I Can Fix That

Those are my famous last words - I can fix that.  Anyone who knows me knows that either I can't fix it, or if I can fix it, the project will end up looking like a four year-old has fixed it. In any case, we are usually better off just getting a new whatever. Still, Olivia and I are trying to save the tithes of the Church by fixing what we can rather than buying new.

We visited the apartment of one set of elders where we were told that the missionaries had been putting the dish drying rack on the butcher block counter top, rather than the stainless steel on the other side of the sink. The result was mold and several splits in the butcher block.  It was also reported that they had somehow ripped the curtain rod bracket from the right side of the window leaving a gaping hole in the concrete wall and a large piece of plaster broken off. They have a small apartment, and a large sofa, so it was also suggested that we remove the couch and replace it with a small desk and a bookshelf.

When we inspected for ourselves, we agreed with the elders that the couch should be replaced with the desk and bookshelf, but I was quite sure the mold was not that deep and that we could just sand and re-seal the wood.  I was also sure we could fix the wall.

We bought the desk and bookshelf at (you guessed it) IKEA. The mission has a good set of tools including a sander, but we needed the sealer and something to repair the wall. Luckily, Olivia was with me at the hardware store because she had the presence of mind to actually ask for assistance. What is called "spackle" turns out to be something like Bondo and what I thought was sealer received scornful looks from the helpful clerk who also mumbled something in Swedish that sounded like "You idiot."

When we arrived at the elders' apartment, I took charge of the butcher block, one elder took the tube of whatever-it-is-that-fixes-walls and Olivia and the other elder assembled the desk.

I found that the mold was not just skin deep. No amount of sanding was going to go below the mold. When I thought that I had gone deeply enough that the mold looked like just darker grain, I made the mistake of cleaning off the sanding dust to find that the mold was more distinct than ever. I decided that it will just have to do. I used an old shop class trick to fill the cracks. I put a little sealer in a small lid that was in the garbage. To the sealer I added some of the sanding dust and mixed it in. I took a piece of heavy paper and filled the cracks with the mixture and it filled the cracks perfectly. The sealer is clear, not a stain, so the elders now have a counter top that still looks like mold is all over it, but it is safely sealed.

The wall looks great and the desk is perfect. When the missionaries are no longer able to rent that apartment, we will have to replace the butcher block, Until then, it's fine. We didn't have time to put the bookcase together, but they have the tools and the instructions, so they can take care of that.

From there we rushed over to the sisters' apartment a few kilometers away (I know you are impressed that I used kilometers rather than miles), where we had been the night before. They had hosted several other sister missionaries the night before prior to the Sisters' Conference. The next morning all the electric hair appliances were going at once and blew the breaker. We went over to see if there was something they missed in trying to flip the switches and found that there was nothing else we could do. Later that evening, however, we had dinner with President and Sister Beckstrand. President Beckstrand served his mission here as a young man and has been here 27 months as president of the mission. He was familiar with the system I had described and knew that there was a main fuse associated with the breaker box. He was quite certain I could just replace the fuse and it would be fixed.

 

That is why we rushed from the elders to the sisters the next day. I replaced the fuse and flipped all the switches again with no success.  At that point we did have to call in the electrician, so I called the agency from which we rent the apartment. They were unconvinced that I had replaced the fuse, but eventually put me in touch with the building manager who was also unconvinced.  Finally, I was able to talk to the emergency manager and gave him the sisters' phone number so arrangements could be made for an electrician. By that time it was after 4:00 PM, so no one could come out for another day.

The next day contact was finally made for the electrician to appear. He, of course, was unconvinced that I had replaced the fuse so he came without tools or parts, so he had to return to his shop and get another fuse. This time the fuse was behind a locked door in the basement of the apartment building.
The result is that the sisters now have electricity, but after all that time, all the food in the fridge had spoiled, so Elder Clouse had to arrange for extra money in their accounts to replace it.

The reason for the other sisters to be staying with the Stockholm missionaries was that this week was the big Sisters' Conference.  Much of our time was preparing for the various aspects of the conference.  Olivia was asked to assist Sister Clouse in her presentation which was based on the story, or rather the movie of Cinderella.  In the Grimm version Ella's mother advises her to be pious and kind, but in the movie she is advised to be courageous and kind. That was the theme.

The overall theme was Disney princesses, so the cultural hall was decorated in Beauty and the Beast, the other presentations were Snow White and Little Mermaid themed.  We spent shopping time looking for a candlestick, tea pot and cup. I was then tasked with the duty of finding and printing off pictures of the characters in B & B those items represented. Olivia also needed props for Cinderella, so she decorated a pumpkin to look like it was turning into a carriage. I was in need of something to do during all her preparation, so I found an image of a goose and lizards and made them to go onto the carriage. No picture, unfortunately.

