Week 16

Subject: Weird days and lovely muggy weather

Hejsan hejsan!
So it's been an interesting week. Lots of ups and downs and I think it was really long. Last Monday we went to the Nobel Museum and learned a lot about Alfred Nobel. We were sad that there wasn't more information about the people who had won Nobel Prizes. They did highlight a few controversial prizes like the one awarded to Sartre which he rejected until a few years later, but he couldn't get it because the time was up for him to collect his money. Interesting. We saw a little clip about Martin Luther King Jr. and I had forgotten how inspiring the things he said were. What I've read and heard of his speaks to my idealistic hopes.

Sis Swenson and I have talked a lot about our teaching methods this week and things have gotten a lot better. I thought she didn't like what I would share in lessons, but turns out she just had no idea where I was going. Typical. I'm working on clearly expressing myself.

On Tuesday we had 'Sharpening' in Gubbangen. We get together and have short learning activities put on by the Zone Leaders and then President Anderson speaks for a little and then we have district meeting. In the meantime we have interviews with Pres. Anderson. That was followed up by running over to Spånga where we were supposed to meet IG and take him to a Spanish speaking member's house for a lesson on tithing. The members are a great asset, but it's hard to get a word in edgewise because they probably figure they can explain it better. I felt like maybe I wasn't doing a good enough job teaching him everything until he told me he didn't understand the concepts they had explained to him. I realized he probably understands me because I speak slowly and clearly since Spanish isn't my second language, so that's all ok.

The next few days after that were weird. We sat around a lot waiting for IG to show up and having a lot of other things fall through. Part of the weirdness is that Sweden basically shuts down in the month of July because everyone has 5 weeks of mandatory vacation and for some reason I still don't know they all seem to take it in the month of July.

On Friday we ended the weird days streak with a teach with a former member who wanted to talk about the Priesthood and blessings and things. So, like I said, we've been working on teaching together and I've been trying to finish the things I start, so when I asked him what he remembers about his own priesthood and service he started talking about the Priesthood as the power that keeps the universe in motion or together or something (Big words in Swedish...). When he had finished his thought, I was like, "....Uhhhh...." Desperate look at Sis Swenson, and then I just dove in with something about faith and God's love and our potential and it all connected and came back to the lesson, but in Swedish, who knows if it made sense. So that was fun. And embarrassing. But everyone was nice.

On Saturday I was reminded about the non-status that missionaries have in the ward at our ward grillfest. Everyone loves us, but we are tied to no one, and there's always a lurking distrust that we will freak out there friends or "eat them alive." It's sad that missionaries lose common sense of what makes people uncomfortable and that members don't trust us. (All the ward members are very nice and I feel a part of the ward, but we still are the transitory ones that no one really feels particularly attached to in most cases).

The last memorable experience of the week was yesterday evening. We went to go teach a guy who is a former Jehovah's Witness and is now seeking the truth. He said it would be him and his friend (a girl). When we got there, the apartment was decorated really dark but creatively, it smelled thickly of smoke and such, and there were not 1 but 3 big young guys and their friend (the girl). So, not what we were expecting and rather intimidating and borderline creepy. But, it was really cool. They listened intently and respectfully and had seeking questions, not skeptical questions. It was lovely and they were lovely people.

Anyway, that's too much. It's raining and we left our clothes out to dry. I knew it was going to rain. Why didn't we take our clothes in? Or bring an umbrella? Typical.

Well, do your family history work and "watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds, and observe the commandments of God, and continue in the faith of what ye have heard concerning the coming of our Lord, even unto the end of your lives...And now, O man, remember, and perish not." Mosiah 4:30--one of my favorites but not one I get to share very often :) Have a lovely week! Love you all

Syster Maxwell