"I just have to think of Louis Armstrong" - April 7, 2014 - from Solothurn, Switzerland

Family!  I'm here! . . . In Solothurn.  So I've decided that transfers are more accurately described as transplants. And I have totally been transplanted. Now I know how plants feel. But it's good. Guess what I see mountains every day now!! But I don't think they're very big.

Quotes of the week:

Sister Blohm telling me something and she said: "Sister . . . Lewis . . ."

Me: "You forgot my name!"

Sister Blohm: "No! Just for a minute . . . I just have to think of Louis Armstrong."

It's so funny because I've never known what it was like to have a hard name. But some people here have a hard time with it. I get compared to Levi Strauss the brand all the time too. (This may seem like quite a stretch unless you know that in German a "w" is pronounced like an American "V". )

Sister Siems: "I don't think I will ever have so much fun again in my life." Me either, Sister Siems. Me either.

My cute little Schaffhauseners were really sweet about saying goodbye to me. You may have noticed from the pics that we did get permission to go to the klettergarten with our JAE's and Steven. (I never did find any of those pictures on Dropbox).  It was too good. And just lots of great things happened. Bruder De Marzi hosted a beautiful brunch for the four of us missionaries in Schaffhausen to say goodbye and he also came to the train station. I got a blessing from him before I left too just because I was so nervous. 

When it was announced the Sunday before I left that I was transferred, there was an audible gasp and everyone turned to look at me. Manuel Bolli said to his mom (Schwester Bolli told me this later): "At least we got to celebrate her birthday with her, or I wouldn't have gotten any cake. But you can always buy a cake, but not a Sister Lewis."

The Schaffhausen Missionaries

I'm feeling just a little lost. But I think that's normal. All of the sudden I'm in a new place and have no idea who anyone is or how to get anywhere or where I am even supposed to go.

Guess what President and Sister Miles came to our fireside and Sister Miles played the flute in the "Oh How Lovely was the Morning" choir piece and they both sang in "I Am A Child of God" with all the missionaries. This is what President Miles said to me in his email:"The fireside was amazing. Thanks so much". 

This is Sister Miles! 

And HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO TARA!!! (Katie's sister-in-law)

As you will also notice from the pictures, I insisted that Sister Siems and I get pictures with the Missionsweg and Zionsweg in Zurich that the Schwamendingen Sisters had told us about. (I would love to know the origins of these street names!)

I hope you are happy with your pictures. Sister Siems and I tried to take a lot. As you can see, I need to be eating healthier . . . and guess what! This morning I discovered that we have a way nice Bosch mixer and a nice blender!! This weekend really is Christmas. First conference, and now a blender! But yeah. so send the healthy smoothie recipes my way. 

Was conference not THE BEST? (Twice a year, in April and October the LDS Church has what we call "General Conference". General Conference is four 2-hour sessions on Saturday and Sunday of Church of talks from leaders in the Church that is broadcast all over the world translated into almost 100 languages.  Lots of inspirational stuff!) Yes, it was. Family, sounds like you're all about to launch into some major study of PMG (see Elder Ballard's talk). Can't wait to hear what you learn!

So this ward has just gotten a new GML. We had our first GML meeting on Friday and I think the new GML will be great, even though he might still think my name is Sister Kelly and Elder Kelly's name is Elder Lewis. Have I ever mentioned Elder Kelly? Probably not but he is one of my best friend elders and I seem to be following him around. He left the Wien zone a transfer before I did and the Zurich zone a transfer before I did. He was my zone leader in Zurich for three transfers and he told me before he left that he hoped I would come to Solothorn after the next transfer to which I basically replied, "No thanks." But here I am! If you're thinking "Oh, you know sister missionaries and their zone leaders . . ." you can stop it right now. Elder Kelly is a baby 19-year-old Irish redhead. But he is a really good missionary.

We watched conference at our ward building. So I have gotten to meet a few members so far. This ward is big. I think it's bigger than Wien 1. I've heard we have the largest primary in Switzerland and the largest Young Womens in the stake.

