sea2swe: She's a comin'!

Tja! This was one of the better weeks of my mission and I keep looking forward to everyday in Vendelsö. This area is one of those areas where it has negative stereotypes coming in since it's a tiny area and missionaries have struggled to have success but there's so much potential! The Lord has missionaries here for a reason!

We met a family yesterday from Bolivia while tracting that let us right in. It's a husband, wife, and their 8 year old daughter. The parents speak some swedish but the daughter was fluent in both so she explained whatever her parents didn't understand in Spanish to them. It was a powerful lesson and they seem pretty prepared. Elder Baquedano are really excited to go back there next week with a Spanish speaking member and teach them more restored truths of the gospel.

We had an amazing lesson with our investigator Mikael this week. We taught about repentance and how he can become clean and free from the burdens and guilt he has in his life. Elder Baquedano and I felt prompted to have him pray right there with us to ask for forgiveness from sins as well as ask if baptism was right for him. Mikael offered a humble but heartfelt prayer and the Spirit enveloped the room. After the prayer we asked Mikael how he felt and he just kept opening his mouth but no words came out, he couldn't put his feelings into words but it was peace and lightness and a content feeling was what he finally came upon. We challenged him right there to be baptized on April 2nd and he accepted! None of that lesson was Elder Baquedano or I and we know it. It's incredible what can happen when we follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost.

3 Nephi 17: 21-22. In order to be like Christ, we have to be vulnerable, we have to open ourselves up. It's so easy in the world we live in today with technology and especially in a not so sociable place like Sweden to close ourselves off. It might be uncomfortable or awkward but opening ourselves up and having personal, face to face, human interactions with people is a part of becoming like our Savior. It's something I really am trying to work on and I've felt the difference it's made in my relationships with other people and how strong of a bong you can build with someone if you're just honest and genuine and open.

Love you all! Peace and blessings!

Äldste Hainsworth