Hejsan,
Although I can't get much more south in this blessed land, I had the delicacy of trying Norrlands finest – surströmming (fermented herring, to say it nicely). It was an experience not for the faint of stomach.
After the district meeting, presented so graciously by Elder Simpson, we went out to the dock on the beach and for initiation, and the kickoff of the glorious district.. we all ate a piece of it. When we cracked the can, there were about 15-20 flies around us within a few minutes.. thus telling you how ridiculous awful this stuff is. We all pulled out the 5-6 inch long fish and one by one, being filmed, downed them. 5 of the 8 succeeded in successfully chewing, and swallowing the dang thing. It's not really supposed to be eaten this way, and only American Missionaries are stupid enough to do it.. but heck. Count one for me.
The rest of the day we were smothering the lavender flowers outside of the church on our tongue, as well as the hot sauce and chocolate frosting in the fridge. That smell does not leave easily. Our J-Dub investigator we taught later that day gave us mints ... oops.
That was just the entertainment of the week though.. as we saw lots of fantastic things happen on other ends. We finally got a baptismal date with Any, and she wants to be baptized SO bad. She is the cutest little girl ever. 9 years old, and the gnarliest Skånish you'll ever hear. So ridiculously sassy, kind of reminds me of Scotty in a lot of ways. Plus it's really really helping the less active mother out, who is amazing. The 28th of September! We have lots of work and planning to do though, in order for this to actually happen.. the biggest thing is just the ride to church because she lives 30 minutes out.
Plus the rest of the Zone is on fire as well! Nearly half the companionship's have baptismal dates, and the goal of baptizing before conference is looking possible, and definitely the 3 per companionship before the end of the year.
The biggest focus in all of this has been to focus and care for the people, and I've seen the missionaries really do that. I've seen the difference this has in peoples live when people live and understand, and teach the gospel RIGHT. What this gospel entails is not really fathomable, and when understood, and trusted.. miracles happen. I don't know how, I don't know why.. but God is there for us.
I had the opportunity to go on splits with Elder Taggart this week, fresh out of the MTC and still on fire. We went to a ward council in Lund, which was one of the best ward councils I've ever been in, and a gentleman named Brynnolf Rönndahl came up to me after and was just beside himself about how cool it was that 30 years ago he was sitting in these kind of meetings with Dad (they were companions) and now he's sitting here with Dad's son. It really was super cool, as I sat there and translated the meeting for the Bybees, to see people in action that my father knew while a missionary. This church is so cool.
We travel a ton, so I'm officially pro at the Malmö Bus System.
I am learning a lot here, in the suburbs of Malmö. It's such a pretty place, I kind of forget because I'm here every day but I personally think it's as pretty as Stockholm Gamla Stan (old town).
Hejdå,
-Äldste Sargent
Although I can't get much more south in this blessed land, I had the delicacy of trying Norrlands finest – surströmming (fermented herring, to say it nicely). It was an experience not for the faint of stomach.
After the district meeting, presented so graciously by Elder Simpson, we went out to the dock on the beach and for initiation, and the kickoff of the glorious district.. we all ate a piece of it. When we cracked the can, there were about 15-20 flies around us within a few minutes.. thus telling you how ridiculous awful this stuff is. We all pulled out the 5-6 inch long fish and one by one, being filmed, downed them. 5 of the 8 succeeded in successfully chewing, and swallowing the dang thing. It's not really supposed to be eaten this way, and only American Missionaries are stupid enough to do it.. but heck. Count one for me.
The rest of the day we were smothering the lavender flowers outside of the church on our tongue, as well as the hot sauce and chocolate frosting in the fridge. That smell does not leave easily. Our J-Dub investigator we taught later that day gave us mints ... oops.
That was just the entertainment of the week though.. as we saw lots of fantastic things happen on other ends. We finally got a baptismal date with Any, and she wants to be baptized SO bad. She is the cutest little girl ever. 9 years old, and the gnarliest Skånish you'll ever hear. So ridiculously sassy, kind of reminds me of Scotty in a lot of ways. Plus it's really really helping the less active mother out, who is amazing. The 28th of September! We have lots of work and planning to do though, in order for this to actually happen.. the biggest thing is just the ride to church because she lives 30 minutes out.
Plus the rest of the Zone is on fire as well! Nearly half the companionship's have baptismal dates, and the goal of baptizing before conference is looking possible, and definitely the 3 per companionship before the end of the year.
The biggest focus in all of this has been to focus and care for the people, and I've seen the missionaries really do that. I've seen the difference this has in peoples live when people live and understand, and teach the gospel RIGHT. What this gospel entails is not really fathomable, and when understood, and trusted.. miracles happen. I don't know how, I don't know why.. but God is there for us.
I had the opportunity to go on splits with Elder Taggart this week, fresh out of the MTC and still on fire. We went to a ward council in Lund, which was one of the best ward councils I've ever been in, and a gentleman named Brynnolf Rönndahl came up to me after and was just beside himself about how cool it was that 30 years ago he was sitting in these kind of meetings with Dad (they were companions) and now he's sitting here with Dad's son. It really was super cool, as I sat there and translated the meeting for the Bybees, to see people in action that my father knew while a missionary. This church is so cool.
We travel a ton, so I'm officially pro at the Malmö Bus System.
I am learning a lot here, in the suburbs of Malmö. It's such a pretty place, I kind of forget because I'm here every day but I personally think it's as pretty as Stockholm Gamla Stan (old town).
Hejdå,
-Äldste Sargent