Piling it on

Probably the hardest part of our responsibilities is finding new apartments. There is a housing shortage in Sweden, so even thought there are new apartments going up all over, there is a waiting list to get into them. It is interesting to watch the progress of the construction. It is like building with Legos. The walls, floors and roofs are pre-poured concrete slabs with openings where they need to be for doors, windows, HVAC, plumbing, and electrical conduit. It looks like giant cranes are taking over the landscape. We have been watching a small apartment building that is going up near us and it is quite fascinating. Of course, the end result looks nothing like the beautiful old apartment buildings from an older century, but they do try to leave parks or some areas have sculptures, so even though the buildings lack architectural interest, there is beauty or at least interest nearby.

Typical skyline in Stockholm County

These are a typical sight
everywhere we go

My original point is that finding apartments has been a challenge. President Youngberg has asked us to find something a little closer into the city of Umeå (oo'mee o) because the elders' apartment is so far away from their teaching area that it takes up a lot of their allotted kilometers just to get to their usual area, the church building and teaching appointments. President also wants to open an area in Linköping (leen' shipping), so we are looking there. Then, as we left the meeting on Tuesday, we got a desperate call from a landlord in Örebro (ood' eh bro) telling us that he needs to move back in to his apartment where the sisters are currently living. Technically, we have 90 days, but he is in immediate need, so we are looking there, as well. In fact, he may have found another apartment near the current one. We will know more on Monday.

And that is usually how it happens. We don't fit the internet application model because we are an organization, we don't have an annual income, etc., so applying online has been a challenge. I have just been applying as a person and hoping when it comes up for review I can explain further. Usually, as in Örebro, someone who knows someone directs us to the proper source.

This week was mostly cleaning, which is a lot of work, but boring to write about and even more so to read about. I will keep it brief. We have a new senior couple coming in this week, so we spent much of three days cleaning, taking out items they won't need (elders have been living there), and making it back into a couple's apartment, as it used to be. The apartment is on an island on the north side of Stockholm where there are a lot of upscale homes and a few apartment complexes where the mere mortals live. It is a pretty place, and though the roads are narrow, traffic is usually light enough that it makes little difference.

We also spent much of a day cleaning an apartment we need to turn back to the owner before the end of September. As busy as we will likely be, we decided to get started and work any day we find a few hours to spend there. This one is in a downtown Stockholm neighborhood where apartments are a little older and a little more colorful. It is tucked away in a neighborhood of other apartments and a few shops, so it has some interest.

I tried to capture the view from
the open window and Olivia
slaving away...

but the outside light caused
her to come out pretty dark.

So, as we travel from place to place, she reads out loud. We have a book with a thought for each day by President Thomas S. Monson, the current Liahona magazine, and a novel by Jonas Johansson named The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden. It is written by the same author who wrote The Hundred Year-old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared, which we read a few weeks ago. Both books are a fun read with lots of twists, frustrations, hilarity, and "flexible morals."

We were invited by the Hales to go with them on Saturday to Nynäshamn (Nee-nes'-ham), the city from where many of the ferries leave to travel to Gotland and other destinations. It is a picturesque little place at the end of Highway 73. We got there to find that there was no parking anywhere because the Hyundai Cup regatta was taking place in the harbor.

Some of the boats in the harbor. They may not have been
officially in the race.

The entire town seemed to have turned out to see it or to shop in the temporary kiosks that were set up all along the main harbor, where we would normally have parked.

Sister Hales found a painting done by this lady who had a
kiosk in the parking lot.

We rented bicycles and peddled our way all along the coast until we reached a small cafe where we had sandwiches and rested for a while.

Do not, I repeat, do not rely on me to
give directions. Even with a map

One of the many beautiful vistas we rode to.

It looked like shrimp salad, but it had a kind of
bread under it, so they called it a sandwich

Sister Hales is a lot like Olivia. She
would rather be the one taking the
picture

Viewing the sailboats from the cliff

Along the bike path we climbed a rock
hill and up the stairs to the top of an
old water tower. 

We then continued to the end of that part of the coast, and we hiked out to the bay where we tried to guess where all the sailboats were headed (hoping they would come past us. They did not 😢).

They actually looked nearer, but the camera couldn't pick up
the images as clearly as we saw them.

A panorama of the bay where we watched for about 45 minutes
It was a beautiful day

Olivia insisted on taking my
picture with a sprig of heather.
My first mission was in Scotland
where heather is one of the national
plants.

Rewarding ourselves with some ice cream
after returning the bikes.

Elder Hales got some good shots back
at the harbor with his nice camera. These
were participants in the race.

It was a good workout; one for which we are paying today in sore muscles. We did sleep well, however.

Today, we attended church with the other missionaries. The elders are working with Elder Barney whose companion went home two weeks ago with the other returning missionaries. They left a little early to get back into school. That meant they were trying to meet obligations in both Uppsala and Borlänge (bore-len'-ga). Elder Barney is a newer missionary who has been in the country about 2 months. Elders Harrel and Harper are more experienced. They will both be training new missionaries beginning this week, but we don't know which of them will remain in Uppsala, or where the other will go. Elder Barney will likely remain in Borlänge.

As I entered the building today, I felt that I should review the sacrament prayers in Swedish, but we were immediately surrounded by ward members and missionaries who wanted our time and attention, so I did not get a chance. Then, just before the meeting started, the Elders' Quorum President asked if I could administer and asked the elders to pass the sacrament. I must have looked inadequate to the task because Elder Harrel jumped in and said that he, I and Elder Barney would pass and Elder Harper would administer with another member. That won't happen again. I am memorizing and rehearsing as we travel to church from now on.

We don't want to leave the impression that this is a lengthy vacation. Missionary work is work and even though our work is different from the young missionaries, believe me, it is work. On the other hand, it is work we enjoy because it is service to others and service to the Lord and His kingdom.

Speaking of which, we are anxiously awaiting the arrival of Elder Dallas Moss from our stake in Sparks. It doesn't seem that long ago that we were listening to his mother report her mission in the old Sparks 2nd Ward. Time is relentless.