Lasts and Firsts - There's a New Sheriff in Town!

We were back at work this week.  We have been looking and praying for a new apartment in Södertälje (sudder-tell'-ya) and we were able to secure one this week. There will no doubt be several pictures of it in the coming weeks as we need to move the elders out of their current apartment and into the new one before the end of the month and the month is already packed.

Jordan met Robin Schelin (hwee'-leen) at April's General Conference when he discovered that they have a mutual friend. The Schelins live in Södertälje and they have created an apartment in the top of their apartment with a separate entrance, a large room and separate bath and are thrilled to have missionaries live there. We have only met the wife, Aurora, who is from Italy, served a mission in Switzerland and met Robin while studying in Sweden. Nice people and a nice situation for our missionaries.

We received the parts to repair a washing machine door that was broken by an impatient sister missionary when the door would not open. Like anyone in that situation, she pried it open with a claw hammer. The landlord was not of a humorous disposition and threatened to hire a repairman and charge the mission for it. I was able to fix it for just a few kroner. I was feeling pretty good about it until we got a text from the sisters stating that now the washer won't even start. Back to them tomorrow. Why not get the repairman in and fix two of my DIY attempts?

Sisters Wagner and Eriksson leaving
as I remain to finish my 2 hour repair
that should have taken only 10
minutes!

These two are both Swedish, though Sister Wagner has lived in the US most of her life. She was born in Sweden. Sister Eriksson is from Skåne (skona). They are among the hardest working missionaries in the country, so we are happy to make life as easy for them as we can.

We listened as they prepared for the day. All preparation was done in Swedish. Most of the preparations we have observed in other apartments has been done in English, but these two are as comfortable with one as they are with the other.

After making the repair, we took their keys back to them at the church building, then found a shady place to eat our lunch in the parking lot. We finished as they were leaving. We thought we would give them a ride to wherever they were going, but just as we started the car, they had stopped someone on the sidewalk and started a conversation. That person didn't seem interested, so they continued and we continued out of the parking lot to catch up to them. Just as we were close, they stopped another person and began another conversation. We concluded that they intended to street contact all the way back home, so we passed by without disturbing their conversation.

Our last office meeting was the last office meeting for President and Sister Beckstrand. It was, of course, a meeting with all the necessary last minute organizing for the airport pickup of the Youngbergs, how we were going to take them and their luggage out, who should be there, and making sure all was ready for them. Pres. and Sister B were "assigned" the spiritual thought and success story. They reviewed the successes they witnessed as they have served the last three years, particularly the personal changes as they applied themselves to building the Kingdom of God and bringing the message of Christ's gospel to the people in Sweden.

At the close of the meeting the POEs and Assistants presented them with a painting we had discovered in a closed apartment. They had kept it hidden in the office until that evening. One of the elders had started a painting based on a photo that had been used in a promotional brochure. The painting was never finished and they (especially Sister B) look like zombies. It is kind of scary, in fact.  Following that they sang a favorite Swedish hymn that is not in our English hymnal.

Beckstrands with the zombie picture

Elder Stapley never eats sweets,
but as a gesture of his affection he
gave in to Pres. B's pressure and
ate 2 bites of a doughnut

Elders Stapley, Benson, Craun, and Jämsä singing for the Beckstrands

We were invited to a discussion with the Uppsala elders with a young family from the US. It turned out that they are employed by Agape which used to be called Campus Crusade for Christ. They hold bible study classes for university students. They are a very nice young couple with a 10-month old baby, but they are more interested in pounding in their own interpretation of the bible than in hearing another version. They argued even when we offered our testimonies. They were not at all hostile and we left friends, but I doubt we will return.

We had some time after returning the elders to their next appointment, so we returned to Gamla Uppsala where we went into the museum and took a tour in English. We learned more about the burial mounds and the religious rites of the Viking era prior to the introduction of Christianity. Tradition had it that the three largest mounds were for certain kings. However, two of the mounds have been excavated to find that they are likely not. One, in fact is most likely a woman.  There are also some burial sites not far from there where the deceased were not cremated, but buried sitting up in royal robes, jewelry and food containers with their horses in a boat. Because they were not cremated, there is much more to learn from them.

One of the depictions of the  sacrifice

One practice that particularly disturbed the early Christian missionaries was the nine plus nine rite. Every nine years, nine of each kind of animal were sacrificed and the edible animals were eaten. Nine pigs, nine horses, nine cattle, etc, and nine people. The men and the skins of the animals were then hung in trees around the sacrificial site. I can see why Christianity appealed to them.

A random beauty I found on the internet in front of the
burial mounds in Gamla Uppsala

 We went to the airport to meet the new president and his wife and took the traditional picture with them and the welcoming committee. They were understandably exhausted, but happy to finally be here. We are anxious to work with them.

President and Sister Youngberg
coming into the airport to greet
the welcoming group

Pres. and Sister Beckstrand, Elders Benson, Stapley, President and Sister
Youngberg, Elders Jämsä, Elder Craun, Olivia, me, Elder and Sister Hales

The outgoing and incoming presidents with wives. A touching moment

Elder and Sister Hales accompanied them
with the Assistants to Stockholm and took
the traditional picture across the bay from
the city offices.

Later, we drove to the airport and picked up Elder and Sister Clouse who had technically completed their mission and had gone to Poland to see some of the places where Margo's ancestors had lived. They visited Warsaw and Cracow, several WWII sites and some of the cemeteries, but were disappointed that the old graves have been reused for more modern ones and the old gravestones are gone.

We took them to eat and home to their temporary quarters. Saturday we spent a couple of hours with them at the Viking farm near us where we took Cedric's family last week. Saturday evening we joined the senior couples, office elders and Täby sisters for a farewell BBQ in their honor. President and Sister Youngberg also joined and stayed for the evening. It was great fun and a fond farewell for those whose lives the Clouses have so favorably impressed and touched. We will take them to the airport for the final farewell to these very special friends. We have had wonderful, fun, funny, and moving experiences with them and will miss them greatly.

Margo and the friendly goat.
There were no goats last week,
so Cedric's family has to
return to avoid disappointment!

Keith and Margo in front of one of the Viking houses

With the Viking who told us of
some of the Viking tales as recorded
in the Icelandic Saga and rune stones

At the BBQ. Elder and Sister Pettit, Lydia
(their granddaughter) Pres.and Sister
Youngberg, Elder and Sister Smith

Elder Benson, Clouses, Elder and Sister
Hall, Elder Craun

Elder Stapley, Sisters Gill and Sidwell,
Olivia and me, Elder and Sister Hales,
Elder Jämsä (pronounced yem' sa)

As the evening drew to a close, Sister Youngberg seemed to draw the senior sisters to her. Olivia was favorably impressed with how easily she talked with them - down to earth; no pretenses. President Youngberg was like a magnet to the young elders and sisters as he told them of some of the experiences in the MTC with all members of the Quorum of the Twelve and First Presidency (except President Monson). Especially thrilling was his expression of vision for the mission. I watched with gratitude as they paid riveted attention to him and were visibly moved by his testimony. They went away with renewed determination and admiration. Elder Jämsä leaves in just a few weeks and asked if he could extend.

We are excited with the anticipation of working with this inspired couple. We know great things will follow their leadership.