Bunk beds, Burns, and Book of Mormon Bummer

The week began with a beautiful snowfall. The snow remained for much of the week, but then came warmer weather and rain, which melted the snow. I don't mind the weather except that our old van is still in the shop along with my prescription sunglasses, so when the sun comes out the reflection from the road is so dazzling that it is almost blinding.

The views from our back window

 And we did a lot of traveling this week! We began by installing bunk beds in two apartments where more missionaries are being added. Because of an emergency transfer, sisters from Stockholm who had been sharing an apartment were moved to Västerhaninge, so we installed a bunk bed in order to house three missionaries where only two have been living.

The IKEA bunk beds are well engineered,
 but the hardware is a challenge. Luckily,
we have put enough of them together
That I am getting pretty good at it.

Sisters Hopkins, Anderson, Hulldin, Johnson and Cole on the
sidewalk near the Stockholm sisters' apartment. Sisters Julldin
and Cole stay; the others will be a 3-some in Västerhaninge

We dropped the sisters at their district meeting
and took their luggage to their apartment.

Olivia wanted to record the number of
bags, large and small, we brought to
the apartment. You can't really see them
6 pieces in all.

The other bunk bed had to go to the Gubbängen zone leaders' apartment where the other elders from Gubbängen would be going because we had to return their apartment to the owner.

There seems to be an unwritten rule
that all apartments must be on the
top floor, and have a circular
stairway too narrow to haul a
bed up or down, 

It's always good to have an able
assistant and supervisor.

The end of the week was spent moving these elders into their new apartment with the zone leaders and then deep cleaning the apartment to prepare it for the landlord's inspection.

The cleaning crew absent Elder Hales, me and Olivia. Sister
Hulldin, Elders Martineau, Baggett, Nelson, Sister Cole,
Elders Winkel, Black, Hartin, Sister Hales.

Sisters Cole and Hulldin are proud of the clean windows

Tape is our enemy. Here it is on the
window. After some WD40 Elder
Baggett and Sister Hulldin try to get
the residue off the window

5 large pizzas were not quite enough
for 10 people, but the missionaries
were good sports about it.,

Elder Hales and I were enticed to climb the stairs once again
with the prospect of lunch. The missionaries informed us
that usually they buy a pizza each.

Sister Hales has proof that it has been
a while since the freezer had been
defrosted.

Olivia and I returned the next day
to finish deep cleaning the
apartment. 

When we were finally finished we got all the equipment and
cleaning supplies and two bikes into our amazing little
Ford Van.

On Thursday, January 25th we once again celebrated the birth of Robert Burns, the Scottish poet. Burns Suppers are celebrated all over the world where a group of Scots can be found. I didn't bring my kilt, because it is heavy and not worth bringing for use on only 2 occasions. I did bring my Anderson tartan tie, so I wore it on Thursday and again today to church.

"Fair for yer honest sonsie face, great chieftain
o' the puddin race..."

Olivia spent hours preparing the collops of beef, trifle, baked vegetables, and, of course, Olivia-style haggis. Others brought the shortbread, mashed potatoes, neeps (smashed turnips), bread, and drinks. It is always quite a production.

Sister Smith recited the Selkirk Grace, Elder Smith gave the tribute, Elder Hall toasted the Lassies, Sister Hales toasted the Laddies, and I recited the Address to the Haggis. Everyone seemed to enjoy the night, the company, the food and the fun formalities.

The table with our version of "scotch and soda" (lemonade and
cream soda), lemon curd, butter, napkins encircled by various
tartan paper ribbons, flowers as close to heather as we could
find and Scottish flags stuck in them

Around the table beginning with me and Olivia's empty chair:
Hales, Halls, Smiths, Sister Youngberg, Bells, and Donohoos.

A plate with haggis, tatties, neeps, bread, veggies, etc.

Elder Smith would celebrate his birthday on Saturday, so he
got first scoops from the trifle bowl. Sister Youngberg looks on.

Having suffered through the Swedish
birthday song, Elder Smith  opened
his gift - Benedicks chocolates
"by appointment by Her Majesty
Queen Elizabeth"

We ended the week with the cleaning project after which we changed clothes and went to the doors of the Book of Mormon musical play. It is scheduled to play through March and we are currently tasked with taking over 200 copies of the real Book of Mormon to the theater. Since this was our first time, we stayed and helped pass them to anyone interested as they exited the doors. For many, it was either ignoring us or "Nej, tack" (no thanks), but many took the books. We had a stack a little way off from us where we would get more as we ran out. We noticed that many who had rejected the idea at first, changed their minds and picked one up as they passed the pile. We had to replenish our replenish stack!

Over 10,000 have been passed out this season, so far. Not exactly what the "creators" of this production envisioned.

