Oh How Swede It Is!: Baptisms and Blåsts

Hejhej everyone!! (This is a normal greeting here, like "Hey hey, how are you?")

This week was the BEST. My goodness I loved it. I can't even choose a favorite part! So many funny stories and fun things and baptisms...wait what? That doesn't happen in Sweden. Haha yay for breaking stereotypes!

So on Thursday, we flew down to Stockholm for a big sisters conference! All of the sisters in the entire mission, from Malmö in the very south to our little northern city of Luleå, got to come to Stockholm for the day. It was the best thing that could have ever happened. I love all the sisters here so much! Syster Beckstrand, the mission president's wife, started off the day by leading us in a zumba workout type thing...hahah have I mentioned I love this mission? It was a blast. After that, we had classes from Syster Beckstrand and all of the other senior sister missionaries. Syster Taylor (who knows my Aunt Jody, shout out to her:)) taught the coolest class on gratitude. I guess it's the season, right? :) I have been working hard on being more grateful lately, and it was so helpful to make me realize just how much I have to be grateful for! I've been making lists of all the blessings I have seen come from my mission, and I've been amazed by how much I can come up with. For example...

1. I have the most amazing family at home who loves me and is so proud of me.

2. I have had the opportunity to get to know so many great people here, missionaries, members, and investigators alike.

3. I can speak a new language. (Or attempt...hehe it counts)

4. I have a firm testimony of the gospel.

5. I am more bold than I have ever been!

Those are just a few, and I could go on and on, but my email time is limited (and you guys would just get bored, let me tell you). ;) I am just so grateful for the opportunity to be here. It amazes me that God decided to use me in His great work.

We also did normal missionary work this week, which always results in some kind of funny story...I don't know if other missions have this, but when you make an appointment with someone and they don't show up, don't answer their phone, and just leave you hanging, we call it ”getting blåsted”. Syster Bolton and I actually hold the record in our zone for the most blåsts in a week (10 holla). Haha! But. I had called a less active lady earlier that week and asked if we could come by. She said yes, so we decided a time and all of that. She didn't answer her phone either time I tried to confirm the appointment, but we went anyway. We knocked and she didn't answer, but we could hear her moving around in her apartment, sooooo I called her. She was not getting out of that appointment that easy! All of the sudden, we could hear her phone going off inside the door, then her picking it up, looking at it for a second, and then silencing it. Hahahah oh we were dying. Some people just really don't want to talk to you, which is weird. All we want to do is help you go to heaven... Haha!;)

To top it all off, we had our BAPTISM this week! Stefan was baptized on Saturday and confirmed yesterday. He was so excited! He wanted to have his baptism in Skellefteå (because they have a chapel. Our chapel is currently under construction right now, so we meet in an elementary school. It's great.), so us and quite a few ward members drove 2 hours in the snow to get there! It was completely worth it :) The baptism did not go at all as planned...the program had to be fixed last minute, the guy that was supposed to give a talk was an hour late, the baptism started 30 minutes late because of the snow, the elder who was supposed to play the piano jammed his finger in a car door... But everything sorted itself out. I was not stressed for one minute because I just knew things would work out! Stefan was really happy after everything. I was so lucky to be a part of his conversion process! He is so special, and I feel like I didn't do a single thing because he was so ready to become a member. It was really cool to see. He was so happy, and bore the coolest testimony right after he was baptized! He knows the church is true, and that strengthens my testimony too.

The happiest day! Attila (Stefan's dad), Stefan, Syster Mod and Syster Bolton.

The baptismal font in Skellefteå.

So yeah! It was a really good week :) I love Sweden, I love Luleå, and I love everyone here!! Even if they blåst me :)

Also, my pday for next week has been switched to this coming Saturday due to the Thanksgiving holiday and people going home and whatever, so if you guys want to email me, you should do it before then :)

fuuuun facts:

-Reindeer pizza exists, and I am determined to have it this week. Stay tuned.

-We drove by our church building the other day, and I found out it is right next door to a Jehovah's Witness church. Apparently, the elders and sisters have both had investigators go there on accident...hahaha.

-Instead of using salt to make sure the roads aren't icy, Sweden uses gravel. Every time we walk around outside, I manage to kick gravel into my boots. It's kinda painful and I don't know how it happens, but it does.

LOVE YOU ALL!!! Have a great week :)

xoxoxoxo Syster Mod