Week something or other...

So this week we had a Zone training and we all introduced ourselves. The zone leaders called it a Jedi Council instead of a zone training and gave everyone fake names to introduce themselves as. Guess what mine was... JEDI ELDER THE CHOSEN GREEN ONE. yep pick on the greenie. haha At least I wasn't Yoda like sister Borelle. XD 

We have had quite a bit of success this week. We set up a baptismal calendar with one guy to be baptized on the 20th of June so pray that he works out. I think he needs to understand the magnitude of the church. It is really a big thing. It isn't just get baptized and be done. That is one of my biggest fears with investigators. 

Our other baptismal date is still in October.... We still need to get his dad to sign on haha We are working on him. It will work out. He is so prepared to be baptized. He has names to do for baptisms for the dead already. And he has the scripture mastery app and knows them better than I do. He just needs permission already haha. He referred himself!!!! He is totally just ready. 

I went and started talking to a guy on the bench. My companion wasn't really coming with me cause he wanted me to do the contact (which I do sometimes) I was kinda annoyed and I was like okay I just go do it. haha So I talked to the guy and it was great. My companion was gone contacting someone else and I talked to a guy in broken Swedish for like twenty minutes. I taught him the restoration and relayed the first vision. I was kinda sad when I asked him to take the Book of Mormon. He was like nah... I was like "if this were true and God was talking to a prophet today and you could find out for yourself, would this matter?" and he was like "I don't know maybe..." It is just sad how much people are content. But he is super nice and patient with me and I don't know that I would take a book from some kid who couldn't speak English...  Anyways he was super cool and I am loving sharing the gospel. I just wish people would stop rejecting happiness. XD  I feel like I am saying "Hey I am a missionary and do you want a million dollars?" and people are like, "nah I totally don't want a million dollars." Some people are just not prepared yet though and that is God's time. And some people need a different missionary. And some people are definitely prepared and we are definitely planting more and more seeds here. If you put in a good days work and do your best, but don't stress, you can be happy :D You can give people the Gospel. I hope that rant made sense. 

God knows what is up. Thanks for all the emails. I love you all! Good luck with life. 

Week 1 in Sweden

So we get here at 7 in the morning, dead tired and then we have to stay up until 9... pm... But it is beautiful here. I forgot pictures again.... but one of these days you should get a few... I think my mission president sent some though so that is okay. 

We went to teach this guy at his work. They don't open up until 4:30 though so we went at like 4. We talked to his friend to let us in and he was scared of us. So we called, let's call him Billy, and he let us in. We started to teach and the apprehensive friend started to listen and started to get interested. So we got to teach two people at the same time. So now we have two investigators from that visit, Idk if that is supposed to become a baptism but God does work in mysterious ways. 

After that, we taught ( let's call him Papins) Papins. Papins is educated and doesn't really believe in a God but we are good friends with him. We taught him about the Holy Ghost and to make a LOONG story short, he was feeling the Holy Ghost by the end of the lesson. He said something like, "I feel an extrapolating in my sternum." So then we said, "that is the holy ghost." It just went to good :D

Next day we followed up on a referral and he didn't exist but we decided to tract and I got to tract for the first time. So that was cool. Two people in a row actually listened to us and my companion said, "I have never had tracting go that well...." I was like wooooot!!!  We next went to a part member family and they fed us. The father apparently does not like the missionaries but this time he cooked some fish for us. I talked with him about fishing and stuff so he really opened up for a bit. So at the beginning we asked who would pray and we offered to but the daughter was being kind of rude and said "Dad you are going to pray because when my boyfriend was here, you made him pray and he was atheist." (The dad isn't a member) So the dad was like fine. And this is a direct quote of the prayer, "God bless the fish and the beer." It wasn't exactly a text book prayer but it was however a prayer and we as missionaries accepted that as a GREAT first step. Haha Also the fish was great :)

One more story! So there is this almost-member named.... let us say Schneebly... And he is 17. He has researched tons of churches and referred himself and now just needs his dads permission. He has been taught everything but now we are just waiting. BUT we went to teach his dad the other day and under his breath in the middle of the lesson he said something to the effect of, "I like you guys better than all the other guys." Haha we are better than Jehovah's Witnesses I guess haha. He seemed super chill with us and liked us and is going to read Mormons Bok. It is just going great here is Sweden. We don't have enough time everyday..... 

So teaching people on trains is the best because I can just walk up to someone and say, "I don't know Swedish, can I talk with you to practice?" They say, "sure!" and I say, "grand!"   and they say, "why are you here?" and I think to myself, "I win" >:) Haha it works every single time.

Anyways I love you all. Talk to you all in less than two years or something.

Dear Parents,

 

We just wanted to let you know that your missionary arrived safely in Sweden this morning.  They have had a full day going to migration, sightseeing in Stockholm, and proselyting in downtown Stockholm.  They will be sleeping at the mission home tonight and then assigned  their companion and area tomorrow. They were excited to finally arrive and we are excited to have them.

 

Attached are a couple of pictures.  There will be a letter from President Beckstrand and a few more pictures in few days.  They will be emailing you on Monday which is their preparation day. 

 

We love your missionaries  already.  Have a great day.

 

Syster Taylor

Sweden Stockholm Mission Secretary

Week 5

So this is awesome. I love writing home. haha how is it going there?

All of our fake investigators have now committed to baptism... How is that for good work. I even had to teach them in Swedish. Let's just say if you start at zero you can become infinitely better. I love the gift of tongues. The MTC is such a blessing. You learn so very much here so fast. I know that God is aware of what is happening in each and every life.

Remember that Christ is ALWAYS looking out for the ONE. So if you feel out... Christ wants to help YOU, just ask. 

I am doing fine this week. I got to sing and awesome arrangement of Praise to the Man. I never realized that Joseph Smith being the second greatest man means that if we study his attributes, it is safe. This is not the church of Joseph Smith, but he is a great man if you study his life it will strengthen you. The line that said, "Earth must atone for the blood of that man..." It really stood out to me and I am so happy that Joseph Smith lived the life he did. Do you know how hard his life was even before the Restoration? Research it. 

I learned that "missionary work can't start until you have someone to teach, 'so open you mouth.'" I was blessed to be relatively un shy. I actually quite enjoy talking to people. Especially strangers. I know I need to open my mouth so that I can be a better missionary and I can teach. Also.... members. You guys are so important to missionary work as I am sure I will find more and more about how true that is when I get to Sweden, but I already recognize it's importance. I wish I had better recognized before the mission. 

I got my flight plans last week! I go through Denver ( Fun Fact: I used to live there) then I go through NJ and then I fly directly to Sweden. I leave at 2:30 AM on Monday and i arrive in Sweden at 7:30 AM... THE NEXT DAY That is not a big deal... oh well. I will just convert the people on the plane. :D I forgot my camera today and my companion needs his email time ;) I don't blame him so no pictures this week. sorry! 

Have a fantastic week. Wish me luck on my long flight...

Our zone before the Danes left. They will be great.  We get new Danes today though so that is going to be exciting. One comes from Aberdeen. Haha I will be nice I guess.