Week 18

28 July 2010

Subject: Missionary’s first transfer

Hej på er!

So, transfers are this week. Hence, the late email. I'm getting transferred to Örebro and Sis Robinson will be my new companion. I'm really sad to be leaving, actually partially because Stockholm is really fun. It's fun to be able to go there for P-Day and District meeting and there are so many missionaries around. I also love the people here. That was my first reason not to leave, but really, it feels like the right time. IA disappeared on us. No explanation. And the Spanish lady I felt like I wanted to stick around to support is going back to Chile until February in September anyway. Sadly, they decided to put an end to the Spanish Sunday School class on a Stake level. I had a hard time with that one, not going to lie, because it was a draw to Spanish speakers that we meet and was keeping some people active because they had at least one class where they could fully express themselves and understand. Of course the reasons, were the usual ones, unity, the ward is small anyway, so giving the other Sunday school class more numbers. I see both sides, but if they can't have their class, why is it ok for us to have our English Investigator class? It's hard for me to get coming from the US where we have Spanish, Chinese, Tongan, even Cambodian branches in some areas. We want everyone to hear the gospel in their own language, but we also want to be a unified body. Difficult.

Something else difficult from this week is that our investigator who has been trying to kick his coffee habit and actually threw away the coffee he had, chatted with some guy from Utah this week who told him that he's Mormon and he drinks coffee and some Mormons do too. It's ok! No big deal! Don't kick your habit! That made me so mad! It's just like Swedish, for every rule, there's always a list of exceptions a mile long. One thing I've realized is you don't teach people the exceptions because they will live by them and not the rule. They'll pick up the exceptions along the way and find their own ways to rationalize things away just like we all do (I'm not condoning that, I'm just saying that). I've also found it difficult with teaching the Sabbath Day because that is such a widely interpreted law itself. We try to stick with what the prophets say, but some of the things don't apply here to the people we are talking to. But it's hard to draw the line between culture and doctrine. But don't worry, we teach them correct principles.

Well, yesterday we helped one of our investigators move from Kista to Husby. He didn't have anything to pack his stuff up in, so we took over our empty suitcases to help him pack and move. I discovered in the hour of rolling our suitcases all over the place that one of the wheels on my gray suitcase is bent and rubs against the plastic casing. Problematic since I have to move 60 pounds of stuff in it tomorrow. Moral of the story: don't buy cheap luggage? Or maybe don't overpack your suitcase? Probably the latter. Last week we bought 170 SEK worth of fruit. It was two huge bags and we've been eating it slowly with bread, cheese, and vegetables mostly. Yay for the summer!

On Sunday, we went to Jenny Kempler's house and made phone calls while she made lunch (I helped). We ate a very red lunch. We had boiled beets with salt and goat cheese, fried herring with lingon jam, potatoes and carrots and cherry juice that she made herself which was thick and tart. It was delicious!! She ended up coming out with us for the two teaches we had that evening and it was really nice having a ride everywhere and her awesome testimony. Every time she opened her mouth, the Spirit was overwhelming. It was amazing! We've been averaging about 4 member teaches a week which is really bad. That's July in Sweden for you.

I bought some (tame) leopard print footies because that was better than the electric blue or orange that they had (end of the summer selection, you know). I thought it would be ok because no one would see them in my shoes. I forgot we have to take our shoes off at people's homes. Oops. It's been ok so far.

On Friday last week we were sitting in Bro waiting for someone who didn't show up, but another guy came up to us and said hey and walked past and sat down on the bench right behind and to the side of us. Sis Swenson had her triple out and when he'd almost finished his cigarette, he asked us what the book was. We talked to him for awhile about it and the church and then he told us all about his history and how he'd seen God while he was on drugs, but he wasn't sure if it was real because he was on drugs, ya know. He doesn't do drugs anymore, and wanted to talk more sometime, but we haven't been able to yet.

Well, I can't think of anything else right now. There was something...nope. Not coming. Anyway, Sweden is an interesting place. So many people and so many interesting issues. Do your home and visiting teaching. Love your families. No excuses.

Syster Maxwell