Monday, May 19th

So hey there everyone!

This week has been crazy! I will start with the bad part of the crazy:

Last Tuesday, (I am going to be brief with the story part even though it doesn't cover everything I want it to, because of not enough time) we were helping out at the horse farm, moving hay, and shoveling Horse crap. There was another man, Ernie, there that was friends with the older couple that own the farm, and Ernie was there just to help out because they were allowing him to keep his horse there for a while. He was helping us for about and hour, but then he went into another barn to use his tractor and about 40 minutes later we were leaving and said bye to Cheryl who was the lady whose farm it was, and then as we were about to leave she runs back over to us and yells for our help. We get out of our car, and she explains that Ernie is passed out and is not moving! We ran over to the barn where he was working on his tractor while she called 911. He had passed out and clamped himself in-between the tractor and a pivetting back-how arm that was attacked to the back of the tractor. He was all purple and it didn't look good. We checked his pules and didn't feel anything. We didn't know what else to do but give him a blessing. I grabbed my oil from my belt-loop and pored oil on his head and Elder Hancock quickly anointed him, and I then sealed and blessed him. I knew he had no pules, but i also know I just saw him but 40 minutes ago working with us...I knew the priesthood could heal this man and allow him to rise up and walk. So I blessed him to do so!.....But I lifted up my hands from his head and nothing happened. The paramedics and police came, and they knew there was nothing they could do. We stayed to give our record of what happened and answered any other questions they had for us. And then we were able to leave. We were a little traumatized at what had just happened, so after talking about for a while, we called President Stoker. He gave us some advice and as well told us to read "Healing the Sick" by Elder Oaks (April 2010 Gen Conf) and to receive a blessing from someone as well. We read it, and I wont go into it other than it really helped, and you all should go and read it,...and we also got a blessing from Brother McInnis that evening. From the talk, the blessing, and words from President Stoker. I know I didn't do anything wrong. It was God's will for that man to go that day. But I still know even more strongly now that if I am prompted to use the Priesthood to raise the dead, I know it will happen. I cannot explain how much my testimony of the preisthood has grown. I know this experience was not to freak my out and to traumatize me, but to help me to always remember that I need to always be ready to act and use the priesthood I hold and always be worthy of it nd to not be hesitant to say anything I am told to say by the spirit! I am so thankful for this experience and have learned a lot from it, even as the tragedy it was.

The happier crazy part of my week was the temple! Every 6 months we get to go to the temple now, and I finally got to go this Friday! We drove down to Boston with Brother and Sister McInnis. We left at 6 am and got there at 8 am. We didn't leave until 4pm! We ended up getting to do 3 sessions! and be in the celestial room 4 different times! The Boston Temple is soooo beautiful! It was so great to be there for so long. Sister McInnis brought a great lunch for us so we could quickly go out to the car and eat and go back in! She is so awesome!
I ended up getting to see both of the new films!!! I was so happy about that! I really love Film C (the newest one)! It helped me understand so much more, it was so cool to see how the emotions and actors could change the whole thing! I was so spiritually full by the time we left! I am so thankful we have that blessing to go there once every 6 months!

One more thing! Jeffery Neumayer has been an investigator for onl like 3 weeks, but has shown sooo much commitment and has been to church ever since we invited him to be baptized! He accepted the date of June 14th!


I am so excited and am glad for all the experiences I am having here!

I love you all!

-Elder Swalberg