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Feb 6
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Nära och Kära!
Oh Man do the weeks
fly by. It seems that that is the exasperation I feel each week as I realize
another week has flown by. Sorry if it gets redundant but it is still truth!
This week has been a great one, as the Spirit was able to lead us through many
situations that could have been very difficult but were not because the Spirit
could lead us. Im so thankful for the guidence of the Holy Ghost and our
ability to live worthy of it, when its a part of our lives we are able to be
guided in the most simple ways, to make our own lives better. Its a built in
self improvement agent we just have to tune into it everyday. I love it!
Anyway down to this
weeks business!
Måndag, we were able
to take it easy and right letters to our dear family members. It was great, did
some cleaning around the apartment and ended the evening having language study
with a member who is really skilled at teaching and is preparing to serve a
mission. Its awesome! Then we had the opportunity to attend our YSA FHE. They
are defininitely different then Göteborg but they are super nice and we are
excited to get them on teaches and participating in missionary work.
Tisdag, we had our
language study with another member who speaks only swedish, it was a great
experience for me. They corrected something that I had written in Swedish and
there were not so many mistakes. I thought there would be a lot more. But then
again thats how I sometimes think about my language skills. We were able to go
home for lunch and a time to set up appointments for the rest of the week. We
had a great zero lesson with an investigator who is athiest. They have a hard
time understanding why bad things happen. We taught them how to pray and they
were willing to give the closing prayer. It was awesome! We are looking forward
with teaching them more. We then met with a member of the Svenska Krykan (a
prominant church here) she wanted to know more about our church and teach us
things about hers. It was interesting to ask her questions and see their
insights. After she answered all of our questions we were able to teach her the
first lesson. She is also interested in recieveing a Mormons Bok. She was
really kind and knowledgeable. It was cool.
Onsdag, we met with a
less active member when our investigator didnt show up and taught them a bit
about the temple and recieveing more blessings from going there. They would
like to prepare to go and go with a group. I think it would be awesome if we
could get something like that organized in our ward. So we are working on it!
We were able to go visit Pauline at her house as a member drove us out. She
would like to get her Patriarchal Blessing so we are organizing and studying
with her to help her prepare. We had miracles happen after studying swedish
after lunch. We were going to find some referalls that our member teach on
tuesday gave us. None of them were home but we were able to stop by a member
families house with less active children and we were able to help them out and
do their dishes. We had a great conversation with one of them and they really
opened up and we were able to testify of the strength that we can recieve from
praying and coming to church. Its pretty amazing how much better our lives can
be if we but pray in faith and attend 3 hours of church on sunday. (I'd have you
know that my spelling has decreased exponentially since learning swedish-I just
spelled hours ours and left it until I went back and edited! Yay for learning
languages!) My life has been about going to church for along while now but
every time I go I still just feel that my batteries are recharged and that is
where I am supposed to be and what I am supposed to be doing and I feel all of
those blessings throughout the rest of the week. So to continue, we were
readjusting plans in the evening and decided that we should name the people we
had talk to that day. It was around 7 pm and we were on our way to a lesson
with a less active. Our standard of excellence is 10 contacts a day. We
realized that we had talked to 7 people. We were then redetermined to reach that
goal and talk with more. Heavenly Father blessed us with people to talk to and
we were able to talk with them. The lesson with a less active turned into a
member teach as a potential investigator wanted to know more as we talked about
the Restoration through the Prophet Joseph Smith. It was great! We set goals
had faith and attained them with Gods help! It was awesome!
Torsdag, we were out
the whole day and it felt AWESOME! We left early to meet a less active
but there was a misscommunication and he thought it was friday morning so
we then did companionship study as we waited for our district to come together
to have lunch. The Zone Leaders showed up and we were able to have lunch. We
had talked about Semlor (a not from sweden treat that sweden has picked up)
Äldste Norr hadn't ever eaten one and they are only out a few times a year. So
Syster Schneiber and I opted to walk to the church, so the elders could drive.
We determined to buy them semlor as a treat and they wouldnt expect anything.
As we got to the church I tossed my wallet on top of my bag in the institute
center room. Noticing a bag of semlor already on the table. I just laughed and
went to the restroom. We ended up having 10 semlor and 8 people including the
Rasmussens to eat them. They were trying to be nice and we were too. So we all
had a treat! It was commical and enjoyable. We each gave 2-3 minute talks from
the first chapter in PME. The Spirit was really strong and we learned a lot
about how things work as a missionary and how we can know that we are doing
well. We then taught the Word of Wisdom to an investigator who wants to be
baptized that we knew had a problem with it. We planned to teach it one way and
it went another way but the lesson was lead by the Spirit and we were able to
show him the blessings of living those commandments. They are determined to
change those habits and know that Heavenly Father will help them. It was great.
We then were able to eat dinner with the YSA and get to know them better. We
are working on building a relationship with them so they don't think we are
weird. Right now it seems like thats the feeling. Then our investigator who has
moved to Stockholm came to say goodbye and write in our Buddy Books. He is very
kind and will soon be getting baptised.
