EMERIL WOULD BE PROUD, TURN TO THE SOURCE OR YOUNG, INEXPERIENCED KIDS, WHAT I WANT TO BE, FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL JITTERS, FRESHLY PAINTED

 EMERIL WOULD BE PROUD

I want to make sure that my mom knows I'm eating well. I was looking for a snack -- saw the pasta and Nutella, and bam! Even Emeril would be proud. It was quite tasty.

TURN TO THE SOURCE OR YOUNG, INEXPERIENCED KIDS

On Tuesday, Fluter brought one of his friends with him. His name is Anas, and he hails from Jordan. We sat down and began discussing what it is that we do, getting to know his background, and just getting to know each other. He explained that he had a Mormon friend before, and he was curious about what it is that we stand for. He said, "If you want to know about something, you turn to the source." 

Basically, if you want to know about Mormons, ask the missionaries. They can help you. :) But he wanted to establish one thing before we got started. He asked us how old we were. Elder Rowley said he was 18, then  I told him I was 21. Almost instantly relief came to his face, and he said, "Oh good, then you have some wisdom." 

Haha, then he followed up by saying that he thought I was 16 years old... This hasn't been the first time I've gotten that either. I've even got 15 before. So now I'm beginning to wonder if people think that a 16 year old kid is trying to stop them on the street to talk to them about God. Maybe I should start by letting them know I'm 21, I don't know. 

But what came after was great. We began explaining the background of The Book of Mormon and why it's important to us today. Then the flood of questions began, one after another. And about an hour later. He was out of questions. He said, "I'm content. You guys have satisfactorily answered all my questions." And I can tell you, it feels great to hear those words come out of someone's mouth. Of course, we then explained that it doesn't stop there. We can answer questions all day long, but we received our answers from somewhere; they didn't simply formulate. It takes study and prayer to understand the mysteries of God. And just like at the beginning when he talked about going to the source, we sent him directly there and explained that his answers can come through prayer. And they can and will. And that is an exciting truth for missionaries, young, inexperienced kids, to proclaim. 

WHAT I WANT TO BE

On Wednesday we celebrated the birthday of the oldest member in our ward. At the youthful age of 96, I am amazed by her enthusiasm and joy. She met missionaries and joined the church when she was 70 years old. And about 5 years later, she was called to be in charge of all the young children as Primary President. That's quite a daunting task for one as young as myself, and I know it takes a lot of energy. But she accepted it and magnified the work she did. 20 years later, she still remembers the names of those kids she lifted. She has an interest in where they are, how they're progressing, and again, my mind was blown. She rattled off names like they were filed away in some hard drive listed in front of her eyes. I made it a goal that I want to be the same way when I hit that age. Of course, maybe it's just good genes. But I believe lifestyle is also essential. She continues her study of The Book of Mormon and other scriptures. She continues to try and lift others, and these are things that add life to people. In Christ we are all made alive, and as we seek to follow Him, we understand that a little bit more. I am grateful that there are people I can look to like Märta who are living examples of what I want to be. 

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL JITTERS

It's that time of the year. Michael headed off to college this last Tuesday evening. I felt all the jitters of first day of school returning again, but then I remembered, nothing's changing for me. It's all one eternal round. But I'm bummed to see him go. We'll miss him in the ward. 

FRESHLY PAINTED

Freshly painted, this wall just popped out to me. 

Malmöfestivalen, Loud Applause, Pildammsparken, Rediscover the Gift of the Gospel

Malmöfestivalen

This last week has been Malmöfestivalen. It's basically a carnival that gets set up all over the streets in Malmö. There are rides, games, and food tents, which was about the only place we visited. Last Monday, after searching through about one hundred options of food choices, I decided to go for the reindeer kebab. It was a good day.

 LOUD APPLAUSE

The green sign on the side said, "Feel free to play a tune." So Elder Rowley played a wonderful rendition of Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing. And at one point in the song, loud applause was heard. If you can see the little green between Elder Rowley's head and the pillar, that was a tv screen. The cheering was for Malmö FF the fotboll team here. But other people did enjoy the music as well.

Pildammsparken

Pildammsparken - I am always amazed by this park. It's almost like it comes out of a fairytale. In the middle is a circular section of grass, surrounded on all sides by these trees. 

