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This week!
After the previous two weeks of motivation and preparation we ready to go hard this week, harder than I ever had.. and come Monday night we went out.. got blown off and people were not friendly. We worked all night, but ended taking a bike ride on the beach because it got pretty jobbigt. Next day wasn't much different, we worked, and worked, and swang by people, knocked, contacted, shook it up as much as we could with very little success.
The next day was okay, the Herreys took us out to Ljugarn and Hemsö and we spent some time with members, and teaching the oldest lady I've ever seen.. not sure how effective it is.. but with the Herreys you don't really get a chance.. ha. So we go along because the other member interaction is worth it.
Thursday comes and we had planned for a huge double splits, with all 4 Melkizedek Priesthood holders in the ward, but every one but 1 dropped out due to sickness, or upptagen, eller vad som helst. Annoying. We decided to visit the Branch President, because he's got lots of work to do on his house and they want us to be the members 16 out of 40 proselyting hours every week. Crazy huh? But we tried to hop on a bus, as the car was taken by the Herreys, and we didn't have cash so we had to wait an hour. I just stood there, watching the bus drive away like ''C'mon, we have worked so hard.. What is this?'' In the words of Elder Holland I may or may not have turned a ''steely eye towards the heavens.'' But that didn't shake my faith, and I felt very comforted.. man I love the Spirit. We then worked for an hour, and jumped on the next bus and spent a wonderful evening with the Blomberg family.
Next day wasn't overly eventful, and then come Saturday the Herreys took us with two investigators (who we've also been working with) to go to their little stuga on the other side of the island on the coolest beach ever, we had lunch inside the cottage from the 1700's they had, and fika right outside on the wonderful day. Pictures will be included. That went well, and we came back in time to play some soccer. In which I'm becoming quite the soccer player, (considering the lack of coordination I still have in my feet) and fellowshipped a bunch of kids our age.. and had a good time.
The next day was church, nothing too special as we gathered energy to work hard to the end.
We went out that day, and through a turn of events inspired by the Spirit we ran into an old investigator who recognized us and invited us in. His sambo who was Swedish was giving us suspicious looks, but as we started talking about what we do as missionaries, it fluidly led into a really good gospel discussion and we taught our ''Zero-Lesson'' and got them reading and praying. It was such a wonderful hour, and looking back at the rest of the week I think it'll be what happens here in Visby. We are going to have struggles, we're going to have it tough and it will seem like nothing is happening, when things should be. All odds will feel against you, but if you stick it out.. then things will happen.
After that we were just led by the spirit. We talked to a bunch of people and they were all happy, and are letting us come back next week. We had one of those unplanned service opportunities and floored some Swedish people as we offered our help and carried huge cabinets up the trapphuset. Just floored them, so funny how not Swedish what we did was.. but how much they appreciated it. We just helped, and left. It felt so good to serve, and not force anything on them or make it seem like we have ulterior motives. You asked about my duties in the Elder's quorum… We meet as a quorum every other week, and we are here to support Torbern, the Elders quorum president. The branch president said He's a visionary man, and you are his legs. Their goal is to have a ward in Visby by 2020. They need 150 members, and 15 active Melc. Priesthood holders. Right now they have 42 members, and four active priesthood holders. There's a lot to do to get to that point, but we have all felt that with the members help and home teaching, it will come to pass!So we have been given companions from the branch that will go out with us, to try to reach all those that are not active. So that's our main responsibility, plus to organize activities for the branch.And it doesn't feel hard at all – we are actually enjoying it very much! :)
In the scriptures it's super cool that whenever I read, it always guides me to something I need to do to help out with the branch. I don't know how I came upon the verse, but it was in Exodus 3:16
''Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me, saying, I have surely visited you, and seen That Which is done to you in Egypt''
Over and over again! Go fetch the Elders of Israel. A testimony to me that it through the less active members that it will happen. The same principle is at the beginning of Alma 6. So cool!
The week ended wonderfully, and we're stoked to keep this level of enthusiasm, and work up.
Have a wonderful week!
Elder JS Sargent
This week!
