Random Photos!

I'm just going to add some random pictures 

here.  Sometimes it's hard to figure out which

photos go with what events....

From on top of the Rigi

At the Swiss Temple in Zollikoven

Sister Katie took these pictures for Max.  Kind of  hard to see because they were taken in the dark,
but this ward member has an entire train set up in his house and backyard.  Max (4) is a complete train nut
and would have loved this!

"I know it to be true on all levels" - November 4, 2014 - From Lucerne

Hi to the fam. Well . . . where to start.

I actually haven't had my last fast and testimony meeting  yet because we had stake conference!! Which means I got to see so many people from Schaffhausen!! (not sure if I've described this yet on the blog.  The first Sunday of the month in our church is "Fast and Testimony" meeting.  We  fast  from food and drink for two full meals Saturday evening until Sunday evening and donate the money you would have spent ...and more if you can....to the welfare programs sponsored by the church, both local and national and international. These programs reach far beyond church membership and is a program of our church that I'm incredibly proud of.  Anyway, during this meeting anyone in attendance can come to the front of the chapel and share their thoughts and "bear their testimony" of the truthfulness of the gospel and how it strengthens their life.)

So we had a really weird weekend which is actually really not ideal. We had stake conference Saturday night and Sunday morning in locations closer to Olten and I had to practice with Salome and Elder Cottam for the song we will be performing in the Schwamendingen musical fireside. And Solothurn is also closer to Olten. And we had interviews early the next morning also still closer to Olten. So we spent two nights with the sisters in Olten. Not ideal. We had permission, but after talking to President it sounds like the permission from the zone leaders isn't typically backed up by him. But while we were in Solothurn we went to see Esther. I loved it.

Please pray for me that I can be an extremely effective missionary these last few weeks.

We saw miracles this week, as we do every week. And if we by chance didn't see any, then we are the worst noticers of the Lord's miracles. So here's one. We decided on Monday, the one over a week ago, that we would go stop by on this new member couple in the ward and bring them something. The woman is from Utah, married with a small baby, and is super smart, talented, and beautiful. Just the person who you expect to have it all together, you know? She has moved around a lot in the states, but moving oversees to German-speaking country when she doesn't speak any German has been hard on her. We already knew all that, but we went by and it was pitch black like it is way earlier these days after daylight savings. So we only rang the doorbell once, and then we were just going to leave a Swiss treat and a note in her postbox because it seemed like it was already so late (because it was soooo dark!). But suddenly the door buzzed open, and we were in her building. She was home alone with a sleeping baby and her husband on a business trip. She hadn't heard the doorbell, and she only happened to see my flower trench coat in the camera when she walked past her front door and then she hurried and let us in. A few weeks ago we had a Relief Society activity about food storage, and she came late. We had heard through the grapevine that she is pretty much a professional violinist and we had planned to ask her if she would participate in the musical fireside. So after the activity, which I did a terrible job of translating, Sister Oswald went to talk to her. She didn't want to start talking about the musical fireside right away, so they had a nice little chat. Later I talked to her too and that Sunday where we watched some general conference at church I talked to her forever. You could kind of see that she was starving for a friend. She told us while we were there on Monday night that she had struggled so much with this move and with her testimony that she had planned to just take a break from church for a few months. She came to that Relief Society activity, but she didn't feel like she had any friends there, so she had planned to leave that Relief Society activity and not come back for a while. That's when Sister Oswald approached her. She said if she had waited 10 more seconds she would have been gone. We talked about the things she has been struggling with, specifically the atonement, and it was really an incredible experience. It took a while for her to even trust us enough to share that with her. But we talked for a while and the spirit was very present in the room, and then she felt like sharing that with us. We are staying in regular contact, and we are planning on doing something else with her later this week. I know that God is aware of this woman and trusted us as His missionaries to reach out to her. It has been a very humbling experience, and it's not over.

So our progressing investigator is G, who I think I have talked a little bit about. She's amazing. She's not progressing this week because we went there this morning and she hadn't read in the Book of Mormon or in the restoration pamphlet we gave her :-(. But we taught her about the Plan of Salvation today. At least the first part. We really focused on teaching through the scriptures, and it was such a privilege to be there as she had her eyes opened to new doctrine. We also emphasized the importance of her asking God if these things are true. Her concern about prayer was interesting. She said she doesn't want to be the bratty kid who demands things from God, because she knows what it's like to be a parent. When she does pray she usually just expresses gratitude. So we talked about how we can ask God to reveal truths to us without being demanding, but I think it's something we'll have to talk more about.

