Feel like Cryin'

 Sometimes I just feel like cryin!


Life is so good. I love Lund. It's smaller and a lot quieter than Stockholm. Absolutely beautiful. People aren't rushing quite as much. We quite honestly just skip around cobblestone streets with white boards asking what they think about God. The ward is incredible. The work is busy. We're tired and happy!

A couple highlights of my heart-

Mikael. Oh how I love this man. Mikael is deaf. He is the definition of gentleness. The most sincere sweetness and desire to learn. Our lessons consist of a happy mess of writing in notebooks, reading scriptures, using the few signs of teckenspråk he has taught us, and him smiling when Syster Boone and I try to use our ASL which is absolutely not the same as Swedish. Conveys so much with his eyes. Writes simply that he loves how the God book makes him feel.

Elizabeth- and the most precious Congo family- Elizabeth is a mom of three beautiful girls. She loves our church and asks if she can be a member without being baptized again haha, so working on that. Mandine the oldest daughter comes to primary activities. Won't let us leave the house without eating something. They are wonderful!

Our trio is a dream- I love Systers Bowen and Boone endlessly. Lots of singing and laughing and guitar and reciprocating each others' excitement about the work. Syster Boone is dog brave on the streets, going on her second week in Sweden. We giggle about just about everything.

A huge tender mercy this week. Lund is one of the areas that is in close enough proximity to the Copenhagen temple that we have the chance to go, if a ward trip happens. So I was excited to move here because there'd be a chance! Then when the bishop started talking on our first sunday here about a ward temple trip, that was reason alone to rejoice. But when he announced the date, the 31st of August, my heart just filled.
It is the same day my Derek will be going through the temple to be endowed. It felt like a very direct reminder from my Heavenly Father that we are seen, and known. Something that could be seen as a coincidence- but brought a lot of joy to my little heart. That the first time I'll be in the temple in 7 months is when my best friend will be making covenants there for the first time!
How is that not evidence of a loving and living God?

And the things I could write paragraphs about -
- Happy birthday Hyrum!!! My bud is 15!! Love and miss you buckets! Hyrum teaches me what joy is. Faith beyond his years.
- Caleb Paul blessed this past week- the tiniest white suit sending me soaring☺️
- Jonny with my family 😭 Hyrum's birthday party and going to watch him in Newsies and eating Sunday dinner with my family. Pictures of him and Brig cookin together. My beloved people in both worlds coming together- a tender mercy in every way.
- Derek's farewell this Sunday- I haven't the words. You are half my thoughts these days.

Sorry for the long email, just lots to get out. There was never a girl more blessed! I love you all!


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Farhad, Kungsbacka, Elder Child??

After hearing about a conversation between my dear Grandma Jan and now elder Child that consisted of her saying "Derek, you need to be better than your sister at writing emails," I've vowed to be ännu bättre. My grandparents love deeper than anyone, I'm convinced. It was quite possibly the most eventful week of my entire mission. Zone conference, Farhad's baptism and the wondrous few days and lessons leading up to it, the long awaited temple trip and tender mercy of my little brother receiving his endowment on the same day, and transfer news. Busy busy happy days in between all of it. I love Lund a lot. Farhad's baptism was wonderful. In our lesson the day before, he asked us if he would share a testimony at the baptism. We told him that he of course could, but didn't need to-- he then proceeded to read out a carefully written testimony, all about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon and how he was grateful for every person who had helped him progress towar...
Read more

"These aren't exceptions, they're the rules" -Ben Rector

Oh my things are good good. ANNIE IS HOME. My best friend in the world. She did it! I just smiled and cried watchin the videos of her huggin Jana. Dreamed of our missions since we were little and now her adventure is done. Where to start. It's been two weeks. - Pontus came to zone conference and loved it! Took notes the whole time. There was a lot of talk about purpose-- he said afterward that he feels like his purpose is "kind of like you guys- a missionary, basically." It was special. He is getting baptized THIS SUNDAY! After so long working for it. Please please please please pray for him this week- he is more converted than anyone I know, but satan is working hard because of it. - Mikael in Lund got baptized!!!! Our kind-eyed deaf friend. I heard that the second counselor who baptized him learned the whole baptismal prayer in swedish sign language. Mikael's story is evidence to me that the Spirit works! That He understands every language. This was a joyous joyous ...
Read more

I'll go where you want me to go!

Image
Hallå! It has been a wonderful wonderful week. Many beautiful moments. A quick update and thought! I am still waiting on a visa, so will be serving in the Tennessee Nashville mission starting next week! Truly could not be more excited, and I mean that. The tender mercies of the Lord have been abundant in getting me here, and with an abundance of peace. God is very good. My sweet companions made me stand up and read my call and made a video- the whole shebang. Oh I love them. TENDER MERCIES. They are everywhere. My challenge to you, which I was prompted to do and has blessed my days- is to write down the ones you see every day. Simply write down the beautiful moments! Read this week about how they are not coincidences, and I believe it. "I testify that the tender mercies of the Lord are real and that they do not occur randomly or merely by coincidence." Elder Bednar, the Tender Mercies of the Lord April 2005, this message has blessed my life! I love you all and love this work....
Read more