Well.. this week was long. Ha, but at the same time it flew by so fast! Så är det I guess. It's already February, can you believe it? I got my call last February.. blows your mind dunnit?
t's kind of just missionary life over here. We talk to people, we run around and have snowball fights, we teach people, we knock doors, and we eat food. I don't really know how to describe this week otherwise.
Although, this week was very spiritual for me at the same time. The last three days more so. When Elder Kinnunen (my companion) got back from Stockholm - after me teaching English class by myself and the scariest drive to the Örnsköldsvik airport ever, it was snowing HARD and was pitch black. I couldn't drive more than 30 kmh, and about 3 times I had to stop and de-snow my windshield wipers because they were so ineffective. I was all by myself mind you, listening to crazy Lord of the Rings (approved!) sound track. It was an experience.
But, when he returned, and we talked about what they'd said at the big training meeting. They talked a lot about obedience. Obedience is a really interesting thing. Because there are so many rules as a missionary, and lots of them you can break and nothing will happen, noticeably. They seem so harmless. But President Newell threw down. He is asking perfect obedience of us, and that got me thinking. It's not like I'm disobedient, but we can always do better. And to his standards I needed to. I wasn't sure though.. I felt like I needed to pray about it to know if this really was right. So I did.
The next morning I came across this.
Matthew 9:16 - 17
''No man putteth a piece of anew cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse.
Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.''
It's so true with the second harvest, the people we need to become is diligent people, people that President and the Lord can trust to be NEW bottles in this NEW second harvest that's coming. We cannot be the old, maybe a bit disobedient, and undisciplined missionaries if we are to reap in this harvest. It was so cool, and at the same time it confirmed what he said.. the spirit was very strong. .
All of those people were at church, equaling 6 investigators! That was really cool. Plus we've had around 30 (last week was 37 with visitors) people come the last few weeks. It's growing here, and I'm excited to be a part of it. Just wish I knew how long.
But as I bore my testimony yesterday, I could feel myself being led by the spirit as when I testified of the truthfulness, and said the words 'I know' in faith so that the spirit could confirm those words. Like Elder Packer says, It happened, and now my testimony is stronger than ever.. and I'm so thankful for that.
I'm doing well in this ridiculous amount of snow, no northern lights.. but my companion is convinced I won't see them here. Oh well.
-Äldste Sargent
t's kind of just missionary life over here. We talk to people, we run around and have snowball fights, we teach people, we knock doors, and we eat food. I don't really know how to describe this week otherwise.
Although, this week was very spiritual for me at the same time. The last three days more so. When Elder Kinnunen (my companion) got back from Stockholm - after me teaching English class by myself and the scariest drive to the Örnsköldsvik airport ever, it was snowing HARD and was pitch black. I couldn't drive more than 30 kmh, and about 3 times I had to stop and de-snow my windshield wipers because they were so ineffective. I was all by myself mind you, listening to crazy Lord of the Rings (approved!) sound track. It was an experience.
But, when he returned, and we talked about what they'd said at the big training meeting. They talked a lot about obedience. Obedience is a really interesting thing. Because there are so many rules as a missionary, and lots of them you can break and nothing will happen, noticeably. They seem so harmless. But President Newell threw down. He is asking perfect obedience of us, and that got me thinking. It's not like I'm disobedient, but we can always do better. And to his standards I needed to. I wasn't sure though.. I felt like I needed to pray about it to know if this really was right. So I did.
The next morning I came across this.
Matthew 9:16 - 17
''No man putteth a piece of anew cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse.
Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.''
It's so true with the second harvest, the people we need to become is diligent people, people that President and the Lord can trust to be NEW bottles in this NEW second harvest that's coming. We cannot be the old, maybe a bit disobedient, and undisciplined missionaries if we are to reap in this harvest. It was so cool, and at the same time it confirmed what he said.. the spirit was very strong. .
All of those people were at church, equaling 6 investigators! That was really cool. Plus we've had around 30 (last week was 37 with visitors) people come the last few weeks. It's growing here, and I'm excited to be a part of it. Just wish I knew how long.
But as I bore my testimony yesterday, I could feel myself being led by the spirit as when I testified of the truthfulness, and said the words 'I know' in faith so that the spirit could confirm those words. Like Elder Packer says, It happened, and now my testimony is stronger than ever.. and I'm so thankful for that.
I'm doing well in this ridiculous amount of snow, no northern lights.. but my companion is convinced I won't see them here. Oh well.
-Äldste Sargent