Jared's Amazing Letter!

We got an incredible letter from Jared. It's amazing how the Lord is guiding him to his ami's (which is what they call their investigators ). He's having much success and is just loving serving the Lord. Read on:

Dear Family,
Ok, this week has been incredible! We had a ton of success!! Last Monday (the 11th) we only had 1 lesson, and that was at Family Home Evening. It wasn't the best day for numbers.

Tuesday, we wanted to work in this other newer area, and we did, but we didn't have a very good day. It started out so slow and it didn't get better during the day.

Wednesday, we had some success! We did some porting and got let in. We taught this girl about the B.O.M and added her as a new ami. She seemed like she was pretty interested. Then that night, we had an activity with the Young Women and Young Men, and we did a missionary activity to help them know how to talk to their friends and answer their questions. It was fun.

Thursday, we saw some huge miracles! We had district meeting up in Neuchatel, and that was fun as always. Then we had a lesson scheduled for that night with a Muslim theology student that lives with a pastor. We tried to call him and confirm our meeting, but they wouldn't answer. So we decided to head back out to Bulle, and we met with another one of our ami's. We watched the restoration dvd with them and they liked it. The wife says that she is interested and so we have an appointment to come back this week. Then we were heading towards the bus stop, and Elder Spence says, "Why dont we just port this one building?" So we did, and we got let in! He was an older guy. We gave him a Book of Mormon and he said that he was going to read it. So we are going back tomorrow. After we did that, went to the bus stop, and got on the bus back to Fribourg. We sat in the back, and this guy in front of us says, " Hey, are you the Mormons?" So we told him yes, and we taught him a first lesson and gave him a restoration brochure. He gave us his information and he wanted to meet with us again.

On Friday, we went back to Bulle, and kept working. We ported this building and found 4 new investigators!!! Then we had a lesson with this family, the Djukic family. They are progressing really well. They are Orthodox but the Dad is like struggling against himself. He wants to find the truth, but then he is like, Well, I am Orthodox? But they are an awesome family!

On Saturday, we went back to Bulle to teach an old ami. She had 2 friends that were there and they were interested in learning more. Then as we left there, we walked by this park, and this lady from a bench which was probably 40 yards away yells, "Hey... Are you the mormons?" So we went and taught her too. Then we had a lesson in Romont, and we get there, and we get out of the train station and walk down the street, and this car stops in front of us. This lady gets out and starts talking to us. She told us she was a member from Portugal but she hadnt been able to find the church here. So we gave her the address and she said she would come.

It was so cool to see the Lord help us find people and how everything was just timed so exactly perfect! The work here is going really well. I hope that helps describe some of the things that are happening here. I know this church is true and the gospel is just amazing. It's cool to see the Lord work through us! Ok, I have to run. I love and miss you all!
Love,
Jared ( Elder Walch )

So, we loved getting this letter. It was incredible to hear how he is affecting others lives. To have people come up to them is just amazing! I love hearing him so happy and well. He's doing a fantastic job. Until next post....
Take Care
Colleen

Mother's Day Phone Call

Hello everyone! What a terrific day I had yesterday at 11:00 am Mountain Standard Time. I got to talk to Jared for a whole hour! It was an amazing phone call. He sounded so good. We were so excited to hear from him He's doing so well and he is loving it in Switzerland. He said that everything there is so beautiful but so different. We talked and lauged and had just a wonderful day. He has been out in the field for 104 days today. We sent him a 100 day box and we were so excited for him to get it. He said that he got it and is having fun seeing what surprises his sister has included for him. It was an amazing gift to be able to speak with him. I loved it! He stated that he has sent home a package for us with Switzerland tshirts for the entire family along with his photo card and some other things. I'm hoping for chocolate myself!!! I can't wait to taste some Swiss chocolate. Jared said that they have fast food places there but it's different than here. It's like Mom and Pop stands. His favorite is a Kabob. Basically, Jared said, it is a giant meat ball on a stick! He said that he always tells them no vegetables ( yep! that's my son! ) so he just eats the plain meat. He will be with this companion for another 6 weeks or so and then will get a new one. He will stay in Fribourg for approximately 12 more weeks. He told us that he has been sight seeing a ton and will have fun things to take us to when we pick him up. He also told us that he has been cooking... For example, last night they were going to make crepe tacos... with a pork roast that they had made a couple of nights ago? What??? Jared cooking? Spaghetti was a huge stretch for him and now pork roasts and crepes?Yes indeed, folks! He said that he is learning a lot of things and will be able to make us an 'incredible dinner' when we get there. I am so proud of him. He is learning so many things and will return a man instead of a little boy. I love and miss him so much. I will post new photos of him as soon as I get the card. Until next time faithful readers...

