Kungsbacka, Sweden is the first area Jay was called to serve in. Located in Southern Sweden and described by Jay as busy, lots of apartments, smokey and really rainy.
A little bit about life is Kungsbacka-
On August 13,2012 Jay wrote: We talk to people all day, we teach lessons although 90 percent of appointments fall through, and we continue to grow every day through these trials. It's pretty tough though. The weather here is awesome. I absolutely love the rain, and sometimes it just pours. People don't like that here, oddly enough. But everytime it rains I want it to rain harder. Weird.
We visited a less active, and her boyfriend chewed us out and dissed on the church and yadda yadda. Then a thought comes to mind. Let the bells of hell ring man. Just proves what I am doing is God's work, and everything I am doing is what the most powerful being in the universe wants. What is cooler than that? What will some people laughing at you as you run for a train really amount to? That's been my motivation this week, because it has been tough.. but it has been good. Plus this week I had multiple super spiritual moments that I felt so calm. So at peace.
Agh. I can't express to you how much I love this Gospel. It is everything.
A little bit about life is Kungsbacka-
On August 13,2012 Jay wrote: We talk to people all day, we teach lessons although 90 percent of appointments fall through, and we continue to grow every day through these trials. It's pretty tough though. The weather here is awesome. I absolutely love the rain, and sometimes it just pours. People don't like that here, oddly enough. But everytime it rains I want it to rain harder. Weird.
We visited a less active, and her boyfriend chewed us out and dissed on the church and yadda yadda. Then a thought comes to mind. Let the bells of hell ring man. Just proves what I am doing is God's work, and everything I am doing is what the most powerful being in the universe wants. What is cooler than that? What will some people laughing at you as you run for a train really amount to? That's been my motivation this week, because it has been tough.. but it has been good. Plus this week I had multiple super spiritual moments that I felt so calm. So at peace.
Agh. I can't express to you how much I love this Gospel. It is everything.
Elder Sargents Swedish Roots-
August 20, 2012: My Swedish roots are really coming back to me I think. At a member dinner we had a certain kind of saft (berry juice), and it was identical to something I know I have tasted before. It was nuts. Memories flooded man. Super cool. Every one in the ward knows Kääriäs, (Cousins) so I say yep.. Zilip is my cousin. To which they reply, ''Oh, What's your mom's name? Helena or...?'' To that, I've gotten good at explaining, ''Faktiskt, min mors syster giftade sig med Reijo Kääriä'' (My mom's sister married Reijo Kääriä) (Is that even right? Do I need inversion? )to which they think for a couple seconds... then ''Ja ha!'' As Swedes do.
It's pretty funny how much it happens actually. Just lots of random moments where I see those horses, or a certain item in a house I recognize, that red Post box we had at our old house. Sweden has been a bigger part of my life than I have ever known. I never thought myself as a Swede. But lots of these things that people do here, cultural things anyway, I feel like it's normal when other missionaries think it's weird. Taking off shoes every time you go into a house. There's a bunch. Not huge things, but it's funny. I love it.
August 20, 2012: My Swedish roots are really coming back to me I think. At a member dinner we had a certain kind of saft (berry juice), and it was identical to something I know I have tasted before. It was nuts. Memories flooded man. Super cool. Every one in the ward knows Kääriäs, (Cousins) so I say yep.. Zilip is my cousin. To which they reply, ''Oh, What's your mom's name? Helena or...?'' To that, I've gotten good at explaining, ''Faktiskt, min mors syster giftade sig med Reijo Kääriä'' (My mom's sister married Reijo Kääriä) (Is that even right? Do I need inversion? )to which they think for a couple seconds... then ''Ja ha!'' As Swedes do.
It's pretty funny how much it happens actually. Just lots of random moments where I see those horses, or a certain item in a house I recognize, that red Post box we had at our old house. Sweden has been a bigger part of my life than I have ever known. I never thought myself as a Swede. But lots of these things that people do here, cultural things anyway, I feel like it's normal when other missionaries think it's weird. Taking off shoes every time you go into a house. There's a bunch. Not huge things, but it's funny. I love it.