Sweden's Secret Hidaway

Absolutely beautiful coastline.

Swedish pancakes!

New hairdo!

Thank you everyone so much for all the emails!! I have never felt so loved. And to be honest those were very needed. This past week was a tough one. I am staying postivite and I am really putting all of my skills to use. The work here in Halmstad is quite a different pace than in any of my other areas... it's a bit slower. My companion is a WONDERFUL teacher and I really have a lot to learn from her about teaching. She says that the language is her biggest struggle too, so it's fun to struggle together. She is really good at it though, so my hope is to become like her in the teaching and speaking way. We are going to make these next two months fly by because of all the success we are going to see! I have a really good feeling about this upcoming week. My companion says that we have more teaches planned this next week then she has done in the last three months. I am excited. I am praying every day to see how I can best be the Lord's hands. Remember to do that and you will be blessed.

Today we are heading down to Malmo!! We are having a zone pday! We are going to do some slack lining, visit some cool hills, and see Malmo. I am excited. And we found out that this Friday is when Syster Newell is coming to spend the day with us. I have come to realize that whatever I plan we do. So, I am starting to call people like crazy and set up apppointments. I really would like to focus on strengthing this ward. It is very small and they need all the help they can get. The Bishop and his cute wife are becoming my best friends. And because of their love and shining Christlike attributes I want to be a better missionary for them and fill up the chapel.

I am going to work my hardest this upcoming week at finding more people to teach and serving with my whole heart. My companion and I feel like this area really needs love and because of that we are focusing on doing service for the members and then teaching the restoration while we are there.

This past pday we went to the coolest secret hideaway ever! It is a drift wood castle. I guess a man in his 50's started working on it about 20 years ago and he still adds to it today. It is called Nimi's and it is amazing! I felt like I was in the movie "Goonies". It was about an hour hike in the beautiful Swedish countryside and then we got to the beach. These pictures are from the beach and the fun we had climbing around. We had a really cool member from Helingsborg take us- we had a group of 4 elders and us sisters. My companion really liked climbing around, she was a monkey. Haha. I enjoyed the scenery. The coast here is breath taking.

On Saturday we had the most amazing day ever! We spent it with the Bishop and his wife. They picked us up at around 10 am and we had planned to go to their house and help move wood. But, then he got a call from his sister who needed help, so we dropped everything and went to help. They have twin baby boys and a girl who were all sick. So, we showed up and off they went to the doctor and we stayed behind and were little elves. I LOVED it. We cleaned the whole house. And then we headed to the Bishops house to move the wood. We first had lunch in their backyard- the bishop made us yummy swedish pancakes! Then we went to work and moved wood so they can be prepared for the winter. They heat their cute house by fire. That was a good service filled day.

The next day we taught primary, which means teaching one girl who is almost 12. She has a really strong testimony and I learned a lot from her. She told us that in 2 weeks she is going to go to the temple! She is very excited and asked us if we could teach her about going to the temple. So, this Friday we have planned to go over there with Syster Newell and teach the importance of temples. It is going to be amazing. And I am about due for another temple trip so I might ask President if we can go with them to the Denmark temple! Woo hoo!

Every day I am learning more and more about the Book of Mormon and Bible. It amazes me how many stories there are and how much they come to life when you actually read them. I am almost done with the Book of Mormon for the second time and I am loving it.

We had a really good district meeting this past week on Christlike attributes and the need for repentance. I shared a thought on Samuel the Lamanite and how he never gave up when preaching on the wall. Read Helaman 13:4,11,22 14:7,19 15: 2,7 and then 16: 3,4 they help us remember to never give up. This week I have felt my Saviors love so much. It has been a hard week but, now it's over and the future looks bright!

I send my love!

Love, Syster Talisa Vistaunet!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!!