In Norrland! 21 Sept 2009

Ok so like i said now i'm in Luleå!  It's way way far up north.  The Artic Circle is not too far away.  I'll probably go up there sometime during my time here.  We'll see!

So on thrusday we just got on a night train and it was pretty crazy.  It was awesome!  We had our own little cabin and we all climbed in there.  Here is a video of the whole ordeal.

I haven't watched this so... haha.  hopefully it works.


Then on friday we woke up in Umeå.  That was cool.  We had lunch with the elders there, and then drove another 3 hours (after a nearly 10 hr train ride) to get home.  Then once we got home we planned and visited some people pretty much both friday and staturday.

Then on sunday some members invited us to their house for dinner after church.  Guess what it was?? Never believe it, but it was Sörrströmming!!  The stinkiest stuff on earth.  It is fermented fish... and it is crazy... anyway you flop the rotten fish on your plate and then dig off the bones and the guts, and then the skin and some meat is left, put the meat on a piece of thin hard bread and put some potatoes and onion(thank goodness, they dominate the taste) and eat it!  It wasn't too bad, just smells super bad and thatsa about it.

From 06 Luleå w. Hanes

Other stuff, So my companion is elder Hanes.  He went to Alta, and is 1 year younger then me in school.  So we know a ton of the same people and have had some fun talking about people and life.  It's been great.  I'm excited for this transfer.  We can do really really awesome if we just keep up the work.  It'll be really good.  And hopefully i stay next transfer and then i can have christmas in the north pole with santa!  That'll be fun!

Elder Hanes has been on  in Sweden for 4 months, so we've still got stuff to learn.  But he is super awesome.  He knows how to plan really well.  So that is good.  We are going to work on getting our transfer goals up.  I'm stoked about it all.  I wanna get a huge whiteboard in our appartment like i had in Kristianstad.  It'll be good if i get that.  Elder Drake was up in Luleå- he was my comp when i first went to the Office.  He was in Luleå and loved it.  They taught alot of english classes, and we are going to try to do that too, but also religion classes, and Swedish classes.  That's one thing cool that's going on here. they have a swedish class every tuesday and thurs night.  And they have 14-20 people come every week!!!  super good.  And we just practice swedish with them.  Most of them are imigrants of some sort... i haven't met them yet, but i'll do that soon.  It's a good way to reach out, but not push anything on them and show those that come that we care about them and love them.

I'm pretty sad byu lost.  If they keep it up tho, they still might have a chance at the big stuff maybe.... pretty sad.  I'm glad to be out of the office, no one has called me and wanted me to do some random favor or something haha.  It's been nice!  I like the office, and i learned alot, but i'm so excited to start teaching people agian.  It'll be lots of fun.  And to have normal pdays where you actually email. I promise I'll get better at emailing!!!  And writing letters.  Write me and I'll write you back.

We have some potential investigators, and that'll be good.  I'm excited for them.  And we have a few investigators who are coming and hopefully get baptised soon.  There are people here that have been kinda the eternal investigators, but are starting to get their act together.  It'll be good to see it all come along.

I'm kinda disapointed with the blog that i made for the memories of my dad.  some of you guys were awesome about it, but it didn't work out like i wanted.  We'll see.  Maybe if i get these a huge almost book of memories of my dad, maybe i'll post them on it.  Nati will just have to email me the link.

Luleå is a great place.  I'm excited about it.  There are some native people that still live in our area.  They are called the Saumi- something like that.  Anyway they make some really cool jewlery and stuff.  and they eat reindeer.  That's about it with them.  We also have the ice hotel in our area.  that's pretty exciting.

I was kinda missing my dad lately... just cause it is hunting season, and it feels like i should be wearing hunter orange and walking around out in all the forest here.  And i was looking thru pictures.  It's kinda hard to explain to people too when they ask about my family and stuff... but it is all good.  I guess it is all part of life!  I'm doing good tho.  It's been hard but i've grown alot.  I'm excited to go deer hunting next year.  Tha'll be lots of fun.  A time to relax and think about things all on my own out in the wild.

I cannot think of anything else i've gotta add.  Except all you guys keep it up.  I'm wondering also how my fam is doing after they now all moved to the same house.

Have a great week!

ÄA