It's been pleasant here, with it being around 10-13 degrees celcius. I've never actually made the conversion to what that is.. but it feels good.
This week was another go hard week. And although not much more happened (other than a day of service in Fårösund, loading a truck) there were two Miracles that happened this week.
Claudien and Elinor.
Claudien is a wonderful man from Burundi who half the Island of Gotland knows, has a huge family and random people are always walking in when we are teaching him (Swedish, Muslim, etc etc) and he is in between three churches right now who want him, and he's started his own non-profit organization that helps kids in Africa that's growing throughout Sweden.
But he knows the Church is true, it's just that other churches have funded him, and helped him so much that he feels in debt to them.. but when it comes down to doctrine (other than Authority) he's with us. The Authority thing he's just unsure about, not against.
We had prepared to teach Claudien, once again to answer his question on why Authority is so important, and also help him with the concerns of being baptized. After teaching, he said ''I would be baptized if I could, but it's not my choice.'' Referring to his ties with the Catholic church. So we asked him if he thinks God wants him to be baptized, he said yes, then we pulled out 1st Nephi 3:7 and told him if he was willing to put in the effort to read and pray every night to know 1) if God wants him to be baptized 2) if it can happen.. it would happen. To make it a bit more applicable, we challenged him to be baptized on den 2:a Juni. He agreed to it as a goal, and said ''If God wants it to, it can happen.'' Miracle number one. :)
Elinor was found tracting, it was a 'miracle building' a few weeks ago when nearly every person in the building said to come back. While most of them haven't continued to be positive, it's clear that Elinor is prepared. She is a single, unmarried mother with two kids with two different fathers. Clearly she's had a traumatic life, but she is ready for the gospel to change that. She was moving that week, and told us to come back the week after. We went early this week, and she said to come by on Saturday, as we couldn't visit her alone. We came back with Elder Herrey, and she didn't answer. We left a note, and she texted later telling us that she was stressed, not enough time, and just needed help.
When she explained all the help she needed was more strength, and we couldn't really help her in another way, I felt inspired to tell her that we were from God to help her. Our message would give her that strength and we were sent here to better her life. She accepted our invitation (to which she had not accepted before) to come back. We came back, and with Elder Herrey had a great lesson and she told us after that she has not felt so calm in such a long time. She promised to read and pray, and I have very high hopes.
This week, although not great in numbers, showed me hope. I've been studying that as my Christ Like Attribute and I have a hope. I have seen God bless us, and I feel we have worked extremely hard here. It's all because I've trusted in God and '''[was] not moved away from the hope of the gospel (or the promises made to me), which [I] have heard.'' 1 Col 1:23
Love you!
-Äldste Sargent
This week was another go hard week. And although not much more happened (other than a day of service in Fårösund, loading a truck) there were two Miracles that happened this week.
Claudien and Elinor.
Claudien is a wonderful man from Burundi who half the Island of Gotland knows, has a huge family and random people are always walking in when we are teaching him (Swedish, Muslim, etc etc) and he is in between three churches right now who want him, and he's started his own non-profit organization that helps kids in Africa that's growing throughout Sweden.
But he knows the Church is true, it's just that other churches have funded him, and helped him so much that he feels in debt to them.. but when it comes down to doctrine (other than Authority) he's with us. The Authority thing he's just unsure about, not against.
We had prepared to teach Claudien, once again to answer his question on why Authority is so important, and also help him with the concerns of being baptized. After teaching, he said ''I would be baptized if I could, but it's not my choice.'' Referring to his ties with the Catholic church. So we asked him if he thinks God wants him to be baptized, he said yes, then we pulled out 1st Nephi 3:7 and told him if he was willing to put in the effort to read and pray every night to know 1) if God wants him to be baptized 2) if it can happen.. it would happen. To make it a bit more applicable, we challenged him to be baptized on den 2:a Juni. He agreed to it as a goal, and said ''If God wants it to, it can happen.'' Miracle number one. :)
Elinor was found tracting, it was a 'miracle building' a few weeks ago when nearly every person in the building said to come back. While most of them haven't continued to be positive, it's clear that Elinor is prepared. She is a single, unmarried mother with two kids with two different fathers. Clearly she's had a traumatic life, but she is ready for the gospel to change that. She was moving that week, and told us to come back the week after. We went early this week, and she said to come by on Saturday, as we couldn't visit her alone. We came back with Elder Herrey, and she didn't answer. We left a note, and she texted later telling us that she was stressed, not enough time, and just needed help.
When she explained all the help she needed was more strength, and we couldn't really help her in another way, I felt inspired to tell her that we were from God to help her. Our message would give her that strength and we were sent here to better her life. She accepted our invitation (to which she had not accepted before) to come back. We came back, and with Elder Herrey had a great lesson and she told us after that she has not felt so calm in such a long time. She promised to read and pray, and I have very high hopes.
This week, although not great in numbers, showed me hope. I've been studying that as my Christ Like Attribute and I have a hope. I have seen God bless us, and I feel we have worked extremely hard here. It's all because I've trusted in God and '''[was] not moved away from the hope of the gospel (or the promises made to me), which [I] have heard.'' 1 Col 1:23
Love you!
-Äldste Sargent