That sure made me reflect on my prayers. I'm pretty sure I am just the bratty little kid 99% of the time. I want to try to be more grateful and adopt more of a "be it according to thy will" attitude. Not easy, as you all know.

Well, while we're on the subject of the Plan of Salvation, I just want to bear testimony of it. It is the truth. It answers the questions of my soul. Nothing that I believe goes against my logic. I know it to be true on all levels. I love it, and I'm so grateful for it. Well . . . Keep being the best.

Happy Birthday to Austin!

"Okay, minor crisis here...." October 27, 2014 from Lucerne

October 27, 2014

Hey it's the missionary. I'm having a little bit of a rough time. I'm just not always Christlike enough. I'm still really tired all the time, but life is good nevertheless.

Hey Happy Birthday to the Joey! (her sister Lindsey's terrific husband)

Okay minor crisis here . . . super minor but still important to me. Remember how you were all nice and sent me what you remembered about my setting apart blessing? And remember how whatever you sent me is buried in a pocket of my suitcase and one time I tried looking for it but had no luck? Yep,   this is a crisis because I would really like to look back on my setting apart blessing right now. So if you still have your notes somewhere in some Dear Elder email or on your computer somewhere, I would love to have them. I just feel like it's such a shame that I can't really think back on it.

We had two major service projects this week. We helped a less active, Tabby, clean her house in preparation for her moving out. It took forever. We have done a lot of cleaning.

We also helped the Richterswil Ward with their awesome service project on Saturday! They worked with an organization that gives direct help to impoverished people in Romania. So they really advertised in the community that the church in Richterswil was doing this project so there were lots of non-members coming to drop things off and there was a lunch buffet and everything was really well organized. One of the goals was to help the community know that there is an LDS church there, and that they're doing good things. There was a lot of cooperation from non-members and so many members participated. They collected bedding, clothes, games, Christmas gifts, and so forth.

As a side note, the people in this area are generally quite well off. I saw a lot of clothes I would have loved to have kept (Burberry, JCrew . . .). Plenty of things still had tags on them.  The bishop was really great and I really liked him.

Interesting events of the week. I left the phone on a train. I freaked out and we went back to the bahnhof to look for it, even though we were on our way to an appointment we had with a less active. Someone had turned it in to the lost and found. Yayyyy. Our appointment had already been looking shaky because our less active wasn't answering the phone, but then we went after we found the phone and she wasn't there. Never had been there. Her partner said she was out of town.

Then the next day I left a bag of missionary clothes on the train. We had wanted to change into missionary clothes after serving at Tabby's. Those I never found again. I do a lot of dumb things. My poor companion. 

We had an interesting church meeting yesterday. Because here because of the time change they watch the last session of general conference as a ward. So we had the sacrament and then watched general conference. It was also at 3 in the afternoon because of the marathon that morning. In the morning no public transportation was going. So we did weekly planning yesterday.

We had a great lesson with a less active preparing her for her patriarchal blessing. Last night we slept over in Olten with the Olten sisters. Terrible idea, but we did it because we're having a district P-day today for Sister Wüst's last P-day. I'm in Zurich at an internet cafe.

We had this super crazy storm one night with thunder and lightning and pelting rain. Yes, we got caught in it. I was very impressed with my windproof umbrella. But I still got soaked. Because of the storm, the next morning our train was CANCELED. At least we hear it was because of the storm. So we couldn't go see our progressing investigator! Who is our favorite. But we ended up basically having a lesson over the phone and we will see her tomorrow. She has been reading in the Book of Mormon and I'm so excited about the progress she is making. 

Love you. 

Map of Districts in the Alpine Mission

"By the dawns early light" October 20, 2014 From Luzern

Heyyyyyy Family! Guess what I did today?!? I hiked to the top of Pilatus. Yes, I did! With my companion!  We gave ourselves an extended P-day because technically we didn't have one last week because on that P-day  we helped a member move all day.

So, we´re having a musical fireside on the 23rd of November in Luzern. And do you know why? Because musical firesides have become somewhat of a phenomenon in this mission. Sister Siems and Sister Peacock and Sister Maatta and I planned the first one and everyone loved it. So since that Fireside was the first lesson, then came the second lesson and the third lesson in Winterthur. And the second one was more about art and yeah they have gotten really good. Every time they have been more professional, and they're trying to make them more standardized so its easier for other missionaries to create them as well.

