sea2swe: January 23rd - Getting Heated in the Chill

Hello hello! Here's what happened this last week at 64.75° N, 20.95° E.

Last specialized zone training of my mission on tuesday with the Beckstrands and the assistants. It was a great one to end on and I know this mission is in good hands! There were some big announcements and some changes will be coming to the mission starting next transfer. Lots of changes in the missionary daily schedule which is calculated to help missionaries effectiveness explode so if you're a future missionary, get pumped. I also got to bear my farewell testimony in Sweden and it went well!! I didn't think my time would ever come to stand up there but it felt right, felt good.

Debbie's doing really well! We taught her twice and she has a great open attitude about all of it. She even told her kids about us and summarized what we taught about the Book of Mormon. Cool to think of all the seeds we plant that spread to the friends and family of those we teach.

We're back on the Carmen train as we finally met them again this week! It was Elder Wilson's first time which is weird cause we met them every week last transfer. We talked about the Book of Mormon and are returning this week.

A somalian guy stopped when he saw us walking by him on the sidewalk and bowed to us then kept walking. When we gave him confused looks he just smiled and shook our hands and said "mormoner!".

We had a heated discussion with a guy who could've been from duck dynasty, beard and all, who was essentially making fun of President Monson and our Christian faith. We went our separate ways but he found us two days later on the street and came and apologized, he said he'd been thinking about and it didn't feel right. We shook hands like gentlemen and now have ourselves a new friend in town, Carl Johan.

Said and Salem have both committed to be baptized on the 4th of March!! Said was someone Elder Mecham and I contacted last transfer and he brought his friend Salem along when we taught them. They're about the same as me and way cool guys from Syria. We had a great Restoration lesson. Though I won't be here in March I'm excited to help them on this new path in life.

As always, we invited everyone we could think of to church on saturday night and a random old investigator we'd never met texted back "jag kommer" (I'm coming). We didn't believe it till Anna walked in about 10:45 to the chapel. She's interested in our church and loved the talks from the district president and his wife who were visiting. It doesn't end there, Ivar invited Alexander and he came by himself! This is the old golden baptismal date Alexander that ignored us for a month two weeks before his baptism. He seemed to really enjoy it and we're hoping he's come back around! I love that guy!

Elder Wilson and I have been doing an English fast the last month as a companionship and it's been way fun! After the first week it was a lot easier.

Have a good one. Ni är bäst!

Äldste Hainsworth