g u e s s w h a t ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

 

I'M TRANSFERRING!! Looks like Örebro was not my last area! But it was my shortest area! I am transferring to Uppsala to be with SISTER ANDERSON! I AM SO EXCITED. I am so sad to leave this area that I love so much. But I am so grateful that I got to come here for six weeks and get to know these wonderful people and create such great relationships with them. AND that I got to see/ live in such a beautiful city. It is hard to feel like you've made a difference in an area after only being there for six weeks... but at the same time, I feel ready to go and that we accomplished all that we needed to. I learned so much from Sister Lowe and we have such an awesome friendship- so I know that if I came here just for that... then it is worth it! 

They are actually taking Sisters out of this area all together so there will be four Elders. The Sister Training Area used to be in Uppsala and so they are moving it back up there. It will be the farthest North that I will go! And I am not sure... but I think we will be the STL's over NORRLAND- which means that I MIGHT get to go up to Luleå or Sundsvall!!!! I'm not positive on that though. :) And Syster Anderson will be so fun. She is best friends with one of Chelsea Pinnock’s roomates and she also knows Janie Egan. We have been good friends throughout our missions- I sent you a pic of us two a couple of weeks ago. She was also trained by Sister Lowe!

It was fun to read Henry's letter and to read your letters to him. Keep forwarding them because they are fun to read.

I don't have loooaaaddss of time to write today because it is Sister Lowe's last p-day so we are going to do fun things ALL DAY LONG. Woot. #eatingfalafelandfriesforlunch mmmmmm.

We went on splits this week with the Katrineholm sisters! I was originally going to stay in Örebro and go on splits with Emi- because I was the one to go to Västerhaninge last time... But I just kept having this feeling like I should go back to Katrineholm. I didn't know if it was to see the area one last time or to see the people there- but after going and then coming back, I knew that it was because I needed to be with Sister Stewart- Emi's companion. 

raspberries on the side of the road :)

And that is the reason for why we go on splits- not to see the areas but to be with the other sister's and to help them and learn from them. What I am learning is that I am probably learning more from them than they are from me. We have amazing sisters in this mission and they teach me so much. Sister Stewart and I had such a great conversation that helped the both of us and we were also able to talk about the area and the people. I got to see Åsa and CAT, which was fun- and then we met back up with Emi and Sister Lowe to eat dinner together. :) 

We thought that it would just be Sister Lowe's last week in this area- but it was also mine! We were blessed to be fed every night this week and we got to say goodbye to everyone at church yesterday. On Thursday we went over to the Keanne's (my favorite family) and we helped them paint their house. We had just eaten a delicious lunch and I was holding a yummy slice of cheese in my hand -(by the way, I don't think I will be able to go back to eating the dairy in the US- it is five million X better here)- And I was ready to go outside and get started so I went out and started doing this dumb march down their stairs and I slipped and fell down the stairs... really hard. Luckily no one was outside yet- but I just laid there in so much pain and I was looking around to make sure no one saw and then I made myself get up and shake it off- so I stood up and my face went white and I looked at the piece of cheese and threw it on the ground. Then I looked up and Sister Lowe was just standing there like "What the egg are you doing????" hahahaha she said it looked like I was having a seizure! What resulted was a bruise on my arm, bum, and a huge black and blue one on my calf. (Literally the size of - I just asked Lowe what I should describe it as and she said "The size of a big gulp lid" haahaha). Anyways--- gotta love the mission battle wounds.

We were very blessed yesterday- so many miracles. The Hansson family came to church again, five of our investigators came, and the sacrament meeting was FILLED with people. The most I had ever seen. It was awesome. Right before Sacrament, an investigator Leya, came up to me and asked if she could talk to me for a bit. I recognized that it was her because I had actually met her and her kids once in Katrineholm when she was visiting. (Her husband is a member but he is less active and his mom lives in Katrineholm.) She has been on our white board since I got here and we have been trying to meet with her but she broke her back and then got really sick and hasn't been able to meet. But today she came and she said "I have had a baptismal date before and I have been taught everything and I know that it's true... so can I set a new baptismal date?" I said no. hahaha just kidding. So I smiled and talked to her about it for a bit and then we pulled out a calendar and she said that she can't be baptized on the week of August first because it's her husbands birthday, so I pointed to the next week and then she chose the date for the 16th of August. Both her and her son will be baptized. She was so excited and we both feel like it was a blessing that she came to church, came up and talked to us, and CHOSE her baptismal date all on her own. 

During Sunday school, a member ran into the room and grabbed Sister Lowe and I and said "there is a girl here from Thailand- she has been living in Sweden for seven years and she wants to meet you!" We went into the room and saw this cute 16 year old girl who told us that she found the church through a friend who is not a member but had just heard about it. She came to young woman’s today and said that SHE KNEW the church was true and that she wanted to be baptized and serve a mission. Her parents wanted her to go to a four year bible school- but we told her about seminary and that she could take that instead. A member went home with her after church to talk to her parents about it. 

To me, both of those were HUGE miracles. Of course I won't be here to see their progression and see them be baptized but I didn't come on my mission to count how many baptisms I could witness. I came on my mission to serve and to teach- I don't need to see these miracles to know that the church is true- but it does make me so grateful to be a part of such a wonderful church and to see the joy that others feel when they come. And it made my heart so so happy to hear two women look me in the eyes and say that they know that the church is true and that they want to be baptized.

This week I have been studying a lot about mercy and justice. I searched the word "justice" in an app that we have on our phone and found that it is written in the scriptures about 216 times and it is written about 33 times in General conference. Then I typed in the word "mercy" and it is in the scriptures about 566 times and in general conference 105 times. This was very interesting to me. We believe that God is both a merciful God and a God of Justice- but I believe that He is going to be more merciful than we can comprehend. There is a quote from President J. Reuben Clark Jr that says "I feel that the Savior will give that punishment which is the very least that our transgression will justify... I believe that when it comes to making the rewards for our good conduct, he will give us the maximum that it is possible to give." 

Our great message in the gospel is that God is merciful because of our Savior and his infinite Atonement. I am so grateful that God is Just- so that we can learn to follow his commandments and try to be the best we can be- but I am even more grateful that through the Atonement, we can receive a remission of all of our sins. That we can be forgiven through His grace and mercy... for me personally that I know I can wake up each day and try again- which was something I was so incredibly grateful for this week. I needed a new day to try and be better, more obedient, and kinder to my companion. I love the things I am learning on my mission. I love my Savior and I know that this is His gospel- I am so lucky to be able to share it with others everyday. SO LUCKY. 

 LOVE YOU ALL...

love, ADELIDE.

Cat in Katrineholm