Stockholm Conference!

A Park In Kristianstad

 My sweetest family!

What is up??? You guys are seriously THE best! You SPOIL me with letters- its the best. I loved reading your letter dad about your Zions hike that you just got back from- of course you know i am so jealous but I am glad you thought of me the whole time, especially when you saw the granola hippies. hahaha I am honestly craving to go on a hike right now but I love the nature here too and the biking and running of course. I also loved your letter about "climbing" - I read the poem you gave me by Langston Hughes about three times every day this week because it seriously gave me strength to want to keep climbing. I loved how you said, "When we focus on our own pain, we seem to forget the privilege it is to EVEN BE ABLE TO CLIMB." Sooooo true.

      I have always loved applying climbing and all of our hiking adventures to my life and also to the gospel because there truly are so many parallels. And the idea to "keep climbing" is one that I need to hear again and again and learn again and again. And mom I LOVED the talk from Uchtdorf that you sent me- it was much needed- he is seriously the best. I especially loved how he said "a testimony provides us with a reason for hope and gladness. It helps us cultivate a spirit of optimism and happiness and enables us to rejoice in the beauties of nature." And in your notes on the talk you wrote "I think this is why Adelide loves nature so much. She has a testimony that God lives and that he loves us and that he created this wonderful world FOR us." I love that because it is so true.

Sis. Swensen, Iso and Sara Sandelin

This week we taught a lesson to an investigator who kept pointing out all of the sadness and heartache in the world. When we focus on those things then we are not looking at the simple plan God has given to us- we don't view our opportunity to be on this earth as a place for us to learn and grow- to keep climbing. We cannot forget that we can CHOOSE to be happy and help others be happy and that we can do that through our testimonies of this gospel and of our loving Heavenly Father who wants us to enjoy life and enjoy the beauty of it. Everyday at the end of my journal entries, I write the same thing- not on purpose but just because I genuinely feel this way, and that is that life is so beautiful and good. And that I am so grateful for it and for everyday. I am so grateful for this beautiful land and culture and for all of the beautiful people. They are all so unique and different and weird and I LOVE IT. I always think about the Michael Franti song, "all the freaky people make the beauty of the world". Hahaha best line ever.

Last P-day Sister Swenson and I went to Malmo with the Lund Sisters, Fox and Young and also The Dunns- a Senior couple. We went to a place for lunch called "raw foods" and you can probably guess how in love with it I was. HOLY COW I want to live there. hahaha Everything was g-free and vegetarian and it was all natural and so cute and good! I was dyyyyying. It was literally the highlight of my day haha. It reminded me your dream restaurant that you would love to have, everything fresh out of the garden. And yes, I am still a vegetarian- the members all think I am crazy but they do love fish which is good. Haha I literally eat salmon at every meal.

Sisters Fox, Young, Swensen and Christensen

This week has been awesome and I learned a lot about myself and how and what I can do better this next week. The conference in Stockholm was awesome and it was so fun to see all of the sisters from the MTC and to meet ALL of the missionaries serving in Sweden. We took a five hour train ride there and back.... #sofun. We heard from Elder Ballard and Bishop Causse THREE different times- it was awesome and we also got to stay in the mission home with a lot of the sisters which was a blast! But it is so funny when we get back to Kristianstad after sleeping or visiting other places because it just feels like home and I love it.

All of the Swedish Sisters

The Swedish Backpack that everyone has

Conference in Stockholm

My MTC District!

Olympus High In Stockholm!

Embarrasing moment of the week: I thought it would be a grand idea to dye my hair from a box that had all of the instructions in Swedish. Sister Swenson did it for me and my hair was literally ORANGE. HAHAHA we thought it would turn out way great and it was so bad. So I bought some sun in type spray and it made it go blonder but I am just ruining my hair hahahahaha #coolstory.

I love you ALL. xoxo

Adelide