UNSOCIAL DWEEBS OR REGULAR PEOPLE? SOCCER OR CHERRY PICKERS? "BUT, CAN YOU REALLY NOT BELIEVE IN GOD?"

UNSOCIAL DWEEBS OR REGULAR PEOPLE?

30 Minutes-a-day has been treating me well. #getgains

So I mentioned that we had two gymnasiet (high school) students, Liv and Johanna, interview us two weeks ago for a school project.  On Thursday, we were able to meet again, to speak more about our beliefs. We focused on what we think our purpose with life is, and talked about the plan of happiness. When we finished, they both said it makes sense, but it is hard to believe. With all their circles of peers, they do not interact with anyone who believes in God, so everything is new for them. The cool thing is that they realize that one of our biggest mistakes in life is getting closed minded. And I think that falls on us as Mormons as well. We need to always be willing to take truth and add it to what we already have. Our challenge to them was to read and pray, and gain their own faith, and they accepted! As we wrapped up, we talked more about their project, and some documentaries they had seen on Mormons.

New mission vehicles, riding in style.  (LOL)

Their perception of Mormons was that we were unsocial dweebs, based on their previous knowledge. So that got us curious and worried about where we stood on that scale.  We wondered if we had changed their perception of Mormons in any way. To our relief, they said that one of the reasons they decided to meet with us again was because we were just regular people with a belief in God.  Another reason was that we were able to sit down and talk openly about our beliefs and relate it to the different aspects of our lives. It was a cool moment to see that we have our different backgrounds and ideas, but we can all come together with an open mind and work to understand where we all come from.

We went to this restaurant after Zone training, so we were all in suits...

SOCCER OR CHERRY PICKERS?
This has been a recurring event now, but I thought I'd just make a mention of it anyways. We have been playing soccer on Saturday mornings with the American families in the ward. What that comes down to, is that it is a very modified version of the game. Cherry pickers is the name of the game. And fouls, what's that? Haha, but it's a great time, and I even got to throw a baseball this last time. But it still cracks me up, that we are all Americans, living in this cold, but beautiful, land of Sweden. 

Part of the American crew, getting pizza afterwards.

This was inside the Pizzeria. I'm not sure if that was what Leonardo DaVinci had in mind when he gave her that intriguing smile.

"BUT, CAN YOU REALLY NOT BELIEVE IN GOD?"  

On Saturday evening we finally got to meet up with a man named Gabriel, who we contacted on our way home one night. He is an Italian man, who has found himself in Sweden, as many do, because of a girl. He is Catholic in background, but has focused more on a personal relationship with God since he got to the university level. The lesson was good, and we had a great discussion, but one part really stuck out in my mind. He talked about how he cannot fathom a person who does not believe in God. It seems to be in our very core to have that belief. And we talked about how we encounter many people on a daily basis who are atheist, and he said, "But, can you really not believe in God?" And I've thought about the question more and more. It is refreshing to meet someone who has a belief in God that is so firmly rooted in his heart. And I find myself wondering, do all these people who shrug us off when we mention God, really believe He is not there? Or, do we just choose to focus ourselves in areas that are more concrete?  And, as we get older and older, do our priorities simply get replaced by those we once had, given to us from God, as children?

A motorcycle, with a shell...