We brought Sisters Hall and Gow with a ward member, Mami
who is a recent convert from Ghana. People were either
embarrassed or anxious to talk to a real African Mormon.

Elder Petersen (R) is a natural at contacting. He gave a book to
this young man who didn't even attend the play.

While some were putting pass-along cards with contact information
into the books, Elder Petersen (way in back) was contacting another
person.

Olivia and I by the billboard

Sister Hall held a lengthy conversation with this couple who
were excited to learn more about the real Church and the
real Book of Mormon

Sister Gow talks to a couple of men who accepted the books

Elder Petersen takes a pose from the billboard next to him

Elders Greenhalgh and Petersen in front of the billboard
with Mami

This project is a mixed bag, in some ways. It is good that the play is having the effect of making the Church better known and that thousands have received the Book of Mormon. It is also true that so many are getting a completely false impression of the Church, the missionaries and the African people. I also fear that the Book of Mormon may be somewhat cheapened by so freely giving it away. We will see how it plays out, but the good thing is that the local press has picked up on the fact that we are not out protesting, but turning it into a positive thing on the whole.

A little tired today because we didn't get to bed until after midnight due to being at the play, but still a pleasant and happy Sunday. Rasmus Hammar gave his homecoming talk, having returned from a mission in Argentina, Elders Grover and Carlson gave the lesson on Priesthood Organization, Elder Carlson interpreted for me in Priesthood meeting and sweet Elsa for Olivia in Relief Society.

Exciting side note: We think we may have found an apartment for the sisters who are losing theirs in the middle of February. We are very hopeful and so are they.

We hope your Sunday and the rest of the week is blessed for you. We certainly appreciate the many prayers on our behalf. We know they are being answered.

Finishing Unfinished Business

It was a week to remember, from answered prayers, to a new prophet, and another move for the sisters in Örebro.

Adding fenders and accessories. Inside the chapel foyer - it's
cold outside!

 I know you saw this picture last week, but you may not have noticed that the tires are bare, so mud and snow flip up onto the sisters' coats. Our first piece of unfinished business we took care of on Monday. Our office meeting was cancelled, which allowed us to attend the FHE in Uppsala.

We went early, so we could buy some fenders and accessories rack for the rear. We brought some bananas, ice cream and toppings for the fika afterward. We joined them for the first part of the evening, then, when they went into the computer room to watch a video in Swedish, we worked on the bikes just inside the church lobby. I keep thinking that we will know better the next time we do something, but it seems that we make a different mistake each time, so I'm not so sure :) Still, we finished this piece of unfinished business. The sisters' bikes were parked just outside the chapel this morning when we entered the building.

We have been saying to each other for several months that we need to make an appointment with the dentist for check ups and cleaning. Then, Olivia broke a tooth, so we were forced to get that taken care of as soon as we could. There were no openings available at the dentist's offices other missionaries had recommended, so I went online and found one that would take her within a few days. He did a good job, so we scheduled cleanings for both of us.

The hygienist is a young man from Kurdistan. We have met several Kurds in this country. They are all proud of their heritage, but they are in a tight spot, politically and geographically. He said to Olivia that they are like the Jews in Israel - surrounded by their enemies.
He did a good job, so another piece of unfinished business was finished, satisfactorily.

We, along with many of you, watched the broadcast where Elder Christofferson announced the succession to the presidency of the Church. Of course, we loved hearing President Nelson speak to the Church from the Salt Lake Temple as well as his Counselors. I think this will be a powerhouse First Presidency.

These men must have a combined IQ of at least 1000. Reading some of the articles about President Nelson, I don't know how he can possibly be 93. Like Sherry L. Dew, I would have to see his birth certificate and have it authenticated.

We have had some personal contact with President Oaks, with whom we share a distant relative, and with President Eyring, whom we have met a couple of times, both before he became an Apostle and after. I have been impressed with President Nelson since the days he served as General Sunday School President. Yes, I am that old.

Though we had nothing to do with it, it was another piece of unfinished business that is now finished.

We celebrated in a very understated way finding a couple of new apartments. We still need four more; two critically. As I indicated last week, it is the most difficult part of our assignment, by far. The church is still relatively unknown, here, so when prospective landlords see that we represent Jesu Kristi Kyrka, they may think it is some small sect that may or may not have the money to pay them next month. I am only guessing, but I have applied online for at least 50 this week, with almost no responses. Landlords can afford to be selective because there is a severe housing shortage.

As I mentioned last week, we were able to secure a space for the sisters in Örebro. This week we also secured a place for the sisters in Trollhättan. Where they currently live is a dangerous area as it is filled with immigrants from countries where violence is used to settle matters. They will have to stay for a couple of months more, but they have a new place, now.

