Hey Everyone! - April 1, 2013

Glad Påsk!  (Happy Easter!)

I'm actually in one of the largest wards here in Sweden.  With over 200 members to the ward (and over a 100 of those are actually active) we meet in one of the, if not the largest, chapels in Sweden.  The majority of our work is through members or with inactives.  We are also in the ward with all of the Temple missionaries called to serve in the Swedish temple (since it's pretty much across the street from the chapel and the place were all of the Temple missionaries live), so there are actually quite a few Americans in the ward.  

Pretty much everyone is fluent in English.  We do teach some lessons in English, but the majority is definitely Swedish.  What this means for me though, if I don't know a word in Swedish, I can just say it in English and people will still understand most of the time.  So I make an effort to try to say everything I can in Swedish.  I've definitely noticed my Swedish improving, but it's still difficult at times.  It's definitely coming though!

It's definitely been a bit cold, but it's warming up and that ice is finally starting to melt.  Which reminds me... I may or may not have fallen and I may or may not have scraped up my left knee and bruised my left elbow and I may or may not have twisted my right ankle because I stepped off the path a bit and lost my balance.  But!  It's really not that bad....  no need for crutches or anything since I can walk.  My ankle is just a little bit swollen is all!  And I have my brace so that helps when I'm in my apartment.

Food isn't all that drastically different here.  The biggest change is that things are more bland.  Sweden doesn't really have spicy food.  At least not the way we see spicy food.  I've been willing to try everything they give me.  Desserts are by far the best - and since we have a large ward and both sets of sisters get fed pretty much every night (most often by two sets of couples, though every once in awhile they'll have all four of us over for dinner), most members include dessert of some sort when we're over.  

It's been a busy week.  We had some last minute training exchanges last week - which through the luck of the draw, I got to see my companion from the MTC again (since her companion is the one doing the training) which made both of us extremely happy!  I don't think either of us realized just how much we missed each other until we saw each other again! We also have exchanges this week, where I'll be placed in a trio, so I'm interested to see how that will turn out, particularly since I'll be in charge of getting us everywhere since we'll be in my area.

As for a little bit about how I get around.  We pretty much walk/take the tåg (train) everywhere since it's too icy right now for bikes.  We actually technically live outside of our area so we always have to take the tåg at least twice a day.

We've been working with a new investigator. My companion was able to meet with him twice this week (I only had the one time because of the exchanges) to teach him about prayer and baptism and we have plans to meet him several times this week. We know he feels the Spirit during our lessons and during our last lesson he told us he wants to think and pray about baptism before he commits, because he knows that it is a big step to take. We know just how much he needs the gospel in his life right now, so we hope that he will come to the decision to be baptized.

The young boy I mentioned last week will most likely be baptized some time in May (he turns 8 on the 29th of this month), but there is no official date set at this time.

We were also able to meet with an investigator my companion worked with before I came here. Since it was almost a month since his last lesson with the missionaries we had a sort of refresher lesson, where it ended up him teaching us (remembering pretty much everything that was taught to him before) the Plan of Salvation and the Word of Wisdom. We went over the Restoration in more detail and he's beginning to work with the Elders (since we realized that he actually doesn't live in our area -- he was introduced to the church through a friend in the ward, so we're coordinating with the Elders in the area he actually lives in), which I think can help him quite a bit.

Something that really stuck out to me in the scriptures this week is the parable of the Good Samaritan. This parable has always been significant to me, but this week I was hit very strongly with how every role in the parable can be representative of us, particularly placing myself in the role of the man who was attacked by thieves. Then the role of the Good Samaritan would be taken by the Savior. The Savior does His all for us. He cares for us in every way present and when He cannot physically be there, His presence is known because He has already paid the price for us at the inn. He hasn't forgotten, and He never will.

Until next week!

Love you all!