Sister Blohm is from Denmark . . . She is cool. I will always be in awe of people like her who grew up in a place where hardly anyone  even knows about the church. Her German is . . . worse than mine. But I think Heavenly Father is just trying to tell me, "Sister Lewis, I need to be able to count on your German." This is my second companion with German worse than mine and so I'm just learning that I need to really work on mine. But it's very overwhelming. I miss Sister Siems . . .

 I am also emailing from the church! This church has two computers. We live only a 10-minute walk from the church and a 2-minute bus ride, but the bus only comes every 30 minutes. I don't actually live in Solothurn,  but in Bellach, which is very close.

Conference. I still can't get over it. Just a few little favorite phrases I wrote down. Some of these I'm not sure if they're my words or the speaker's. But mostly I think they're direct quotes.

"Defend with courtesy and compassion, but defend your beliefs."

"What would Jesus do does not always bring a popular response."

"Disciples are sometimes also called upon to worry, warn, and weep."

"Our greatest filter is a deep and abiding testimony." (so true!!!!).

"We are nothing without our roots and branches." (referring to our extended family)

"No matter how good your message is, it won't be received without consistent follow up." (soooooooooooo important for missionary work!).

"Families are the treasure of Heaven."

"All mankind may be saved by obedience."

I hold in my hands the happiness of more people than I can imagine.

Never neglect the most important meeting to assemble with the saints.

The last time Joseph Smith ever met with the quorum of the 12 was WHEN HE GAVE THEM THEIR ENDOWMENT. He lived just long enough to teach about redeeming the dead.

Don't wait to see the rainbow before thanking God for the rain (I could see that becoming some cute pinterest quote as soon as he said it).

Be grateful no matter what. This will bring us peace.

We have a short life, and an eternity to think back on it.

And soooooo many others. I was not planning on writing that many. Sister Blohm and I tried watching the relief society (slash primary and young womens?) session in German. Let's just say I should probably watch it again in English.

Well like always, here is another scatter-brained email. Hope you enjoyed it. I am especially grateful right now, like many of you, for the blessing of living prophets. I thought more about asking questions this time and trying to receive answers during conference and the answers were TOTALLY THERE. Life is good. God loves you.

As I have said before, some of my best stories never even get told to you in my letters  because sometimes I just don't like the ending!  For example, we met this miracle couple on the way home from conference on Saturday and invited them to come on Sunday . . . but they didn't. I was like the little boy in that story of the open house the way I kept checking for them. But, we have her phone number and maybe someday she will answer. But it was really cool to bear testimony to them of a living prophet having just come from a session of general conference.  And as I've said before, that doesn't mean it wasn't a miracle even if it doesn't end the way I would like! 

Love you all! 

"I am sooooooo nervous" - April 1, 2014 - Last letter from Schaffhausen

Family!! Okay so I am being transferred to Solothurn which is in Switzerland between Berne and Biel.  I can't even spell it or say it. I'm going to be working with Sister Blohm from Denmark. I went on austausch with Sister Blohm in St. Gallen. She has only been in Solothurn for one transfer. I am soooooooooo nervous.

Actually it's weird because I just try not to think about it. I'm in denial. But sooner or later I have to start packing. I really don't know how much information you're going to get today because we don't have much time to email. I have to go to a district p-day today in Zurich which isn’t my first choice. I rather hang out in my area and have a goodbye day and go to Stein am Rhein but also there are other things I really should be doing like cleaning and packing.

Sister Siems and I have been upgraded in our compliments to the most unified companionship in the mission. It will be so hard to leave for lots of reasons.

My birthday was the best and Schaffhausen has been so good to me and the musical fireside went well. I felt a little bit too much like the star of the show because I was onstage so much. I had to go to the bathroom the whole time and never could because I was worried I would miss a cue. People REALLY LOVED it. (Kate's on the far right with her hands in the air.  What's that about?)

So this week. First,my birthday. Everyone was so great. Alba and Katia surprised me that night when we went to visit Alba for a normal lesson and Katia was there to surprise me and we ate cake again and we were able to share the spiritual thought we had planned. Alba  asked so many gospel questions and we had such a good talk.

I just want to thank everyone for being so good to me. I got  more birthday mail!

Johnson Family

Crawfords

David and Matthias Hulme

Seth

Barton Family

Hermana Ashley Bunker!! 

Also we went to the temple.

Also we had transfer calls.