The prospective landlord saw my answer to his ad and was curious. He went to the church on Sunday and spoke with the bishop, then called me and we arranged for the sisters to look at the place with the bishop. Everyone agreed it was a great apartment in a very safe location. We will move them in around the first of April, so unfinished business closer to finished.

Friday we took the Hales with us and moved the Örebro sisters into their new apartment. Örebro is a funny name. An öre is the smallest unit of coinage in Sweden. So small that, like the farthing and half penny, it doesn't exist as a coin any longer. The crown is the smallest coin, which is worth a little more than a US dime. Bro is Swedish for bridge. So, I guess Örebro means something like Penny Bridge.

Anyway, with the help of the sisters, who had boxed up most of their apartment items, and who are young and quite strong, and the Hales, who were kind enough to offer their assistance, we got the sisters moved out of the Lohman's home and into their own space.

Sisters Robison and Otterson in the bedroom of
their new apartment.

At lunch with the sisters and the Hales. Elder Hales and I look for
any excuse to eat at MAX, so we were thrilled to see one across
the street from the new apartment

The MAX is in the Behrn Arena where the local team plays soccer.

Sister Hales says goodbye to these hard working sisters in front
of the local LDS chapel. 

Elder Hales in the entry of the new apartment.

Finally, we finished this pressing, annoying, exhausting piece of unfinished business. We are happy that they are so pleased with their new situation.

We decided, after seeing on the internet that new apartments had been built in Västerhaninge, that we would drive out there to see if we could find these new complexes. Sometimes, a sign is erected with a phone number if you are interested in an apartment. It was a long shot, and didn't work out, but we combined it with a session in the temple. We did enjoy that sacred experience. I follow the ordinance in Swedish, and each time I pick up on more than I had the times before. The unfinished business in Västerhaninge remains unfinished and may require some creative alternative, but we are not ready to give up, yet.

A manor house we came across in our travel around Västerhaninge
Olivia is fascinated by these mansions with their tree-lined drives.

Moroni is perfectly framed in the leafless limbs of
the birch tree and the evergreen next to it. The sun
was just right this winter afternoon.

It was a foggy Sunday, today. At times we had to slow down when driving to Uppsala to attend church. The days are cold, so the fog freezes into hoar frost on the tree limbs and the roads are lined with winter wonderlands. 

We got about 5" of snow during the week
I cleared a path to the cars and garbage
cans, only to have it covered within hours.

The camera in Olivia's Samsung is usually the best camera among them all.
When trying to capture heavenly objects, however, much is lost. The sun cast
a pastel pink and orange aura on the snow and through the fog. It was breath
taking.

Even the spider webs leftover from the autumn are heavy with
the frost.

Olivia had the idea of giving Sebastian, the young man who was baptized several weeks ago, a Swedish Triple Combination. We had a rather new scripture tote bag, so we bought the book at the distribution center near the temple and put it into the tote. She added a scripture marking pencil and bookmarks. He was very pleased with the gesture. We are so happy to see him week after week in church, being as faithful as he can be.

We love serving even when it is beyond frustrating and know that a loving heavenly father is aware of our existence and our needs. We trust in his love and his timetable. We don't know everything, but we know He does and so we do our best and trust Him for the rest.

We hope yours is a wonderful week, ahead.

Apartment Needs, bicycles, and a Christmas Party

We started the week with Olivia giving hair cuts to the president's Assistants, taking extra bedding to the Jakobsberg (ya kobes berry) sisters who were hosting sisters from out of town and then rescuing the sisters who were supposed to be staying with them. Quite by accident (?) after we had delivered the bedding we turned down a street we normally would not have chosen and found the visiting sisters, lost in the streets late at night, with a dead phone. We were able to take them to their intended destination.

Elder Berlin gets a trim

Elder Lee in expert hands

Sisters Picket and Cappuccio in the headlights
after getting them to the Jakobsberg sisters'
apartment

We did some traveling this week to take some apartment needs to the sisters in Södertälje (sudder tell ya) and the elders in Katrineholm, so we were able to take in a little of the countryside. Katrineholm is inland quite a ways, so there are expansive farms and forests. The weather has been overcast, foggy and cold, so it has left beautiful hoar frost on the bushes, trees, fences and cars.
It turned out that the keys we have to the elders' apartment no longer work, so we just left a toilet seat and a shower head bracket outside their door for them to install themselves. Luckily, they are handy and did it fine.

Sisters Botchway and
DeMordaunt helped
Olivia assemble the
bookcase

Proud of the final product!

I installed the new mirror, then we
took a mirror selfie

Hoar frost on the trees. Even on a clear day, it was cold enough
that the frost remained all day

Between Södertälje and Katrineholm is Mariefred (which means Mary's peace) in which is the Gripsholm Castle. The town and the castle get their names from the original owner and the convent that later came to the area. The original owner of the property was a wealthy man who employed most of the men of the village in the late 1300s, Bo Jonsson Gripsholm. In 1370 he built a fortress that in the early 1400s was purchased by queen Margaret. Later it was sold to the Stures, a prominent noble family, who then donated it to the Catholic Church which turned it into a monastery.