But I did not push for this musical fireside. Elder Schumaier did (and thanks to him you have all those new pictures to look through. There aren´t very many of me but there are some good scenic ones.). So it has been kind of a drama and on top of that they are having a musical fireside in Schwamendingen (Zurich) the week before and they asked me to sing in it. And I am probably singing in the Luzern one too so that a less active can participate. Pray that it works. Otherwise we were trying to get as many members as possible involved and not so many missionaries. 

In an effort to keep it easy for the Schwamendingen fireside, I'm singing a song I already practiced with a member in Solothurn and with Elder Cottam on the piano. We had planned to preform it on my last Sunday, but the member got sick. So now we will perform it! As a result, I had to talk to Elder Cottam on the phone to let him know, and the first quote of the week is from him.

Me: Okay bye I have to go . . .

Elder Cottam: Wait Sister Lewis! Oh say can you see . . . (he's not singing, just saying it)

Me: By the dawn's early light?

Elder Cottam: Oh good! I thought maybe you had forgotten 'Merica!

(I’m guessing this is because they were the only two Americans in the district when she was in Solothurn)

One time Sister Oswald and I were having some small public transportation issues and we had the following conversation (while walking next to the great, big, beautiful lake):

Sister Oswald: We could just hitchhike and get someone to pick us up.

Me: Or we could just steal that boat (There was a boat right there on that gorgeous lake.)

Uh...that leads into another story. Seriously I don't think there is a more beautiful lake. And I may or may not have gotten the chance to ride in and even drive a private boat on this lake. It was necessary I promise. We were with our referral. And it was just a blessing from Heavenly Father because I have been dreaming about going boating on that lake! Here's what happened. Greg (Greg is the owner of Alpenwild, and Sister Kate has worked for him in his office and as a hiking guide in the Swiss Alps)   referred a Swiss guide he works with who lives in Luzern and so we called him and he invited us to come hiking with him and a client for no cost. Missionary opportunity! Maybe not so traditional, but a missionary opportunity nonetheless. He had questions for us and we all talked about religion and how it played in to the history of Luzern and we met so many people who had been to Utah or something and even to temple square (for example the guy selling cheese). It was good. Aaaand then we were waiting for our boat to take us back to Luzern and a guy came out and offered us a ride in his private boat. That's it. See pictures. I don't feel guilty. I AM obedient. But normally missionaries are not supposed to be on private boats for reasons you can imagine . . . but no I did not get in the water nor will I ever on my mission. (Missionaries are asked not to swim throughout their missions. This is primarily for safety reasons and simply avoids many potential safety hazards that could be encountered by potentially inexperienced swimmers, dangerous waters etc.) 

So more about my great day today . . . It was a harder hike than Timp. (Mt Timpanogas is our local mountain where we live in Utah.  It's elevation is 11, 752 and the trail starts at 6,910 and is about 16 miles round trip)  Four hours up. Lots of elevation. And then we climbed around all over on top and added some more elevation and I was just obsessed with today!

Yesterday we had the opportunity to visit a nice member of our ward. I had the feeling more than once that I needed to do something with her. She is always at church, but never at activities. She has some friends in the ward, but not many. Sister Oswald had never spoken to her. I have had a few occasions to speak with her and I even sat next to her last week and I just asked her if Sister Oswald and I could come by to practice teaching one of the lessons by teaching it to her. She wanted to also feed us, but I expressly told her that we are just fine without any food involved and that we would just like to come and see her. We made an appointment for yesterday, and we went. She did insist on feeding us, and her inactive son was also there for dinner. It's these people who Heavenly Fathers needs us to visit! It's these people who need the missionaries in their homes every once in a while. Her ex-husband has tried to turn their children against the gospel and the church.  And here she is, ever faithful, coming to church by herself. We talked about the first part of the second lesson (the Plan of Salvation) and it was good. It wasn't like it was the best lesson the world has ever seen, but we all bore testimony, and she enjoyed it. She mentioned afterward that she never has had the missionaries over because she thought it might be boring for us with just her there. Of course we assured her that we had enjoyed our time with her very much, and she told us she would like to have us over again before I leave. I just had such a good feeling leaving the house because I had paid attention to a prompting from the Holy Ghost in making sure we spent some time with her. Sister Oswald was also very happy that we went. It was just good. I really felt like the Lord's servant, which is my favorite feeling in the world.

I got so excited talking about boats that I forgot to finish the Sister Oswald quote of the week. I'll try again:

One time Sister Oswald and I were having some small public transportation issues and we had the following conversation (while walking next to the great, big, beautiful lake):

Sister Oswald: We could just hitchhike and get someone to pick us up.

