indian summer.

There is a time of year that the Swedes call "Indian summer"- (maybe it’s called that all over the world but I've never heard it before- haha). It occurs after a few cold weeks of fall when the sun comes back out and is really warm during the day time. To me it is kind of like a mix between summer and fall. The seasons, like Papa has said, match the seasons of our lives. I know I have mentioned this before but Papa said that winter, spring, summer and fall are like our trials, opportunities, blessings, and lessons learned. This has been a good time to harvest the lessons I have learned over the past 18 months and with this Indian summer I feel like it was a good week to notice all of the blessings in my life as well.

ahahhaha this is a funny picture

We got a call this week from the Sisters in Norrköping saying that one of their investigators has just moved to Uppsala and would love for us to call her. The Sister that was talking to me on the phone said "And Sister Christensen... I think you were the one that contacted her!" Her name is Awet and Sister LaFontaine and I contacted her in April when we were in Norrköping for General Conference. We randomly decided in between sessions to go outside and get a few contacts in, so we did, and we met Awet! We got her number and gave it to the Norrköping Sisters and they have been teaching her and she has been coming to church for the past five months! And she just happened to move to Uppsala where I am serving! I was on splits with Sister Ludvig (she is serving in Gävle) when I got the call so we decided to call her that night and we ended up meeting with her and then she came to church on Sunday! She is from Eretria and there is a bit of a language barrier but she is such a sweetheart.

the guy that owns this went to the bathroom and asked for us to watch over his stuff hahaha

Another blessing was that we got a text from a girl named Gabriella who said that she used to meet with the Sister Missionaries and is now ready and interested in meeting again and learning more. So we are meeting with her tomorrow!

And among so many other blessings, MOHAMMED WAS BAPTIZED!!! He was baptized on Saturday and it was a beautiful baptism. He was so excited and his Sisters came to watch and support him and it was so quiet and peaceful. The Spirit was so strong. And afterwards he gave a "speech" that he had prepared. It was so awesome. At the end of the speech he said "I just want to be a good Mormon." :). It has been so cool to watch him progress and go from being muslim to gaining an understanding of our Savior and wanting to be more like Him. He is so happy to be a member and wants to help translate for persian speakers and teach lessons in church. He is filled with so much light! I haven't experienced seeing many baptisms or reactivation's on my mission, but when I do, there is a peaceful confirmation in my heart that it is never me or any of the missionaries who did anything. Our job is just to invite and to teach with the Spirit. And I am so grateful that the Lord does the rest.

Mohammed received the Gift of the Holy Ghost yesterday in church and it was so cool to watch him take the sacrament and renew his covenants that he made yesterday. He is already planning on getting the Priesthood next Sunday and he is so excited. It made think of how much I love the Priesthood and need it in my life. I am so grateful that I grew up in a home where my dad was worthy of the Priesthood and was always willing to give myself and others blessings when they were needed. I remember, almost exactly a year and a half ago, when dad gave me a Father’s Blessing before I entered into the MTC. The spirit was strong, we were both crying, and at that moment, I felt his love so strongly for me. And as I sat in a chair in our kitchen, listening to the words of my earthly father, I felt so strongly the love of my Heavenly Father... That He knew who I was and what I was about to do and that He was going to help me and comfort me along the way.

The Priesthood is so powerful.

tracting

During that Sacrament Meeting as I thought of the Priesthood, I looked around at all of the amazing men in our little Uppsala ward who have been such great examples to me over the past 8 weeks. The first one is Pontus. He is 25 and got baptized three years ago. He was Atheist and was a total skater with long hair and baggy clothes. One day at a school event, he was listening to a gospel choir group from Africa and that is where he met Kele. She was singing in the group and he talked to her afterwards and she told him that she was a Mormon. He started meeting with the missionaries and got baptized a year later and just got married to Kele in the temple two months ago. He is so strong and I love his story and really look up to him. Other men in our ward that I love are Jon Wellin-berg- (He is in his 70's and is the happiest man. He never stops smiling and he is so humble), Torsten- he is also in his 70's and is so humble and grateful. If you ever compliment him on something he says that he is just so grateful that God has provided him with so many blessings (like his tie or his shirt) :) haha. Kurt- is a huge guy who looks kind of scary but he is the nicest sweetest guy. He loves the gospel and does so much for the ward. These men are so Christ-like and I am so grateful for them.

I love going to sacrament meeting! I always learn so much and feel the spirit so strongly.

beautiful uppsala

we took a raft down the river!

Our Bishop always encourages us before Testimony meeting to just bear a simple short testimony. The difference of the spirit was so amazing when the members did this. It gave almost every member a chance to get up and just bare a short testimony of something they know is true and that they are grateful for. Almost every part of the gospel was testified of. If we do this on Fast Sundays, we will allow more people to have a chance to bare their testimonies. To simply state what they know is true. And I have a testimony that if there is anyone who is doubting something in the gospel, that it will be testified of by someone else during testimony meeting.

This week I am grateful for Indian summers- for the sunshine that has come back out for a couple of days. :)

I am grateful for Baptism, the Priesthood, and for the companionship of the Holy Ghost. I am grateful for my companion and for Isam who translated for us in Arabic about 5 different times this week- haha.

and...

I am so sorry for Henry. I know he must feel so sad to not get going in Taiwan- but it happens to a lot of missionaries and he will be okay. The Elders who are going home with me, didn't get their Visas at the beginning of their missions and had to serve in West Virginia for a couple of months. I am kind of praying that this is a tender mercy on my part- because if he stays at the MTC for two more weeks until I get home, I might be able to see him at the temple for a quick hug!! But I know that is a selfish desire and I will continue to pray for his Visa to come :)

Love you family and friends!!! Have a happy week.

bye bye- adelide <3