Sweden in Sommar!

From: Jennifer Juker <jennifer.juker@myldsmail.net>
Date: Mon, Jul 9, 2012 at 10:55 AM
Subject: Sweden in Sommar!
Hello My Fine Family and My Fantastic Friends!Its been another great week in Katrineholm. This week was full of a lot of travel. It has been interesting to see the increase of travel time as I have been here. There are so many people all around us who live a ways away that invite us over so we are always going by bike or by train and occassionally car. This week it was a little bit of everything! Its been great! This Last Monday we were not sure what to do with our evening as all of our plans fell through. We came upon an idea to write some cards to our investigators and members and drop them by! I am sure it was the spirit! We were able to stop by Flen and visit with Maria about our branch and finding out new information on people we were unsure about. It was a great success which ended with a sprint to the last train from Flen. We sprinted and we were sure glad we made it to the train in time. Last Tuesday we were able to find some less actives. We were able to meet with Alex and since Gilbert was late it became a member lesson. Syster Spjut played the piano and we sang together as we were waiting for them to arrive. Alex noticed it and was thankful for it. We were a little unsure of what we could talk about but we had a few ideas running around. The spirit directed it and we were able to go to the Book of Mormon and read from Joseph Smiths testimony of his experience. There was a special spirit as we read of parts of the story that Alex had never heard before. We were able to testify of how we have found out for ourselves that Joseph Smith is the prophet who restored the gospel and that he too can know if he takes the time to ask and is sincere. We had dinner and visited Rosmery and Leif and talked with them about being thankful, they are working on noticing one thing every day that they are thankful for.  Last Wednesday we were able to find a lot of people on the computer and got new addresses for some old investigators we found in our area book. It was really awesome how many we could find updated information of and then turn around to use it. As we were approaching our bikes in centrum we noticed a familar face sitting on a bench next to our bikes. We do not know his name besides the Bearded Guy but he stopped to talk with us. He told us to have a seat but that the conversation would not be religious at all. He knows we are missionaries and he knows lots about the church already. He began to talk with us and within 3 seconds it became about religion and continued to be for a while. He is not very open to the church but he knows a whole lot about it. He doesn't "look the part" to be as smart as he is. He told us about how so many people in centrum just walk passed him and never talk with him. This man is super intelligent and shared with us some of his ideas for helping society develop because he believes in us and changing the world. He is a little sceptical and talks about how we have a system to find people and he doesnt want to be in the system, but besides that he is very nice. He said we will certainly meet again! We then headed to Kerstins house. She is a sweet lady who has a cat that thought Syster Spjut and I were cat trees to play on. It was fun until the claws came out. She has family who are members so we try to go over and keep a good relationship so when the time comes she will be ready to learn more. We shared a video about not judging others from what they look like. The Spirit was very strong and it was great to have her feel it as well. As we were travelling there my bike chain fell off but we didnt have time to fix it so we just left it. A neighbor came and asked if he could fix it. We were uncertain but couldnt resist because he was persistant. It took them about 15 minutes and it usually takes us two, but we were able to talk with them both a little bit more before meeting at the church with Gilbert and our Branch President. It went well at first we were able to give him some books that the president had just got and then he found another book. In the end Gilbert seemed a bit overwhelmed. Thankfully the Spirit helped us realize that and we were able to calm his fears and help him realize that everything would be ok, he wants now more help on how to study, with Preach My Gospel that will be awesome!Now we had a plan to have a traditional 4th of July BBQ but that didnt really happen because we had an appointment with Annick to talk about Young Women and help her use the manuals. She offered us Foo Foo and it was pretty delicious. Syster Spjut and I couldn't help but think of how if we were home we would never have had the opportunity to eat a spinach anchoivie soup with a playdough like bread. We were grateful for the experience! Last Thursday was Zone Conference, Satan didnt want us there. It was apparent from the beginning of the day. About halfway up the first hill to the train station I realized I had forgotten my tag. At that very second a riding lawn mower was trying to pass us so I couldnt get Syster Spjuts attention. We then had to book it back to the appartment and really book it to the station. Then once on the bike the chain almost fell of so I smacked the gear with my foot and the chain stayed on. I thought we would make it to the station. Sadly about 95 percent of the way there it fell off. We had to just walk it. So we left it parked and locked at the station with the chain off. But despite all that we made our train! The theme was the Gospel of Jesus Christ It was a great faith building experience. Our zone leaders organized a great round of roleplaying with different members, and investigators. It was great to be able to learn from other missioinaries and see how they do things. I was companions with Syster Talbot when she shared of her testimony to a "less active" returned missionary. She bore her testimony of her own feelings regarding her family members back home who are less active. The Spirit was felt by us all and I realized how real things really are. It was just a role play and yet it pulled a lot at my heart strings because I could relate to the emotions she was sharing. I am thankful for the opportunity to be there and to recieve that inspiration. We ended up spending most of the day in Stockholm because we missed the earlier train and had to take a later train. Once on the train we were dead tired, aka spiritually drained. We had been praying for the opportunity to teach someone. As we were on the train a man named Boris turns to us and starts speaking in english to us. He is a philospher and is very intelligent. He was trying to get into an arguement it seemed but we were too tired to realize it. We talked a lot about different beliefs and the message of the restoration. Pretty much the conversation ended in Katrineholm as he took our pass a long card and gave us his business card. It was a bit tiring but a great lesson as well. Last Friday we had a bit of a crazy day with weekly planning and having our real fourth of july party. It went well and we got great plans set for next week. Saturday we helped out with a funeral for our Ward Mission Leader. It was out it the woods, because you know how swedes do things. It was a gorgeous place, the early pictures are proof. Syster Spjut and I began a new dish washing machine. She was the washer and I the dryer. Our members made many comments of the sort. It was great to serve and really help during the service. The spirit was also present and we were able to help them out in their time of need.  Yesterday in church we had many people and we had ward counsel. It was a great day. Lars spoke about how we need to realize the good in us as individuals and how much we really are needed. He had a great point as a common phrase in sweden is, When someone thanks you for something you did for them you say somthing like it was so little. When we sacrifice ourselves to do something for someone else it always is something that they are thankful for and we should accept there thankfulness more thoughtfully. It was a nice thing to sit and think a second about. We had time with Cat and her sons and were able to talk with them a bit about the gospel before taking and returning a key to Mike and Amber. We ended the evening with Rosemery and Leif we were going to talk about baptism but someone who was very against religion was there and it didnt feel right to discuss that with them there. We talked about Leifs idea for a branch activity and he got jazzed up for it.  Today we spent the day cutting hair. It was a lot of fun but now we are tired. Challenge time! Think about who you are as an individual, make a list of your strengths that you see in you and notice how great of a person you really are. Despite how sometimes you may see yourself you truely are a great individual. Sometimes its difficult to see through that cloud of uncertainty but when you look through with eyes of faith you can know that you are special for you are a daughter or son of a loving Father in Heaven who has created you and the things he makes are great and have the potential to be perfect through the power of Christ! You just have to get HIm on your team by doing what he asks. Like prayer start there and see how much better you can feel about yourself. I know that as we remember who we really are in the eyes of God we are able to feel better and do better in all we do!
 I love you all and hope that you all have a great week!
 Love you Syster Juker