Hey everyone, the big moment you've all been waiting for, you can take the hard way out and skim the article to try and see what's happening with transfers or you can just read the whole dang thing and be patient!
After the zone volleyball tournament and bowling last p-day I went on splits with Elder George who's from Bountiful, Utah. He's been out for almost a year and is also a really good singer. Traveling back from the tournament in Malmö took the whole day so we had to do some p-day stuff on tuesday as well. After emailing and what not in the morning, we did some swing by's in our neighborhood of Nydalavägen. We decide right off the bat to knock the building of the first swing by. First door that answered was a muslim 22 year old named Jasmine. Apparently Elder Demordaunt and Demke got her number and talked to her at McDonalds a while back. We've texted and invited her to church a few times but sh'es usually working and can't come. So we didn't have her address and just happened to knock on her door who happens to be in our neighborhood. She invites us in and Elder George and I talk to her and her sister for over an hour, answering questions and talking about the Book of Mormon. She loved all our answers except that people in prison can't become members till they get out of prison. She said that's unfair and we "should talk to our prophet about it". Overall though it was great, I discovered that Mormons and Muslims are similar in a lot of ways She said she'd read the Book of Mormon and we had a kneeling prayer at the end that they said was beautiful. At night we didn't have much time but we went to a college in Teleborg on the other side of town and talked with a member there for a bit and knocked some doors.
On Wednesday we exchanged back comps in Hässleholm in the morning, Elder Demordaunt and I got lunch at a pasta wagon there, didn't know that was a thing but it was way good. We had a lesson with Corina our only progressing investigator right now, and it was the big night where we'd answer her question if she could join the Church and still take the Holy Communion in her Church. So we explain to her that the Sacrament is the same as the Holy Communion, same promise to God, it's just that our Sacrament ordinance has the authority from God. Then she said something no missionaries want to hear their only progressing investigator say, "well maybe it's not for me then". Elder Demordaunt and I both felt prompted to pray with her right then so we kneel down and she asks God which Church is right for her. The Spirit was so strong and powerful and it was a testimony builder to me that this is God's true Church. We stay kneeling for about 15 minutes just feeling the strong Spirit in the room. After a while she gets up, says quietly thank you, hope you're not angry, we'll keep in touch (in Swedish) then left. After she left we just sat there in silence for 10 minutes trying to wrap our heads around what had just happened. After talking for a bit we just said a prayer to clear our heads and moved on from it, realizing we won't understand immediately what answer she received or what her decision was, it's just something that'll come with time I guess. Proverbs 3:5-6.
Thursday we had district meeting in Kristianstad. 3rd major trip on a train this week, the travel here in Växjö is ridiculous! It was a good district meeting about how to use the Book of Mormon more effectively in our teaching. We went back and met up with a new convert who we helped do some family history work to get her ready for the temple in a few months. After Mia we met up with the girl from the picture and her two teenage friends and the dad of one of them. We got dinner with them and had some good laughs. She had a ripstick (like a weird skateboard) in her car that we rode around on and showed her how it's done. And good language study cause it was all fast conversational Swedish the whole time.
On saturday we got the transfer call annnnnnnd I'm staying! Elder Demordaunt will be headed to Jakobsberg in Stockholm but I'll be sticking around here and getting Elder Erikson who I've never met. I'm excited to be staying, there's a lot that can be done this next transfer, good things are coming our way, I can feel it!
On sunday we had church with fast and testimony meeting, then weekly planning after church, then did a couple swing by's and that was the day.
Oh and I tried a pizza with warm banana on it this week, it wasn't bad but I wouldn't get it again, the texture just wasn't doing it for me.
On p-day this week we went down to Kalmar Slott (castle) and toured around that, it was built in the 12th and 13th century. Super cool castle and it was a beautiful day too.
I want to share my favorite quote in the world this week, it's not particularly religious or profound or anything, it's just something I've come to love and try to internalize and act upon everyday. "Ya know it's funny what's happening to us. Our lives are now digital. Our friends now virtual, and everything you could ever wanna know is just a click away. But experiencing the world through endless secondhand information isn't enough. If we want authenticity, we have to initiate it. We'll never know our full potential unless we push ourselves to find it. It's this self-discovery that inevitably takes us to the wildest places on earth".
Happy always, content never.
Peace and blessings,
Äldste Hainsworth
welcoming in the Vaxjo rain
This castle was pretty much impenetrable
Castle selfie
It even has a drawbridge with a moat!
P.S. Tenny's mom will be on a service trip in Fiji with Tenny's sister, Alija for the next 16 days, so 2 weeks of Tenny's emails & pics will be delayed until they return. Thank you all for your support!
No comments:
Post a Comment