The men got the opportunity of setting up, driving out to the COOP (a local grocery store that also caters) to pick up the food for the meal, cleaning, washing dishes (my specialty as everyone else disappeared when the time for cleaning pots and pans arrived), cleaning up and just making sure details were taken care of. It was so much fun seeing these excited, hard-working women enjoying each others company and feeling so special.

Sisters Woolsey and Wilson from Uppsala where we 
attend church                                                                              The APs as candle & clock at photo                                                                                                                 booth with some of the sisters

The entire group with Sister Beckstrand and senior sisters         Sister Clouse w/ office elders                                                                                                                  (note the candelabra and clock) 

Olivia, Sisters Hurlbut, Beckstrand, Clouse, Mitchell, 
and Watson (senior missionaries)                                                       
                                                                                          Sisters Heaps, Gow, Hansen, Botchway,                                                                                           Capuccio, & Nelson (they came in our group)

 Sisters Trotter & Young      I did get hot chocolate & brownie                 Elder & Sister Clouse

 We have spent a wonderful day at the Uppsala Ward where everyone is so accommodating to our lack of Swedish. I am finding that for many in the ward Swedish is a second language. A couple from Iran speak Italian and English; the ward historian is from France, one single man is from Norway, another woman is from Philippines, another couple (both working on PhDs) is from Vienna, another man is from Bolivia, one woman from New York, a woman from Finland, a family from Mongolia, another from the US and there are others, as well. English is commonly spoken, some better than others.

The last two Sundays, students from the university in Uppsala have visited as an assignment. Today it was just one young woman who expressed how welcomed she felt in our little ward. Olivia is so good at making people feel comfortable and carried on a conversation with her. Afterward, we invited her to come back when it was not just an assignment and she again expressed that she felt comfortable there, but made no commitment.

We are enjoying our mission and love helping move the work along even though it is mostly non-ecclesiastic. We take a huge burden from the mission president and make the living situation of the missionaries much more conducive to their study and lives.

We love and miss you all. We love receiving your emails and hope you enjoy this rambling blog.

A Visit from Home Already

This past week we were privileged to have a short visit from Olivia's sister Jennifer and her daughter Jessica, both of whom have played significant roles in our lives. Jennifer came to live with us when we were in Portland, Oregon, where I attended law school, so we became quite close at that time and have stayed close ever since.  As we prepared to pack up the house and leave for our mission, she came and efficiently helped us get through that ordeal. She has been a guardian angel to us.

Jessica came to live with us when we took in Olivia's mother during her final years. She was the primary caretaker for much of that time. Jessica has many talents and is very knowledgeable on many subjects. She even assisted us for one of our Burns' Suppers by playing the bagpipe to pipe in the haggis!  During this visit she was my personal GPS to all the places we wanted to see.

Here they are in front of the front door to our apartment.

We took the opportunity of travelling a little north and visiting some of the sites we don't normally see in our responsibilities, here.  We toured a little of Old Stockholm's many museums, the palace, and a few other places where we could. We even watched the changing of the guard (not quite the ceremony it is in London, but still fun to see. Note: they perform the "about face" like we did in Boy Scouts, not like the US Army. It allows them another opportunity to stomp their feet. Our army is less into such noise, I suppose.)

It is always interesting to see structures that have existed for millennia. Europe and surrounds, including Sweden are full of them. So many that it is impossible to protect them all. For example, farmers have put up with large  mounds in their fields for centuries, but recently it was discovered that many are ancient burial grounds for the Viking era. When the temple was under construction, it was discovered that it is located in a Viking burial area, The government was unconcerned, but the Church has built little memorial gardens to honor them. I will take pictures the next time we are up there.

In Uppsala, where we attend church is the largest cathedral in Scandinavia, as I think I mentioned in a previous blog. Also in Uppsala is the Gamla Kyrka, one of the oldest Christian church building in the country.  In the 12th and 13th centuries they went all out with the structure to honor Christ.

 

One of the more ancient churches was found in Mora, where we stayed prior to driving to the Dala horse works. In the Mora Kyrka we found ancient paintings of the suffering, death and resurrection of Christ as well as a painting behind the alter of unknown, but also ancient origin. It was humbling to see the depth of appreciation these ancient folk had for the plan of salvation.

