Gingerbread Cuckoo Clock

Every year we make a gingerbread house.  It's been a tradition for many years and they've taken many shapes and forms.  Last year we

tried to "recreate" Sister Kate's darling Schaffhausen Chapel.

This year I wanted to something more simple since I didn't have much time and my ace decorator, Lindsey, has been so run down fighting her Lymes Disease that I knew she wouldn't be able to do much.

So, I decided on a Cuckoo Clock! Very German for this girl who served in the Alpine German-speaking mission. The flags on the side are the two countries Katie actually served in; Switzerland and Austria...and yes,

it has a working clock movement!  

"I still hate lost letters" - November 25, 2014 - From Luzern

November 24, 2014 

Hiiiii. I hope I can write a good email this week for a change. I think how tired I am is really showing through in my letters. It wasn't until last week that I started actually feeling excited thinking about how many days it would be until I left to come back home. But now I think I am getting a little smarter and I am getting sad. A week and a half isn't very long. And I know that real life will be hard too. Harder than I can imagine. And there are so many things I will really, really miss. Of course I will miss Switzerland. I'm actually worried about how much I will miss it. But there so many people I will truly miss, so many people I already truly miss, and so many things about just being a missionary. About this sacred calling. Oh now I'm sounding all missionaryish. Well guess what, I am one. I have been one for almost 18 months now and I am going to miss being one.

Well enough of that. Guess what yesterday was the musical fireside. Do you know what that means? That means it's OVER. And that is soooo awesome because it was not only a lot of work but stressful with all the uncertainty and my own fears about singing "When you Believe" since I'm really not Mariah Carey!  And guess what?  It went really well!!! The district number was a complete flop, but nothing else was, and Sister Oswald and I already knew that it would be and were against it the whole time so unfortunately it was an I-told-you-so moment. Except of course we didn't say that. And my song with Tabby went so well! Everyone has been on Tabby's case this whole time but it was so good. Apparently everyone was sooo worried. And they were worried after hearing our first run through on Sunday. But we didn't really care about impressing them we were just kind of messing around and trying not to wear out our voices because we were both on the verge of sore throats. The second run through we put a little more of our voices into it. But then for the real thing obviously we gave it all and everyone was really impressed. Some people had been so difficult about Tabby participating, which, of course, was so annoying to me because they should have been totally behind her wanting to be involved!  Ah, sometimes people just don't get it!  So we were really hoping that she would just show them and she did. We were pleased with it. It was a success. Several non-members were in attendance! Ingrid couldn't come because Chris was sick. But René (the hiking guide) was kind enough to come! Along with friends of members and less actives and our new friend, whose name I don't even really know for sure. It sounded like Kurdi. But she is a miracle. She was referred to us from missionaries in Kosovo but she was just visiting. She lives in Luzern! But we haven't gotten to meet with her yet. We were given her number by the bishop, who got it from the mission president in Albania/Kosovo, who he knows personally, and who Sister Oswald and I also know! But this phone number we had been given was not working. We called and called. We were sad. She sounded so awesome. But then one day Sister Oswald called and the call went through! And then she called us back. She came to the musical fireside and loved it and met a few members and we have our first meeting with her tomorrow. Cool, huh?! That lady that I told you about who we met on a Monday morning who has never even been to church in Luzern and has been innactive for such a long time came with her partner! Way cool. And the spirit was there and things really did go really well.

Check out my cool pics. I made my own Swiss Army Knife at the Victorinox factory. Rad, huh? And it has "Kate's Knife" engraved on it so that everyone will know that's it's mine and that I made it. And on the knife blade it says it was self-made in Brunnen.

Today we were in Zurich with a member (Kimberly. You know who she is? and we went to the Grossmünster and we took the stairs to the top and we visited the Fraumünster and we wandered through the old city (Altstadt). Writing about wandering through the old city makes me think of Jerusalem. Altstadt is more accurate. Then we went on a boatride on the Zürichsee with other missionaries who are going home while Kimberly ate and shopped.

Guess what a missionary who is in Schaffhausen now said I had still gotten some letters (and she said like 5!) and she gave them to her zone leader to give to me. I have never ever seen them. They are lost forever. Way sad. I still hate lost letters. So if you have any letters you want to send, send them within the next day. There's not much more time and I don't want any lost letters. This weekend was really crazy. I found letters in the mailbox from James and Mom on Saturday night and I didn't even have the chance to read them until this morning on the bus!

