, look for him and expect to find the dirt flying. Why not leave him alone?

Why? Because he taught the truth, and the truth will always be opposed."

Last night I had an interesting experience. This is very personal, but yes I do know that God our Heavenly Father speaks to us. I sometimes talk about my personal communication with God like He is my friend and like we converse regularly and it really throws some people off. And then they sometimes ask me, "Does He really speak to you?" And sometimes that throws me off and I don't know what to say. Because no, He's not sitting on one side of the room and me on the other and He doesn't always give a reply to everything I say. I don't know, maybe He would if I were better at this. But yesterday He said something to me. I was sort of complaining to Him because things are sometimes hard and I was saying, "Heavenly Father, why can't I just be perfect?! Why can't I act perfectly and then everything would be okay and it wouldn't matter how others acted?!" And then He said, "Sister Lewis, (He called me Sister Lewis!) that's what I'm doing! I'm working on making you perfect." Or something like that. But it was a thought in my head and it came suddenly and in the middle of my complaining and it did not come from me. He spoke to me. And that is not the only time in my life this has happened. I think it actually happens quite frequently, but it is not always so clear to me that He has spoken as it was last night. He does speak to me, and He will speak to you too. He would probably speak to me a whole lot more if I was better at communicating with him. I'm working on it. And then Courtney sent me this today at the end of her email: "I have a testimony though that God knows what he is going and allows us to go through the prefect trials that will help us develop that which is required to live with him in the celestial kingdom." Same principle that I learned again last night. Obviously Heavenly Father has to keep working on me because I'm 1,000 miles away from being perfect (actually that was a gross underestimation), but He is working on it. And that's why things are sometimes hard. And I know that I am here, now, because that is what I need in order to make progress. I, like Court, have a testimony that God allows us (I like that she used the word allows) to experience the trials that will help us to move toward being more like Him. After all, isn't that why we're here on earth?

I have a talk in church next Sunday. Please pray for me. Good thing it only has to be 5 minutes.

Love you family. Keep being the best.  

"Take the ghetto out of the apartment......" September 15, 2014 - from Solothurn

September 15, 2014

FAMILY!!!  Well I'll try and give you some updates. I'm just really not very good at trying to sum up my whole week of missionary life into this one email. I wanted to tell you AGAIN something really important though. Members are so important to missionary work!! I guess I just sort of missed that because we moved from the mission field when I was 4. (FYI- "Mission Field" is a term often used for areas outside of the areas where there are lots of LDS members.  Katie was born in Iowa where there are many fewer members.  For example, our children were the only church members in their elementary school.)  And I remember I was actually surprised by how much James talked about the members on his mission because I just sort of thought, "Aren't you with investigators?" But I get it now. MISSIONARY WORK DOES NOT WORK WITHOUT MEMBERS. I will tell you this tiny story because I do not want to forget it. One of my favorite members came up to me at church my last Sunday in Solothurn, gave me a hug, and said in English, "I will miss you." We never speak in English. It just really touched me. 

Also, I don't think a ward has ever been so welcoming as Luzern was yesterday. They were all so nice and asking me questions and making sure they welcomed me personally into the ward. Too bad I can't remember any of their names . . . but I’ll learn them!

One thing that I realize has really has bothered me is the attitude some people I have met here have about Utah Mormons, or even just American Mormons. I was just reminded of this because I heard someone complaining about how Utah Mormons call the rest of the world "the mission field."  We need to all appreciate each other and the role we are each playing in the restoration of the Gospel around the world. We believe in the Gospel and in the restoration of the true church, and so I hope that we all appreciate and are grateful for  the Utah church members …and for the pioneer ancestors that many Utah Mormons have. 

(I won't try and summarize the history of the LDS church here, but to make a very long story very short, the original church members when the church was restored in 1830 suffered a great deal of persecution, moved from place to place,  and ultimately many endured great hardship to go further west across the United States and settled in the area that eventually became the state of Utah. That's why the density of church members is highest in Utah and also comparatively high in some of the western states.) 

