Week 61 in the Field: Week 6 in Zurich: New Companion, Sister Smith from Layton, UT:):)

Hi. Wow. So much has happened. Bitte sei geduldig mit mir. I'm just going to pour everything in my head out in this email and I hope it makes sense. 

This was our Schwamendingen team before we all got moved :)

So. Golden. She is here :) Her name is Sister Smith and she is from Layton, Utah and her mom is from Switzerland. She turned 22 on her first day here with me :) And we love each other!

 We are having a great time and she is just... oh my gosh. I can't believe how good of a missionary she already is. She knows more than I do! I never thought that missionaries come from the MTC and know what to do, but she does! And she can already speak pretty good German, so that's nice:) 

She got in really late on Thursday night, so after we got her, and overwhelmed all the poor Goldens, we finally headed home. Luckily we live 5 minutes from Bahnhof. 

Before she came, we had a full day of missionary work, of course. I said goodbye to the missionaries who were leaving, then worked with Sister Page for the day. She is also from UT :) It was so so great!! We had a service project and did a few "vorbei"s and had a really great random appointment with a member of the ward. We had a great spiritual conversation and our relationship was strengthened. Then we went out to dinner as Trainers and prepared ourselves for what was about to happen :) Good last night of being single and without a child ;)

 She was just ready to go from the moment she got here. Like really. I am still so shocked. We celebrated her birthday the next day! I had no idea! Good thing I had a few things I could pull together :) We did a normal day and then had a cake and sang and... that was it. It was really short notice :) But still something she won't ever forget. 

We have had some really cool experiences together. She is fearless this girl. I mean.. wow. 

Other things we did this week... we went Caroling. That was... cold. But good :)  Saw one of my best friends, whom I'll miss very much...Sis C.

We passed out the link to the He is the Gift video and sang to the people. T'was nice :) 

Um... 

We had our Christmas Conference yesterday :) It was SO GOOD. I wish I could just send you all my notes and ideas. But... that would probably put you to sleep :) We had a good spiritual part from Sister Kohler to start us off about the gift of time. And then President spoke a bit. Then we had training about what a Musical Fireside is and we had a mini one. Then :) Then we watched Meet the Mormons!! That was such a treat!!! And so so good!!! We had a great lunch, a gift exchange (I got Legos... which is good cause everyone was really upset that I had never played with them before), then had a bit more training on how to use Christmas in our contacting this year. We are really being pushed to use He is the Gift. It's really inspiring and so good, so of course I am excited about that :) We are being encouraged not to lose the spirit of our missions throughout this time, and I am really excited to have the most missionary Christmas ever :) And now with the amazing goals we've set with our contacting on Bahns and on the street, I think we really will have the greatest Christmas ever :) 

I guess that's what I've loved the most so far... new goals. And fully focused on our purpose. I've really missed that. Really truly. I feel like I am finally reaching potential out here. I mean... I have A LOT to improve on. I mean.. there's a lot of things I should already be confident doing, but I'm not. But now.. better later than never, right? We'll learn together. I told Sister Kohler yesterday that I am just SO EXCITED to go, go, go the rest of these 3 transfers. She was really excited to hear that. 

Here's what I wrote to President. Maybe it makes better sense?:

Wow. First part of a week as being a trainer. I have to say.. I am LOVING it. I have SO much to learn, and you were right: we learn more from our Goldens than we think. I am sure she is teaching me more than what I am teaching her. She is so focused on our purpose as missionaries. This was an inspired companionship. We're loving working together and we are coming along nicely with the training. Still doesn't seem to be enough time to do everything, but.. we've only just begun.

I love working with her so far because we have really worked on setting goals. Our goals lay heavily in our contacting and how we talk with people. We both saw that we could improve our skills. This week, our focus comes from the first lesson and from the Training Program. On the streets, we want to practice contacting with the topic of prayer, and taking that and relating it to all the points in the 1st lesson. On the Bahn, we are really trying to bring up the point of baptism as soon as they ask us our purpose. We are just trying some things out and seeing what works; really working on the program. 

I am so glad I have to chance to train. I would love to end my mission doing this. There's nothing better to get you focused, especially when your Golden is so in the game and ready to go. 

Yeah. So.. that's my week. 

Sorry if that was a lot just... thrown at you. I hope you can understand :)

I love you all. I know that the Lord blesses us when we do what is right, especially when it's hard. Keep it up. Don't get discouraged. We can always count on the Lord. He is always there. 

As we think about giving gifts this year, why don't we think about the gifts we've been given. The most important is the gift of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. God gave us His only Begotten Son because He loves us so much. He has given us all things for our success. Use what it is that He's given us.

And then ask yourself, "what can I give God this year?". That is a really powerful question. As Sister Smith and I have thought about this, we have really been able to focus on our goals that we've made together. My gift to God this year is the gift of work. I want to give Him my all. I just want to give it up to God. It's up to Him. I am going to be is His instrument, and I can't wait to see the miracles He is waiting to give us. 

Man. I just feel so thankful. It took a while to get here, but I'm here now. And I know I'm not always going to be so fired up, but I do know that because I want it, I'll continue to work for it :) 

I love you all!! I think I said that already. It's still true ;) Have a really great week :)

And I got the gifts :) I can't wait to open them on Christmas!

Sister Chloe Gilmour

xx