a proposal.

You may be thinking that this letter is going to be about an engagement.

it is.

and it is also about a proposal to be better.

But I will start off with the funny one first.

Sister Anderson and I were walking to go buy our favorite weekly salad at the ICA grocery store when we got stopped by a very fit tall Swede named Oscar (seemed normal). He introduced himself and said that he has a friend that is a part of our church. He asked us some questions and then I asked him if we could take his number so we could meet sometime and he said: "Like a date?" Sister Anderson burst out laughing and I said... no... And he said "where do you want to live in the future? Sweden or the US?" Both Syster Anderson and I said the US and then he looked at me and said "What if we live here for 4 more years while I get my Doctorate degree and then we can move to Salt Lake City?"... #creepy and #awkward. I won't give you any more details than that but it was hilarious. And then we saw him again at the park yesterday and I was scared -we almost started booking it hahahaha- good times on the mish. 

elders catching us contacting again

We had a wonderful and busy week. I guess that is how every week is :)

We had splits with the Täby Sisters (Sister Hosenfeld and Sister Bass). I stayed with Sister Bass here in Uppsala and then we all met up the next night to sleep over because we had a leadership meeting in Täby. It was fun to catch up with Sister Hosenfeld- It feels like I a dream that we were ever together. It feels like it was so long ago. She is doing well and is opening an area for Sisters AGAIN. I don't think I would have had the energy to do that again so I am proud of her. She is a hard worker. 

hosie

sister bassy

The Elders had an awesome idea this week to set up a lemonade stand outside of our church- so all four of us set up this big stand with a white board saying free lemonade and some book of mormons on the table. The University housing is right by the church so a lot of students go along that street everyday. We did it during our open church hours and at first we weren't having much success but then we started doing it in English and we got so many people to stop! 

We talked to people from Brazil, Mexico, Germany, France etc. A member even told us that people were posting that there is free lemonade on the University web page! hahaha. We talked to almost everyone that stopped about the church and one guy from Brazil was drinking his lemonade and then he looked at a Book of Mormon and said "Hey! I love mormons!" Members in Brazil had invited him and his wife to dinner at their house once with the missionaries and he had fond memories of that. He said that he would for sure come to church sometime!

our thank you chocolates and letter for doris and olle for dinner last week :)

Two Sundays ago, a family from Germany came our ward here in Uppsala. The mom and dad are both from Utah but served their missions together in Germany and are now living there with their four children. The mom had done some family history about 15 years ago and found that they had relatives in Sweden so they tried getting in contact with them but nothing happened. Seven years later, the mom got a phone call from the relative, Gunilla, from Sweden, and they talked on the phone for a while. Then, last year, Gunilla and her daughter Elsa, were watching a Soccer tournament on TV- which was taking place in Germany. The screen went to two bundled up girls for about five seconds and Gunilla had a strong impression that these two girls were the daughters of the mom in Germany. She called and found out that it was! The mom from Germany was so shocked that they knew it was them- because they had never seen the girls before and the screen was only on them for a short time. They felt like it was a sign for them to meet up in Sweden. 

a member and his son

So, two Sundays ago when this family came from Germany... Gunilla, her daughter Elsa(17) and her husband came after the church service to meet them. Then the next Sunday Elsa begged her dad to go to church with her so they came. We taught the Plan of Salvation to Elsa (who brought her friend) last Wednesday and they both came to church again yesterday. Elsa has read to chapter 10 in the Book of Mormon and she is one of our most progressing investigators now. WOW. Talk about the coolest story ever! THE CHURCH IS TRUE!!!! I might as well just write that every week hahaha.

little girl of a family we teach

On Sister Splits, we are trying to focus on diligence with the Sisters. Diligence includes our use of time... Trying to find a balance between running faster than we have strength and being slothful. To me, being diligent doesn't mean not taking our breaks for lunch and dinner or knocking on doors until our knuckles are bleeding. Being diligent means to be obedient. To take the breaks we are given but to also work hard and effectively during the hours that we are given to work. Our leadership meeting was focused on the importance of obedience and on recognizing our higher calling. It made me think about my HIGHER calling and how I, myself, can be more obedient, more focused, and more diligent. 

The day of the meeting was a hard day for me. I was so tired and I was being a little negative about the smallest of things and I was being rude and judgmental... I also felt very aware of all of my weaknesses and that I have sooo much to improve on. Sometimes when I feel like this, I just want to walk away and not do anything about it. But that night I wrote a list of things that I need to work on to be better and then I wrote in my journal: STAND IN HOLY PLACES AND BE NOT MOVED. When we are always standing in holy places- then we will not move. We will not fall or falter. And if we do- because we are human and we make mistakes and we have weaknesses, then we know which source to look to for a remission of our sins. Something that I have thought about this week is that EVERYTHING REQUIRES EFFORT. We can't just wish to be kind or to be better at serving or wish to invite others to join the gospel or to inherit eternal life. IT REQUIRES EFFORT! It requires writing down ways we are going to improve. It requires using the atonement when we fail or mess up. It requires the courage to try again and again. 

john forsgren, my ancestor

So this is my proposal.

For myself and for us all.

To be better. To stand taller. To be more obedient to God and His commandments. To be kinder. To better follow the prophet and our Savior. To apply the Savior's atonement to our lives everyday. To go to the temple and to bless others' lives by sharing the gospel. For "if we do these things, we will be lifted up at the last day"- Alma 37

What if we fail?

We most likely will. But we know how to start again. Aren't we so blessed to be given so many days that allow us to keep messing up, to keep relearning the same lessons, only to become a tiny bit better? I think it is so awesome that even if we give up or we fail or fall, WE HAVE GROWN! And we have come farther than we would have if we had never tried. It is not only about wishing or desiring- (that is good) but then we must try... 

these goats are all over Gävle

The words "Desire" and "Try" reminds me of the words "Hope" and "Faith". Both of the words DESIRE and HOPE are awesome words. They show that we want something to happen. And both of those words are necessary for us TO try and TO have faith. The words TRY and FAITH are action words. They are the effort that carries us to accomplishing that which we wish to accomplish. 

It is not enough to just have wishes and dreams in life. And it is not enough to just have hope that we have a Savior or that the church is true. WE MUST ACT. And when we act- our wishes, dreams, desires, and hopes, will come true. They will become a reality. I know this because I have seen it in my own life. I had hope to know that the church was true and know I have faith. I had a desire to serve a mission, I took the first step by trying and now I am almost on my way out. And I still take that step every morning as I re-dedicate myself to trying again. 

we got white hot chocolate today because it is raining and it had coffee in it!!! 

HELLO SWEDEN! not everyone drinks coffee! lol. We got new ones though of course

I love the gospel. Sister Anderson and I continue to have the best conversations about deep doctrine, our investigators/ missionary work, and on how we are going to be better. I love her. I love teaching. I love the Swedes and the non Swedes. I love awesome members who love the church and would do anything for it. I love the pure souls that are trying to find the truth.

and last but not least... I LOVE ALL OF YOU. som alltid.

måååånga kramar!! Sis Adelidelidielouu