REDISCOVER THE GIFT OF THE GOSPEL
Short and sweet :)  Tuesday, we got on a bus and started talking with a guy. He's here studying at the World Maritime University, and he was curious about who we were. He comes from China, where missionaries are not a common sight. We began talking to him about what we do. He was on his way home after class, but he asked if he could come with us to our next appointment. Naturally, we agreed. As we went, we continued to talk and it came around to The Book of Mormon. We have been reading through it with him and helping him to come to know Christ. It's a delight for me to help someone gain knowledge that I have had seemingly my whole life, and I am grateful that have this chance to rediscover the gift of the gospel. 

P-DAY, EXTRA HELP FROM GOD, TURNING TORSO, FURTHER THAN WHAT WE SEE, BEAUTIFUL CARS, WE WERE ANGELS, BEAUTIFUL PATHWAYS, STARK CONTRAST

P-DAY

On P-day, my first time on a driving range. It is quite a foreign feeling. And I was humbled by the kids who were taking lessons a few spaces behind me, but I may have a future in this. 

EXTRA HELP FROM GOD

We were sitting on the bus, on our way to an appointment Monday evening. Two empty seats were across from us, and the bus was relatively full. We came to a stop where a large crowd of people anxiously waited to board the bus. Usually this is done through the front, but one guy decided to slip in through the backside. As soon as he sat down across from us, I could smell the alcohol, but he seemed quite coherent to me. A lady came down the aisle to join seats with him, and I realized that he'd come in the back side to make sure that they had seats. We started talking to him, and he only spoke English with us. When we asked him how he knew us, he told us about how all the members of our church are always nice, clean-cut, look sharp, and he just knew it. We laughed, knowing we couldn't disagree, and we began talking more. He wasn't interested so much in what we had to offer, but as we were closing in on our stop, I had to take a call. There eyes got all wide, and they got confused. When I got off the phone, they began talking to me in Swedish, where'd you learn to speak that? I explained the system that we have for learning a language, and explained that we believe we get some extra help from God. Then we had to step off, so we gave them a card and told them to call when they wanted to talk more. 

TURNING TORSO

We went and checked out around the Turning Torso for P-Day. Pictured is Elder Rowley, Elder Ahlstrom, and myself. 

STARK CONTRAST

This is the area around the Turning Torso. It's in stark contrast to much of the city. the buildings feel much more modern.

FURTHER THAN WHAT WE SEE
After the appointment, as we were on our way home, a car drove past and the kids inside yelled something inaudible to us. Elder Rowley, excited by the fact that someone talked to us first, and yelled hello back, waving with a big smile on his face. The car was right by a round-about, and quickly reversed directions it was going. In my mind, I began to worry what Elder Rowley's eagerness may have brought on us. The kid in the passenger seat asked us who we were, and I decided to let Elder Rowley take it. When they found out we were from the USA, the conversation turned to English, as it almost always does. We stood there talking with them for about ten minutes, with a mix of questions like: Why are you in Sweden? Where'd you learn Swedish? Why wouldn't you stay in the USA? How old are you? And so on. Of course we rebounded with our own: Do you believe in God? Why not? Do you want to get to know Him? Would you like to listen to our message? I'll let you fill in the blanks for that conversation based on what you have there. But it did coherently mesh, and we passed our cards to all of them. These of those contacts that may not seem like much on the surface, but I think they go much further than what we see. 
BEAUTIFUL CARS

This was a Ford GT that we drove past. I don't know if my eyes were closed in the US, but I see Ferrari's, Lamborghini's, and other beautiful cars all the time here in Malmö. 

