It's been another busy week of goings and coming. Monday night we enjoyed a fabulous dinner of "Halibut Lasagna" with the Watsons, the YSA (Young Single Adult) Couple who have been serving in Goteborg. The Youngbergs recently lived in Alaska and developed a taste for halibut as a result of their deep sea fishing hobby. The rich, creamy recipe comes from a restaurant and Sister Y promised to share it with me. (Eckenfelders, it rivals the famous lobster casserole!) Let me know if you want to be on my dinner party list that night!
The next morning the Watsons left to return to Fillmore, Utah. It was the second senior couple we have "sent home," and there was something special about their tender feelings leaving Sweden.
Then on Tuesday, at the T-Central train station, we met the missionaries who were departing and went with them to the temple. Following our session there, we took them to the Mission Home for another nice dinner. The next morning we were up at 5 to make the early run to the airport. Everyone departed Sweden smoothly, and I'm finally feeling like we know what we are doing!
This is our "baggage van." Every transfer John has to rent this so we can transport the baggage! We manage to move the missionaries in our vehicles. (The mission has a 9 passenger van, so that helps.)
I thought this double-decker bike parking station at T-Central was pretty neat! The bikes are lifted into place.
Most of the activities were geared toward children. All of these activities where on the road (which was closed) leading to the Royal Palace. I think Swedes are brilliantly resourceful. This "elephant" is made of short pieces (probably just scraps) of wood. Children are given a hammer and nails (and a helmet) and add their piece of wood to the growing elephant.
Remember the aerial ballet we watched on the side of the cathedral in Lunde? Here is a young girl, doing the same type of movements to beautiful music.
Another resourceful idea for children! This web is made with scraps of yarn. Each child is given a small ball of yarn and can tie it anywhere. There was a box of little balls of yarn, obviously remnants of knitted or crocheted projects. Incidentally, knitting is taught in the schools in 9th grade. That skill is certainly alive and well in Sweden.
This tent features tables sponsored by various museums with craft projects....all free, of course.
Tight wire walk for little ones...they get all the fun!
As we left we happened upon the sound check for the night's concert with an opera star and the philharmonic orchestra. John was relieved it was just a sound check, but I wish I could have gone back for the 8:00 performance. The music just drew me in. I think I'm adding a trip to the Met to my bucket list. Anyone want to join me?
The Royal Palace
Changing of the Guard at the Royal Palace
Of course we went to Gamla Stan again...another view.
A rune stone and a cannon on the foundation of a building in Gamla Stan.
The German Church in Gamla Stan, built in the 1600s. (I couldn't get far enough away to get it in one picture.)
Inside the German Church.
My favorite painted glass window of a family in prayer.
Paintings on the ceiling all around the interior.
Dragon "gargoyles"
Today we had a gentleman from Iran in Sunday School class. He had met the sisters and received a pass along card from them, then we went to London for a few weeks and met some more sisters on the street and received another card. He noticed that they were the same cards, so he decided that God wanted him to check out the church. To introduce the lesson on the Plan of Salvation, the sister missionary asked him what he thought of life, and he said, "I think it is a journey and it didn't start with just living on earth. I think we must have had some existence before coming here, but I don't know what." It was sweet to teach him of our pre-existent life as spirit children of our Heavenly Father, our purpose on earth, Christ's atonement and our opportunities that lie ahead after we die. Yes, life is a journey, an eternal one. What a great blessing to know that we are God's sons and daughters, that He knows us, that He has a plan for our happiness that explains where we came from, why we are on earth, what happens after we die, and that His Son, Jesus Christ is at the center of this glorious plan. My knowledge of this plan not only influences my life today, but it also guides my life eternally. I am so grateful for this knowledge that gives me an eternal perspective to help me understand the purpose, cope with the challenges, and embrace the opportunities of life.
