Christmas is really like it

Spending Christmas day with some ward members.

Well, yesterday was wonderful! I want to thank you all for being such a wonderful family. I really enjoyed speaking and seeing you all yesterday. I feel very lucky to have been able to use skype. Yipee! I loved talking to you. Thank you for being such a supportive family.

I can't really focus right now. Since we talked yesterday I figured I could do a fast email today. Woohoo. We are getting ready to go shopping.

I love you all so much! I promise next weeks email will be better and more detailed. Life is good and I am out.

Love, Talisa!

We love technology!

Skyping with Talisa on Christmas day! Best present ever.

Christmas eve...

These are from Christmas eve day. The Swedes celebrate Christmas then and open all gifts then. So much fun!

My Christmas was wonderful but strange being so far away from home. I miss you all !!

Love,

Syster Vistaunet

Christmas photos!

Sister Newell and Sister Vistaunet.

Baking yummies for the Holidays.

Elder Rowley and Sister Vistaunet. She got his gift at the white elephant gift exchange.

These picturess are from our recent zone conference in Göteborg on Friday! It was very fun. I loved every second of it.

I have celebrated Christmas for the last three days and I am loving it!

Love, Talisa

Ward Christmas party!

Dancing around the Christmas tree!

Hi Santa!

Girls from the ward. I love them all.

God Jul och en Gott Nytt År!

My Swedish Nativity. I love it.

St. Lucia celebration in town.

Merry Christmas!! I wish everyone a lovely christmas.

Please remember the reason for the season and celebrate Christ. I am so grateful for the chance I have to be the Lord's missionary here in Sweden, especially here in Halmstad at this time of year.

Today I was reading in the Bible- I am working on finishing the New Testament before the new year- and I came across my new favorite scripture ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:16 "Rejoice evermore." As simple as that.

I am loving the New Testament and I am learning so much. We are having a weekly bible study group with some older members in our ward and I am learning so much because of it.

Heavenly Father wants all of His children to "rejoice evermore" and that means to be happy. I have found that true happiness comes from within. I was talking with a member yesterday and he said "man, you are always happy, I never see you down". I said "yeah, I have been very blessed in my life". Then he went on to say that underneath all that happiness has to be someone who is sad. I said "no way, I truly am this happy" and then my companion said "Yep, I can attest to that! Underneath all the happiness is even more happiness. I live with her 24/7- I know all". Haha. So, I am here to say that IF we choose to be happy then we will be and we must also choose to not let anything get us down. Because if we do then we are letting Satan win! During the past couple of months I have learned how important being happy is and what it truly means to be happy. I know we can all be happy IF we choose to and IF we LIVE the gospel. Remember to "Rejoice evermore" just like the Apostle Paul said. We must always remember that we matter to the Lord and to our Heavenly Father.

I know that I am a child of God and that He loves me. At this Christmas time I am very grateful for my membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I know that it is the only true church on the earth and I am so grateful that we have a living Prophet today who leads and guides our church.

This past week Syster Kiser and I had the neat chance to go to the Saint Lucia pagent in town at the swedish church with a cute mother and daughter. It was so much fun and very peaceful. I tried to take pictures of it and that kinda worked. Lucia and 13 other girls walked down the church aisles singing "santa lucia" and then once they got to the front they sang a bunch of different christmas songs. Very pretty and very crowded.

This week we did a lot of baking projects and brought treats around and we will continue to do so this week. We are trying to visit all the members before Christmas and share a Christmas message with a treat. Earlier this week we went over to the home of a great family from the ward and we made cookies with their kids. They have a daughter who is 3 and then twin boys who are 1 1/2. They certainly have their hands full, but they help us so much with our missionary work. I am so grateful for them. They are such great examples to me and they are showing the ward that there is NO excuse to not come to church and activities. They have 3 small children and are always there and they feed us all the time. I love them! We will be spending Christmas with them and the Bishop and his two sisters and their families. FUN.

This Sunday we will be spending Christmas with another great family who live close to us, so we visit them quite often. They also love to speak english. Haha. Their daughter is the one who just got back from her temple square mission. I love her. She has the best 1920-1930´s style. We also did some service earlier this week at their house and we bonded. They all decided that I am the Fariy Godmother from Cinderalla. We assigned Disney characters for everyone. My companion is Tinker Bell to the T. It was a fun afternoon.

