Last week in July! - July 29, 2013

We are updating Allie's blog for her while she is serving a mission. Some excerpts from her latest
e-mail:

Hey everyone!

It's been a busy, but an excellent week! Last week we had both Zone Training (meaning we had to go up to a place called Uppsala for it) and we had exchanges (where I went to Stockholm and was with a Syster Barton who is just absolutely fantastic. We decided that either we have to go on exchanges again or just be companions at some point in the future so we can keep talking!). I also learned that I really can't do so well at playing darts... (we played last Monday at FHE with a family in the ward and I literally got the lowest score every time...yep). But in better news, I'm getting a lot better at playing soccer!

Rose - Decided on a date to be baptized! October 13th =) She is so positive. It's hard for her to come to church, so that's why we set the date so far back (so she'll be able to have the chance to come twice before then).

Cherry - After a meeting with Balansama, I felt like we should drop by Cherry's apartment. At the same time, someone who lives there walked up and asked who we were looking for. Once we told him, he said, "I know him! Here I'll let you in!" He showed us which apartment was his and we were able to talk with him for a few minutes. He committed to coming to church the next week, which he did! (And he mentioned that he really liked priesthood meeting). He says that he's "already a member" haha and he agreed to decide on a date for baptism the next time we meet him. He's been working overtime the last few weeks. He would literally be working from 7 to 5 and then go home and go to sleep between 7 and 8 almost everyday.

Love - Super positive! We've only been teaching her for about two weeks now and she has read up thru Alma 34 in the Book of Mormon in that span. She says that she wants to get baptized but that she wants to wait a little while before deciding a day. We think that coming to church will help her out quite a bit.

Balansama (recent convert) - He decided that he wants to get the priesthood, so he's working towards that now. The ward is also helping to prepare him to be able to go do baptisms when the ward goes the temple in August.

Scripture - D&C 43:16 "And ye are to be taught from on high. Sanctify yourselves and ye shall be endowed with power, that ye may give even as I have spoken."'

Pictures:

One of my zone!

One of Syster Gambles and me with one of the amazing families in our ward! I actually met their son while I was in the MTC! He's in Greece right now. Pär, Birgitta, Robert and Emma (they have another daughter named Anna and Filip is the son in Greece)

Love,

Allie

6 months on the mission! - July 22, 2013

First off those promised pictures of the Solar System! (I'm just including some of my favorites).

With the sun! 

And look! This is where we are =) 

Jupiter (isn't it big?)

Saturn

And when we realized that there was no Pluto ... =( Because the planet project took place after Pluto was demoted. 

Anyway, it's been a busy week. The other sisters in Örebro have three baptisms planned for the next two weeks and we're working hard with our investigators now.

As for what I've been thinking about lately, I've been considering the concept of "Happily Ever After" (I recently read President Uchtdorf's talk "Your Happily After") and I've been considering the concept in regards to myself personally and in regards to the books that I write (or want to write). Even though the words are as of yet unwritten, every day word by word, I draw nearer to the time my story will end, "And they lived happily ever after. The End." But what defines a happily ever after? Well for me I imagine that I will be married to someone who I love deeply and openly; who gives me the most ultimate kind of happiness and I to him; who builds me up and who I can help strengthen; someone who is willing to make that journey with me to forever so that we can face God at judgment today, together, knowing that what we have done is enough and dedicated to Him.

Mosiah 7:33, "But if ye will turn to the Lord with full purpose of heart, and put your trust in him, and serve him with all diligence of mind, if ye do this, he will, according to his own will and pleasure, deliver you out of bondage."

Love you all!

Allie

(I can't think of a creative title for this e-mail, so this will have to suffice) - July 15, 2013

Today we are planning to go discover the solar system...pictures are forthcoming. Little did you know that the solar system is in Örebro...

In honor of Jared's rainbow picture, here is one of my own....

A sunset picture

My battle wound from Soccer (as well as my now ridiculous tan lines....) Syster Gambles has quite the kick =) (she feels a bit guilty, but I promise, now it doesn't really hurt.)

And picture of my new district! Syster Gambles, Elder Packer (fresh from the MTC), Elder Tietjen (my district leader....), Syster Miller, me! and Syser Hauglid. District meeting! (Party in Örebro!)