Fredag, that was an
intense day. We met with the less active who thought he wrote himself out of
the church who really hasnt but has noticed that something is missing in his
life and wants it back. Äldste Rasmussen was able to attend and help testify of
how we can help fill those holes in again. He is really kind and we enjoyed
talking with him and assuring him that we could help him. Then with our
investigator who is working on following the Word of Wisdom. We organized his
baptismal calander and he chose to make goals each week to lower his smoking
and coffee intake so that he can quit! He is awesome! We then went to a members
house to help clean up and eat lunch. We ended up doing a lot as her husband
was really sick and had to be taken in Ambulance to the Hospital. We gave
support in a time that was needed and that was also lead by the Spirit. We
thought about cancelling because our investigator who was going to come
cancelled. We both just felt like we needed to go. We ended up staying longer
then expected and still hadnt packed for Sisters Conference. It was intense as
we waited for the bus and then realized we wouldnt make our trian if we stayed
on the bus. We had to call the Rasmussens and they were our Saviors as they
were able to pick us up, we sprinted around our apartment packing in three
minutes and then to the trainstation. We made our train! It was awesome. We
made our connection too, a man contacted us about us as members of the church
having multiple wifes and our stance on polygamy. It was interesting as we
corrected him and he continued to tell us we were wrong. The next train was an
overnight train, we felt like we were in Harry Potter as we had a whole
compartment for part of the trip by ourselves. We talked a lot about faith on
the train ride. Why is it that we must live by faith and can't live by
knowledge? Have you ever thought about that? Im thankful that we can live by
faith. I believe it enables us to have agency. If we had knowledge we would be
considered foolish to believe anything different. Once in Stockholm Syster
Oscarson picked us up and took us to the Mission home where Syster
Detinne-Cassel, Dabb, Erickson, Sprague were all already there. It was awesome
to see Syster DeTinne-Cassel because I havent seen here since we left with our trainers.
It felt like a reunion. Especially once Syster Vistaunet arrived with Syster
Francis! The last time I was in that house was when I first got here and I was
with those two. We had a cool reunion and it was great. We talked for a long
while and caught up on everything about our families. We were a bit chatty and
stayed up a little late but I think it was what we needed as systers, we arent
around eachother so often.
Lördag, Conference was
amazing we learned about how important preparation is. How to do a zero lesson.
How to included our members in our work in every aspect. Systers are now going
to go on exchanges (splits) We get to go with Karlskrona which is super far
away in Malmö zone. So that will be awesome. Syster Vistaunet and Francis are
there. We are looking forward to doing that. We really enjoyed Syster Newells
talk. She helped me to realize that the gospel is not rigid. It is a moving and
living thing. As we become ourselves and are able to adapt and change we are
able to apply more doctrines and principles to our lives. It was super cool.
She instigated a sort of self reflection in a lot of us as we thought
about how we are doing as a missionary in Sweden. We went a little long so
our exit was about the same as our entrance as we gathered our things
hopped on a car to the train station and ran to our train. On the train ride
back Syster Vistaunet and Francis were with us and we were able to switch seats
so Syster Vistaunet and I talked as Syster Francis and Schneiber talked. We all
learned a lot from eachother and it was very benificial.
Söndag, we were able
to teach our sunday school investigator class as our Ward Mission Leader is
still sick. We were able to have members and our less actives we are working
with be with. Church was awesome! The testimony meeting was great. I felt the
spirit witness to me the truths that each person shared with us. After
Sacrament meeting we sang in a womens choir We are singing The Olive Tree but
in swedish and with a few different parts. It will be awesome. We were then
invited to a members house with the Rasmussens for dinner. Then to another
members to help them continue in our program. They were both thankful for the
time we have taken to help them become better missionaries and everything. I
really love working with them. Another plan we have is to take this program to
our less active and part member families to get them excited about learning and
sharing the gospel.
Well you know what
time it is! CHALLENGE TIME! President Newell has challenged us missionaries to
every fast sunday to read Alma 32 and Ether 12 as well as do the Christlike
Attribute Activity at the end of Christlike Attributes section in PME. This
month was the first since he made that request. I know that I have felt a
different spirit come as I have had the time to reflect on my application of my
faith and other attributes which our Savior Jesus Christ has. I would like you
all to read those two chapters and do the activity. There are not many
activities that are so organized as those that are in PMG. I know that as you
take the time to do that you will know how you can improve and adjust to make
faith take a larger role in your life. With this we, as a mission have been
promised that as we, as missionaries, increase our faith we will be able to do
twice the work we are able to now. So I would like you to think about and send
me and email or letter =) about how you increase your faith as believers of
Christ. Next week Ill share what I have learned if people respond to me!
I love you all! Thanks
so much for your love, support and prayers! I hope you all have a great week
and make good Choices!
Love you
Syster Juker
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