 I know my attitude about Utah hasn't always been the best, but now I stick up for it. At least a little. Sister Oswald has run into the same thing a lot and we have talked about some of the ways we have been treated as Americans and it has been nice to be able to talk to someone about that.  Some people seem bitter because there are so many more of us LDS in Utah/in the U.S.  In fact,  I really freak people out when I tell them there are 24 stakes (A "stake" is a group of congregations -known as wards- that are organized into a group.  Just as every ward has leadership, every stake does as well and certain activities take place on a stake level)  in my home town. Sister Bognar had a major attitude about it just from stories she has heard and some American missionaries who may not have always been the best and then generalizations are made. I wish more  people who have this attitude would read My Heritage. I've been reading it this week. I am so grateful for such good people who have sacrificed so much for the gospel of Jesus Christ. John Taylor's motto was, "The kingdom of God or nothing." 

There was a broadcast this week for all of the sisters in Europe. Sister Bognar and I watched it at a saintly member's house...wonderful.

Yesterday we went to Zollikofen for a baptism. Sister Oswald was in Thun before this and one of her investigators was getting baptized. Since Interlaken doesn't have a baptismal font, the service was held in Zollikofen.

So I believe I told you quite a bit about how much of a disaster the Schaffhausen apartment was when I got there. Well, I still can't decide if this apartment was worse or not. Maybe about the same. I think it is to Sister Blohm's credit that Solothurn was pretty clean when I got there, although I was still replacing Sister Falke. I remember I was surprised. So, Sister Oswald and I have literally had to take some time out of our normal missionary schedule this week to get our apartment in order. The first two pictures are what my bed and my desk looked like when I got there. But you don't understand how bad it was. You can also see pictures of me cleaning mold in the bathroom and going through ancient missionary pamphlets. But things are much better now! 

Guess she's learning some things about "deep cleaning"! 

And I want so much to make a difference in Luzern. The missionary work is very slow here. At least, it has been in the past. I have a lot to figure out about my area, and I'm excited to get to work! 

"You can take the ghetto out of the apartment but you can't take the apartment out of the ghetto."

That's from Sister Oswald. And yes, our apartment is in a ghetto. And yes, there is a brothel up the street. And yes, there are several bars and a few tattoo shops also on our street. And yes, there is also an erotic store on our street. And no, I did not even know what erotic meant until Sister Oswald told me.

Sister Oswald is really funny and I really like her. Even though she sometimes has a bit of an attitude.

Sister Kate with her new companion, Sister Oswald

It's funny when the guy who asked you out on the bus opens up opportunities for you to talk to the other people on the bus who were entertained by your conversation with him and your refusal to give him your number (actually I gave him our number because if he wants to come closer to Jesus Christ he can call but I told him it was the number of the church so that he won't call for me). So then I got to talk to the other people because they wanted to talk to me after about being careful about which boys I give my number to. Interesting finding technique. Except these people weren't quite ready for the gospel either.

Mommy. Zug is in my area. And you know who I am pretty sure lives in Zug? Alma's daughter who I visited one time. Will you please look into that for me and send me her contact information?

And yes, going on that scenic boat ride you see in the pictures was missionary work. It's how to get to the home of a less active member.. This area is so beautiful!!

I sang with Sister Hoareau in zone training and was asked to bear my testimony on Tuesday before I left the Bern zone.

Did I tell you I made my district hike the Weissenstein with me for a district p-day? Well I did before I left Solothurn.

I got to talk to Sister Bognar and Fadil came to church yesterday. He is back. Ivanka and Sara (her daugher) and Esther and Michelle (the 14-year-old) were also all there because Sister Bognar told them about the primary program.(FYI- "Primary Program" refers to the Sacrament Meeting once a year that  is given completely by the young children aged 3-12.  Sacrament Meeting  is the name given to the weekly worship service because taking the sacrament and renewing our covenants with Heavenly Father are the most important part of the meeting.)

Other quotes of the week:

Tatyana: "You are my American darling." That made me feel good. 

And notes like this from a Solothurn friend make me happy:

Dear Katherine,

it won't be the same without you, here in Solothurn ! I will miss you!
I wish you all the best in your life and please come back!
With love
Elvira

 **

Me: "I have never seen so many spiders before!"

Sister Bognar hates spiders/is fascinated by them and she cursed me because now I see more spiders than ever before.

**

Love you family,