Also we had an awesome fireside.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAVE!! Getting older is weird, right?

 I'm sorry this is all I can writet today! Gotta go!  Love you all.

"Happy BIrthday to Meeeeeeee" March 24, 2014 - from Schaffhausen, Switzerland

Happy Birthday to Meeeeeeeeeee!  I want to thank everyone for my birthday wishes! It definitely seems like my mommy has been doing a very good job broadcasting the fact that TODAY IS MY BIRTHDAY!

I am also just happy because I got so many Pictures and even Videos! Thanks to . . .

Ciarah

Sister Lohmann

Chels

Sister Kervinen

Sister Siems

Elder and Sister Strong in Wien

Grandma and Grandpa

Andrea Nowak in Germany

Crawfords

Couper Clan in Scotland

Gants

Bieglers

James

Abby Nolan!

My Mommy

My Daddy

Lindsey

Joey

Hubys in France

Harknesses

Chase (James' roommate?)

Sue Sherwin

Kris Fredrickson

Marilyn Hulme

Jim Hulme

Uncle Randal and Aunt Janie

Johnsons

Ben Barton

Sister Judd...uh I mean Candace (Candace is home from her mission now and it's hard for Katie to switch from calling her Sister Judd to calling her by her first name) 

Bishop Davis

Sister Clark (Jackie's mom) 

OBVIOUSLY I'm in love with the video of my nieces and nephews singing me Happy Birthday. Sister Bolli and Sister Siems both had to watch it. And I'm sorry I'm bad about thanking everyone . . . I got such a sweet letter from Tara and the Kids a while ago which I loved.

And of course Sister Siems is being fun about my birthday. She's the greatest. She decorated our study room with birthday stuff last night around 3 in the morning or something. I just really like her.

We tausched with Sister McEwen and Sister Hoareau on Thursday-Friday. So I worked with my last companion in her area in St. Gallen and Sister Siems worked with her last companion in Schaffhausen. I got to see some mountains! We went to this gorgeous place called Geis to leave a personal touch for a member but they ended up catching us and inviting us to lunch. That was so nice.

Did I ever mention how beautiful Switzerland is in the Spring? There are flowers everywhere and it's so green and gorgeous.

Also Sister Siems finally realized she didn't know if her home ward is a branch or a ward. Until I helped her find out.

Me: "Do you call your Bishop 'President' or 'Bishop?'"

Her: "President."

Me: "You're a branch."

She never knew.

During planning last night:

SS my brain just turned off

SL laughing . . .

SS it's not funny this is a serious problem

SL laughing hysterically . . .

SS throws her planner across the room at me

SL laughing . . .

SS give me my planner back!

SL still laughing . . .

SS throws her pen at me

SL still laughing . . .

Then I threw her pen and planner back at her and we were able to finish planning. We laugh a lot.

Family I know I give you all These assignments (and Mommy I have been loving your "Thoughts on Faith") but this one is extra important (did anyone go on a Joint teach with the missionaries?). Well this one is to read THE POWER OF EVERYDAY MISSIONARIES. Just do it. It won't take you very Long. But don't just read it. Apply the principles inside. And send me your insights.

Also I didn't actually tell THAT many People that it is my birthday but I told an investigator in an attempt to get him to come to church yesterday (ha ha I'll get them to church just about any way I can). He didn't come but he PROMISED to come next week (I'll believe it when I see it). But he did text me "Happy Birthday God bless you" today and that made me happy.

This week we went to two Bajai Events. The Bajai prayer circle was much more intimate and seriously the spirit was there! Sister Siems and I prayed too. And then we invited some Bajai to our Musical Fireside. The other event was last night and we came way late because of another appointment but we were there. Maria (our investigator) isn't even Bajai but she loves us and she loves the Bajai and she invites us to everything. I danced with her last night to Bajai music and she was so happy. At the Event last night I met this woman who was sure she had met me before. I said no, but then I realized I had indeed met her before. She said she knew it because she "remembered my eyes." Hm. But I have knocked on her door before ha ha. Good Thing she was nice.

The next time you hear from me you'll be hearing about how great our Musical fireside went (pray for that!). Ah I'm nervous.

We gave our Spanish family a little German lesson yesterday. We love them and they love us.