Well life is good. The church is true. I'm tired. What else is new? Also we continue to be able to teach Gabriela which is great. Also I randomly ran into Phil Mast today in Zurich! Huge tender mercy. Well, I love you all. Thanks for being the best.

Missionaries in the Zurich Zone at zone conference

November 17, 2014 - From Luzern

November 17, 2014

I met up with Karen and Nathalie Mast (Karen is Katie's Dad's cousin.  She married a Swiss she met on her mission in England and they have lived and raised their three girls in Switzerland)  this week and I am so glad they made the effort to come see me.  I thought it was important. We met in Zurich.  And, of course, because Sister Oswald's family is like one of the most well-known to the members in Switzerland, Karen actually knew her family. She recognized Oswald right away. I always tell Sister Oswald she is a celebrity. She has people she has never met bringing her treats to stake conference and stuff.

The fireside did go well! Maybe not as well as I know some of the other ones have been going but still great.I don't know how much I have told you or how much you have seen about the progress of musical firesides since Sister Siems, Sister Peacock, Sister Määttä and me started this whole thing in March.

Check out this website:

http://musikalischerabend.com/

Two elders have permission from president to develop these musical firesides as a part of their missionary work. And now they both have contracts to work in Berlin after this. Crazy. The St. Gallen Stake and especially the Winterthur Ward is all over these firesides. All the missionaries say it was what most of stake conference was about.

So yesterday at the fireside I sang with my friend Salome, who is an amazing singer. This weekend is the scary one that is in Luzern. I'm singing a harder song with Tabby who isn't as amazing as Salome!  More depends on me. Scary. But it has been worth it for the chance to see Tabby all the time. She and Sara were in church again yesterday and she started telling me during relief society about how I have made a big difference for her. Really sweet. Really crazy, but really sweet.

There's a picture of Salome and me as well as me with my sweet Sister Weibel from Schaffhausen... who isn't actually from Schaffhausen just assigned there because her husband is the branch president. She told me she cries every time she hears me sing. That would have been the fourth time she has heard me because of the two times in church and the two musical firesides so far.

Want to know something cool? We have been inviting less actives/inactives (actually I don't always differentiate between the two so if I say someone is inactive or less active they could be either) to the musical fireside and we went to this sweet couple who comes every once in a while (I had seen them once at church since I have been in Luzern) and only the husband was home and he thought it was such a shame that he couldn't invite us in  (Sister missionaries don't go inside when there is only a male in the home) and then he said that they would come to church on Sunday and we could make an appointment then. And they did come! But we didn't get to make an appointment because we needed to make it with her and she was always talking to someone. They have great relationships with many ward members. But today we are here doing emails at the church and they are here cleaning the church! The wife told me that her husband noticed yesterday when they were here that no one had signed up to clean the church and he asked if they could do it. (Although the church has regional employees who take care of major repairs,  but church members sign up to clean the church building weekly).  And she didn't have work today so they did! So nice of the two of them to come and clean the church. And now we were able to talk and now we have an appointment. And I know they will be blessed for their service. 

I did get my package. Mommy you know that cool picture you made me with my name tag in it? If there is ever a picture of Sister Oswald's name tag alone on dropbox, maybe you could make one for her like you made for me. I think she would like it.

  

I want to do crossfit when I get back. Any chance of that? That can replace gymnastics and I can do pilates and yoga still. :)

I want pictures of the puppy. Boy or girl?

P.S. I like that Connor called you! That makes me feel like Connor and Hayden and his friend Brooke would like to be friends with me. Too bad it's so far away. Tell them I say thanks. And call Jackie! She hasn't responded. If there's a spot in her ward that doesn't smell like Slab Pizza I want it. That apartment complex is kinda ghetto but it's way close to campus and I'll probably be at home kind of a lot . .

Well I love you. Sorry my emails are kinda lame. I love being a missionary. I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The end.

"I think Swiss German sounds like German with rocks in your mouth." November 11, 2014 - From Luzern

I'm happy. It's been a good week. Momma I forgot to tell you that last week at stake conference one of my dear Schaffhausen members asked me to say hello to my mother. He is the sweetest. He still remembers the Schaffhausen Chapel gingerbread house you made! 

And Sunday Jon Schmidt and the Piano Guys came to our ward!  They had a concert in Luzern the night before and then they gave an impromptu mini concert after church.  It was amazing!