They all have amazing organs. Many have large, beautiful pipe organs as well as smaller pipe organs that are played for their normal services. In the Domkyrka we were witness to the youth and children's choir rehearsal just prior to the Sunday services. The acoustics were amazing and the young people obviously enjoyed it.  Many of the churches suffered serious fires in those early days when the buildings were only a few hundred years old, then the locals would rally to rebuild them. As we entered the Mora Kyrka, we noticed a display of ancient-looking symbols carved into wood laths. I thought they must be symbols taken from the runes which date back to the coming of Christ, but it turns out that when the church was being remodeled in the 1700s, these were found under the roofing material and were a mystery to the builders. A farmer happened by and informed them that these were symbols identifying the farms of ancient farmers who helped to rebuild after the fire some hundreds of years prior.  I guess we would call them brands! We didn't get a photo of them, unfortunately.

In the Dalarna district are several towns and cities, including Mora. In Börlange we met with a pair of Elders who needed some items for their apartment. They seemed to be obedient, hard-working and of a happy countenance. It was fun to talk to them.

We went on to the works where the famous Dala horses are carved and painted. The two most prominent are next to each other and are owned by the Olsson brothers. Visitors can just wander through and watch the whole process for the most part. Most of the horses are cut out using a template, then sent out to people in the village who carve them into the shape we normally see.

 

[cut out with band saw]                                   [carved by village folk]

They are then brought back to the workplace and dipped in paint, dried, sanded again and painted again, then hand painted. Of course, the women had to have one. I wanted one of the several kinds of knives and hatchets they sell there. They are exceptionally sharp, tempered and shaped for maximum effect. Actually, Jessica bought one of the hatchets and I was sorely tempted, but we will go back when it is closer to our departing date... Olivia, don't look at me in that tone of voice!

[Outside the Nils Olsson works]

We also visited Falun, because it reminded us of Fallon and we were feeling a little homesick. Of course, Jessica saw a steeple and had to see the ancient church building there. Like most of the others, it is ornate and reflected the feelings of the wonderful people of the past who loved Christ and wanted their church to reflect their adoration.

[Falun Kyrka]

We finally had to distract Jessica whenever a steeple came into sight as we were running out of time and couldn't see every church in every town. :)

Falun is better known for its copper mine. It became more or less an open pit mine after it collapsed in the 1700s, leaving a huge pit where the mine had been underground. Luckily, it happened on a holiday and no one was in the mine at the time. It continued to serve as a mine from the 10th century until 1992 - a millennium. 

They still mine minerals today as they have since the 16th century used the tailings to create the red pigment used on so many of the buildings from small farm housed and barns to the mansions in rural Sweden. It is considered to have great preserving properties and is still available in stores today.

While travelling through the rural woods we came upon a little village that called out to the women in the car. "A troll village! Brad you have to stop and turn around." We discovered a little village all built by a man now in his late 70s. It was certainly a fun place at one time, but no longer well kept. However, it held great charm for the women. It turns out that he still rents out the little homes during the summer. One communal bath house and bathroom, didn't seem all that charming to me, but Olivia wants the children and grandchildren to stay there when they come to visit. I will be in the motel in Mora - pick you up in the morning.

[Välbäckens Holiday Village]                                      [In front of larger house] [By trolls & animals]

We had to travel back to the apartment Monday night so our visitors could be at the airport early the next morning. It was a packed, fun adventure as it was as new to us as it was to them. Thanks for the visit, Jennifer and Jessica. Come again!

As soon as we dropped them off, we hurried to the mission home for our monthly meeting with our wonderful mission president and his wife. We are invited to the office meeting each week, so we get the report of the progress of the mission as well as the inner workings of what it does to keep the mission functioning.  It makes us grateful that we can play a small part in relieving him of tasks so he can be more involved in the work of the mission.

We spent the rest of the week looking at the apartments of some of the missionaries in the local area, hauling their junk that has been left by prior missionaries and recycling it. Recycling is a religion here. We understand that much of the electrical power is supplied by the combustible waste which is segregated from plastic, metal, glass and other recyclable materials.

Saturday we were invited to Elder Clouse's birthday party. The office elders and APs had created a video and the sisters had passed a birthday card around for people to sign. The Clouses are very popular because of his humor and her calm demeanor as well as innumerable other virtues. They even prepared pork steaks, biscuits and gravy, and cupcakes. Olivia and I made a pinata of a Swedish fish and filled it with gottis (candy) which delighted the young missionaries. Like most of my pinatas,  it took a jackhammer to break it open, so when one of the elder's pounded it off the twine, they took off the blindfold and one threw it to another who batted it like a baseball and it finally broke open. They all gathered up the candy like Mexican children and then wore the pinata like a hat.  Great fun.