We usually get to Hannah's and she has read whatever assignment we gave her from the Book of Mormon and then she brings out her lists of questions and concerns and we discuss what she can't even remember reading. This week we got there expecting the same Thing but she had NO QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS. There was nothing she felt like didn't match with the Bible. That was really different!  She is for sure coming to our Musical fireside and getting a ride with Sister Gardedieu.  We are excited about the musical fireside and also a little nervous! 

Also, we have been trying to talk to President Miles but we haven't been able to reach him. This week we are planning on visiting a Klettergarten (outdoor climbing park in the trees)  with some of the JTA (young adults) members in our branch and hopefully a JTA-age investigator! It's the safest Klettergarten ever (or so our member tells us) and we will be strengthening our relationships with members and with our investigator. I wrote him today and asked him to let us know if he thinks this is a terrible idea (because of liability).  

Oh my goodness I almost forgot. I had the greatest P-Day of my life last week (one birthday P-day is clearly not enough, so we started last week). We biked from Schaffhausen to Stein am Rhein (about 34 miles one way!) and it was outrageously fun and sooo beautiful. Jacob and Alice (our landlords) told us a couple weeks ago that we could use their bikes and helmets whenever we wanted. MUSIC to our ears. So we went on a very Long bike ride that we somehow fit in by basically doing nothing else (we had planned ahead by Shopping for two weeks the week before). And we biked through Thayngen and Dachsen (I think?) on the way there and on the way back we took a shorter way through Büsingen (This town is on the Swiss side of the Rhine, and completely surrounded by Swiss land,  but is part of Germany.  That explains the pictures they take in front of the German signs!) . We were seriously in heaven. We didn't have so much time to spend in Stein am Rhein because of our time crunch but we ate the picnic food we brought with us right on the Rhein and just soaked in the perfectness of everything.

These girls were definitely jumping for joy to be out on bikes on such

a beautiful spring day!

Definitely a happy, happy day! 

Mommy!! You went to Stein am Rhein?! You've been to my area?! aAnd yes I have been to the Munot! I went with Sister McEwen! That's where I live!!!! I love Stein am Rhein. I have only been in the alt stadt a few times briefly, but I'm in the area all the area all the time (Jasmin lives in Eschenz and Asefash lives in Kaltenbach). One time Sister Järmann had a choir concert in the old church in Stein am Rhein so Sister Siems and I went to Support her because she really wanted us to. And it was cool because we met her friends and made some friends of our own. You can see the fortress perfectly out of Asefash's window but I heard it's not actually that cool to visit.

March 17, 2014 - "Strahlen" - From Shaffhausen

Heyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy Family! Happy St. Patrick's Day!

We did get theSpanish package this week! Thank you!! So far we have just given our Spanish Family one of the Liahonas (There is a a monthly church magazine called the ENSIGN that is published in English....the Liahona is the version of the magazine that is published in other languages) but they were way excited about it. We love our Spanish family. They fed us empanadas on Saturday and were just so good to us. This Saturday they said we will celebrate my birthday. I've been trying to put down some hints that my birthday is coming up. Some people just don't get the concept of birthday week/birthday two weeks/birthday month. Sister Siems is still struggling to understand the concept. (okay....this is kind of a family joke because I started out celebrating "birthday week" when Lindsey was little because her birthday was so close to Christmas that sometimes it got lost) Also Sister Siems didn't get anything special for her birthday from members. She didn't tell anyone it was her birthday (Her first mistake. I believe in telling everyone.) So, we are expanding my birthday to include Sister Siems. It can just be OUR birthday. I guess it started yesterday because we went to a member family's house for dinner and they fed us homemade Mexican Food, which we have talked about having before and they know I really wanted. So when we ate they said, "We're celebrating your birthday today!"

They're such a cute family, but hard. Their oldest son wants NOTHING to do with the church. He still has to come to church with his family, but there are very few members he will even speak to. My nametag gives me no chance of being one of them. Yesterday I went in to where all three of the Kids were sitting and one of them was playing x-box. Immediately this kid basically hid himself in the beanbag. It was obviously ridiculous so the younger son said, "Why are you hiding?" I answered for him, because he didn't say anything. "The scary sister missionary came into the room." He agreed that was the reason.  The other son is nice and I really love their 11-year-old daughter (see all the pictures of me smothering her). And of course I love the parents. And I admire the way they are raising their family. They seem to be handling their oldest son quite well and maintaining their relationship with him while staying true to the church.

