Wait on the Lord

From: Jennifer Juker <jennifer.juker@myldsmail.net>
Date: Mon, Jan 30, 2012 at 4:26 AM
Subject: Wait on the Lord

Nära och Kära

Each and every week seems to fly by! Pdays just run together to create a mess of a timeline. So many great things happened this week! Lets get down to the summary of this week!

Måndag! We visited Göteborg, it was super weird to return to an old area  but I have been blessed and have been able to go back to all of my old areas. Well "All" of them sounds like a lot, its only been two but each time its been a great blessing. I was able to see Mette again and hang out at the center with The Andersons. It felt almost as if I didnt leave. Until of course, we had to leave and catch our train back to Jönköping. We had a bit of time to get to know Äldste Ririe and Äldste Astin, they serve in Skövde and had the same train as ours. It was awesome to know what spårvagns and times and things to get to where we needed to go. Quite different than what it is here now. Im still learning those things. Our train got delayed because of snow and traffic so we cancelled our language study with a member and did our companionship inventory på tåget. We then visited with the Bishop about less actives that we can visit and those who no one knows for sure. It felt like a great blessing to be able to finally go through the ward list with people who knew more then us.

Tisdag! We met with an older (physically) investigator who is a member of another church and we were going to talk about repentance. We have taught her practically everything else, but she still won't make a commitment. We took a bus out to her house. She is super nice and kind. We began about how she felt at church. Through conversation we found out that she doesnt think that there is really a big difference between us and christians. She can't understand that our church is the only true church. Its an interesting dilema. We have since taken the question to many other members and asked them. So I ask you all, "How do you know that this is the only true church?" or "does it matter to you?" We gave  her the 17 Points to the True church card and she said she would look it up. She is great and I really want to help her out. We then met with Tony and showed him the 10 commandments in the Book of Mormon as well as in the Bible. He liked that a lot. He is praying for a baptismal date and will most likely move to Stockholm which is good but sad to see him go. He is awesome. Our dinner was cancelled so we were supposed to eat dinner with Äldste and Syster Rasmussen but our investigator came and it took a while to teach. He loves the new testament and is focused on reading the bible so doesnt really have the time to read in the Book of Mormon. He is going to call us again once he has time and has read some in it. It was difficult to end it that way but You have to be willing to change in order for the gospel to effect you.

Onsdag! Albert was supposed to come but he slept in. So we talked with Wilson our member who helps translate for him about serving a mission. We looked also at the Mormon Messages site its super good. you should all check that out if you havent for a while because there are a lot of good short videos on there. A great spiritual upliftment when the day is long at work or when you feel alone. We then had a lunch at the Bishops house with the Rasmussens. The Bishop is super cool and his wife is sweet! Hopefully we are going to learn some swedish cooking from her! Im excited for it. We then had the opportunity to meet again with Desire, he loves the Plan of Salvation so we went and showed scriptures about each aspect. He had to go meet someone right after but he is awesome! I got to experience Visiting Teaching for the first time here. I went out with my companion to a young ladies apartment and we talked about things. She is super nice and was willing to ask me questions and listen as I stumbled with my words to respond. She is a sweetheart. I only have met her that one time but it was great. My companion from the ward is super nice too! She enjoys uplifting the people she visits by conversation and the gospel. Its not just a check off from her list of things to do. Her heart is in it.

Torsday! We had our first District Meeting ever! Its been a while because of zone conferences and things but it went well. Äldste Rice and Äldste Norr! (the same one from when I was in Västra Frölunda) are in our district as well as the awesome Rasmussen couple. We did a district Unity activity after having lunch. We made a cake, it was awesome to see how we all worked together to make it. None of us had any idea really what we were doing and having to convert DL to C and things like that. It was great! We really enjoyed the time we had together. We had a district meeting about what a district meeting should entail. Im excited to see what Äldste Rice has planned for us. Its great to see different missonaries in different situations and the interaction that goes on. We planned to take a bus to go see Pauline but they all didnt work with when we needed to be there and back. So we asked a member to drive us out there. She was awesome and so real! She made jokes and wasn't uptight with us. I really appriciated it. Pauline is awesome! We talked about President Uchtdorfs talk about the Forgetmenots. She wants to go to the temple and also get her patriarchal blessing! We are going to help her accomplish those both. Her Husband is super nice too. I made faces at their daughter so she likes me too now =) I haven't lost that ability yet!