Take Care

Colleen

Tastes Like Pepperoni???

So we just got this email from Jared today. I was so worried about him yesterday since I knew that he had Mondays for his P day. I felt good though, and after we prayed, I knew he was okay. And then this nice surprise this morning. You have to know Jared. He is a very picky eater and he will never try new things. So this experience is so new for him. Keep reading and you will get the title of this post.... Tastes like pepperoni?

Dear Family,

So things here in Switzerland are way different. I am definately gaining a testimony of America. I was just thinking about how lucky we are that we have a car, and that we live in a house. Most everybody here lives in apartments. No banks will give loans to people, and lots of people are out of work here. Still, I hear that it is better than France.

Ok, lets see what has happened.....
We had our first zone conference in Yverdon (E-ver-done) and that was pretty fun. Oh, I think you and Dad will be happy to know that I have been trying lots of new food. I actually had cow tongue yesterday. I took pictures to prove it too. It actually tastes like pepperoni, only a little bit more tender. Swiss cheese like they have at home doesn't exist here. The basic staple cheese here is called Gruyere (Gwee-Air) It is some type of cow cheese. Not bad. A little bit strong at first, but it gets better after a while.

Oh, normally Mondays are my preparation days, but there will be sometimes when the email place wont be open. Like this week. They actually do Easter pretty big here. People get the Friday before and the Monday after off of work. So everything was closed.

Elder Spence and I went to this monstrous cathedral down the street from our appartment. It was pretty cool. I took a ton of pictures. I think that I have something like over 200 pictures on my camera right now. I will send it home pretty soon.

If you want to give other people my email, you can. But I only get an hour a week, so if I get a ton of emails, it will take a little while to write back to all of them.

Ok, I will keep you posted. Tell everybody hi for me.
Love,

Jared

So he sounds wonderful and he is growing by leaps and bounds. I can't wait to see the photos that he sends back. I will definitely share when I get them.

Until next post my friends....

Take Care!

Colleen

Happy Easter!

I saw this picture on a friends blog and I loved it. How very appropriate. Hope that we can all remember the real reason that we celebrate.

Our First Letter From Jared From Switzerland!

Dear Family,
I am here in Switzerland. Finally! This is one of the greenest places that I've ever seen in my life! I can't believe how beautiful this land is. It's amazing. I'm sincerely in awe of the beauty all around me. So far, I've only met the people in the mission home and my companion and other missionaries. I'm excited to get out and start spreading the good news!

My first ville is Fribourg. It is a pretty cool place of about 40,000 people. So basically the size of Tooele or maybe a little bit bigger. I will probably end up staying here until August. That will be my third transfer. President and Sister Peterson said that a strange thing happens here every 2 years. Almost 1/2 of their senior missionaries go home so that means that 7 of the 12 of us that came over at the same time will be the Senior Companion after just 2 or 3 transfers. That is crazy, huh? We'll see if it affects me! I like it here. Everything is really different though. As for our apartment, the bathroom in the apartment is small. Really small! So is the kitchen. But the main room and the bedroom are pretty big, so that is nice. I got to meet some of the members over conference. They are pretty nice. I like it here. I miss some things from home, but this is not bad either.