We had a big Jul fest on Saturday at the church and it went really well. Syster Kiser and I planned it all. We danced around the Christmas tree, sang Rudolph, the primary girls did Lucia, played games, and then Santa came. We also tried to make Lucia crowns with all the little kids. We had about 20 people come and it was a fun night. I really love the Swedish tradition of dancing around the Christmas tree. It was a good night. The next day we had the christmas primary program- which we sang in too. I love being able to help so much. We also experienced some festivus miracles and had a bunch of less-actives show up to church!

My poor companion has been sick the past couple of days- which means lots of extra study time for me. I am starting to go a little crazy of being inside. All I want to do is be out and doing missionary work. Blah.

I love you all and wish you all a wonderful Jul!! Also grandparents Vistaunet thanks for the package! I am keeping the gifts wrapped until Christmas. And thank you grandparents Powelson for the money! Today I found a Swedish NATIVITY!!! I freaked out. It is really neat and I am very happy about it. Patience is a virtue. haha. It was hard to find a nativity, but I finally did and I love it.

Love, your Swedish missionary!

Syster Talisa Vistaunet

Pictures- The first ones are from the really cool Lucia pagent we went to last Tuesday. We sat by a Mom and daughter. They remind me a lot of Grandma Shawna and my mom. Haha. I LOVE them. Then this is me by a really big straw goat in Helingsborg for district meeting.

The sun goes down at 3:30pm!

Hello everyone!

The Christmas spirit has really hit us during the past couple of days. Today for pday we went Christmas shopping and I loved it. The only thing that is a bummer is that I really wanted to find a Swedish nativity and they just don't exist. So instead I got myself some new boots and a really sweet Swedish planner for next year. I will keep my daily journal in it. It is by a really sweet local artist and I love it. The longer I am here the more I come to realize how Swedish I really am. Haha.

This past week we experienced a miracle with Solisa. We have lunch with her every Tuesday at the campus and this week we met one of her friends. A guy from Africa that told us that he had been baptized in our church a couple of years ago! Crazy. He is a less active member who we have been trying to get ahold of and then bam! we meet him with Solisa. The Lord really does help us with His work. We got his phone number and we have another appointment set up for tomorrow. We also met some more of Solisa´s friends and we got their numbers so we can call them. She gives us so many referrals!

On Wednesday we got a call from a member from Göteborg and he said that he was in Halmstad with his daughter who was admitted into the hospital for some kidney problems. He was wondering if we would have the time to go and visit them since his daughter really loved me. That made my day. Syster Kiser had made brownies and we took some to her when we visited. I love all the new friends that I am making here.

Yesterday we had people from the Stake come and visit and I spoke with one man for about 10 to 15 minutes, all in Swedish all by myself!! It was amazing. He also really uplifted my spirit about the work that I am doing here. We are definitely not doing normal missionary work here but we are working really hard to help and support this ward as much as we can. He told me to keep it up and really focus on the members. He then said something that I thought was interesting. He said sometimes the members are the ones who are in need of the missionaries more than their investigators. He said that most of the members in Sweden are converts and because of that they really need support from the strong missionaries. Sometimes I forget how important my calling is. I am trying to lead by example.

On Thursday we had an amazing experience to teach in a high school! The entire time I was there I was thinking of Serina. All of the kids we were teaching were 17-18. Most kids graduate high school around 18 or 19. Crazy. And the high school is way more like college. They have a certain track that they pick and follow that the whole time. Our presentation went really well! Syster Kiser and Elder Todesco lead most of it and Elder Swelen and I were really good supporters and testimony givers. Haha. The kids told us that we did a really good job and that our presentation was one of the most interesting they had heard. Yipee! We focused a lot on the Plan of Salvation and stressed the point that we are all God's children and that he has a specific plan for each of us. We talked about certain tools that God has given us to help us along the way. Like, The Book of Mormon, The Bible, Prophets, etc. Then we showed a sweet clip from mormon.org and ended with a part from President Uchtdorf's talk from this past general conference- "You matter to Him". Go and re-read all the talks that were given. Every morning for personal study I have been re- reading all the talks and I am learning so much. I am so grateful for modern day prophets!

Life is grand and tomorrow night we are going with the Bishop and Senja to see the Lucia program in town. We are very excited. I actually bought a Lucia crown today. Yipee. And then on Saturday we are having our ward christmas party!

I love you all!!! Love, Talisa!

