Priesthood Blessings Are Great

Beautiful Sunset

Hey all you people! It's me! Thanks for all of the updates, loves, supports, prayers, letters, etc! You guys are the greatest! It has been a good week on this side of the world. Let me tell ya...

Mån: A pretty chill Pday. We went with the other Lund missionaries and walked around the city because it was an absolutely beautiful day! The sun was shining and glorious! We went through this giant mall and I made it a goal to put at least one foot in in every store!:) I also bought this super good looking suit:)! We followed up with people we tracted into a while ago and one was interested in us coming back in a couple of more weeks.

Tis: We're finally meeting regularly with our friend B and he is doing good. We then met with N who is not quite ready for baptism but he will get there. He really felt the spirit in the lesson and that was awesome. We had dinner with S who is the gospel doctrine teacher and is super cool. We had a very inspired lesson deep into the Atonement and what it means to each of us. We gave her a Priesthood blessing and she appreciated that. We then ran over to the other side of town to meet with M. Somehow we are always late when we meet with her ha, but she is making good progress!

Ons: We had district meeting on Adjusting teaching to Meet Needs. We had an awesome discussion and role play to help apply what we learned. We then went to visit a new apartment in Lund that we will move into this week! It's smaller than ours now, but at least we will be in Lund! That will save us valuable time each day.  We taught 2 people on the street and helped a member with some curtains in her home. Then we had the lesson of the century!:) hahaha gosh. I cant even do it justice talking about it. But let me just say briefly that it was so hard and so awkward and so funny and just the best! The girl was super interested but her boyfriend was totally not. He wouldn't give us anything hahaha. We ended the lesson and then he turned into a bro. He just did not want to talk about religion, but was a really cool guy afterwards. Interesting....hmm ha. That is seriously only a hundredth part of what really happened.

Elder Packard hoarding the food

Tors: I went to Malmö on exchanges and had a great day. It was the first time in a long while where I didnt have to worry about anything. We worked super hard and taught lots of cool people and had a good time, and it was nice:) I got to meet a lot of people that I had heard stories about from the other missionaries and one of them was a friend to the new convert I taught in Handen so that was cool! We taught an  investigator who has changed so much because of the Gospel in his life and he looks forward to his baptism. We then were able to teach a new convert's friends. The convert gave such a powerful testimony that this is the true church -it was amazing to be a part of that! I love when members invite their friends and bear testimony of how they know this is the true church! It is incredible!!

Fre: I wasn't feeling good and my comp and I talked a lot about some challenges that I am going through and I came to the conclusion that I really needed a priesthood blessing. I really havent had one my whole mission- I just would rather fight/work through things.  I was planning on asking president, but I felt like i needed one right then and there and i needed my companion to give it. It was one of the most profound blessings that I have ever been a part of or had before. I wrote down a lot of what was said -it was amazing the blessings and promises and as well the many warnings because it feels like the closer I move to the end of my mission, the more the devil is working against me. However, I felt through this blessing that I have been missing out on feeling God's love for me because I wouldnt ask for a blessing. It is never a wrong time to ask for one. It is never bad to want to feel of His love. He lives and cares about us. Just turn to Him. I learned a very powerful lesson that day.

Dinner with Pres and Sister B

We then went to have interviews with President and I shared with him my experience. I love being able to talk to him so openly and share all that is going on. I also told him about my uneasiness in wanting to go home. He told me to express this, so here it is: "Family and friends, I love you and am excited to be with you after my mission. But I don't want you reminding me how short a time I have left. Don't rush me to my bags. I still have so much more to do here. It would greatly help me if you helped me with that." Thanks, that's all I need to say about the matter. I love you all. But anyway, we got to also go out to dinner with President and Sister Beckstrand- I love them so much! They are hilarious!

Lör: Basically it was meeting after meeting all day. We had Stake Conference and it was so good.  I wrote down all the things members need to do-and then all the things missionaries need to do! WE HAVE TO BE UNIFIED!!!! And sister B spoke powerfully about  the need to live the gospel every day, not just sunday.

Vision for the Stake: Bring a friend,
Be spiritually and temporally independent, Find an ancestor

Sön: More stake conference and the theme of the day was Luke 22:32 "When thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren". Oh my word. It was incredible! It was based on Peter's story. He had many times up to that time to bear his testimony and help others. But he hadnt been converted yet. He denied knowing Christ 3 times and went back to his fisherman job. It wasnt until he was converted that he understood what he needed to do- feed Christ's sheep. Thats what we are called to do. We need to make sure we have been converted to Christ and then are we able to reach out and help others. Some other cool notes from that were "Mistakes don't define us, they refine us" "The strength of the church lies in the hearts of the members" "the most prized possession we have is our testimony of the savior". And many other good things. So incredible!

We had another awesome experience that night. We were going by the senior couple's home to grab an item. We felt impressed to walk past their place and talk to this guy. We started teaching and testifying to him of the meaning of life and what happens after we die. He turned out to be interested and we are going to meet him again. It was a powerful manifestation of following the subtle promptings of the spirit. I love when that happens:)

So, as I have mentioned a few times above, Priesthood Blessings are wonderful. I love being able to bless other's lives with the sacred Priesthood which i bear, and that my life can also be blessed from worthy priesthood bearers. Dont let an opportunity pass you by to feel Gods love for you through his sacred power. 

Jag vet att prästadömets kraft och auktoritet har återställts genom profeten joseph smith. Det är guds kraft och makt här på jorden. Jag vet att Gud älskar oss och han vill att vi känner den kärlek som han har för oss. Jag vet att denna kyrka är sann. Jag älskar er!

Translation: I know that priesthood power and authority have been restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith. It is God's power and authority on earth. I know that God loves us and He wants us to feel the love that he has for us. I know that this Church is true. I love you

mvh

Äldste Johnson