Me: Or we could just steal that boat (there was a boat right there and that gorgeous lake).

Sister Oswald: At least my idea was realistic.

Me: Mine was more fun.

Sister Oswald: True.

Well Family, I love you. My letters from Liddy and Jesse were special treats this week. The Church is true, and Jesus is coming again!! Ha ha I don't know if you remember me telling you that Sister Kervinen (one of her companions in the Missionary Training Center) and I ran around the MTC saying that. We were reminiscing about it on our exchange.

October 13, 2014

Well right now I´m in an internet cafe in Basel. And I´m struggling with this German keyboard. And guess who I´m with?! Sister Kervinen!! She is technically my sister training leader and even though we have already had a tausch this transfer (when I came to Olten with Sister Wüst) right now we are having another one. A P-day tausch! It was actually so that Sister Wüst could have an adventure P-day before she goes home. So she and Sister Oswald (who is the master of adventure P-days) were supposed to go hiking and ride a glass elevator today. I think they still did even though it´s raining. And Sister Kervinen and I get to be together. It´s so nice. So we´re actually in Basel and apparently we´re going to Germany to eat Chinese food because that´s what the elders in the district are doing and Sister Kervinen wants to and then we will just go shopping I guess. Everything is cheaper in Germany. In Switzerland many people go to Germany to shop (except not the really truly Swiss people... they would not do that) and in Germany people go to Hungary to shop. Everyone wants a better price.

It´s been a good week. It has been interesting seeing the benefits of having two Americans together. We visited an inactive sister this week who is originally from the midwest but has lived here forever and she basically told us, "You know, you two are pretty cool for missionaries." She just didn´t really connect with the German sisters who were here before us and I think she appreciates us being here. She said maybe it´s because we´re American and she can just connect to us. We have also gotten really close with the American family in our ward. The father of the family is working here as some kind of airplane engineer or something. And the mom has worked hard at integrating herself into the ward but I guess you sometimes still end up feeling like an outsider. Especially when you can´t really speak German all that well. This week we went on a hike with her and her children in between appointments and we talked all about missionary work! Really, we did. And she talked to us about her efforts to be a missionary and she finally shared with us some pretty personal things and I think that meant a lot to her to be able to share. 

So today was crazy and I have to finish tomorrow. Weird. See you then.

PART II

I'm hurrying and finishing emails today. Sister Kervinen and I have been companions since Sunday night and then we will switch back after district meeting today. So more stories from the week . . . we visited a less active who we will see again today and she has a lot of progress to make but I hope we will be able to help her. Did I tell you she actually came to church once after we invited her with her "husband" (they're not actually married) but he didn't feel like they fit in and she felt uncomfortable too because she knows so little. But we're working on it. You just get the most random stories, sorry. I also talked a less active into giving us a German lesson but it ended up being really awkward. He is not that much older than us and he lives with his mom and we're trying to work with her too so I just thought he was a good candidate for German lessons. And he also had to learn German after growing up in the U.S. with a Swiss mother who didn't teach him any Swiss or German. (Sorry Momma but I'm pretty sure all of Switzerland is disappointed with you for not speaking Swiss German to me when I was little. But it's okayyyy I guess I understand. You didn't grow up here either.) And he has gotten really good from living here and he corrected my German after I gave a prayer once so I decided he should just teach us. Anyway I warned him that it would include a spiritual thought and he knew that it would anyway. It turned into a bit of a challenging situation because of the dynamics between him and his mom, but we did our best with that.

Also we had zone conference! I actually saw my mission president! It was good and I hear he wrote parents about our new goal to have a baptism in every unit before the end of the year? I really want it to happen!!!

After zone conference we got to have a short dinner with Sister Oswald's grandparents who live in Zurich since we were there anyway (and they aren't members!). That was really nice.

I'm sad about Beamer. I was really starting to think she would make it. (Our dog Beamer, that we've had since Katie was 8 passed away last week). Didn't I tell you there was a while when I seriously thought she had died because I hadn't heard one thing about her or seen a picture of her in so long? And I thought you just didn't want to tell me or something. But then I think you sent a picture and I thought, "Whew!" But mostly I feel bad for you Mom and Dad because you're the ones at home checking the garage and seeing no doggy there. It will be sadder for me when I go home (but we are getting a kitten and a puppy for Christmas . . . right Daddy?).

Mommy I liked your message to the Euro moms. And will you add Sister Kervinen's mom? Leena Kervinen.  Love you family....your Sister Lewis