Fredag! We taught our dear friend Albert! He is awesome we showed him the Restoration Video and he remembered the first time he heard about it. He is so humble and willing to learn. I love teaching him! We then went straight to the Wiklöfs for our lesson with Ulla. We came early and were able to come in and chat with Edith beforehand. They are the cutestest people ever! The lesson went well and Ulla wants to do some researching for herself and then we will meet again next friday. She is a sweetheart! She can teach us how to cook as well. I hope we will have time to do some of that! We did weekly planning at home and got lots of plans orgainized. Its interesing how well you can understand a person when you pay attention. Syster Schneiber is super good at noticing things. We work well together and I am so blessed to have her has my companion right now!

Lördag! We did some less active action on saturday. It was great! We met a man who has a great testimony of Christ and misses church and wants to become active again. We are going to meet with him every week and help him get back what he knows he has lost! He is awesome! I really want to help him out! I just feel for him, reminds me of people I know I guess. Its awesome. I have noticed that Heavenly Father helps me to help other people by letting me recognize someone I know in them. Its great! I really appriciate it. Another young man we've been working with went to the hospital in the morning because he had a pain in his chest and it ended up being a ruptured corinary artery (yes, I cannot spell in english still! It's interesting to stink at two languages!) We met an awesome family in our ward the Robayos. They are great! We had lunch with them and it was very great to just hear about their lives and things. We then got to visit with Li about Christ and he has a strong testimony too. We watched Faith in Christ with him and it went really well. The Rasmussens took us to go see Our friend in the hospital and He was up and stood at the door as we spoke of what happened. He has such a wonderful attitude I think everyone could learn a lesson or two from him about being happy no matter what.

Söndag! We did a surprise breakfast for the Rasmussens for all of their hard work! It was awesome! We really enjoyed it! We then went to the church to practice our musical number with Jennifer Thörn and Sandra Lärsson. They are two of the super YSAs we have here in Jönköping. The meetings we great as usual! I learned a lot. We sang a cappella and I sang Alto with Syster Schneiber. It went alright. I never thought I would ever do that but now we've done it three times! Crazyness! We had dinner with the Malms who are planning on serving a mission soon! They are awesome and I can completely see some family resemblances of a few of the other Malms that I have already met. We met then with the Thörn family and got them studying more in Preach My Gospel. They are awesome! I really enjoy visiting them.

This week has been a great opportunity for me to notice the little blessings we recieve everyday from the Lord. Its an interesting thing that when life gets tough we all of a sudden forget the simple things and truths in life. My stomach hasn't been doing too well this week. I think its been due to stress. So I have given myself my own challenge that I want to give you now. Challenge Time! Make a blessing journal! No matter who you are no matter what you believe in this is something that you can do. In a world where we have so many things that we want to do, have and become. Its so easy to be caught up in the hub bub of going and going to get and get. I can promise you that thats a tough way to live. If you take the time to recount at the end of the day all of the blessings that you have recieved you will feel pretty silly that you were waiting for something that you have already been given. In Relief Society on Sunday we read the talk " Waiting upon the Lord: Thy WIll be done" By Robert D. Hales. I hope that you all can take the time to read it. http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2011/10/waiting-upon-the-lord-thy-will-be-done?lang=eng (haha no excuses!) I know that as you do these things you will be able to recognize and be thankful for more things then you ever thought would be possible, I know that because I have done it this week and that is exactly what happened with me. There is no greater happiness then knowing you are blessed and being able to be thankful for it.

I love you all and hope that you all have a great week! You Rock!

Kram,

Syster Juker