Schweiz

Hi I'm alive! 

Man, have these last few weeks been some crazy roller coasters. But all of that is finally over, and we are back to preaching the gospel like a couple of maniacs!  There is WAY too much to say, but leaving Augsburg was actually harder than I thought it would be!  Saying goodbye to Maili and Izu was the hardest, but before I left Izu did a prayer circle with us and said the most wonderful prayer ever for me :) He's so great. I haven't heard for sure, but he was planning on receiving the Aaronic priesthood yesterday at church, so I hope that all went well! :) 

I also got to hug and say goodbye to every single one of Maili's cats...she made me, hahah! and that was awesome. 

SWITZERLAND IS SO DIFFERENT. This is like a completely different mission, guys. They speak Swiss German here and it just sounds like German with an Italian accent, mixed with a few gobbling turkeys. I literally can't understand one word of it. As soon as I thought my German was good, I get put into a whole new country and a whole new language!  The currency is different here, they use Franken instead of Euro, and the people are WAY nicer. It's actually kinda freaking me out that every time we stop someone on the street to talk to them, they actually smile and listen😳 Solothurn is probably the greatest ward at missionary work that I've ever been in.  Best Ward Mission Leader, and best member missionaries!  There are definitely people here that are so ready for the gospel, and people in the Ward that are so ready to receive them with open arms!

Cool things we have done in the last week and a half: we went to Basel and then crossed the border to Germany to go grocery shopping because Switzerland is ridiculously expensive.  We went to the TEMPLE!!...first time in over a year!  It was the most wonderful and spiritual experience ever, and I got to listen to the session in German which was better than English honestly. 

We accidentally broke a Swiss law and I almost got a GIANT ticket! 

We had a baptism for a little girl that we had to speed through all the lessons with because she's 9 (so technically an investigator) and her mom just forgot to have her get baptized when she was 8.  But she was SO CUTE and so happy at her baptism :)  

We had a ton of lessons with our other investigator, who is getting baptized in a little less than a month.  She is so cool, and so prepared!  We had interviews and training from President Kohler, and those are always great.  Stake Conference with the whole Bern Stake, so many meetings I can't even remember, and lots of appointments with members! It's been so crazy busy, which is such a blessing, and I think I'm beginning to get used to things here. Today for pday we are going to the Matterhorn (the mountain not the roller coaster) so be prepared for some awesome pictures next week!

I also just want you all to know that the power of prayer is real.  And also that more people are praying for you than you realize!  I know with all my heart and soul that Heavenly Father really does hear and answer our prayers and pleadings to Him.  If you are struggling, if you are lonely, if you are sad, or even if you are grateful, happy, and everything is going great, GET ON YOUR KNEES AND PRAY.  Our Heavenly Father loves us more than we can imagine, and I am barely coming to a tiny understanding of what that really means for me.

Pray as if everything depends on the Lord, and then WORK as if everything depends on you. That's been my motto for the past week :) 

love you all!

Sister Thunell