Welcome June

Hey Fam and Friends! Summer is definitely here. I don't think I have told you guys but the days are super long-meaning the sun is up ALL the time! From 11pm to 3 or 4 am is darkness, the rest is super bright and sunny. The weather has been about 25 Celsius or higher (77) except a little random cold front over the weekend. But with summer comes other stuff -basically, no clothes. That is eventful. ha. Yeah, people here don't like to wear much clothing when it's warm, men så är det med livet -but so is it with life. :) 

Family Home Evening

Mån: We had FHE with B and his family at the K's! We had a great dinner -most of which Elder S and I cooked, dessert (of course), and a fun lesson. We showed them how to hold a family evening together where we could sing songs, play games and teach important life lessons. I'm seeing how I want to raise my kids up in the gospel and how to have family home evening with little kids. I was a little nervous about the lesson, I don't know why, I guess kids just scare me ha, not. But it was really good.

Tis: We met with B again to prepare him for his baptism this week. We met S and went over Kysketslagen -law of chastity which simple, straightforward and easy. Later that day we had dinner with A and her kids and read the Book of Mormon out loud in Swedish. She has been enjoying that, and we are benefiting from it as a language study as well as spiritual study. I honestly think that is why the MTC works so well is that it is working 2 different parts of your brain when learning a new language and having the spiritual side there as well, and it can connect easier. Plus, doing the work of the Lord gives you blessings.

Ons: We did contacting and swingbys. We met with K who has read some things on the internet so that makes things difficult, but he understood fully the need for Priesthood Authority. We ate dinner and headed over to D and S's place so we could practice a song for the baptism. D cannot sing so S banished him, haha. The song is a cool arrangement of I am a Child of God. We had a good time with them talking afterwards -I really enjoy those 2 a lot. Their marriage, the way they interact with eachother is hilarious and exactly what I want with my framtid fru -future wife.

Sushi

Tors: This was a very jam packed stressful day, doing one thing right to the next. Every time I have trouble focusing on preparing district meeting it usually always turns out really well. Im grateful for that wonderful blessing. Anywho, we were walking to lunch when we see President K and his wife and they invited us to have sushi with them. Im not the biggest fan of it but Im not gonna turn something down like that. It actually was really good, so yay! We then had B come over and it was a very spiritual powerful lesson. President told some very personal stories that got me and B going (tears.) I shared my experience and my knowledge of the Plan of Salvation with him about Elder Bailey and it was a very tender experience. I feel like I have been able to connect more deeply with people when I share that knowledge because it is so personal and so real to me, it's a big blessing in disguise.

We then met up with M, someone who Elder Bailey actually contacted in Västerås a couple months prior. He felt a cleansing when he was with the missionaries. He really loved Elder Bailey (as everyone does) and he took the loss quite hard. But afterwards, he came to himself and now is doing really well. He lives in Etuna now and wants to meet with the missionaries again and get baptized! I've already had a great connection with him just sharing stories of Elder Bailey, it's quite amazing.

We then went down to Strängnäs to help S. We taught him Tithing and Fast offerings and he got it. We came back and we met up with H. We ate dinner with him and then went on a walk just talking about everything and finally getting down to the Book of Mormon, which he actually really enjoys! We got talking more and more about it and somehow I mentioned hope. He opened up to us big time and shared a personal story about his grandmother that was so tender. I told him about my grandmother, who died not too long after I was born. And though she is gone, I have felt her presence in my life so strong and fully that I cannot deny that there is no afterlife. She lives, and helps me. And I testified that his grandmother does the same. It was a very real personal connection that we had together. It was amazing.

Fre: we went on exchanges with the zone leaders so they could interview B. (I was with Elder O in Etuna) We found out that B needed more time and understanding before he can be baptized so we are going to continue to work with him and help prepare some more. I had to tell everyone the baptism was off, right after I had sent the text talking about it ha. That was tough. But it'll be ok.

We met with K and asked that if he knew this was the right path for him if he would be baptized, and he said yes. We set up a day in July to work towards. We picked up L and headed to sports night. He said he wants to go to the temple. It was really cool seeing that motivation take place (I believe it might have come from the BoM challenge we gave him earlier). So Sports night was pretty fun. Elder O is an athletic guy so he wasn't really used to our type of Sports night. Sports night is not really about the sports:)

Lör: So no baptism today. Sad. But we press forward.  Sister K told us she had some food for us. So we go over and find out that she picked up a hitchhiker, who is from Vancouver Canada (where sis k will be visiting in a couple of weeks), coming here to work on an free organic farm, she wants to be a librarian (sis k is a librarian) she grew up in a Mormon family (but not so active anymore). Her name is P (I'm naming my daughter P) it was just crazy! AND she has a ukulele! So we go grab our ukuleles and have a jam session with President K rocking his guitar! SO AWESOME!

Talk not with me about weaknesses, talk with me about possibilities

Sön: Fast sunday! Yes! Man, Sunday was a good day. We got L, B and K to come to church. AND P ended up coming too! The Newells (Mission Pres and wife)  were there to visit the K's. It was testimony meeting. Everything was so good. I helped L pass the Sacrament for his first time ever, and it was amazing. So many memories were coming back to me as we were passing of when I did it for my first time, and through the ages of preparing and then blessing the sacrament. I later bore my testimony about that, and how sacred it is be able to pass the sacrament. It truly is a sacred calling; to enable people the opportunity to renew their baptismal covenant as well as all of their covenants, to invite the spirit and let angels administer in the congregation. It was powerful. We then had dinner with the K's, P, and the Newells! It was a lot of fun. We found out later that P really enjoyed us missionaries and thought we were quite normal. She has tons of friends on missions and now wants to write them! Wow, cool stuff!!! She's from halfway across the world, and there are still so many ties!!!

We went to H for the sacrament and then proceeded to do swingbys. Nothing much came of it, we tried to set return appointments but people dont like to commit ha. We ended up going by H again and taking another walk/talk with him.

Thursday seemed to be so jammed and stressful, but it turned out to be one of the most spiritual days of my life. I do not do this work on my own. There is no way that I could. It humbles me to know, in situations like that, that I can truly rely on the Lord to strengthen me and support me through it all. I'm having special experiences everyday that connects me to people so deeply and so powerfully, that it can only come through the gospel. I know this is the Lord's work. I am a part of it, and I could not be any more grateful for this chance, this sacred calling. I love it. I know it is true. I know He lives. And loves. I hope you all have a wonderful week!

Med Kärlek

Äldste Johnson