Week #49--A Scottish Experience

All our beautiful snow was washed away by rain this week, with temperatures in the 40s.  I guess we got New York's January thaw.  The thermometer is dropping back down, so we can anticipate some more snow, I'm sure, I just hope it isn't while we are driving across the country this coming week.

John described our anticipated visit to the dentist as the "worst dental experience in his life."(I didn't think it was that bad, but I did wonder if he was going to unhinge the filling I had last week!)  After poking around our gums, the hygienist used his "ultrasonic" tool, which felt like he was pressure washing our teeth.  A few times John felt like it hit a nerve--yikes!  And the paste wasn't nearly as tasty as it is in the US😦.  I did, however, know the shoe routine and managed that without error.

In addition to our usual office work, we are preparing for our "Mission Tour."  That means that our Area Authority, President Johnson, will be visiting our mission this coming week, participating in our zone conferences, visiting with missionaries and checking out the Mission Office and a few missionary apartments.  Everyone, (in the Stockholm Area at least) is suddenly motivated to get their apartments really clean!  We know for sure that he will come by the office, so we have been trying to clean out the clutter.  I spend a good part of yesterday just shredding old files that should have been done years ago!  Six garbage bags full!

In addition to our office work, we joined the Andersons and 6 missionaries to move elders out of their  apartment.  (The lease is over and the owner wants to sell it.)  Unfortunately, the Andersons have not been able to find another apartment, so those two missionaries are being crowded into the 1 bedroom apartment of the nearest elders for the time being.  This apartment had two bedrooms and two bathroom and everything in it belonged to the mission, so we had a lot to move.  Fortunately, the elders had packed up most of the small things, except the kitchen.  The missionaries carried the furniture down the three flights of circular stairs to the small moving van we had rented.  Elders Anderson and Hales loaded it and took it back to the Mission Home, unloaded with the help of the office elders and returned for the next load.  It took 2 1/2 loads and most of the day.

Wouldn't you enjoy working with this crew?

Lunch break...pizza, of course!

Part of the delay of finally leaving though was defrosting the freezer.  It took hours, even with pans of boiling water set inside.

The last chunk of ice and we could go home! Hurray!

I worked in the kitchen most of the time, along with Elder  Baggett who volunteered to clean the stove and oven--which really needed it!  What a worker he was!  He took that appliance apart and thoroughly cleaned everything!  I was impressed.  As we worked, we chatted. He will be going to West Point on a Rugby scholarship when he returns.  He was recruited from Utah and his coach and the academy were fine with deferring him.  The coach told him, "We like returned missionaries.  They usually know a foreign language and they know how to study and work."  Elder Baggett also shared some stories of miraculous missionary protection.  About 10 missionaries were in a nature preserve hiking around and one elder fell about 30 feet, at one point was falling head-first in mid-air but righted himself, and landed on a sloped rock, slid down and stopped just before a hitting a really jagged rock.  He walked away with only a sprained ankle!  Another time Elder Baggett was riding his bike fast down a street, was distracted and ran into a short pole right beside his kneecap.  Ow! He flew off his bike, crashed to the ground and laid there thinking he had certainly broken his leg.  When he finally had the nerve to try to get up, he did, to his surprise, and had no injuries at all!  There must be guardian angels working overtime protecting these 18-20 year old missionaries!

Though they can be goofy kids at times, as we gather for our weekly district meeting, the thought often comes to my mind, "It takes really special young men and young women to testify and teach others the gospel of Jesus Christ with such firm conviction and  Christlike love."  I often wish you could sit with me during one of our district meetings and witness their words and behavior.  Their thoughts enrich my life.  As they teach with the spirit,  my heart and soul are touched by their wisdom, humility, diligence, and desire to serve the Lord.

Thursday evening we were invited to our first "Burns Supper" in celebration of Robert Burns, the "bard of Scotland."  Elder Anderson had served his mission in Scotland and grown to appreciation the poet.  During law school, he and his wife decided to invite friends over for a Burns Supper (Mormon-style) and have been doing it annually ever since (over 40 years).

After a tribute to Robert Burns, by Elder Smith, who also had served in Scotland, and a blessing on the food, Sister Smith recited the Selkirk Grace.  Then the haggis was "piped in" and Elder Anderson recited "Address to a Haggis" from the original text with a fair Scottish brogue, as he hacked away at the cooking bag that contained the pudding.

Along with an Americanized version of haggis (ground lamb, onion, spices and oatmeal), we had neeps and tatters (turnips and potatoes), roasted vegetables, and collops of beef.

It tastes better than it looks--rather hearty fare.

After we had eaten, we had a "Toast to the Lassies" given by Elder Hall, and answered by my "Toast to the Laddies," which follows, if  you are interested. Dessert of trifle and shortbread topped off the supper.

You’re valiant laddies, who left your castles
To serve the Lord and e’dure mission hassles
Like living in an apartment so small
You can’t find any privacy at all. 

You eat dinners made from zone conf’rence food
And refrain from saying anything rude.
You set up meetings with tables and chairs
Lug food from the car without any airs.  

Each quarter you check the missions’ abodes
Trying to get entrance without portcodes
Tools in hand, you tighten loose chairs,
Unclog stinkin’ drains and clean out the hairs.  

We’re grateful, Laddies, you are here with us
Or we would always have to ride a bus
For driving in Sweden is truly a pain
Yet somehow you manage to get home again!  

With cameras that stand waiting to click
And finding a parking place is always a trick
The roads, bridges, tunnels, ”gatan”s och ”väg”s
That curve, twist, divide, you have in the bag.  

You give us help and fulfil our wishes,
Clean the apartment and wash the dishes,
Our doors are held open, and groceries carried,
We are truly blessed that we are married.  

You thought you’ve retired, but that’s a lie,
As each day you don a white shirt and tie,
And nobly press forward to do the Lord’s work--
The blessings that wait are really a perk!  

To our Laddies!!!

Yesterday, we got away for a couple of hours to explore north of our town.  We started at Täby Kyrka (church) built in the early 1200s.

The fascinating ceiling art mostly depicts scenes from the Bible, however, the most famous panel is "The Devil Playing Chess with Man."  A gentleman we met there told us that picture inspired a scene in an Ingmar Bergman film.  (I'm not up on classic Swedish cinematography, so I can't be specific.)

From there we went to various Viking sites.  (I really had no idea of the prolific Viking ruins that dot this country. )

Granbyhållen in Orkesta.   This Viking burial spot is on a farm.  We had to walk through a cow pasture to get to it.  There were several of these oval shaped burial areas and a very unique rune stone.    Usually they are stone slabs, but this one is carved into a boulder.  (See below)

Arkils Tingstäd--Arkil was one of the Viking families in this area.   This square shaped area was the "Thing" or the place where court was held and decisions made. caption

Of course, being outside in the winter sun felt rejuvenating and made for another great day in Sweden!