  [Elders Halterman & Johanson]   [The birthday boy at age 66]        [Sister Trotter takes a swing]

[Elder Chugg and the broken pinata]

Wonderful time in our little ward today. They are implementing the Self Reliance program in small groups in the ward, so the bishop asked if we would facilitate the English-speaking group. We got to know many of the ward members better and to look confused by the language. One of the sister missionaries can interpret almost a fast as the speaker can talk, so Sacrament Meeting is a little less confusing.

In all, a wonderful week. We love and  miss you all and hope your lives are blessed and happy.  In reviewing Elder Nelson's talk today I was reminded that we have the privilege of knowing joy in all our circumstances. We do find joy in our service here.

Comings and Goings

We had a week of comings and goings. On Tuesday we assisted in welcoming the new missionaries at the airport and shuttling them from there to various destinations. It was especially good to see the two we had met in the MTC. We took several of them to the migration registration and were able to get ourselves registered even though the last time we tried it we were turned away because we didn't have an appointment. It just depends upon who you ask, I guess.

Parking here is a challenge; especially true at the migration office. I ended up driving to a mall nearby and parking in the covered parking, promptly getting lost trying to walk back to the migration office and walking my legs to the knees. Finally, I saw a familiar billboard only to realize that it was familiar because I was walking in a circle. After asking for directions, I managed to get back to the office in time to register and haul the missionaries to old Stockholm.

In old Stockholm there are lots of photo opportunities, but not much time. They all got a picture of the 3 Kroner City Office building shown in the background here. No one seemed to know the significance of the statue they gathered around, but it was picturesque.

They had a nice lunch at the YSA center in downtown Stockholm, then off to the mission office where they slept through a safety video about driving mission cars. They were so fun to watch as they fought off the effects of jet lag and lack of sleep and stayed so positive about their future here.

Now it is Wednesday and I am trying to wrap this up before Sunday comes around again and I will be even more behind.

We had a great experience watching General Conference, as I am sure most of you did. The testimonies of the speakers were uplifting, interesting and powerful. We watched the Saturday morning session on Saturday evening at 6:00 PM. Sunday morning we watched the recorded Saturday afternoon session and then, after lunch I watched the Priesthood session while Olivia watched the General Women's Conference. We then watched the Sunday morning session at 6:00 PM. On Monday we needed to take some things to the Elders and Sisters in the Uppsala area, and found that they were planning to watch the Sunday afternoon session that day, so we invited ourselves to watch with them. They had planned to have breakfast on Sunday morning with the members who came to the church building, but someone else had prepared a meal, so we had breakfast with them before watching the last session - at 4:00 PM! It was great fun. We were all cheering at Elder Rendlund's talk. He purposely pronounced Göteborg in Swedish, rather than Anglicizing it. By the way it is pronounced ewe-teh-bory, just like it is spelled ;).

Watching these amazing missionaries makes me want to be like them when I grow up. They are organized, fearless, happy and they speak the language. We took a pair of sister missionaries back to their apartment after a meeting. One has been in the country less than a month and her trainer has been out 12 weeks. They both teach and practice Swedish on one another. They told us that after being in the country 2 weeks they could understand everything their investigator was saying and that within a couple of weeks they could comfortably converse. One of the elders we watched conference with came out the week after us and is already teaching in Swedish. They are bold and God blesses them for it.

Our friends, Elder and Sister Clouse, happened to be in Uppsala the same day showing their daughter, son-in-law and grandson the sites. We joined them at the Domkyrka (pronounced dome-shir-ka, just like it is spelled). It is the largest cathedral in all of Scandinavia. Much of it is ancient and many of Sweden's ancient luminaries are buried inside it. It is awe inspiring in so many ways. Behind it are several runes with ancient writing on them from the 11th century.  There is a lot to see in this country.

We are officially in the country, having received our Migration cards. Today, we applied for our personnummer (like a Social Security Number - they always ask for your personnummer) and when we get that number, we will be able to apply for a Swedish ID card which is best of all. They do love their bureaucracy.

Today was a milestone. I drove all over the city and did not receive a single honking horn from someone I had somehow offended! Parking here is done with a shoe horn. The spaces are so little and it takes major maneuvering to get into and out of them. As a result, I put the first major scrape on the front bumper of the mission vehicle we drive. Trying to get out of a parking garage, I didn't see a concrete abutment and left some blue paint on it. Ugh! I thought they would fire us and put me in a desk job, but the office staff just shrugged it off.

Well, I'll sign off for now. We are loving our mission, especially working with these inspiring missionaries. We hope all is well with all of you. You are in our prayers and we appreciate that so many of you have told us that we are in yours and your children's prayers. We are truly grateful.