October 19th 2009

Hey Family!

This week we drove 830 American miles! sense Tuesday!  That is OVER driving to Vegas and back from Draper UT.  It was recidulous.  We drove to Umeå twice.  And then to this city by boden, and then to boden.  We were in the car definately over 15 hrs this week. if not more.  And i drove most of it....

Yeah as you can tell sweden is huge, the closest elders live 135 km from us.  it's pretty crazy.

Anyway for more exciting news...

WE got a baptismal date!  in Luleå!  Our dear friend Stig decided to get baptized.  He's changed so much of his life around it's so awesome.  It's cool to see the final/beginning stages (depending on how you look at it haha).  Well that was pretty awesome.  And we got 3 new investigators.  We've taught alot of english classes in high schools and now they are paying off a little bit.  I dont think we'll really see how much good we actually did from all of those, but we got 3 new investigators, and hopefully more to come!  They were some awesome kids.  They were really cool.  Andreas could sing so awesomely!  We asked them about themselves and he said he liked to sing, and he said he'd sing us a song!  It was a religious song none the less!! almost unheard of in sweden!  And it was really powerful.  I want to get him to sing it in sacrement meeting.  It would be really cool experience for him, and then all the members would love him haha.

We have been working so hard!  Its crazy!  I like it alot tho, i'm just trying to pace myself so i dont get worn out.  we havent really been taking pdays to be honest.  Cause we've been teaching too much.  We almost didnt have time to email today.  Well i need a break now and again, like once a week is perfect, so we'll come up with something fun and relaxing to do.  It's crazy having seriously a 24-7 job.  absoluletly every waking moment is spent on missionary work basically.   It's crazy.  And some not waking moments- I'm still not sure what language i dream in, it's a mix i think.

Well i'm stoked that i've got a cousin ty now save and sound in his new area in Brazil and then a future missionary cousin going to CA.  and a cousin in Vegas-- he'll be home soon huh? weird.

We went to Umeå (3hr ride down and 3 hrs back) 2x once to have district meeting bc the Johnsons from the Office were coming and needed to tell us car safty stuff, and the other time because they were having district conference.  you who are from Utah, or never served a mission, or left the bubble, a District is a stake before a stake.  Well it was a good meeting!  We got a new district presidency and it's more connected to the missionpresidency so that will be good at helping with missionary work.

OH!  I nearly forgot!  So my 2 best friends here are named Parvaneh and Tofigh.  They are from Iran, and we went to their appartment and had an Iranian meal!  It was so awesome!! it was really good, and it was so fun to talk to them and then we also taught them about Joseph Smith.  They have lots of questions, and I love talking to them cause it is so genuine.  We dont really try to convince them, just inform them, and if feels good to not try to pressure them actually.  I wish more people in sweden would want to be taught cause then it's alot easier.  I feel like alot of times we have to try to trick people to listen to us, and no one wants to do that.  but they are SO busy here, sometimes it's just hard to get anyone to listen even with all our thousand tricks!  but we keep working!!!

My grandpa told me about how my great-grandparents are still working hard up in Nampa ID.  What great people!!  They are still just working away after a great life and still holding strong to that Iorn Rod, and just doing their best!  what great examples of Enduring to the End!!  I sure appreicate them and all my family and friends.  You guys are so awesome.  Most families in sweden are so small and when i show them pictures of my family they are always suprised!  I love having a large strong family.  Count your blessigns every day!  haha even the ones you dont know about hhaha.

Anyway i think that was it for this week.  It's weird having friends who are headed home soon, and just life coming by.  And my sister is going to live in Hawaii and study there.  it's just crazy!

Anyway have a great week!

Keep doing the things you need to!

President Anderson said something in his talk at District Confrerece-  he held up his GPS - they call it their "liahona".  He said this thing is unbelievable- it always works, all we have to do is use it.  Then he asked us what are the liahonas we have in our lives?  It was pretty cool.  It made alot of poeple think, and it was cool.  He said we just have to dial in where we want to go and it takes us there!  sounds similar to prayer and scriptures study!

I've been thinking when i wanna go home that i wanna be a "internet missionary" and just talk to people on chats and stuff and basically just inform them, and direct them to Elder Hollands awesome talk, if they disagree with me haha.  Elder Holland did a pretty good job at kinda the all inclusive answer of the book of mormon had to come from somewhere so you better read it and find out if it is true!  cause none of those "frankly pathetic answers" are working explain the book of mormon.

Anyway have a great week!
love you all,

ÄA