As for my investigators, Eric is still super interested. We've taught him Word of Wisdom and Law of Chastity this last week, and we expect to teach him more of the commandments this week. We have high hopes that he will decide to be baptized. But we're just going to have to wait to see when he learns the truth for himself =)

Scripture that I really liked this week was John 20:31 "But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name." We've been studying more about Christ, because one of our investigators has a really hard time accepting that Jesus is the Christ (we're mainly encouraging him to take the step to study the Book of Mormon and pray) and this scripture really stood out to me.

Love you all!

Allie



Unscripted

I have oft' wondered:

If my Heavenly Father were

To stand before my eyes,

What words would He speak?

"My Child,

Why has thou forsaken me?

I know thine heart:

Thou art proud,

Thou art foolish.

Why hast thou forgotten thy work?"

"My Child,

Thou great and faithful servant,

I know thine heart.

Thou art sincere,

Thou are valiant.

Thine purpose has been fulfilled."

Unscripted words stand--

A testament of me.

Paths diverge before me,

Which will I take?

July! - July 8, 2013

Pictures for this week:

Me and Syster Gambles

My district as it is currently (Elder Teitjen, Elder Miller, Syster Gambles, Syster Clouse, me, and Syster Miller

Svampen, a water tower that you can go to the top of and see Örebro. It looks like a mushroom (which is what Svampen literally translates into "the mushroom")

And a picture of the Stockholm temple I drew =)

Cherry - We've been busy working with him in the past week. We've taught him pretty much all of the commandments last week. He's super close to being baptized but he wanted to go to church before he decided on a date.

Scripture - D&C 24:8 "Be patient in afflictions, for thou shalt have many; but endure them, for, lo, I am with thee, even unto the end of thy days." It's a magnificent promise.

Love you all!

Allie

Sweden - July 1, 2013

A couple of pictures of some of the art you can see around town.  Every summer Orebro has an event called Openart where there are larger art projects exhibited around town.  Here's a few that you can see.  I like the rubber ducky!

Beginning of July? You know it! - July 1, 2013

Life's been busy this week (no baptismal dates for us, but the other sisters working in Örebro had a baptism yesterday so that was exciting!)

I've played soccer 5 times since I've moved to Örebro and basketball once with the ward... yep. And I will continue doing so. Especially since our investigators keep coming to activities :)

I got the chance to finally watch the broadcast yesterday (I actually watched it in Swedish and was surprisingly able to understand most all of it... I definitely understand loads more now that I did when I first came to Sweden. Still working on expanding my being able to speak in Swedish, but it's coming!).

So my investigators!

Cherry - we taught him the plan of salvation, which he really responded to since he has lost members of his family in the past. We also taught him more about baptism and talked a bit about the sacrament. He even came to two football activities and a basketball activity with the ward, even though he wasn't able to come to sacrament meeting because he went to Stockholm last minute, but we're planning on meeting him several times this week.

Eric - He called us in the middle of the week wanting to meet us! He apparently couldn't wait for us to answer his questions so he went on mormon.org (which he knew of because we gave him a card with our number on it) and was asking the missionaries online to see if they could help him. He definitely has a sincere desire to learn if this church is true. He only laments the fact that church has to be in Swedish (he's only fluent in English and French, but he understands why...he just wishes he was in a French speaking country).

Balansama (new member) - He's doing well, except for the fact that he's sick... but he's excited to keep learning about the gospel!

Ulrika - she's heading to the States for the week, but she asked us to keep Balansama busy (so we definitely intend on using him on lessons this week)

Michel and family - we will be going by a couple of times a week to give short (at most 15 minutes) lessons to him, his wife, and two daughters. We're thinking of working on short simple topics since his daughters are young (3 and 4). But we hope as we focus on the children, his wife will want to learn more herself.

Something that stuck out to me this week: 2 Nephi 19:2 - "The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined." I love the message of hope and light. Those in darkness will always receive new light. Always!

I'll start sending some pictures now!

Love,

Allie

Pole from Midsummer's

Proof of how light it is at night (complete with time stamp)

An Örebro sign!

And one of me =)