Zone Conference, DOP, and Auntie Talisa

Wow! What a week! 

Baby Henry is so cute and little. I send my love and kisses for my new little nephew. This seriously has been a missionary dream week. And then I get the news that my sister had her baby...which made the dream week even better. Thank you for sending so many pictures. I am really looking forward to seeing him on skype in a couple of weeks!  We will figure out more next week on email. I am getting really excited!

 

Okay now onto the Dop! (which means baptism) It was this past Thursday. What a good day. We had a lovely program and I have never seen someone so happy. Christian was beaming the entire night. He has grown up in Gävle and has quite the life story. A couple of months ago he met Cicci-his fiance- who is a member. They came to church for the first time the last week of March. The next couple of weeks we taught him all the lessons and it was really neat to watch the change taking place. We could see the light and happiness coming into his life from our wonderful message.

We got a great phone call from him a couple of days before the baptism and he said that he had just helped an older man in his yard and then spent most of the day with this older man, that he didn't know, because he felt the love of Christ. I am so grateful for this wonderful gospel and for the chance that every one of God´s children has to hear of it. Christian asked Syster Jacobs and I to give the talks on baptism and the Holy Ghost. Then Annicka sang "I like to look for rainbows" out of the children´s songbook with Syster Jacobs playing the piano. It sounded great! We were very grateful for Annicka - we asked her that morning if she could sing and she said yes! She has a wonderful voice and did a great job. The spirit was so strong throughout the entire program. When Christian came up out of the water you could tell that he felt his Heavenly Fathers love and that he was a changed man. Christian and Cicci will be getting married on May 19th and we have been invited! Then they have the goal to be sealed in the temple in one year. Maybe I will be able to travel back to Sweden for that occasion. Yes.. that´s my goal.

 

We also had a wonderful zone conference this past week up in Sundsvall. The theme of the conference was the Plan of Salvation. President and Syster Newell did a outstanding job of teaching all of us missionaries the importance of God´s plan. We did many role plays throughout the day, all in Swedish. That was fun to speak Swedish with lots of other missionaries. We focused a lot on Alma chapters 40-43. I know that we are all God´s children and that one day we will all be able to live with Him again. 

Syster Jacobs and I were in charge of teaching about the resurrection. So, the night before the conference Syster Jacobs came up with the idea of making a spirit. I was down for that. Then I realized what that meant. I sat on a chair and let her wrap my body in tape, it was a very uncomfortable experience. And the best part was that President called in the middle of all of this. He called to see how our companionship is going. I just had to laugh. We are like sisters and President also told us that we would be together for a while. Yippee! Summer time in Sweden with the best companion ever.

 

Miracle of the week: On Friday we were out traveling around and a lady came and sat by me on the bus and we started talking and she asked me if I was Swedish. I said no. And she said "I thought so because you are just so happy and very social". We talked for about five minutes about life and what I was doing in Sweden and then she said "last week my husband, daughter, and I saw you and your friend on the bus and we wanted to talk to you but then you got off the bus. Then today I run into you again!"  God´s work I told her. Syster Jacobs and I were really happy and a little bit hyper on the bus that night when she saw us and she said that we made her day. She and her husband had been talking about us and wanted to see us again. While I was talking with her on the bus I felt God´s love for her and her family so immensely. Everything happens for a reason. We exchanged phone numbers and she said that she would love to hear more about God's plan for her. I found out while talking with her that both of her parents are dead and so I got the chance to apply what I had learned at zone conference with a lady on the bus and we will be meeting with her this week.

God wants to bless us and He will bless us, we just have to be doing our part first. Syster Jacobs and I also decided indepently to fast for the same reason yesterday! To find those people who are prepared to hear our message. And then yesterday we found two new investigators and had an amazing dinner with one of them! The church is true and i know it.

 

I love you all and I am so grateful that I am Heavenly Father´s missionary at this time in Sweden! This weekend we are having stake conference in Stockholm. Syster Jacobs and I get to travel down there and stay overnight at the Systers apartment in Vasterhengie. Then we'll spend pday in Stockholm with lots of other missionaries. Isn´t life grand! And today we are heading to see Jay and Ullis and spend the day with them. Friends for life.

I send all of my love again to my new little nephew... Henry! I am so happy for that good news. Congrats Corryn and Rob! Good work.

 

Love, Auntie Talisa!

 

Pictures: Our spirit from Zone Conference. And a Baptism!!