Blessing and helping people (and David's first mission birthday)

On Wednesday we had district meeting, and Elder Austad found out that it was my birthday tomorrow, so he and Elder Vang made brownies and the district sang to me. Then Elder Justensen got a cake at WalMart and made it for me on Friday, because we were busy on Thursday. This past week has been a little challenging with finding and thinking about taking over the area. When Elder Justensen leaves on February 18th, he ends his mission, but that is also good. The Lord is always there when I ask for help, which I am grateful for. This past week, we were able to get back into contact with Serena, which was really great, and I am grateful for that. She is doing better; she just struggles with some things she has gotten into with Word of Wisdom issues in the past. She seemed happy to see us. Then we were able to give a blessing to a former investigator, Mary who is in her 80s, I think, and her LDS daughter at the hospital. Mary isn't doing good, and they think she is going to pass away this week. It was good that we were able to give them both a priesthood blessing. Than we were able to meet with Donna and Monte. We have been helping Donna with reading and understanding, because she struggles with reading and trying to understand. That is going good.
---David on 2 February 2015

No fear, new companions, and new experiences

This past week was a little challenging, but good. We were able to have some good lessons with most of our investigators: Monte and Donna, Kyle, and Mary. They all came to church yesterday, which was really amazing. I am grateful for that. Mary we met a week or two ago. We were trying to find a less-active, but ran into her. She told us she is looking for a church to go to. She has been through a lot the past two years with health problems. There is a scripture that I really like which I came across this morning: 2 Nephi 22:2, and I know it is true that, if we put our trust in God, we shall not fear. Sometimes I can be scared to speak or do something, sometimes I might be afraid of what some one might say or do, but as we put our trust in God, we shall not fear. As we do our best, we can overcome our weaknesses with the Lord's help. This Wednesday after district meeting, I went on exchanges with our district leader, Elder Austed. He is a great missionary. I went to his area South La Crosse [about 30 miles down the river in Wisconsin], and it was a good exchange. He and Elder Vang know how to speak Hmong, so he would speak that language sometimes. We were able to stop by and visit one of their investigators who is probably in his 50s, and we found out that his brother just passed away and he was going through a hard time. I felt prompted to share about Anthony and the things that have helped me to get through that, and it was a good experience.
---David on 26 January 2015

Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid; for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also has become my salvation. (2 Nephi 22:2)

Here are some photos of La Crosse, to give the readers an idea about what the area is like.

I am staying in Lubbock, TX another transfer. I'm still in the same area and at the same address. I am getting a new companion. His name is Elder Christensen. I am developing new skills in my life that I never knew would start to come into my life.
---Matthew on 26 January 2015

Apostles, Hawaiian companions, weather above freezing, and investigators' testimonies

Elder Bednar came this past Friday. He talked during stake conference and at my mission conference. So I got to hear from him twice. And I am doing great! My companion is going home this next week. He has served his time for now and is at the end of his mission. He is short and really tough. Like muscles. He likes to surf, sing, and dance. He is from Oahu in Hawaii. I get to visit the temple once a transfer in my mission, every six weeks. So pretty often!
---Matthew on 19 January 2015

The weather has been warm these past few days, in the 30s to high 40s. We had a great lesson with one of our investigators, Kyle. It was great. Before we left, Elder Justensen asked him if he knows the Book of Mormon to be true, and he said he believes the Book of Mormon is true, which is really great. We are also having him set a date for his baptism after he turns 18, which is in October.
---David on 19 January 2015

Miracles, blessings, and special experiences

This past week was great. This past week was full of miracles. We haven't been able to get ahold of Serena for a while. She is someone we have been teaching, and we were able to get back in contact with her and Faith on Tuesday. She relapsed into smoking and was depressed, so that is why we haven't been able to get ahold of her until now. We were able to have a great lesson with her and were able to give her a priesthood blessing, which was a great experience. After the lesson, she said she was feeling a lot better. Then we were able to see her again on Thursday with Sis. Leonhardt and Bro. Melton, which was good, too. Bro. Melton shared a really powerful testimony that seemed to help her, and we were also able to leave a blessing on her home.

Then while we were weekly planning, we got a call from a former investigator's daughter who is a member in a different area, and she felt prompted to call us and ask if we could give her non-member mom and sister priesthood blessings, because they were going through a harder time. The mom is in her 80s, I want to say, and the older sister is in her 50s or 60s. It was a really great experience to be there and to play a part in giving them both a priesthood blessing. We felt the Spirit, and I am sure they did, too. Then we were able to have a good lesson with Monty and Donna, some investigators we are teaching. We talked about the last 3 or 4 points in the Plan of Salvation, and I shared my testimony about it and how it has helped me with Anthony passing away, and I was able to feel the Spirit as I shared my testimony. I am grateful to be holding the Priesthood, and I know it is the power of God.
---David on 12 January 2015

I am doing great! Some exciting news that is going to happen and that has happened... I went to the Lubbock Temple with my companion, Elder Pahulu (from Hawaii), for a endowment session, and then I gave a talk in Sacrament Meeting. I talked about enduring to the end. My talk was based off the talk that was given in the October 2013 General Conference by Richard J. Maynes, and called "The Strength to Endure." I have the talk in my journal, so I will have to share that when I return home. But in the meantime, the big, exciting news is that Elder Bednar is coming to my mission and will be instructing us about certain things regarding our mission. So it's exciting that I will be able to meet a living Apostle! It's a humbling experience that I will have, and I will be grateful for it.
---Matthew on 12 January 2015

Touching people's lives

My mission has been a growing experience thus far. And I hope 2015 continues to make me grow and shapes me into what Heavenly Father wants me to be! I am grateful for your support and love! Thanks for all you do! This past week we have been working really hard with a less-active getting back into activity and quitting smoking, and we taught her the necessary steps to do so. So that's amazing to see someone quit smoking, and get back to the temple where ALL of God's children belong!
---Matthew on 5 January 2015

I really love the area I am in. I am in Winona, Minnesota, a college town. We take in small towns around Winona, too. My companion is Elder Justensen. I get along with him great. He is from northern Utah. Right now, we are working with Kyle. He is 17 years old, living with his grandma who is a member. Molly who is a friend to a less active family who is around 19. Monty and Dona who are around 50, and Serena and Faith who we are trying to get ahold of again. They are all great people. Here we have a branch, and about half of the branch is converts. I really love the branch and the people here. The weather has been getting cold here, and it is going to get colder from what I have heard. This picture is a picture of the zone that I am in. I am on the left side, and the one on the left of me is Elder Johnson who was my companion, and Elder Justensen is on my right side. Right now, I am just with Elder Justensen, and I am going to be with him for another transfer. Being on a mission has been a great blessing to me. I have seen a change in myself with just the few months that I have been out.
---David on 5 January 2015

Winona is a pleasant town on the banks of the Mississippi River on the border with Wisconsin about 3 hours southeast of Minneapolis. Here's a map showing the Winona Branch boundaries:

And this is Elder Swapp's current home (on the right side of the photo):