Photos: Teaching in the High School on thursday with the Elders. Then baking Lusselbullar with the primary and young womens on friday night. Yum. And then I am hoping that Santa gets my letter. .. or should I say Jul Tomtor.

Burning tights.

Sister Juker and I burned our tights to celebrate our halfway mark.

Nine months down, nine months to go. Time is going too fast!

Spilts with Syster Newell

With President and Sister Newell.

Hello everyone!

This past week was wonderful and I grew to love my Mission President and his wife so much more. They are such amazing people who are serving with their whole hearts. They love the Lord so much and every single missionary in the Stockholm, Sweden mission. I really feel blessed to have them here.

On Friday Syster Juker and Syster Newell came in on the train and we went and got them and then discussed our plans for the next couple of days. The three of us younger sisters went out on Friday and taught an investigator who Syster Juker actually found when she was in this area before. She was very happy to be able to teach him again.

Having Syster Juker with me again reminded me that you can have fun when doing missionary work. I really miss her. She has no idea how much she uplifted my spirit this past weekend. She and I went through the Halmstad map and she pointed out some good places to go tracting and she went through the phone and told me some people to call. I am excited. I strongly believe that everything happens for a reason and once January comes the finding work will explode!

Anyway.. Saturday was such an amazing day! We started out the day by doing some service for some members with Syster Newell and Syster Juker. We helped clean a preschool. Then after that we went out to the Bishop and Senja´s for lunch. Senja made us the most amazing meal ever, I LOVE her. Then we shared a spiritual message on gratitude. I gave most of it and referred to Alma 34:38, which is one of my favorite scriptures. We must remember to live in the spirit of thanksgiving daily.

After a wonderful meal, we headed back into town. Syster Juker and I went and taught a lesson to a member. We helped her put up her Christmas tree- see picture. It was so much fun teaching with just Syster Juker and I. And we taught all in Swedish! We sang jul songs and decorated. Fun. We also committed this member to make a goal to go to the temple.

After that I met up with Syster Newell and she and I went to visit a girl who came home from her mission early because of health reasons. She was serving on temple square. Then the miracle of the evening happened. The library was closed and we were supposed to meet her there and since it was closed we were invited to go to her home. Syster Newell got to meet her and her mom. We were meant to go there. Syster Newell hit it off with both of them and told them how much the ward misses them and needs them. Syster Newell brought such a strong powerful spirit. All four of us women started crying at some point or another throughout our 40 minute visit. By the end of the visit we left a temple magazine with them and challenged them to read a certain article out of it for their next FHE. They have a family goal of going to the temple next summer. I really learned alot from Syster Newell. I love being around her.

Later we had dinner with President and Syster Newell before the fireside. Yum. The fireside was great and we had about ten people come. Awesome. Everyone loved the movie and so did I. It did a great job of showing how prayer works. It was called "17 Miracles". Watch it.

The next morning we had church where President and Syster Newell and we missionaries gave a missionary presentation in Relief Society and Primary. Syster Newell had me talk on why being happy is so important. Then we handed out tags for the girls to wear-see picture. Sacrament meeting was amazing. The spirit was felt very strongly. Many different people said that they were thankful for us missionaries and the support and help we are giving them. My prayers were answered.

I am doing good. Sometimes in life it´s hard to know if you are making a difference.

Wow. So much happens during the week, it´s hard to write about all of it. Thank you for the packages! I have been getting them. And I have been listening to those wonderful Christmas cds! Thanks. I love the Puppni sisters! Oh man.

Happy Birthday to December birthdays! Gretchen Palmer, Zoram, Nate, Troy, Brooklyn, Boo, Bret, and Tara!

Love, Syster Vistaunet.

Aka: Talisa!

Photos: My lovely district. And this week we are getting a new Elder as our district leader and I have been told that he is the guy version of me. Haha. This should be a rockin' district! Then Syster Detinne-Cassel, Juker, and I celebrated our half way mark together. At least we tried. Syster Juker came on spilts for the past weekend and so we burned some tights together while talking to Syster Detinne-Cassel on the phone. Good times. Then a member who we visit every week- this week we helped decorate the christmas tree. Then Sunday with some members and missionaries. And then me and my cute missionary primary class and Micah.

Life is good.

Thanksgiving!

Fun store in Lund.

Thanksgiving dinner in Lund.

9 months left in Sweden.

My zone.

I thought of Aunt Tamra when I saw these orchids!

