Merry Christmas Eve Eve....

MERRY CHRISTMAS eve eve......

this week has been yet another eventful week! it was all so great! we went on an exchange with some of our sisters. i went to Cumberland Maryland and stayed in the sisters house they live in that is a million and 4 years old. they don't even have a shower. its an old bath tub. grody. but i had a blast and we saw a ton of miracles in just the 48 hours that i was there and we had a lot of funny stories. so first funny story... we went caroling at a rest home and it was fun... until santa came in.... he walks in and sits down. he starts having a great little chat with all of the cute old ladies. i was chatting with the ladies as well. the other missionaries i was with were kinda talking amongst themselves. well one of the ladies yells out "hey santa are your whiskers real??" and he was like "i don't know.... somebody is going to have to pull on them" and he looks directly at me. i was like " oh haha no thanks." then all the old ladies were pressuring me and were saying "come on sister pull his beard!" so i had no choice. none of the other missionaries were paying attention to help me out. so i smacked the sister i was with on the back and she look right in time for me to pull this santa's beard and then look at all the ladies and say "yup its real!" i was trying to hard to hold in my laughter. it was the grossest weirdest thing i have had to do on my mission so far. hahaha well then we got back from exchanges and we had our mission Christmas party. it was sooo much fun and there were sooo many missionaries there! i had a blast and my throat was sore from talking and laughing so much. i know me laughing.... shocker. i took a lot of picutres. you are welcome mom. we also had a surprise guest. Dennis pita. he plays for the Baltimore ravens and he is a member of the church. we all got to take a picture with him. i of course had to say some comment when i took my picture so i was like hey sorry dennis but i am a 49ers fan. and he said "it ok sister swisher... you guys lost" haha burn. well then we had a talent show and missionaries are such dorks but we have fun. i have had such great experiences this week. the work is going so well and i am so blessed to be a part of it. i just want every one to spend quality time with their families this Christmas. :) that's what its all about. i know i am going to spend a whole hour skyping with mine! woo hoo! cant wait! well i just want you all to know that Jesus Christ really did come to the Earth to save us from our sins. He did conquer death and because He did that, we can be HAPPY! i know that it makes me happy to know this. I know it with all of my heart! I hope you all have a great Christmas week:) MAKE GOOD CHOICES!

Love,

Sister Swisher

Best thing ever!!! (lots of pics)

Some of the things Sister Missionaries learn on their missions:

-how to do your make-up in less than 5 minutes and still look semi-presentable

-how to make random food items left in a kitchen into a gourmet(?) meal

-how to have dance parties to church music. called to serve is my jam. 

-how to conceal your laughter as a bad cough in the middle of lessons. sometimes the people you teach or your companion say something hilarious and ya gotta keep it together. 

-how to clean your apartment in 10 min in order to provide ample preperation day time. i am now an ultimate sweeper. give me a dirty floor, i will sweep it in 2 min :p

-how to make wearing bulky boots, skirts, coats, hats, and scarves work. ok they probably still dont look good but i have convinced myself they do. 

-how to whip out your camera at any possible moment during the day. oh my gosh first snow shoveling experience! picture. oh my gosh we are wearing the same color! picture. 

-how to keep yourself hydrated even though you have very limited bathroom opportunities some days. your bladder gets a good work out let me tell ya. 

-how to use the "can i use your bathroom?" line to get into someone's home that won't let you in. yes i have used so many strangers' bathrooms i lost track. 

-how to make conversation with ANYONE about ANYTHING! 

-how to smell an opportunity for service from a mile away. 

-how to bike in a skirt... its not as easy as they make is seem on TV.... or as graceful

-how to make helmet hair look GOOD

-how to come up with an inspirational 5 minute talk on the fly

-how important letters and packages are! they are GOLD people... GOLD!

-how to keep 50084568 names and addresses straight and not call someone's baby Liam when his name is actually Dean... awko taco

-how to explain why you and you companion smell like cigarette smoke when going into a member's home after coming out of an investigator's home.

-how to go with the flow when your "perfectly" planned day goes less-than-perfectly

-how to take time out of crazy busy life and enjoy the small and simple things that make it all worth it

-how to how to laugh at scripture jokes

-how to laugh at your companion

-how to be laughed at by your companion

-how to stay awake when reading scriptures in the morning. not only keeping your eyelids open but LEARNING as you read

-how to truly love random strangers and want the best for them

-how to trust and rely on the Lord

-how to pray for others

-how to learn and grow from your mistakes

-how to find joy in the trials and hard times in life

-how the Gospel truly can help EVERYONE

My mission is the best thing that has happened to me. I learn every single day! I know that i was meant to be here at this specific time and place. this week has been one of those week's when you just realize how great life really is and how lucky you are to be where you are! I just wanted to share with you all things that those crazy sister missionaries learn when they are out working for the Lord for a year and a half. or as i had a big black preacher tell me in the gas station, "we are on the battlefield for Jesus!" haha its hard but its so fun! its worth it! MAKE GOOD CHOICES!

Love,

Sister Swisher