Are We There, Yet? No, Go Back to Work!

This was a big transfer week. If we had chosen to serve an 18 month mission, we would be on our way back home. We were reminded of this as we attended the temple and helped send back the sisters who were with us at the MTC. Without exception, these women were star missionaries. 

Typical scene at T Central: dropping off the new missionaries and
picking up the departing missionaries to take them to the temple.
Ours is the blue Ford van: the white van is rented for the purpose
of taking their luggage to the mission home to await their arrival.

At the temple. Above you can see Angel Moroni if you enlarge
the photo

In the kitchen at the mission home

Olivia bakes a cake for the departing
missionaries' final dinner at the mission
home. This time it had a pink, minty frosting
because it was Valentine's Day

At the airport with our sisters: Gow, Heaps, Hansen, |Botchway,
Cappuccio, and Nelson

Sister Botchway was the only one we actually met at the MTC, but Sisters Cappuccio and Nelson sang and accompanied, respectively at our first meeting in the MTC. The others, we met at the airport and helped transport them to their first meetings, then to migration for registering and later to the train station with their new companions as they headed to their first areas. It is hard to believe they are now veterans of an experience that will shape their lives forever.

We were on similar duty this week with the newly arriving missionaries. Although we were not needed to receive them at the airport, we were involved with watching them as they were introduced to their new companions, taking their pictures and getting them and their luggage to the train station.

Sister Beck will remain in Uppsala Ward with a newly arrived
sister from Las Vegas, Sister Jones. Sister Beck's Swedish has
been praised by every missionary who has heard her speak. She
is a trainer who just finished being trained!

Among the others who were transferred, we lost Elder Hambrick who has been serving as a Proselyting Office Elder (POE). He has been a pleasure to work with as he is always positive and cheerful. Elder Hambrick will be serving in Lund with Elder Oldham. They thought it was notable that they will be Ham and Ham; the two missionary Hams in the mission are together. 

We also, obviously, lost Sister Manning from Uppsala, who is now in Södertälje (sudder tell ya) as a Sister Trainer Leader and Elder Carlson, who is a zone leader, also in Södertälje. He was replaced by Elder Dawson who came here from Kristianstad (pronounced ker hwhan stad: no one knows why).

Our last office meeting with Elder Hambrick. He wanted a "Happy Together"
picture with everyone. Me Olivia Sister and Elder Hales, Pres and Sister
Youngberg, Elders Lee, Hambrick, Harper and Berlin

After spending most of 31/2 days cleaning the apartment in Västerhaninge, we met with the owners to return the keys. The husband made it his mission to find flaws in the cleaning and needed repairs. Of course, there will be some, so I expect we will see a bill from them shortly. I just hope it isn't so unreasonable that we have to argue about it.

We also spent several days setting up the apartment for the Gugbbängen elders and moving them in. As is our habit, I got a hefty parking ticket for failure to go to the proper ticket machine and relying on my parking app, instead. You would think I would have learned by now. 

That unpleasant episode aside, we were able to get the elders out of the crowded quarters where they lived with the zone leaders and into their new quarters.

Their landlord was happy to get members of the Church as boarders. He was an exchange student in rural Pennsylvania where he became familiar with and apparently impressed by the Church. We were, again, assisted by the Hales who are always wonderful help. We also had the missionaries who will be moving in and the zone leaders who will get their apartment back, involved. Even though it is a small apartment, it is amazing how much stuff has to go into it.

Elder Hales put one desk together and I assembled the other. Not
from IKEA, but similar; from a competitor.

Elders Hales Fortuna, Winkel and Sister Hales by the IKEA
bunk bed Olivia and I assembled the day before. If you need
help with yours, we are pretty much the experts.

Lunch from Subway

At the end of the first day with Elders Winkel and Fortuna,
 who will be living there

We came back the next day to finish some
work.  We were still working on their
apartment when they left to do some
tracting..We were still there when they
returned.

With their new bookcase

Trying out their new desks

While we finished the last of our work at 9:00 PM,
they made dinner of crepes and invited us to join
them. It was a sweet gesture because their
budget is quite limited and we had forgotten
to bring them silverware:😬

On the right and on the left are deer that chose the new apartment
to munch on the landscape. A fun, but not unusual sight in the
Stockholm area.

Today Olivia spoke in Church about her favorite scripture. She had a hard time choosing a favorite, but finally settled on Ether 12:27

27 And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.

 Olivia studied more for this 5-7 minute talk than if she were going to speak in a stake conference. She even translated it for the interpreter's convenience. It was a great talk, of course. We missed Elsa who was not feeling well. We were able to get to know Sister Jones a little better. The bishopric called on her to bear her testimony, and she did very well in Swedish. She will be an asset to the mission. We were not able to talk to Elder Dawson, much, but I am sure we will.

We are keeping up on the news from Caring Bridge about Dawson Allen and are happy with his progress. We have had no time to comment, but certainly appreciate his parents for setting up the website. 

Our love to all of you. We appreciate your prayers and good wishes!