Katie played lacrosse in High School so I bet this was especially fun! 

So the mother and daughter in our Spanish family have been to the temple to do baptisms one or two times before, but not for a long time. We're hoping that we will be able to accompany them to the temple to do baptisms with some other members sometime very soon! First we have to wait for the mother's member record to arrive . . . Which will hopefully be very soon.

Guess what because I'm a Swiss citizen and I'm in Switzerland I had to file income tax. Cool, huh? Luckily there is someone in the Mission who helped me put Zeros in all the right places and all I really had to do was sign it.

We had a good lesson with Hannah just about faith. That was nice, to just talk about faith in Jesus Christ, something we are all very passionate about.

One of the Highlights of my week was seeing a SOBER SYLVAIN. He has made the leap of faith and is checked into the hospital. He stays there for 10 days to get clean in a safe way, and then he will go to the clinic for who knows how Long. And we went and visited him in the hospital after he had already been there a week, and HE WAS SOBER. You take one look at him and you just know. Every other time I have seen him he has been drunk to some degree. I didn't know what he was like sober. He's still very much himself, but you can just see in his face that he is also different. And in the things he says. He says all the write things and is reading in the BOM, Bible, the Joseph Fielding Smith book, and he recently requested that his wife also bring him Preach my Gospel. And he is just being his normal natural-missionary self, but that works better when you're not drunk. When he bows his head to pray in the hospital Cafeteria nurses come up to him to ask if he's okay, and are shocked when he explains that he was just saying a Blessing on his Food. He reads his BOM and People ask him about what it is.

Other random Highlights: 

I just like feeling like I have friends in Schaffhausen. I live here. I preach the Gospel here. I have a family here (the darling Schaffhausen branch). One time this week twice in one day I sat somewhere on the train or the bus and didn't notice one of my friends that I have already talked to or taught at some point waved to me and wanted me to come sit by them. That happens sometimes, but twice in one day was cool.

When the bus Driver gave me a peace sign as we were Boarding the bus from our stop because he knew I would wave at him before getting on the bus. He is one of the bus Drivers who drives the bus that we ride at least twice a day every day, so we're friends too.

When a random lady walked by me on this full train and said to me, "Hübsch" (pretty). I said, "Wie bitte?" (excuse me?) She repeated, "Hübsch." Also a random woman told me she liked my outfit. I think she was also referring to the fact that I was dressed up and looked different from everyone else.

Oh super cool experience this week. I got the confirmation that one of our investigators WILL ACCEPT THE GOSPEL. I don't know when, and I don't even know if it will be in this life or the next, but HE WILL! Cool, right? We had a lesson with Steven where Lea and Nico were there too and basically Steven was happy to finally have someone who didn't grow up in the church to shower with questions. Nico and Steven got along fantastically. Based on Nico's testimony, Steven agreed to read the Book of Mormon. We gave him another copy since his older sister hid the last copy. The beginning of Nico's conversion Story is much like where Steven is at now, and Steven could see that. Steven always talks about how Mormons "strahlen," or shine, and that's exactly what brought Nico into the church. Nico approached Lea on the bus one day and said, "What's so different about you?" She told him about the church.

Quotes of the week:

Me: "If you have Google, you don't have to know anything. If you don't have Google, then you have to know everything."

Sister Siems: "And if you don't have Google and you don't know everything, then life is hard. And that's us."

Sister Siems was on the phone with Elder Becker (also German so this conversation was in German).

Sister Siems: "We found such a cool family today!"

Elder Becker: "That makes me happy!"

Sister Siems: "They live in your area."

Elder Becker: "That makes me even happier!"

 

These are the missionaries of the Zurich Zone

 I think this is the meadow Katie mentioned they were in last week.  

 Definitely a Sister Missionary Fridge! 

Sister Siems embracing her homeland! 

Wellll I hope you're all doing good. Don't forget to keep writing and emailing Sister Kate, because it makes her happy. Loooove you!