Click on the link below to see a video of Jon Schmidt playing his famous Waterfall!

Jon Schmidt playing after church in Luzern

Well where to start. Yesterday we went to the Einsiedeln Kloster. Way cool. And yesterday morning we met with a less active who we have been trying to see for so long and she would only see us yesterday. And we already had an appointment with a member family in the evening so we had to do emails today.

The Kloster was amazing.  It is a Benedictine monastery in the town of Einsiedeln in the Canton Schweiz. It is a really important place of pilgrimage dedicated to the Virgin Mary in Switzerland for Catholics. It's well known for the "black Madonna" and the St. James pilgrimage path goes through this monastery as well.  It's over 1000 years old. It was quite something to see and we loved it.  Just Sister Oswald and I went.

  

Did you see the pictures of me at the Freitag store? That was a P-day a while ago. 

(FYI - "Freitag" is apparently a super hip Swiss Brand.  They make products such as bags, purses, laptop cases etc out of recycled tarps that are used to cover large semi-trucks when transporting goods.)

More about our appointment with the less active yesterday. First time we have met with her, first time she has met with missionaries in YEARS, first time her new partner had the chance to learn anything about the church, and yeah it went pretty well. It was just a miracle that we were even able to get an appointment with her. We've been trying for months. But it's just kind of hard with people like that, when they're saying things that are completely incorrect and they have just gotten the wrong ideas. And I don't ever want to offend them . . . you would like there to be a next time . . . but they also have so much misinformation! She kept telling us that there was no need for organized religion and that Jesus didn't actually establish a church while he was on the earth and that he always taught in the outdoors and not at the temple or in synagogues. So false. She acknowledged that Jesus was in the temple twice, when he was a boy and when he overthrew the mini mall on the temple grounds. But he was there way more than that. We just really tried to listen and understand what she was thinking and feeling but I think that she and her partner are coming to the musical fireside! We really think they will come. I also just bore testimony of a living prophet and basically the many reasons why having a church is important to God's plan.  Ingrid is also coming to the musical fireside!!

About the musical fireside . . . Can't remember what I've really told you. Next Sunday at the one in Schwamendingen I'm singing a duet with a member from Solothurn because I didn't want to sing by myself.  And we had planned on singing together in Solothurn but it never worked out. We're singing "Whole Again" by Sally DeFord. Then the Sunday after that is our musical fireside here in Luzern and I'll be singing in "Christ Alone" with the district (which I already sang with two other missionaries at the first musical fireside but now we will be singing it in German and there will be more of us). And I'll be singing "When You Believe." The Mariah Carey/Whitney Houston version. Listen to it and you will understand why I am semi-terrified. I'm singing the Mariah Carey part. Except I cannot sing like Mariah Carey (surprise surprise! ha ha). Pray for me! The less active I am singing with is black and insisted on being Whitney Houston. And she came to church on Sunday!! With her daughter!! It was amazing. She even bore her testimony. And you know who else bore her testimony? The member I told you about who had thought of going inactive but we have been working with her and she's amazing. I want her to be my friend forever. And you know who else bore his testimony? Jon Schmidt. That's right, two of the piano guys came to church. It was such a good Sunday for so many reasons. Except for that another less active, Nancy, PROMISED to come and didn't. That was sad, but we love helping people take even the smallest steps to being closer to the feeling that comes from living in the footsteps of our Savior. 

Another less active is doing SO WELL. She has vacation time from work right now and she has been spending her time studying the gospel. And it is showing. She is incredible. She gets her patriarchal blessing at the end of this month.

I got an email from Jenni today. :-) I will direct her question to all of you and see what you come up with: "By the way, I still cant have fun reading the book of Mormon... any suggestions what might help ?" I have a few thoughts but give me what you have! I am just happy that she would ask me that.

Quote of the week:

"I think Swiss German sounds like German with rocks in your mouth." - Brother Warburton

Today I will give my last testimony to my fellow missionaries at zone training. Really crazy. I'm trying to get time to slow down a little. I still have over 3 weeks!! That's longer than I had in Kenya and that already impacted me for the eternities. I heard from Sister Judd that Elder Teixiera said that trunky missionaries should think about what the Savior accomplished during the last week of His life! I know that I still have much to do and I'm definitely not feeling trunky anyway.  I just hope I can do everything that my Heavenly Father wants me to before I leave.  I really want to own the next three weeks.

Byeeee love you.