Haninge Week 10 - November 19, 2018

Hello! Preparation day on Wednesday! Elder Burns and I attended the temple today, so our p-day is today!

We had the most amazing zone conference last week on Wednesday. One of my favorite parts was when the assistants gave a presentation about how we can make our personal studies more meaningful. "PMG is the key!" and "don't just count the pages, make the pages count!" were specific messages that I needed to hear and have tried to apply since the conference. I wish that I could just give all of you my notes from zone conference, it was so uplifting! Unfortunately, the file somehow got deleted from off of my phone... I've been trying to remember everything I had written down over the past few days. Oh well. One other cool part of zone conference was that Elder Burns, the elders from Hägersten (Elders Lance and Fortuna), and I were in charge of the musical number! We performed, "Savior, Redeemer of my Soul." It worked out pretty well, I felt the Spirit and I hope that the other listeners did as well. 

Zone conference was held here in the Handen chapel, and right after we ended a man we didn't recognize walked in. Around 10 missionaries were in the foyer talking, and all of us somehow sensed that he wanted a tour. Elder Burns and I started showing him around with the Assistants and the Visby elders. It ended up being a really, really neat conversation where we were able to teach about prayer. It was powerful to be teaching with six elders, especially after such an uplifting zone conference. I think that a person being taught by six others would have normally felt overwhelmed, but it seemed like Heavenly Father had prompted this man to come to the church when he did so that he could have the unique experience that he did. We have his address and will be following up soon! After conference, I was able to go on splits with Elder Bills again! We had a great time going around Haninge and ministering to our syskon who live here. 

One dinner we had this week was with Syster Nilsson and one of her daughter's families. As we walked up to the house, I realized that we had knocked the door while tracting about there three weeks ago! At that time, I didn't know that it was the residence of a member of the Church. When we knocked on the door three weeks ago, I could see a child's drawing that said, "I love my family" on it. I had the thought, "WOW, this family is prepared for the Gospel!!" They didn't answer then, but it was funny to realize that it was the same house as we approached it for the dinner appointment. 

On Monday, Elder Burns and I were waiting at the bus stop on our way home. A man walked up to us who I had talked to twice on the bus before. He seemed happy to see us and we ended up getting onto the same bus. He asked more about what we do as missionaries, and soon the conversation turned to the temple and how we are able do baptisms for the dead. The man had a solemn look on his face as I explained about the Spirit World, and I felt the Holy Ghost strongly and knew that he had felt something special, too. We switched buses, together again, and this time Elder Burns joined the conversation. We ended up teaching many of the principles from the Restoration. At one point, we asked Simon (we found out his name at some point) how he felt. He said that he had "the feeling that you get when you help someone or when someone is helping you." Wow. What an insight to how the Spirit feels! We met Simon yesterday and finished teaching the Restoration. 

The one with the car is Mikael, the boyfriend of one of the people we are teaching. We had just gotten off at the wrong bus stop and Mikael and his girlfriend drove by. They were able to give us a ride to the area where we were going. What a special tender mercy! 

Elder Burns and I went to the temple today! I have been able to attend a session in the Stockholm Sweden Temple three times now. It was so good to remember all of the wonderful things about the temple while being there today. I feel like my perspective is re-centered and I have an extra boost of faith after attending today! What a blessing to be in the House of the Lord.

Have a wonderful week! HAPPY THANKSGIVING! I am so thankful to be here in beautiful Sweden serving as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I'm so thankful for the peace I have in knowing that we aren't alone in the universe, that the Creator of us all knows our circumstances and our needs and has made it possible for us to be joyful!

Love,

Äldste Francis