Elder Sam called us at 7am on Christmas Day! The minute we saw his face on the screen a huge cheer erupted from the family! It was so good to see him. He absolutely glowed through the screen. We briefly met Elder Harris as well and it was good to see his companion in person. He has been such an amazing trainer and now best friend to Sam.
Sam told us he only had 40 minutes to speak! We were sad but glad that he is so obedient. :)
We took a few minutes to ask him some questions and discovered that he and Elder Harris take turns: each day one of them drives the car and one of them carries the phone. Sam also told us that Boden is quite small, so right now they walk to appointments or to go tracting unless they have the car that half of the week. They don't ride their bikes in the cold and snow. He sees President Youngberg once a transfer and also meets with the other district members in person once a transfer. Otherwise they hold district meeting via Skype. He reported that the plane flight to Stockholm is about an hour. We had so many other questions to ask but the time flew by!
He showed us the new sweater and tie he wore (from us!) and the fun warm hat Uncle Joe and Aunt Mariah had sent him. He also said they were going to the Nasslund's for Christmas dinner after calling home.
One by one the kiddles talked to him for a moment and stood right in from of the screen. He told Autumn he wanted to reach through the screen and squish her face! :) He just kept saying how good it was to see everyone.
He couldn't believe Baden had so many chickens and he just loved everything the kiddles shared.
When he saw Emma he just told her how amazed he was that she lettered in cross-country, that she was president of everything, and that he was so proud of her. She told him about Harold, her car, and then someone told Sam about Mark's car. We need to register it this month but we can't get the hood open for an emissions test. :) We were all laughing but suddenly Sam started sobbing. He said, "I'm so sorry I was ever rude or worried about the car Papa drove. I don't care about any of that any more. None of it matters. I just love all of you and I just want us to always be close and be a family." It was a very tender moment and we just quietly listened to Sam. He said not to worry about him, he is doing fine, but he just wants us to know he loves us and that family is the most important thing ever.
We had a very tender phone call and took a photo together. Then he asked to talk to Ben and they conversed back in forth in Danish and Swedish. It was amazing!!!! He also shared his testimony in Swedish. It was very, very hard to say goodbye and we all just sat and cried after he hung up.
Sam sent a box from Sweden and when we opened it later in the day we found his name tag and three bars of Swedish chocolate, a Kinder Eier for each of us, and a beautiful scarf for Sariah (he had her name). He also included a tender letter:
Hello Everyone! Merry Christmas!
I hope that you are all enjoying this most wonderful time of the year! I am having a wonderful experience her in Boden, Sweden, serving as a missionary. The past 5 months have been some of the best in my whole life, and I look forward to the next 19. It is my hope that you have all had a happy past half year as well. There is so much that I want to write about in this letter, and I will start off by teaching some Swedish words and phrases!
#1 Kare Syskon! This phrase means "Dear siblings." In church people usually say "Kare Syskon" rather than saying "Brothers and Sisters. at the beginning of a talk. Kind of funny, I think!
#2 Swedes always refer to a test message as an SMS!
#3 Rattfardiga!" Do you remember when I taught you all this word? It means righteous!
#4 To say "what's up?" in Swedish you say "tjena!" It actually means servant.
#5 One phrase Aldste Harris and I say a lot is "just det!" (It sounds like "yoos-ta" when you say it). It means "that's right!" or 'oh yeah, I remember now!" These are just a few of the cool Swedish things I have learned. I am so excited to talk to everyone on Christmas morning and prats mer Svenska med er!
During this time, I have been thinking about light a lot. The word in Swedish is "ljus" pronounced "goos." I really love the scripture Mosiah 16:9, which I shared a few weeks ago in my email home. Jesus Christ is the illuminating, life giving power. Just as a blind man's entire perspective on life changes with the ability to see (made possible by light and functioning eyes), our perspective on life changes completely when we open our spiritual eyes to the Light of the World. This is a "light that is endless, that can never be darkened." We have only to open our eyes to that light and live a more confident, colorful, Christ-like life because of how much more we are able to discern.
As I have been on my mission so far, I have had some time to think about my life so far. I consider it the greatest blessing I can imagine to be born into the Mark and Nettie Francis Family! One of the strongest parts of my testimony is that the restored gospel is able to bless families. Families that live Gospel principles as outlined in "The Family: A Proclamation to the World," experience more joy, are closer, are better able to face life's challenges, and are able to raise children in the way they were intended to be raised. If your testimony is ever in need of a boost, think of our family.
I will insert the words "our family" into Elder Nelson's recent talk on the Book of Mormon to illustrate this. "What would your life be like without [our family?] What would you not know? What would you not have? I encourage all of you to think about these questions! I want you to know that your son/younger brother/ older brother Sam is so grateful to each one of you for the love you have shown me, the things you have taught me, and for the testimony you have helped me develop. I look forward to spending the rest of eternity with Papa, Mama, Ben, Emma, Sariah, Naomi, Baden, Eli, Avi, Autumn, Nico. How did we receive such a gift???
Three things I wish I had been better at before coming here.
#1 Read the Book of Mormon EVERY DAY for an amount of time that you consider a sacrifice. I know that this will make you a happier, friendlier, follower of Jesus Christ.
#2 At the beginning of each semester, look around your classroom and find someone you aren't friends with. Get to know them better. You will be a more prepared missionary when you have the ability to talk to strangers.
#3 Seek to obey Papa and Mama right when they ask you to do something. Applying this principle makes it easier for Heavenly Father to trust us to follow His guidance.
I love you all! Merry Christmas!
MVH,
Sam
Such a blessing, indeed, to be a part of the Mark and Nettie Francis Family! I can't think of a family that exemplifies the love, peace, and unity that can come through righteous living. I've been reading this blog since our Elder Francis left on his mission and want him and his sweet family to know what a blessing it is to be a fly on the wall. Thank you, Elder Francis, for your stalwart example and for the love and light you share with all who know you! Love, Sister Alvord
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