Well, this Friday I will have hit my half way mark! It is very surreal. I think I will be burning some tights. I hear that´s what sisters do. Time goes so fast when your having fun.

In about a month I will become senior companion! Wow. I hope that also means that in about a month I will be able to understand more and be able to respond more in swedish.

This past week was easily one of the best weeks of my mission. We had p-day on Tuesday instead of Monday and headed down to Lund for Thanksgiving dinner with our zone. All of the Elders played football while Syster Kiser and I went out shopping. I LOVE Lund. I got a really sweet orange and yellow paper star. The way people decorate here for Christmas is with candle lights and paper stars hanging in their windows. When we are out at night it is really neat to see all the paper stars and candles in everyone's windows. Swedes also celebrate 1,2,3, and 4 advent. Which I think just means lighting a candle every Sunday in December leading up to Christmas. Yesterday we went over to a members house and lit a candle for 1st advent.

Anyway back to thanksgiving...we played games with all the Elders after shopping and then we had a lovely Thanksgiving dinner. The Lundwalls made it for us. I really love and admire the older couples who serve missions. They help the work move along so much! Grandma and Grandpa´s friend...Elder Jansson called me last week to say hello. He and his wife are serving on the opposite side of Sweden. Maybe someday I will get to see them. After Thanksgiving our whole zone traveled together up to Göteborg for zone conference! That was a very fun train ride, about 2 1/2 hrs. I got to know all the Elders better.

We pulled into Göteborg around 8pm and Talitha and Maria were waiting outside the train station! That was really a lovely surprise to see them. I love the YSA´s and miss them all so much. They rode the tram with us all the way back to the Sisters apartment and we caught up. They are planning a huge trip to America next September when I get home! I am super excited to be able to show them all of my favorite places in Utah and they will be spending Halloween with us and then we will road trip it to California to visit Syster Juker.

We then had a sleep over in Göteborg with seven of us sisters. Systers Dabb, Winterton, Juker, Jenson, Sprague, Kiser, and me. It was a party. Didn´t get much sleep. Haha.

The next morning we had zone conference with Elder Gerlad Causee of the First Quorum of the Seventy. It was an amazing day filled with the Holy Ghost. It re-energized me for the work in Halmstad. He reminded us that as missionaries we should be teaching a total of twenty lessons a week. That is very hard to do here. But then he said that we could count lessons with active members. Which hopefully will make that number more reachable. In fact tonight we are going to have FHE with Solisa and the Källbergs. He said for every contact we do we should, teach, question, testify, and commit. He reminded us to never be ashamed of the gospel. After all, we have the answers to the questions to life. After the wonderful conference we headed back home. We first stopped by the Center real fast to say hello to some YSA´s. I saw Sofia, Mette, Danielle, Josefin, Talitha, and Maria. And I also saw Sophia from the ward who loves to sing and actually sent me a really great gospel cd a couple of weeks ago. Life is good.

Sweden is a very interesting place and the longer I am here the more I am starting to understand it. Most of the country really doesn´t believe in God and they hate religion- which makes my job very hard. But, something that Elder Causse stressed was to focus on finding the elect. When you are talking with someone you can usually tell if they will be interested in what you are saying within seconds of starting the conversation. I am hoping that with this Christmas season people will be more open and willing to talk about our Savior, Jesus Christ. The past couple of weeks in church and all around everyone has been stressing the importance of remembering Jesus Christ. So, please everyone remember Jesus Christ this Christmas season. Do some service and spread the Christmas spirit.

Congrats Corryn!! A baby boy! I am super excited to have a nephew waiting for me when I get home. Now that´s a crazy thought... when I get off the plane there will be a baby nephew! Awesome. Good luck with the pregnancy. When I read how happy Dad and Rob were about getting another boy in the family I started laughing so loud. This new baby will grow up loving Batman.

Thank you so much for the Thanksgiving package! I got it last week and I was very happy. I also got letters from Meredith, The Rowelys, Dave and Julie Vistaunet, and Manders last week. So, thank you all so much!! In the next package... if you send one for Christmas, please put some pop tarts in it- the brown sugar kind. I really miss pop tarts. And if you could somehow get Alex Proberts and Natalie Christensen´s addresses I would really love it. I think they are both in the MTC still... maybe.

Love, Talisa!

Pictures: When in Lund Sys. Kiser and I went shopping and I found some really sweet stores! Sheena is a punk rocker! Then the rest of the pictures are from our lovely thanksgiving in Lund last Tuesday.