"Feel good about yourself so you can forget yourself"

Sara Sandelin (a member in Kristianstad) and Adelide

Hello my dearest family,

This week has been L O N G but incredible. And I have been loving every minute of it. From waking up at 6 am and running or biking down by the beautiful lake to losing myself in my scriptures. From running from bus to bus to sitting in a lesson and not knowing what anyone is talking about to being able to bear my testimony and give a short part of the lesson in Swedish.

Sister Swenson and Sister Christensen

My testimony has been strengthened in many ways and I am so grateful for that. On my hardest day this week, I woke up and remembered that I had gotten a dear elder from my momma that I had not read yet. I read about Lillie waking up every morning at five am to get ready eat breakfast and pack a lunch all by herself to get ready for dance practice and school. How she never complains she just gets up every morning and keeps pushing forward. Even when she is being teased at school. Even though she is lonely at school. She really does have a tremendous amount of courage and that is EXACTLY what I needed to hear this week. I sat there and cried and then I opened up my scriptures and read D&C 10:4. It says "Do not run faster or labor more than you have strength and means provided to enable you to translate. But be diligent unto the end."

FINALLY GOT BLUEBERRIES!!!

 Reading both your letter and this scripture was an answer to my prayers. Reading of my little autistic sister, getting up each morning, never complaining, ready and excited to face the day, and reading this scripture that tells us to not wear ourselves out but just be diligent unto the end. That is what a mission is all about. Being diligent. If I work as hard as I can without wearing myself out, then I will have the strength and energy to keep going. I am so grateful for this promise.

Sister Swenson and I are really good at having fun together while also working hard. Last Pday we went on a "date" and got sushi and gelato. We also remind ourselves that it is okay to take breaks and not wear ourselves out... And we have had the best times. Some mornings we wake up and meditate about our investigators while listening to Michael Ethington Hymns. We have found that Sister Newell's advice truly works. to "Feel good about yourself so you can forget yourself". We planned out a schedule to run four miles twice a week, bike twice a week, and do p90x twice a week. And once you feel good about yourself then the rest of the day it truly is so much easier to forget yourself and get to work. To focus all of your attention on your investigators and their needs. Although, it is hard to forget about yourself when you get fed delicious dinners by your members every night and get fed a desert every night and can't say no! Ha ha ha we really have the best members. They all have gone out of their way to make gluten free and vegetarian food and they are so happy to do it. I feel bad but I am also so grateful.

This was taken in Lund when we slept over at sister Young's and sister Faux's. Taken at 10:00 pm....

We have had amazing teaching experiences this week, but we are off to catch a train to go explore Helsingbörg. Just so you know.... the peanut butter here is actually AMAZING. So that's good cause its like the only thing I eat when we are home hahaha. Also the three stamp letter did get to me!!! I have loved all of the letters and I am so so happy. xoxoxo

The lake that we walk by everyday!

(later that day. . . )ahhh there are so many pictures i dont know what ones to send! But the first one is at the beach and the last two are on the top of the castle!!

Today we went to Helsingborg and met up with our zone leaders. We went to the beach and grilled some salmon that the elders brought and marinated and everything! It was so funny. We went and put our feet in the water. AND you can see DENMARK from the beach! We went to the castle in Helsingborg and paid to go up so we could see everything from the top- It was so awesome and BEAUTIFUL. It was definitely what all p-days should be like.

I haven't gotten to read your emails yet and I still wanted to add more to my letter maybe so I will possibly write again tonight! SORRY!! THere is so much more to say but we have to go! I have some pretty hilarious stories to tell and so much other stuff and ahhhhhH!!!!!!!!! hahahaha hopefully i will get to get on again in some point in the day. xoxoxoxoxooxoxo YOU DON"T EVEN KNOW HOW MUCH YOUR LETTERS HAVE MEANT TO ME THIS WEEK!!!!! holy cow. But it really has been the greatest week. LOVE YOU

OH YA that's what i meant. I knew you were 8 hours behind duhhhh adelide... hahaha i told one of our members that your name was doug and they were like hund??? HAHAHAHAHA they were dying cause they thought your name was DOG. dougie the dog

Also mom will you please tell julie ethington to email me so i have her email? Will you tell her that i wear my black shoes every day and my bag AND my head bands! Everyone is so jealous of the headbands. I am still so grateful for all that she gave me. Also everyone is LOVING the Michael Ethington CD's. I feel so grateful for Julie and what she does for me.

LOVE this letter and loved the poem. I needed to hear these words today. Thanks for always knowing just what will get me through the day. I miss you guys so so so much. The work is busy which is good because it keeps me from thinking to hard about everything. I am grateful that I have been able to look out the window at the beautiful country when times are stressful. It so easily reminds me that Heavenly Father loves me because of this beautiful world and country that i get to live in.. that he created. I see his hand in my life every day. I sometimes picture you walking down cobble stone road in Portugal on your mission doing the same work and dad doing his here. It gives me comfort. Talk to you next week. All my love, prayers, and happiness

ADELIDE your baby girl