WE WERE ANGELS
One experience that really stuck out to me this week was walking along that pathway of trees I showed in the picture. We were walking to our apartment, and we were just stopping people who were coming in the opposite direction. There are benches lining the path, and occasionally people would be seated, but they all seemed busy or distracted with something else. But as we kept going, I noticed a guy sitting on the bench, and the thought crossed through my mind should I talk to him or not? Almost instantly I felt the need to talk to him, which is not normal for me. And I tried to play out how it would go in my mind. To my surprise, I found myself stopped and talking. As I explained who we were and what were doing, I only got a blank expression. His mind really seemed to be somewhere else. It was one of those instances where they talked to you only because they had nowhere to run to. However, I still felt that same feeling that there was something here, and I persisted. The discussion brought us to The Book of Mormon, and we talked about the joy and peace in the book. About this point he declined the book saying, he wouldn't read it, it would gather dust on his bookshelf. But I tried again to give it to him with something specific to read. He agreed and we were about to part ways, but then I decided to ask him if he had a specific worry or question that he wanted answered. And then it came out. He told us he'd been there for hours. He had come back from a therapist, and he wanted to try and collect himself before he went home. He was looking for something to help him out. Then we came along. We talked more about the problem, then searched for a chapter in The Book of Mormon that would address it. At this point he was showing interest and a yearning that this book would give him the answer. We found one, and as we were saying our goodbyes, he told us thank you. We were angels that came to him that day. And I really felt it. We had boosted him in a moment of need. We haven't seen him since, but I felt that I had done exactly what God wanted me to. And even now as I think back on the experience, I feel again, that I did His will. The church is meant for us to lift our brothers and sisters, and God wants to show us how. That's the gospel of Jesus Christ. 
BEAUTIFUL PATHWAYS

One of the many beautiful pathways of Malmö.

LAST DISTRICT LUNCH, FUNERAL AT THE BEACH, STOCKHOLM, LUCKY TO BEGIN IN MALMO, FEELING ENERGIZED, THE 6 YEAR-OLDS

 LAST DISTRICT LUNCH

Last District lunch together before everyone transfers around.

FUNERAL AT THE BEACH

We held a funeral for Elders Taggart and Beck. The beach was especially crowded that day because we've had a string of cloudy days, and it was finally gorgeous. So we got a lot of strange looks. We even had a group of people gathering around us as we dug. I think they were hoping we'd find something cool. 

STOCKHOLM

We all headed to Stockholm Tuesday night.Those two on their way home, and me to pick up my new companion. 

LUCKY TO BEGIN IN MALMO

This is Elder Rowley. Class of 2015, he is fresh from the MTC and excited to be in Sweden. I made sure he understood that he was lucky to begin in Malmö of all places. It's a gorgeous city, wonderful ward, and filled with awesome people. And the kebab is exceptional here. 

FEELING ENERGIZED
On Monday, we met with Magnus again. Every time I get the chance to meet with Magnus or someone like him, I feel energized. There are people who will listen, and there are people who want to gain knowledge or a faith. But Magnus thirsts after knowledge. He thinks and ponders about the words we say, and continues to ask questions, searching for the answers. He is an agent, acting to gain and become what he wants. He told us this last time, that as we talked with him in our first meeting, he was skeptical. Each question was an attempt to uncover something that was off. But as the meeting went on, he began to recognize the truth in it. And since then, he has pondered and read in The Book of Mormon, praying to God, and he has found strength in it all. He told us about how every time he reads The Book of Mormon, he feels a power from it, even just holding it gives him a boost. It was a good time, and as we talked, I gained new insights that have helped me as well. I am always grateful for the amount of teaching that is done of both sides of the lesson.

THE 6 YEAR-OLDS

On Sunday, we got to help teach the 6 year-olds. This is an awesome opportunity, especially to improve in Swedish. They are swift to correct and very blunt, with no attempt to protect your ego. Luckily I escaped there with my pride relatively unscathed. But teaching that class lifted me that day. Their bubbling personalities and desires to be heard were at times a little overwhelming. But the honesty, I think, is what makes young kids so awesome. Out of nowhere, one of the kids said, "Sometimes my mom gets mad at me, but she still loves me." This led to a string of comments as kids rattled of how often their parents get mad at them, which parent is nicer, and I couldn't help but laugh. We all came from those same beginnings, and as we've grown, we've developed certain characteristics and dropped others. But as we learn from Jesus' words, "And again I say unto you, ye must repent, and be baptized in my name, and become as a little child, or ye can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God" (3 Nephi 11:38).  That statement highlights that there are many wonderful things about children. And sometimes I wonder if I have dropped some of the characteristics I had as a child, that would actually benefit me in my life. This experience helped me understand how every responsibility in the church improves us in our lives.

