Week 21

Subject: If you want to destroy my sweater...

Hej på er!

So this has been an...interesting week. Don't worry, there is a happy ending, so don't be distraught. We had a 80% blåst rate this week; only 3 of our appointments went through, and two of those were with recent converts who meet with us every week. Blåsa in Swedish means to blow, so missionaries use it in the sense of to be blown off, but I'm pretty sure that normal Swedes don't say that.

So Monday started with us emailing, doing laundry, getting ready, personal study, cleaning, buying food, packing, and catching a train all before 11am. It was slightly intense. We did an abbreviated companionship study on the train which consisted of me reading to Sis Robinson from Preach My Gospel because she gets sick if she reads. We were in Stockholm by 1 pm and spent the day getting souvenirs she wanted, taking pictures, touring Stor Kyrka (the big cathedral where the princess just got married. It costs money now. Too bad.), and waiting for a lot of other missionaries to show up and to decide what they were doing. We went to Vällingby that evening which was weird, but fun.

Tuesday was zone conference which was fantastic. They are doing new infield training which I like. I think it will be really beneficial and backs up some of the opinions I've had but have never felt justified in expressing. It also means doing more things that are uncomfortable. But, I think it will be fun especially because of the training videos. They are fun, and I could relate.

Wednesday was one of those typical missionary days that they like to scare people with. It was lovely though. We had 4 scheduled appointments and only the one with a recent convert went. Our back up plans weren't home and no one was especially interested. We ended up eating fast food (not our first choice) at the place where we were most recently stood up and then headed off on our bikes to tract the night away. Only problem was that it was pouring rain. Imagine trying to carry a side bag, an umbrella, and keep your skirt from flying up while riding a bike. It was slightly ridiculous. We got to the point where we had to cross the rail road tracks and then take a sharp turn down a ramp. Sis Robinson already has a hard time with tight spaces. Needless to say, we both crashed. She actually got across the tracks to the other side and then crashed hard into the railing. I did a sympathy bail right after the tracks and into the stinging nettle. Very wet, but not so stingy. It kept raining the whole time we were tracting, and we even taught a guy a first lesson. Problem was that he was Muslim but didn't believe in any prophets, ever. They are all after their own gain, he said. Problematic for people trying to share that God called another prophet. :) On the way back, we biked out of our way to talk to a lady and her daughter who told us she was in no mood for discussing religion because she had just gotten back from Göteborg, so leave them alone! Sad, wet, and bruised, we started on our way home. I saw a guy who I felt like I should talk to, so I stopped and talked to him. We have a system where we ring the bell if our companion is ahead of us. I rang the bell, and went to talk to the guy. I talked to him for a good while always expecting Sis Robinson to come back, but she never did. He was really nice and curious about our message, so I got his number and wrapped up quick, because my companion was gone. I biked and biked expecting to see her coming back any minute. I biked for a good 10 minutes before I found her. She had gotten almost all the way home and was freaking out when I found her. Oops!

Friday and Saturday passed with not so much happening. We did go to Karlskoga to search for some less actives to teach, and had a fun little "teach" outside an apartment building we visited with a Kurdish speaking family from Iraq whose son (our age-ish) kept asking us if we wanted to convert to Islam. The mother was fasting for Ramadan which is really hard in Sweden since they have to eat after 9 and before 3 right now. They were really fun and really brightened up our week. Tender mercy. One of the son-in-laws said that he has a sister and brother-in-law who live in NC, Raleigh area. He asked if I knew Manhatten Bakery. I assumed he meant Manhatten Bagel (Manhatten Bageri in Swedish) and told him we had gone there almost every morning! He said they had had a deli in NY, but then moved to NC. Isn't that the story of the Manhatten Bagel people, Dad? They thought that was really cool. I didn't tell them I hadn't ever really met them but once though because I'd always wait in the car. Yes, Ted, that was that time of my life when Dad drove me to school every morning. See how important it was?

Anyway on Sunday we had our miracles. We set up two appointments for next week and talked to the first really interested people we'd talked to in a week. Great conversations. Lots of laughs. 5 new investigators. We tracted into a Jehovah's Witness family. They are awesome, but out to convert us as well. We didn't want to go in really, but we did anyway. Don't worry, they threw scriptures all over us, but we just bore testimony and didn't succumb to fighting about it. I had some great logical arguments which they kept asking for, but decided not to pursue it so much. They really wanted us to come back, so we agreed to it because they were so nice. So, we got three new investigators, and they got two. :)

Anyway, again, this was far too long, but there was lots to tell. Last Monday I ruined my favorite white sweater and the pajama shirt that I got from Mike and Shelley for Christmas last year. They didn't react too well to the boiling hot white wash. :( A very sad day. I also don't think I ever told about trying your eggplant recipe, Mom. It was delicious except for the nutmeg that we put in that tasted like pine sol. Unfortunate. We will try again with nutmeg we can trust.

Well, it's weird that Brian's going home this week. I'm still here, and it's great. Love you all! I love the Spirit! It's really nice.

mvh,
Syster Maxwell

PS Here's Sister Robinson's take on the whole experience:

So we kept going. I was pretty tired by then. And we had to get home. So home we went. I kept looking over my shoulder to make sure Syster Maxwell was behind me. And we were nearly home when the biker I THOUGHT was Syster Maxwell passed me and...well, didn't end up being a sister at all. I thought, "Wait...where's my companion?" I turned around - and she was NO WHERE in sight. I panicked! I'd lost my companion! I started biking back in a frenzy, praying out loud in the rain. What happened? She get hit by a car? She get kidnapped? Did she just give up on Örebro and make a break for it? Should I call President? I biked back a ways and saw NOTHING. Oh no! Worst thing you can possibly do - lose your companion. Oh no! But five minutes later she came riding up, big smile on her face as though nothing was wrong. "Hej," she said and kept biking towards home. I was like, "What do you mean Hej? I thought you were dead!" Turns out she'd stopped to talk to one more person and thought I'd have seen it. Well, with her being behind me and it being dark and rainy and me being half blind anyway - didn't happen. But she got their number. Later, upon calling them, they didn't seem too positive though. But that was the kind of night that missionaries live for. That is just a hard core missionary night. And you know what? Sometimes when the opposition is thrown at you, it's a test to see what you'll do - if you'll keep going, if you'll talk to that last person, if you'll still trust in the Lord. It was awesome.