Christmas!

From: Jennifer Juker <jennifer.juker@myldsmail.net>
Date: Mon, Dec 19, 2011 at 3:51 AM
Subject: Christmas!


Nära och Kära (Near and Dear)

This week has been one long adventure! Its been awesome! 

I måndags (Monday) we went on a search for onesies! Not the baby kind! But the kind we can wear. We ended up finding some in the kids section that we all liked well and we bought them. They are an awesome pattern! Just look at the picture! We had an awesome FHE lesson of Äldste Nelson and Nelson. (yes, they are both nelson) one is my district leader and the other my zone leader. Can you say confusing when they are both around and I have a question? Because I sure can! It was an object lesson with corn starch and water. He compared it with keeping a testimony. Try it out and try to keep it in your hands, its difficult but possible if you work at it. 

I tisdags (Tuesday) we celebrated Lucia day! Lucia is the bringer of the light before Christmas. It evidently used to be Christ who brought the light but the swedes took an idea from the Italians and stole Lucia. Not entirely sure how I feel about it but the celebrations were cool. They have a Lucia tåg. You could probably google it and make more sense of it then what I know at this point. We went with a member to a childs performance of one at Svenska Kyrkan then to a high school performance with the YSAs later that night because a few were participating in it. We heard some news of a friend we are working with got in a really bad accident and being in a coma so we got some notes written to him from everyone and got them ready to go to the hospital. 

I onsdags (Wednesday) we switched our district meeting to today because we celebrated a new members birthday on thursday for lunch. We had time to visit Erik in the Hospital. He woke up and wanted a priesthood blessing so the elders went and shortly thereafter we were able to go and visit him. He has an awesome attitude despite how the healing process seems to be going. We had a member dinner and I got to make faces at their one year old baby to make him laugh. It was super fun. We then taught our investigator Tony. He is so funny. He cant really express himself so well in swedish so its a little bit like charades when he has a story to tell. Its super enjoyable. He is on his way to baptism in januari!

I torsdags (Thursday) this day we stressed ourselves on planning perfectly and having backup plans, the whole shebang! It slowly went down the tubes! We did have a wonderful lunch with Rajesh to celebrate his birthday. He is a recent convert and has a heart of gold. He comes from India and the tradition there is that the birthday person takes everyone out for their birthday. So he chose to take the five of us to an indian restaurant. It was super fun and really good. I wasnt really sure what I ordered but it was good and spicey! I really enjoyed it. This whole mission thing is doing a number on my pickiness. Though I still stay away from anything Kebab related. After lunch our lesson cancelled and Rajesh offered to take us to his lab. He is working on cancer research at the hospital. I really wanted to go, (im a geek still, even as a missionary) We got to see what seemed like a CSI lab with DNA analysis equipment and everything. We saw cancer cells under a microscope, even the mice they are testing things on. That was the sad part I didnt like too much. All the science stuff was super cool. He got to share with us his passion and you could see it on his face how happy it made him that we were able to take the time to see his stuff. We had a member dinner and a member goodbye to get to afterwards. But plans changed and we went and did the service and goodbye first. We got to see the Holdaway family off to the states. We helped them move some wood to their back porch and then got a ride to our dinner. Then the Malms were sick and gave us food to take to the church to reheat. We did that and was able to talk with our Young women there for a while. Before going home and preparing our dresses for the temple because we wouldnt have time on friday. 

I fredags (Friday) we did our weekly planning first thing after studies which was a really long time to stay at home in the morning. We had a lunch at 2 with a member so we were starving by then. The family is super sweet. The Lundquists, he used to be an athiest and she is from denmark. They are awesome. We then visited Kiersten our less active who I love! She wants to get involved in missionary work. She cant read because of her diabetes so she asked us to leave a MB (BOM) on her table so she can bring it up in conversation when they come around. We then had an activity at the center known as the Julbord which is pretty much the same Christmas food from our ward party but this time it was at the center with all the YSAs. It was a lot of fun. The Christmas season just brings out the best in people. We knew we had to get to bed at a decent hour but it just didnt happen. 

I lördags (Saturday) we woke up at 5:30 am to be on the train super early! On the train ride there we sat next to a door on the train that had to be opened manually because it was broken. There was a sticker on the door with instructions in English Danish and swedish and a diagram illustrating how to open the door. People would read the first like and then turn around and walk away. It was really funny to see people who, at the first sign of trouble give up and turn around. We laughed as so many people did it. Just now I thought of it sort of like the gospel. When we face something uncertain its difficult to see what to do. Sometimes we want to just leave and stay unnoticed when it is always worth it to keep enduring until the end. There were people who would get off the train where they got on and walk off to another train door. Really silly thought! We got off the train, booked it to the bus, and made it to the bus stop to see where we needed to go. I had never been there before so it was pretty funny to see everyone go in different directions. We walked around asking people if they knew where a church is with a golden man on top. It was a pretty funny situation. We felt like tourists because we couldn't speak the language so we spoke english. We got to the temple in just the right amount of time. I absolutely love the temple. I am so thankful for the peace and comfort you can have just by walking in through the doors. The temple is beautiful and I really learned a lot this time. The session was in swedish and I actually understood it all pretty well. It was awesome. We got to go to the church with the original Christus statue in it with all of the apostles around. Its super cool! Ill send a few pictures

I söndags (Sunday) we had a great church experience with an investigator of Utbys as we taught a lesson second hour unexpectedly. We had a member dinner and it went really well as we made a list of things we were thankful for under 5 categories. It was cool. We then got the opportunity to visit Erik again. He moved hospitals and so we had to go by car to make it there in time. He is incredible. We found out that one of his feet the bones are like powder and he is still cracking jokes. He has a bunch of different metal plates and things sticking out of him but he is all cheers and laughs. He is incredible. We went home and finished our studies before going to bed. 

Challenge time! We had a super cool spiritual thought in our FHE as a zone last night on the phone. Its kind of weird  but I like the experience. So this time of year there is a special spirit and no one can really mistake that. January  is just as cold but December has a spirit like Heavenly Father has blessed it and hallowed it. Think of Christmases past and all of the feeling you feel as the person you worked the hardest on for finding the perfect gift opens it and is so happy. As you sit around the table eating Christmas dinner together. All the different emotions. Now read 3 Nephi 1:13-14. He is the greatest gift and it is our sacred opportunity to celebrate Him and His sacrifice for us. I am so thankful this time around for the reason of the season. I know that Christ is the Savior of the world! That he is the only one that we are able to overcome ourselves and be purified enough to return to our Heavenly Fathers presence. I am so thankful for the opportunity I have been  given to have grown up with this knowledge. I hope that we can all learn something more of Christ this Christmas and remember the reason for the season! Ill hear from you on sunday! Be good and have some questions ready for me! I love you all! 

Love 

Syster Juker