ON OUR WAY TO DENMARK, ANOTHER SIX WEEKS PASSED, UNEXPECTED TRAFFIC, COPENHAGEN TEMPLE---REST IN THE REFUGE OF THE HOUSE OF GOD, THE BRIDGE THAT GOES UNDER THE SEA, RETURN TO STOCKHOLM, LONELY TRAIN RIDE, SEAS OF GOLD, BOOK OF MORMON-MORMON TABERNACLE CHOIR-MARRIAGE-BAPTISM---AND IT ALL STARTED WITH SOUTH PARK, BAPTISM AT THE SEA

 ON OUR WAY TO DENMARK

Magnus driving; his wife peeking out from behind the seat; Simone, their daughter; Yours truly; and Elder Taggart all on our way to Denmark.

ANOTHER SIX WEEKS PASSED

The transfer is, once again, coming to a close. Another six weeks passed. The time goes, and continues to go. My companion, Elder Taggart, must soon go the way of all the earth and return to the dust he calls home. With that being said, out with the old and in with the new. My next companion will be fresh from the MTC eager to being the service he has prepared so much for. 

UNEXPECTED TRAFFIC

This was one of those typical times when everything seems to go wrong when it had been planned out perfectly. We gave ourselves a cushion of time to get to the temple, but unexpected traffic created a concern for us. We hit road blocks three times. We made it just in the nick of time, but it was nerve-racking. 

COPENHAGEN TEMPLE---REST IN THE REFUGE OF THE HOUSE OF GOD

Also this week, we had the opportunity to go to the Copenhagen temple. We are lucky enough to have a member who comes from Denmark, and it made the trip even better. They showed us the city of Copenhagen in a way that no missionary could discover on their own. And we had the chance to be edified and uplifted as we took a rest in the refuge of the house of God. 

THE BRIDGE THAT GOES UNDER THE SEA

Øresundsbron. The bridge connecting Denmark to Sweden. At the end, it leads into a tunnel that goes under the sea. It's slightly eerie seeing the bridge end into seemingly nothingness. 

RETURN TO STOCKHOLM

On Friday, I had the opportunity to return to Stockholm, again. Another long train ride. But this time the purpose was to ensure that we had the tools necessary to bring another young man into the life of a missionary.

LONELY TRAIN RIDE

When I got on the train to head to Stockholm, it was kind of lonely. 

SEAS OF GOLD

The once brightly covered fields of yellow blossoms are now seas of gold.

BOOK OF MORMON-MORMON TABERNACLE CHOIR-MARRIAGE-BAPTISM---AND IT ALL STARTED WITH SOUTH PARK

The highlight of this week, was receiving two new members to the fold. I have been conflicted on reporting their progress, because the story has been awesome from the beginning. And is it better to get the whole story all at once? Or see the growth bit by bit. Since the baptism occurred yesterday, you can guess I chose saving the whole story for the end. About one month ago, Elder Downing and Elder Beck were tracting. It was about to time to go home, but there were three doors left. The option to head home was tempting, but they decided to go for it anyways. On the second door they knocked, they met Brandon. (Now, a small side story. Brandon was in his apartment and he knew the Mormons were on their way. He'd seen South Park, so he had an idea of what the drill was. But he also had seen that Mormons were some the nicest people, according to South Park. So, he decided to open the door even though it was not something he would normally do). He was given the Book of Mormon, and they set a time to come back. Brandon started reading with his sambo, and they read through 1 Nephi 13 in the following two days. The next meeting led to more questions, discussions, and they set on their way. Brandon, anything but an avid reader, found himself engrossed in the stories and messages of the Book of Mormon, and the rest is history. Subsequent visits to their home found the sound of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir filling the home. They were married two weeks ago and entered the waters of baptism this last Saturday. The transformation in their demeanor, attitudes, and joy has been a wonderful strength to me. Brandon talked about how much his life has changed in this past month, all for the better. To see that progress is amazing. Malmös församling has received two wonderful members. Brandon and Stina will have children who will be blessed for generations to come. Two more people have accepted the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. And it all started with South Park. 

BAPTISM AT THE SEA

Elder Downing, Brandon, Stina, and Elder Beck. Yes, we had the baptism at the sea. It's actually perfect for it. The water is still only waist deep at the end of the dock in the background, which was where we had it.