It's Downhill, Now

This week was the start of a series of zone conferences. Starting on Tuesday and Wednesday with the Stockholm and Stockholm South zones, in that order, the Youngbergs, the Assistants and the POEs went into full swing. We assisted with the first two. Then they took the show on the road to Norrland where they held a conference in Umeå (oo'-mee.o). We didn't have to travel for that one, because the Mitchells are still in Örnskoldsvik (urn'-sholds-veek), so they could travel there to assist with the food, set up and participate in the conference.

We were involved with all of that. We had hoped to keep the conference in one location, so we could leave the tables and chairs set up, but there was a mix up and the venue had to change, so we had to set up and take down twice. Still, we had lots of help, so it was not a big issue.

It is always fun to see the friends we have made over the last year. The young missionaries are always so excited to see us and share their stories. Just as fun is to hear them talk with one another. Because transfers occur between conferences, they get to catch us with missionaries they have not seen for months, in some cases.

The table settings were Olivia's idea. Fruit bowls instead of
flowers meant easy cleanup. The fruit went into backpacks!

Stockholm Zone pictures. Here we sat with  (clockwise) Elders
Jämsä, Bringhurst, Sisters Woodman, Eriksson,
Otterson, Manning, Christensen,Elders Cluff, Benson,
Sisters Wagner, Heaps, Dargon, Sidwell, Cole, Pickett, and Neilsen

Elders Lee, Barney, Elder and Sister Hales, Elder and Sister Smith,
Sister and Elder Donohoo, Elder Craun

Elders Winkle, Simmons, Beveridge, Hartin, Helms, Oleveson,
Strong, Liljenquist, Gordon, Carter, Pres. and Sister Youngberg,
Elders Harper and Steele

After the meal, Sister Y handed out Marabou chocolate bars to
those who had birthdays since the past zone conference. That
was followed by "Ja, må han leva" birthday song and then
someone calls for a four-fold cheer for the birthday children.
That duty fell to Elder Benson this week.

Sisters Manning , Christensen, Otterson and Dargon found the
left-over fruit bowls.

Stockholm South Zone pictures. Here are Elder Dean, Sisters
Gill, Gow, Matwaychuk, Kunzler, Johnson, Wagner Petersen,
Butler

Pres. and Sister Y, Elders Ashford, Anthon, Jämsä, Sirrine, Wilkinson,
Sisters Young, Hill, Elders Schultz and Strong

Elder and Sister Pettit (across), me, Elders Domino, Tingey, Jackson,
Benson, Warnick, Elder and Sister Johnson, Sister and Elder Hales,
Elders Bentson, Malone, Wilson, Petersen, and Waters

Sister and Elder Hall

Did I say "over the last year"? Yep! We arrived in the MTC on the 12th of September and arrived in Sweden on the 20th. We have officially passed both year marks, and in August we passed our year-to-go mark. You noticed in the last post that Elsa and her friends gave us a gift, telling us, "You don't turn one-year old every year!" I have a feeling that the second year will go even faster than the first one did. The first couple of months went by like cold molasses with everything being so different and trying to get along with road signs in code (Swedish), roundabouts, parking challenges, apartments in areas impossible to find, confused GPS, wicked weather on the roads, and the like. The last few months hardly arrived before they were over, it seemed.

Much of the zone conference messages from President and Sister Youngberg centered around the instruction received at the Mission Presidents' seminar in Portugal the previous week. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland spoke and offered training. Interestingly, he focused on the Fall of Adam, then wrapped it up with the Atonement of Christ. One thing he said, according to the president, had to do with the multitude of scriptures that command us to open our mouths. He went to the description of the First Vision and pointed out that when Satan attempted to forestall the restoration he "...had such and astonishing influence over me as to bind my tongue so that I could not speak." Today there are many influences that tend to create fear or concern, so as to bind our tongues, perhaps with the effect that the work of the restored gospel is slowed.

Following the zone conferences we cleaned an apartment that we were preparing for a senior couple. Happily, we had lots of good help.

Sister Pettit cleaning the oven

Sister Hales packed up all the
proselyting materials

Elder Hales dismantled two
bunkbeds

With the help of Elder Pettit

Sister Pettit lives dangerously

All the lights needed to
be replaced with higher
wattage bulbs

Before we knew it, we
could clean the floors

Marking the items that needed
to be hauled away

Elder and Sister Hall came over
after working at the YSA center

Hauling the last items out of the apartment.
We came back later to haul some of the large
items that would not fit in the first load.
We were so grateful to these nice people. It
would have taken us several days to accomplish
what we did in just a few hours with good help!

From cleaning this apartment, we went to the new Täby sisters' apartment and installed blinds, smoke and CO detectors, more furniture, bathroom fixtures, and generally made it habitable. Sorry, no new photos of that exercise. Still a few things left to do there, but they won't move in until after next weeks.

Nice Sunday today. Olivia got to accompany the singing in RS and I got to just be an observer in Priesthood meeting. There were some very good talks and lessons. I think I appreciated the Sacrament more today than I have for a long time. It is always a sacred time for me, but today I seemed especially close to the Savior. As I listened to the talks and lessons, I added to my list of sacred memories. I am happy I started that exercise. It has bolstered my faith and testimony.

Thanks to all who read these ramblings. If nothing else (and hope it is more), this will be a good journal of this amazing time. We love our assignment, the people, and our mission.

Olivia took this photo of Elsa today.
We are privileged to call her our friend.