In 1526 it was confiscated by King Adolf Vasa who made it his mission to rid the country of all things Catholic during the Reformation. Vasa tore it down, except for a facade wall and built a castle in its place. It was added to by various kings and their wives over the next two centuries. Currently, it is a museum, but still part of the Crown Palaces of Sweden. We were not able to enter because it is only open in the summer during tourist season.

The entrance to the castle. Click on the image to see the detail
of the drawbridge.

A prominent tower built in the 1700s to house a theatre

A huge hothouse near the castle. We could only look through the
glass at the hundreds of plants growing there

A statue in the outer courtyard

Ducks swimming in the icy water of the moat

Plaque from the ancient monastary

The inner courtyard still had some
Christmas decorations (Julbock).
Behind are two cannons confiscated
from the Russian army in 1670.

The Russians named both cannons The Wolf,
but the Swedes named the big one the
Boar and the small one the Sow

Detail of some of the "new" structures built
in the 1700s

Hoar frost, or for those from the
western US, pogonip on the
shrubs near the castle walls.

We need to go back during the summer, but who knows if that can happen, so we take opportunities when they arrive.

The senior couples are constantly looking for opportunities to party, so even though it was a solemn occasion, we met for a little dinner before President Monson's funeral and celebrated Sister Donohoo's birthday as well.

Sister Donohoo with the cake she
also baked

Back: Elders Hales, Smith, Hall, Donohoo, me
Front: Sisters Hales, Donohoo, Smith, Olivia

I would post the video of the group singing the Swedish birthday song, but it is beyond pathetic.

We were all deeply moved by the funeral and felt that we were watching something historic as each speaker addressed the audience. The funeral was at 12:00 noon in Utah, which meant it was at 8:00 PM, here. As President Nelson walked with no hesitation, limp, shuffle, or elderly gait to the podium and spoke as if he were 70, rather that 93, we felt the Church remains in good hands.

To say that it is very difficult to find apartments for our missionaries is an understatement. We spent all of Thursday and part of Friday morning calling and emailing prospective landlords to find apartments for the areas where we need them. Happily, we found an apartment in Örebro for the sisters whom we had to place with members in the ward there on a temporary basis. They confirmed it with the landlord and landlady just today. We also were able to obtain an apartment for the elders in Jakobsberg and we will be able to move them in a week before their last day in the current apartment. We still need to place the missionaries in two other areas immediately and no prospects, yet. Hopefully, we will find some solution before the end of the month.

Saturday, we were able to purchase, and assemble bikes for the Uppsala sisters. Because it is dark for so long, they cannot take the usual shortcuts, but have to stay in lighted pathways. The bikes will facilitate their work by cutting down the time they spend getting from place to place.

Pumping up the tires with Sisters Beck and Manning.
We didn't notice when we  bought the bikes that
they lack fenders, so we will have to go back and
get some.

We hurried from the sisters' apartment to the chapel so we could help set up for the ward Christmas party. You read that right. Here they know how to stretch out a good thing. They celebrate Christmas beginning on the first Sunday in December and each Sunday thereafter. All through December there are Jolbords (special Christmas meals) and Christmas markets everywhere. The gifts are opened and the real celebration happens on Christmas eve (Julafton). Christmas day (Jul) and the day after (Annandag Jul) are official holidays. Then, at the end of the 12 days of Christmas they celebrate the 13th day the eve before, on January 5th (Trettonsdagafton) and the actual day is a national holiday (Trettonsdag).

It is traditional that you do not leave your tree up after January 13th, so the ward celebrated taking down the tree, yesterday with a light meal and lots of pepparkakar (crispy ginger cookies), Julmust (a special holiday soda), risgrynsgröt (a kind of rice pudding), several cakes, and ham sandwiches. We began by singing Christmas songs, then ate the meal and then circled the tree and participated in several different folk dances. The evening ended with the children finding bags of special treats hidden in the bows of the tree.

The guest of honor. Note the bag
of treats in the center.

Circling the tree to start the dances

Julia and Elsa have become great friends

With our friend Torsten

The bishop's daughter finds a bag

With a little help from  Papa

Rafaella found two

But gave one to her little brother,
Leonardo

A wonderful Sunday, today. The sisters brought an investigator who seemed to enjoy herself. Elsa, who was ill last Sunday came to last night's Julfest and to church today, and we started the 2018 curriculum with the General Conference talk by Sister Eubank. It has been a day of gratitude and renewal. We hope the same is true for you.