We went on this hike for preparation day up this canyon. I have a ton of pictures that I took. I think I've taken over 100 since I arrived. The food is definitely different. There are some good things and some bad things to eat here as well. But I am slowly learning how NOT to be a picky eater.

Elder Spence is a pretty cool guy. He is my trainer and companion. He only has 2 transfers left, so he will probably stay in Fribourg with me. I think it will be nice, because I could use the help with the language. I am actually understanding quite a bit more than I thought I would. But it is still pretty hard.

So how did you like conference? We went to Neuchatel to watch it. It was pretty cool. I learned a lot. Elder Holland is pretty much amazing. I could feel the spirit so strong. Also, we decided that Teancum from the Book of Mormon is basically the Nephite James Bond. It was cool.

We went window shopping today also. Elder Spence wanted to buy a French suit, but we just looked. We didn't actually buy anything. But everything here is good. I actually didn't have very bad jet lag. I slept great. Things here are a lot of fun. So many new experiences for me every day!

How is everyone in the ward? Pretty good? Things here are just really different. It is a little bit of a culture shock to be here, but it is still fun and I am learning a lot.

We are 8 hours ahead of you here for the time difference. I think it's strange that I am eating dinner and you are just starting the day!

I love you and miss you all,
Love,
Elder Jared Marc Walch

P.S. I thought that I would end my letter with my testimony ….in French!

Je voudrais porter mon témoignage. Je sais que c'est la véritable Eglise de Jésus-Christ. Je suis très reconnaissant d'être au service d'une mission de ses enfants en Suisse. Je sais que le Président Thomas S. Monson est un vrai prophète de Dieu. Je sais que Joseph Smith est un vrai prophète de Dieu et qu'il a vu Dieu le Père et Son fils Jésus-Christ. Je veux que mon Père céleste pour savoir combien je l'aime et je veux que ma famille de savoir à quel point je les aime. Je suis reconnaissant pour leur sacrifice pour moi d'être ici. Je m'ennuie de tout le monde et je pense à vous souvent. Au nom de Jésus Christ. Amen.

Elder Jared Marc Walch
10 Rud Des Bouchers
1700 Fribourg
Suisse

Jaredwalch@myldsmail.net

Destination: Fribourg Switzerland

Jared arrived safely.. but very tired, in Geneva. This is his first official photo with his new companion and trainer, Elder Spence. His Mission President and Mission Mom are President and Sister Peterson. I was worried about him so I emailed the Mission Mom. Here is her response.

Dear Sister Walch,

Yes, your son arrived safely on Tuesday. We kept them awake until bedtime so they could adjust to the new time, so they were very sleepy by the end of the day. You should be receiving a picture in the next day or so.

Love, Sister Peterson

So today, I received his first photo with this email:

Dear Brother and Sister Walch,

Yes, Elder Walch has indeed arrived safely. His companion and trainer is Elder Spence and they are serving in beautiful Fribourg, Switzerland. On day 2 this photo was taken of the two of them with President and Sister Peterson. He has written a letter to you which should arrive shortly.
Switzerland Geneva Mission Office

You can bet that I have a perma grin on my face because I know that he is safe and well. He looks very excited to get started. I googled Fribourg and wait until you see the beautiful place he will be serving on his mission. It's so beautiful, I can't believe it.

This looks like a little village out of a story book. It is amazingly beautiful !

This is a view of the Alps in the springtime, of course! How beautiful , huh? Another view of Fribourg. I can't believe how quaint and how amazing this is. And my Jared is here !!!
How great would it be to have your first district out in a place like this? He has been waiting so very long to serve the Lord and I think this is a huge blessing that he will get to see up close and personal the majesty of some of His creations!

I can't believe how much he has been blessed. And this is a dream come true for him. I know that our family has been blessed by his service. I look forward to posting his first letter from Switzerland and photos from him. Until next post...

Love to you all !

Colleen

Dedication, Expo, Flight Plans and 8 more ( or less!) Plus 30!