After the previous two weeks of motivation and preparation we ready to go hard this week, harder than I ever had.. and come Monday night we went out.. got blown off and people were not friendly. We worked all night, but ended taking a bike ride on the beach because it got pretty jobbigt. Next day wasn't much different, we worked, and worked, and swang by people, knocked, contacted, shook it up as much as we could with very little success.
The next day was okay, the Herreys took us out to Ljugarn and Hemsö and we spent some time with members, and teaching the oldest lady I've ever seen.. not sure how effective it is.. but with the Herreys you don't really get a chance.. ha. So we go along because the other member interaction is worth it.
Thursday comes and we had planned for a huge double splits, with all 4 Melkizedek Priesthood holders in the ward, but every one but 1 dropped out due to sickness, or upptagen, eller vad som helst. Annoying. We decided to visit the Branch President, because he's got lots of work to do on his house and they want us to be the members 16 out of 40 proselyting hours every week. Crazy huh? But we tried to hop on a bus, as the car was taken by the Herreys, and we didn't have cash so we had to wait an hour. I just stood there, watching the bus drive away like ''C'mon, we have worked so hard.. What is this?'' In the words of Elder Holland I may or may not have turned a ''steely eye towards the heavens.'' But that didn't shake my faith, and I felt very comforted.. man I love the Spirit. We then worked for an hour, and jumped on the next bus and spent a wonderful evening with the Blomberg family.
Next day wasn't overly eventful, and then come Saturday the Herreys took us with two investigators (who we've also been working with) to go to their little stuga on the other side of the island on the coolest beach ever, we had lunch inside the cottage from the 1700's they had, and fika right outside on the wonderful day. Pictures will be included. That went well, and we came back in time to play some soccer. In which I'm becoming quite the soccer player, (considering the lack of coordination I still have in my feet) and fellowshipped a bunch of kids our age.. and had a good time.
The next day was church, nothing too special as we gathered energy to work hard to the end.
We went out that day, and through a turn of events inspired by the Spirit we ran into an old investigator who recognized us and invited us in. His sambo who was Swedish was giving us suspicious looks, but as we started talking about what we do as missionaries, it fluidly led into a really good gospel discussion and we taught our ''Zero-Lesson'' and got them reading and praying. It was such a wonderful hour, and looking back at the rest of the week I think it'll be what happens here in Visby. We are going to have struggles, we're going to have it tough and it will seem like nothing is happening, when things should be. All odds will feel against you, but if you stick it out.. then things will happen.
After that we were just led by the spirit. We talked to a bunch of people and they were all happy, and are letting us come back next week. We had one of those unplanned service opportunities and floored some Swedish people as we offered our help and carried huge cabinets up the trapphuset. Just floored them, so funny how not Swedish what we did was.. but how much they appreciated it. We just helped, and left. It felt so good to serve, and not force anything on them or make it seem like we have ulterior motives. You asked about my duties in the Elder's quorum… We meet as a quorum every other week, and we are here to support Torbern, the Elders quorum president. The branch president said He's a visionary man, and you are his legs. Their goal is to have a ward in Visby by 2020. They need 150 members, and 15 active Melc. Priesthood holders. Right now they have 42 members, and four active priesthood holders. There's a lot to do to get to that point, but we have all felt that with the members help and home teaching, it will come to pass!So we have been given companions from the branch that will go out with us, to try to reach all those that are not active. So that's our main responsibility, plus to organize activities for the branch.And it doesn't feel hard at all – we are actually enjoying it very much! :)
In the scriptures it's super cool that whenever I read, it always guides me to something I need to do to help out with the branch. I don't know how I came upon the verse, but it was in Exodus 3:16
''Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me, saying, I have surely visited you, and seen That Which is done to you in Egypt''
Over and over again! Go fetch the Elders of Israel. A testimony to me that it through the less active members that it will happen. The same principle is at the beginning of Alma 6. So cool!
The week ended wonderfully, and we're stoked to keep this level of enthusiasm, and work up.
Have a wonderful week!
Elder JS Sargent