October 14, 2013

Wow.  It sounds like you all had a very exciting and fun week!  My week has also been great! The new missionaries we are living with are really funny and we all have a good time together.  On Thursday night we had the three assistants to the president come and stay the night with us because of the zone conference the next day.  They got into central station at 12:30 AM and so everyone had a late night.  We had 7 people sleeping in the apartment that used to just have 2 people in it!  We also had stake conference this week.  We had a session Saturday night and then another Sunday at this huge place in town called Svenska Mässan.  It's like a huge cultural center, I guess, and they have lots of events and it is a nice place.  I am thinking concerts and similar events are held there so it was pretty cool to have stake conference there.  We all sung in the missionary choir as well.  Anyway I wanted to say that because of the Stake conference schedule that all the missionaries in the stake were supposed to go, so a lot of missionaries were here and we had 4 stay with us on Saturday night breaking our previous record of only 7 missionaries living in our apartment!!  It all worked out though.  The sister missionaries in our area are pretty cool.  We have so far done quite a few member dinner appointments with them and since we have had general conference last week and stake conference this week they have still not really been introduced to the ward yet.  The language really is pretty good.  Sorry I take some frustrations out in my emails.  I can speak and understand people most the time and if I don't then I can just ask them whatever I am unclear about.  It is really such a blessing and I am really grateful to be able to learn a language now because the Lord helps me to get it.  I think it can be really frustrating to learn a language because part of it is that it just takes time.  Luckily for me I have the Lord on my side!  

That is so fun that Jake and Dad were able to go and do sacrament up at snowbird!  It is also cool that more people were up there.  When I went up there were like only 15 I think.  It sounds like Abby's talk was really good!  It sounded interesting to me.  I think that many people have realized that your words become your actions.  That's part of why they are so important I guess!  It is exciting also that ski season is almost there!  I can't wait to go when I get back with you all!  Hopefully Jake won't be too much better than me!  

Great for Tyler to get baptized!  What did Estee think of it? I bet she thought it was pretty neat.  

That is so awesome that Jake was in the cross country finals!  I am glad that it was fun for Dad to watch.  Jake is such a good athlete!  How did he do? I'm sure he did pretty great.  Was it divided by age at all or was it just all of middle school ages?  You will all be happy to know I have not lost any of my enthusiasm to play basketball even though we don't get to play too much.    

Awesome to hear that Estee is loving MAD SCIENCE!  Is she becoming a mad scientist? Are Dad and Abby with their chemistry helping Estee with her "mad" creations? Hahaha.  What a smartie she is!  And tell her thanks so much for making sure the sticker for every day is put on :)  Tell her I miss her and love her! :)

That is too bad for Utah State.  Chuckie is a big loss for them!  Go Tigers!  That is super cool to hear they are in the American League championship game!  Cabrera didn't win the triple crown did he?  That sucks about Michigan.  I hate it when they play conservatively...(ohio game last year).  I am a little surprised that Gardner isn't the sort of all star player (tell me if I'm wrong).  But disappointing.  However, I am very pumped for Utah!  That is so cool that they beat Stanford!  That is probably their biggest win since Alabama in 2008.  I will have to watch the replay when I go home.  But don't worry I am not preoccupied with wondering about football or anything!  Haha, I am focused on the work and am working hard!  

A quick recap of the week:

Monday- I got a haircut (my first in Sweden) and then we had some Kebab at the missionary kebab place called Mossen's.  It was delish.  We also played volleyball with a ton of missionaries that came to gothenburg.  I actually think that our entire zone was there and it was crazy.  

Tuesday- Not much.  We helped an older lady investigator build a bookshelf and let the sisters meet her.  She gave us lunch and then for dinner we also got fed, this time by the Sahlin's, a super nice family whose son is the assistant ward mission leader and he has his mission papers in right now!

Wednesday- We actually had dinner with a family and the dad is a heart surgeon.  His name is Carl Johan Malm and his dad is a member of the second quorum of the 70.  

Thursday- We watched the final session of general conference.  It was really really good I thought.  I really liked Elder Achauo's or however his name is spelled and Elder Nelson's talks.  I also found out doing some quick family history that we are descendants of a bunch of French kings (on mom's side) and actually Charlemagne interestingly enough.  

Friday- We had zone conference and it was about family history.  It was cool to see President and Sister Newell.  

Saturday- After the stake conference session we went with all 14 other missionaries to go to Pizza Hut downtown.  Unfortunately our group was too big and the lady was apparently rude to whoever talked to her so we left and they probably lost thousands of krowns.  Anyway we thought why not go to the pizza place where they are always happy to have 20 missionaries come! (Mossen's) So we all went to Mossen's and had some delicious pizza.

Sunday- Pretty much the only highlight was Stake conference at Svenska Mässan.

Hope you all have a great week and keep being the great family you are!  I really loved seeing all the pictures that Abby sent of you guys!  Made me so happy to see everyone! :) So props to Abby. I love you all so much. I miss you guys and am excited to keep hearing about all the adventures that you guys are having!  Love you all and miss you!

Love,

Äldste Ward