embrace who you are!

sunflower field

Käre familj och vänner! 

HI. 

This week, I received the nicest letter and package from cute Shauna Benee, and letters from Steve Christensen, Papa and mom!! THANK YOU!! I can't believe I am still getting spoiled! I am so so so grateful. THANK YOU FOR THE CUTEST RING MOM! I love it. And Happy Birthday to TRUMAN!! I love you little buddy!

sister bass and allred

This week was so busy and so fun. We had splits with the Täby Sisters- Sister Bass who is training Sister Allred who just arrived last week. It was fun to be with someone who is just starting their journey here. She is a hard worker and is working really hard on Swedish. It is always fun to be around greenies because they have such a strong desire to work and they are so humble and just want to learn. Sister Allred was telling me about weird things that people are saying at home now- like phrases from songs or something and I was so confused. hahaha I am going to be so out of the loop. She said that people make a clicking noise with their mouth and then say "or na"??? I don't get it. hahaha. Do you know what I am talking about?

bednar conference

We had an awesome Mission Leadership Conference this week as well. It was my last one- which is weird. President Beckstrand asked for those going home to please stand up. It was me, Sister Richins, Taylor, Morris, and Klingler. It was a tender moment for all of us. They are going to be losing 17 Sisters when my group goes home next week! I am guessing that a lot of Sister areas will be closing down. Our conference was on the importance of faith. We focused on these scriptures: Mark 11:22-23 

"And Jesus answering saith unto them, HAVE FAITH IN GOD. For verily I say unto you, that whosoever shall say unto this mountain, be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith." 

our generation pic (I trained hosie and hosie is training Sandberg) :)

We talked about mountains being symbolic of traditions and beliefs. We went through and listed what the different mountains are in the Stockholm Sweden Mission- And I wrote down that the biggest mountain for me is actually feeling like I do have faith and that I have tried to be positive but still haven't seen a lot of success... So the mountain has been that I have needed to CONTINUE to have faith and CONTINUE to be positive even when (or maybe especially when) times are the hardest. But I have also found on my mission that we determine or own success. And I am grateful for that- because I truly feel like I have been given more success than I deserve. 

Sister Beckstrand gave an awesome presentation about our individual gifts and strengths. She asked us to write them down and then she talked about the reason we are given specific strengths- and that is so we can give to the Lords storehouse (D&C 82:18-19). So that we can help those around us. We watched an awesome video of a farmer who has no arms or legs and he said that his parents raised him like they would have raised a child who HAD arms and legs. They taught him that he had the potential to do anything- he had no limitations. He said that it is not EASY to be a farmer- in fact he has to put in 400% instead of 100%... but he can do it. I love that. 

We were ALSO treated to an amazing conference with Elder Bednar. I learned so much from him and felt the spirit so strongly as I sat on the first row right in front of him-- I could just feel and see that he is just a normal person with strengths and weaknesses but that he is an apostle of the Lord. I think what I got the most out of his presentation is how the spirit speaks to me personally. He didn't stand up and give a talk- he asked us to stand up and ask him questions that we have, and as we did that, I felt the spirit answering my individual questions that I had in my heart as I listened to his words and the words of the missionaries around me. One impression that came to me was that I love the Holy Ghost. And that I want it to always be with me so that others can learn- not from me but from the spirit THROUGH me. And the spirit comes through personal testimony and through our worthiness.

our investigator moses

We taught the girl (TWICE) that I wrote about last week, Gabriella... and she is AMAZING. I will tell you about her more in a week! We are so so blessed. Mohamad is the biggest sweetheart and he just wants to share the gospel with all of his family and friends. He had his sister invite us over to her house for dinner this week so that we could teach her family and he bore the sweetest testimony. And then he turned to me and said "I used to love to drink alcohol and do all things bad but the Holy Ghost help me so much and I don't want do those things anymore and I am so happy." :) 

our sunday school class :)

I loved this quote that Shauna sent to me: "Authenticity is a daily practice. Choosing authenticity means: cultivating the COURAGE to be emotionally honest, to set boundaries, and to allow ourselves to be vulnerable; exercising the COMPASSION that comes from knowing that we are all made of strength and struggle and connected to each other through a loving and resilient human spirit; nurturing the CONNECTION and sense of belonging that can only happen when we let go of what we are supposed to be and embrace WHO WE ARE. 

Authenticity demands WHOLEHEARTED living and loving- even when it's hard, even when we're wrestling with the shame and fear of not being good enough, and especially when the joy is so intense that we're afraid to let ourselves feel it. Mindfully practicing authenticity during our most soul-searching struggles is how we invite GRACE, JOY, and GRATITUDE into our lives."- Brené Brown. 

doris and olle took us to lunch this week and watched us get on the bus hahaha they are like our parents. :)

I especially love how it says that we feel that sense of belonging when we let go of what we are supposed to be and embrace who we are. This is what the Gospel of Jesus Christ teaches us. This is what our Heavenly Father and Savior are trying to teach us over and over again everyday. I have really come to love myself on my mission for who I truly am as I allowed the gospel to come into my life and as I pushed away all that the world wants me to be. Yesterday in our Sunday school lesson, we wrote a list of values that we have in the church and we talked about how Satan and the world is asking the exact opposite of those values. It is hard, but as we live the values of the gospel, we will learn that we are meant to have different strengths to add to the Lords storehouse, we are meant to be unique and authentic. We are meant to feel like we belong when we are doing things that are right- not when we are doing the things of the world. 

SO... Embrace who you are. Invite grace, joy and gratitude into your lives as you practice being authentic. Because as we embrace who we really are, we will embrace being members of this amazing church- because the gospel and its values are what shape us into being who we are. WE ARE UNIQUE and WE ARE AWESOME!

we walk through forests to get to our lessons :)

I will be writing home for the last time next week. I am excited to work hard for one more week! We are doing our last sister exchanges in Luleå tomorrow and Wednesday and we have a full week planned with members and investigators so I can say my goodbyes. It will be awesome! 

I LOVE YOU ALL-- have a happy and good week. Thank you for the letters and love and prayers and kindness and goodness. Tell cute Truman Happy Birthday for me! I love that boy!!

-Adelide

OH YA: And a member from Gubbängen called me this week and said that he ran into a less active and they started talking and she is also related to Peter Forsgren! He knew I was serving here and called me and gave me her number to call her- he said that she was excited to talk to me. So that was pretty cool! 

AND I found Ulla Birgitta- the lady that dad taught for 6 months and she got baptized but has been less active for some years now. I found her address and called the Elders in Hägersten and they went by her and she said that she loves dad and our family and was excited to meet with them! I told them to tell her that we would love to meet up with her next summer when we come :)

ANNND I am happy that Henry is out in the field! Even if it is in Idaho! I am totally road tripping it up there to see him hahahaha just kidding but really.