Hello Everyone

It's been awhile since I made my last post so I guess that I should get everyone caught up on what is happening in our lives. First...

The Draper Temple Dedication

Gary, Jenna and I were priviledged to attend the dedication of the Draper Temple. It is a very beautiful temple and it was so cool to be able to participate in that. When the Nauvoo temple was re-dedicated, Jenna had just been baptized and it was her first one. She loved it! Last night brought memories back to her of that event in her life. She even wrote down her feelings on a page and I scrapbooked for her. I should have done that last night as well, but maybe it's still not too late to have that memory preserved. I'll have her do it tonight!

Scrapbook USA Expo !

Okay! To be perfectly honest, this is a photo from last year. But you couldn't tell except that the wristband was another color. I wore my favorite comfy clothes and we had a ball. My friend, Mel, that I work with, came with her Mom and the 3 of us had a blast. I wasn't feeling very well, so I didn't bring a lot to scrap. I just enjoyed shopping and laughing with them and then, of course, our traditional lunch at Crown Burger... Yummm. We had such a great time and I have now restocked my scrapbook room with the essentials that I will need for yet another 6 months of RS Scrapbook class and my own personal scrappin. I also got a killer deal on my Christmas gifts! Yes, Christmas!

Flight Plans

So, we finally have Jared's flight plans. Yes... Ladies and Gentlemen... He is leaving to go to Switzerland on Monday, March 30th. He will fly to Chicago and then have a 7 hour layover there. He stated that he will fly through the night to England and then take a .... and I quote... " A puddle jumper over to Geneva! I know that he is so excited to have this finally become a reality. He said that the MTC has felt like one long EFY trip that never ends! He's excited and I get to talk to him. How awesome will that be... My birthday is a couple of days after he leaves so I am grateful for a chance to get to talk to my baby boy. What a wonderful birthday gift that I will remember forever, I'm sure.

8 more... ( or less ! )

Okay... so 8 more... or actually 8 less. Inches we are talking here. Off of Jenna's hair. She cut her hair 8 more inches. I couldn't get my phone to work to take a picture in the Salon but I will post one soon. She didn't have to go to school today for teacher work day so I let her sleep in and she didn't want to get up and do her hair I am sure for my blog photo. It's very cute. It's below her shoulders and she has side bangs. She looks darling with her top braces off... Oh ! I don't think that I've mentioned that either. What a slacker I am! Jenna got her top braces off and she is lovin life! Her smile is very beautiful... I'm envious of that for sure. She is just beautiful... not that I have any prejudice. And Man ! Is she a Twilight Junkie. She has watched that dang movie about 15 times since she got it on Saturday. She loves Edward and I even brought her back..Essence of Twilight from the Expo. She has loved that too. I'll post a photo of her sporting her new new and her new smile wearing her Edward Shirt. She'll be in 7th heaven !

Plus 30 years!

So, for your 30th anniversary, Pearls are the big thing. We just celebrated our 30th a few days ago, and we decided to break tradition. I have been aching for a new dining room table and chairs and I am now the proud owner of a beautiful set. I will post some pics as I've told a couple of people and they want to see. Also, count me as the spoiled gal that I am, but I have also wanted a pub table and chairs for our family room downstairs. Yes.... I was lucky enough to have that too. Now, before you start feeling sorry for Gary.... I asked him what he wanted. Nothing was the normal and expected answer.. right? Well, it just so happened that our old television set decided to depart company from us. I really am not a tv watcher except for a few things, but Gary loves it. So... we went TV shopping and Gary picked out a 52" television. It looks so nice downstairs. He told Jared that I got this for him and Jared freaked! He even 'swore' in French! "Que Le Fetch???" What the fetch! I just laughed. Anyway, I have my precious pearls in my jewelry box, and my beautiful dining room ( and Pub table set ), but my real jewel is my hubby... I love him so much ! He's one of the most amazing guys that I have ever met and I am lucky to be married to my best friend.

Until next post my friends

All my love

Colleen