Frost: 11/23/15

Hej!

     It has started getting pretty cold here, but it has been a good week! Last Monday we just went to Göteborg and spent time with some of the other missionaries. One time this week we were riding our bikes to an appointment, and it started to snow! It was just tiny little snowflakes but it was still exciting. During the second half of this week it just suddenly got really cold. On Friday it was all frosty outside because it was cold but dry. When we were leaving our apartment building, I took one step outside and my foot got zero traction so I slipped down the steps up to the door. I think they had been wet before so they got a thin layer of ice. I've been a lot more careful on those steps since then, haha. 

    We got two new investigators this week! It is a lady and her daughter, and she also has a baby boy. They are from Eritrea (in East Africa). Missionaries in the past had had some sort of contact with her, like just saying hi and talking every once in a while but this week we got in to teach them. Also, this week they came to church! I think the daughter had a lot of fun in primary, and everyone came to say hi to them when they came, so it went really well. 

    The ward members discovered that I can play piano, so I've been recruited to help out on a bunch of performances for an upcoming Christmas concert ward activity, so that's fun. Yesterday evening we helped out with an "8 is great!" activity. It was for the two primary kids that are turning 8 next year. Elder Roosendaal and I gave short talks about baptism and the Holy Ghost, the bishop talked a little about what the baptismal interview would be like, then we showed them the baptismal font and practiced how they will stand when they get baptized. It was pretty fun.

     This week I have been thinking a lot about how I can better receive guidance from the Holy Ghost. Something I have realized is that sometimes it is as simple as just asking for help. The scriptures tell us to "knock and ye shall find". I know that when we ask for help or direction or anything else through a specific prayer, that Heavenly Father will answer that prayer.

I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!

Elder Smith

Unfortunately I forgot to bring the cord for the phone so I can't upload any pictures this week :/ But I will have some next week for sure!

Running to McDonalds: 11/16/15

Hej!

     This was a pretty good week. Last P-day we didn't do too much, we just went to Göteborg and visited some stores with some of the other elders in the area. On Tuesday morning at 6:30 we went running with a member again. We ran around the lake (about 5 kilometers) and then to McDonalds for breakfast (another kilometer). I was a lot less sore this time after running, so I guess that's a good sign, haha.

     On Wednesday we had a specialized zone training, and President and Sister Beckstrand visited. We talked about Joseph Smith and the restoration, and then we found out a little about this year's Christmas initiative. We got to see the new Christmas video even though it isn't coming out on lds.org until the end of November. It's very different from the stereotypical Christmas video but it's still very good. 

    This week we did a lot of service. A family in the ward just had their roof redone so we helped them disassemble the scaffolding around their house. We didn't quite finish the first time so we came back the next day and it was pouring rain. We got soaked, but it was fun. The next day we helped a member demolish what was left of a small trailer home. All that was left was basically the metal trailer part and the flooring. The member had a saw and cut the metal trailer into small pieces.

      Yesterday I gave a talk, and I used running to McDonald's as an example of enduring to the end. I think it went pretty well. 

     While I was preparing my talk I came across Joshua 24:15, which tells us to "choose you this day whom ye will serve;...as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." It is important that we decide now where we stand, we cannot have one foot in and one foot out. I know that when we commit to following the Lord that we can receive many blessings.

I hope everyone has a great week!

Elder Smith

Pictures!

1) Me on some scaffolding

2) Me on the ground, Elder Roosendaal is on the scaffolding

Running: 11/9/15

Hi!

     This week was pretty good! On Monday we went to Gothenburg and hung out with some of the other missionaries. We hiked up a big hill to an old fort with a great view of the city. Elder Roosendaal and I found some sweaters on a sale rack in a store, so now we have matching Christmas sweaters. In the evening a member took us out to pizza so he could "interrogate" me. He has a set of questions that he always asked new missionaries. 

     On Tuesday it was my birthday! In the morning we ran 5 and a half kilometers with a member. We ran around a lake that is right next to our apartment. I haven't run much in a while, so it was pretty hard but we did it in 33 minutes. Besides that it was kind of a normal day. A member made a sugar cake for us.

     On Friday we had a zone training. We talked about Christlike attributes and how we can receive guidance on what we can do to be better missionaries. It was pretty good. On Saturday we helped a member clean the chapel. That evening we had dinner with our ward mission leader and his friend. His friend ordered Chinese food for everyone, and we had giant spring rolls.

     Yesterday was Father's day in Sweden, so there was a primary program. It was funny, but super good too. I was also asked to give a talk next week. It will be my first talk in a sacrament meeting on my mission.

     As part of preparation for zone training this week the zone leaders asked everyone to read the talk "What Lack I Yet?" from the most recent general conference. I thought it was super good. It helped me realize that we can each receive very personal and useful revelation when we ask for it. It may not always be the answer we expect, but the Lord knows what is best for us and what we can handle.

I hope everyone has a great week!

Elder Smith

Pictures!

1) Elder Roosendaal and me and Gothenburg in the background

2) kebab pizza with french fries on it

New Area: 10/2/15

Hej!

     Last P-day I didn't do too much. We went out to lunch as a district and then played a card game called Munchkin at the church. After that I just packed all my stuff. On Tuesday I finished some last minute packing, and my first train left at two. It was about an hour long, then I had a 20 minute wait and took another hour long train. Then another 20 minute wait and an hour long train. Everything went pretty smoothly with switching trains and all that. At the train station in Alingsås the elders here showed up with a member, and Elder Päärkä got on a train to his new area, and we loaded my stuff into the ward mission leader's car and dropped it off at the apartment. Then we had a dinner appointment. 

     I have had a lot of member dinners here so far. We've had member meals maybe 5 out of 6 nights that I've been here, so that's kind of amazing haha. This is my first area where we actually ride bikes everywhere. We have bus cards, but the buses don't go super often so usually it's quicker to bike. It's a little cold, but it's not too bad. Alingsås is a kind of small town so we get around easily.

     On Thursday we helped build a spooky tunnel for a primary trunk or treat activity. We were supposed to help three primary boys set it up, but we pretty much ended up doing it haha. We used chairs and garbage bags to make a tunnel. On Friday we took a 40 minute train to Göteborg (Gothenburg) for district meeting at a YSA center. It was pretty fun. My companion is the district leader. We only have three companionships in our district right now: us, the zone leaders, and a sister companionship. Each companionship is in a different ward, so that's interesting.

     My new companion is Elder Roosendaal. His dad is Dutch, his mom is from the Philippines, and he's lived in London half his life so he has a British accent. He's a pretty fun guy. 

     On Saturday we helped out with the primary's trunk or treat activity, and that was pretty fun. Other than that we didn't really celebrate Halloween. Yesterday was my first week of church here. There was a couple from Örebro there visiting, so it was fun to talk to them and see how things are going in my old area. There are a ton of families in the ward here, so it's really fun. 

     I am really grateful for the Holy Ghost, and especially for the gift of the Holy Ghost. As a missionary, there are a lot of things we have to remember, and usually in a different language, so there have been a lot of times when I have had no idea what to say to people in lessons or talking to them on the street. But I have realized a lot of times where I was able to think of something, or my companion was, that were helpful to that person. So I know that we can have the companionship and help of the Holy Ghost when we are worthy and seeking after it.

I hope everyone has a great week!

Elder Smith

Pictures!

1) Elder Roosendaal, Me, and Lennart (ward mission leader) at the train station

2) Selfie

3) Riding bikes