Tuesday morning we put another Senior Couple on the plane. That's three this month! We are down to 6 couples in the mission, with only 3 in Stockholm area. It feels a little lonely already! We won't have another couple arrive until mid-June. Anyone want to serve a mission in Sweden? Speaking of serving, have you seen the new Senior Missionary website:
https://seniormissionary.lds.org/srsite/ ? (It just made its debut this week.) Take a peek! Maybe you will see something you'd like to do!
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| Elder and Sister Hall on their way home! |
Tuesday night we helped clean the church building where we attend. It was a spring cleaning and over 30 people showed up to help (including the kids). I was impressed with how well organized it was an how hard everyone worked! Our reward was korv and waffles...basically, hotdogs (in buns) and Swedish heart-shaped, yummy, eggy waffles with whipped cream and berry jam, and water to drink. It seemed like a weird combination, but it was easy to clean up and everyone seemed perfectly happy eating it!
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| The korv was heated with bay leaves and allspice. |
At office meeting the Assistants told a cool story. As they were looking through the old contacting records in their area, they found a referral for Rasmus at #142, to take him a Book of Mormon for his birthday. The home was in an neighborhood they had already tracted, so they made a note to stop there again sometime. Later they were in the area for an appointment and were leaving when one of the elders felt a clear prompting--"We need to stop." They weren't quite sure what to do next, so they took out their planner and saw the name Rasmus and headed to #142. As they approached the house, they remembered being there before and being turned away. So despite feeling kind of bad about facing the same guy, they knocked on the door. The same uninterested man opened the door, and they asked, "Are you Rasmus?" "No, that's my son." He called his 19 year old son to the door. They told Rasmus that a man named Leonard asked the missionaries to visit. They also told him that they had a belated birthday present of a Book of Mormon for him. The young man was so excited to see the elders. He explained that Leonard was his friend (not a member of the church) who had done a school report on the Mormons the year before and the two boys were very interested in learning more. Rasmus accepted the book, said it was almost his birthday, May 6th, and invited the missionaries to come back. When the elders got home, they looked up the referral. It was April 22, 2017 and that day was April 22, 2018--a whole year later! The Lord does not forget about those who are searching! (Rasmus' friend, Leonard, is also going to be at the follow-up appointment.)
After zone conference on Friday, we went to Slussen to show Sister Anderson the original LDS church building in Stockholm. At the time it was the chapel, the mission office, mission home and apartments. Her father had served his mission in Sweden and attended church there.
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| Cleaning up after zone conference luncheon. I love mopping the floors here. The bucket has this great little section where the mop fits and you just twist it around to squeeze the water out! |
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| This is the detail above the doorway of the first LDS church in Stockholm. There is a beehive and words that say: Local Latter-day Saints Ward/Congregation |
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| These students are wearing their graduation caps. They look like sailors caps. I guess there was a graduation ceremony of sorts because the streets in Stockholm had lots of students dressed like this. |
Saturday we took a long drive north of Stockholm, past Norrtälje. It was rather uneventful but we saw a few interesting things.
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| Grisslehamn--a small port for ferrying to a nearby Finnish island, Åland |
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| Singö Kyrka, a little wooden church in traditonal Swedish color. Most churches are stone, not wood. |
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| Tullviksbäcken Nature Preserve --John is walking on the red kelp out to the shore |
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| A patch of ice left on the rocky shore. |
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| This is still part of the Tullviksbäcken Nature Preserve shoreline. I loved the little pools amid the rocks reflecting the trees. |
Sunday evening was a fireside with Elder Renlund, one of the Twelve Apostles. His parents are Finnish and Swedish and he spent 10 1/2 years of his youth in Sweden. So, as you can imagine, the Mormon Swedes were absolutely thrilled to have him visit. The meeting was broadcast to every church building in Sweden, and it was a sweet and tender meeting, especially at the end, when he choked up as he said, "I feel I have come home." I was impressed with his story of reading the Book of Mormon at age 11 (in Swedish) and praying about it. He remembers his answer, feeling in his heart and mind, "I have told you all this time it is true." (Isn't that how much our of testimony is built--on little moments, principles, doctrines, where we have affirmed to us of their truth? I know that is how my testimony has been built. "All this time" that I have had the truths of the Gospel affirmed to my soul, over and over again, my testimony has grown.) He encouraged us to remember when and where we came to know Our Redeemer. (For those moments helps us anchor our faith.) He said, "Faith or doubt is our own personal choice. There is no outside force that makes us choose either way." Then he read Alma 5:40, reminding us that we have been given guidance, "whatsoever is good cometh from God and whatsoever is evil cometh from the devil," to help us discern good from evil.
I am so grateful for Church leaders who can buoy us up with their example, love, and testimony, and for the Holy Ghost who bears witness of the truth that is spoken. Elder Renlund's visit was special, especially for the members of Sweden. Monday morning, we missionaries, had an extra-special opportunity to have another meeting with him....but that will be in next week's blog.
