Hej Igen

Letter sent August 29, 2016:

Hejsaan ya'll

Sitting in the coolest library room I've ever been in. Such a high ceiling and so many windows. It's really pretty.

After telling someone on the street we serve missions for 18 months and how long I've been out they told me that I don't have much time left. This is the first time I've heard that--normally they say I still have a while. I've been in mid-mission crisis ever since.

What a good exhausting week. On Monday we prepared for the week and all that good stuff and then jumped on a train up to Stockholm because we had mission leadership council on Tuesday. I LOVE STOCKHOLM. It just warms my whole heart to be underground on the tunnelbanas and see all the pendeltågs and just ahh. I love it. Sister Jackson and I stayed the night in Täby and then Tuesday morning we headed over to the mission home for the meeting. I got to see so many people I love: The Beckstrands, Syster Hall, Syster Wilson, and a couple other missionaries from my MTC group that I haven't seen since we abandoned the MTC entered the real world of Sweden. The training was incredible as they always are. It's so cool that a bunch of us get together and listen to the training and then have liberty to take from it and teach the zones whatever we feel that they need. It strengthened my testimony of the spirit and recieving inspiration a lot when Sister Jackson and I called up to talk to the zone leaders in Göteborg and found out that they had focused on something completely different than what we had talked about in our zone training. One thing I liked that President Beckstrand said was while he was talking about success and defining success in the right way. He went up to an Elder and said, "I bet you thought you were going to slay it when you got out here to Sweden, huh? You thought you would baptize thousands, right?" The missionary nodded and then President said, "Well guess what, you are slaying it." He then talked about how there are a lot of different aspects of missionary work and all of them have to be done to help the children of God. On the way back, we talked with the Malmö zone leaders about the zone training and planned for that. Also ate digestives with white chocolate which is absolutely divine. Also created a weight loss competition. The elders were insistent that we do it as companionships and as the reward, if they win, they have requested that we pay for them to eat at their favorite buffet and then just sit there and watch them eat. Kind of defeats the whole purpose of losing weight but whatevs. 

Thursday Sister Jackson and I had our first planned lesson go through as a companionship!! We were pretty stoked about that! Turns out the couple wasn't actually interesed and just told us God doesn't exist the whole time and kept comparing belief in God to traveling to China but like, it was nice to sit down for a bit. 

Friday we had our zone training and it went super well. We talked about knowledge, and motives behind doing the things we do. Like, the pharisees had a lot of knowledge that they tried to wreck Jesus and others with all the time. The different between Christ and the pharisees and saducees (there are many differences but just to name one) is that Christ is motivated by charity, His love for the people. He teaches with love. That's why His teaching is effective and that's why people continue to listen. It's so important that as missionaries and as members of the church we have the right reasons driving our actions.

Saturday we talked to the nicest Jehovah's witnesses I've ever met. Also talked to hundreds of other people. Classic our lives. Also saw a be-a-u-tiful sunset. Seriously Malmö is gorgeous and I can't get over it. 

Sunday we taught primay (most adorable picture you've ever seen attached). One little girl reminds me so much of Piper. This primary just melts my heart. I love them. 

I love the gospel. I really do. I know it can help every single person regardless of circumstances, problems, or interests. It is the gospel of Jesus Christ and one day everyone will know about it. Everyone will confess that Jesus is the Christ. It's going to be a really nice day. 

Älskar er!

Syster May

Sunset pictures never do justice!

"When you stand here you'e only 96 steps away from an extremely good icecream"

 

Lots of Syster Mays and Jacksons

Digestives and white chocolate blur

MALMO

Letter sent August 22, 2016:

Kungsparken with Syster Jackson

 Hello hello!!

Wow, transfer week is always insane. I feel like so much has happened because I've been in two different areas and then I come to email and turns out that your lives have been the exact same. I'm currently emailing at  library..I've always emailed at the church in my past areas so the computer language has been in english, but now the language is Swedish and literally every word is underlined in red. It also means no english spell. Syster Jackson and I were not about to go to the church though. We doubled in and literally all we had waiting for us was an apartment (the "pent house" as the mission has taken to calling it). So we have no bus cards or bikes. It takes about 45 minutes to walk to the church without talking to people but you can make it there in about 32 if you are speed walking at olympic pace. Syster Jackson and I have made the walk about 6 times in our past 4 days here. I feel like this is what I anticipated when I thought of missionary work before I got here. Walking everywhere. We will hopefully be receiving bus cards on Wednesday. Although it won't really help the situation because we have no where to travel to haha. We just like literally have nothing going in this area because no sisters existed before. So we have like 6 hours of contacting every day. The grind, people. Syster Jackson makes it enjoyable though. She's sarcastic and witty and is comfortable in silence. So when we're on a long road with no people on it we sometimes go like a half hour without even saying anything. It's a nice time to think. And it's rewarding to come home dead tired at the end of every day.

Come home dead tired and relax in the dream apartment. I wish someone would have recorded our reactions our first day in the apartment. They could have used the footage on Extreme Home Makeover. Like granted, compared to normal life, my real home in Logan, it's not that fabulous. But it's at least 2 times bigger than all other apartments I've been in. Plus it has a piano. and "persian" rugs. Actually probably really cheap rugs but I like to call them persian rugs because it sounds for deluxe. 

Malmö is BEAUTIFUL. I always heard from Courtney, the former sister Bateman, that Malmö was the absolute best but now I know for myself. It is so pretty here and has all these giant parks. Whenever Syster Jackson and I look at a map to find out where we are, we always end up being next to this park called Kungsparken. It's massive. And we live right next to it so it means we're close to home. Basically Kungsparken has become my life. It's my landmark in this city.

Church on Sunday was so fun. So many people were like, "FINALLY!! Sisters again!" This is the most missionaries I've ever served in a ward with. There are 2 sets of elders, so there are 6 of us all together. We got invited to come into primary and we introduced ourselves and then we would sing our favorite primary song (it was for singing time). It was so funny. We would let the kids ask us questions and one of them asked Syster Jackson how old she was. Syster Jackson told her that she could guess. So the little girl, probably like 7 or 8, thought about it really hard and was like "31!" Then all the girls proceeded to yell out different numbers. When Syster Jackson said that she is 20, the first girl was like, "That's what I thought from the beginning, I just didn't say it." Classic.

So remember how they speak Skånish down here? Yeah, they do. Sometimes they don't have a super hard accent so it still goes to understand them. But we talked to this one guy and at the end we were getting his number and we were like, What's your name? He was like, "Paderi" It sounded so weird and I was like, "okayyyy, uh, how do you spell that?" So he says, "p-a-t-a-r" I typed it out and showed him and he was like, "Nooo. p-a-t-a-r." So I tried again and spelled it like, "p-ä-t-ä-r" showed him again. wrong again. He typed it. Turns out his name was PETER. Are you kidding me??? It sounded nothing like Peter. Syster Jackson and I just looked at each other and were like, what just happened to us.  

In other news, today we will be traveling up to Stockholm because we have MLC tomorrow! I'm super excited. MLC was the best last transfer so I'm excited to learn oodles again. 

Hoppas ni har en finn vecka!

Have it good.

Syster May

Lunch at Malmo Festivalen

Kladkaka gjorde av Aldste Frankman because 6 hours of contacting

Syster Jackson and Aldste Backman:  having a good time.  Me:  pretending to understand the old lady
not pictured as she spoke mumbled Skanish at me.

One view of our apartment

View out apartment window

More sent to Mom:

My new area is really pretty and big compared to my other areas. I really like it. There are a ton of trees everywhere and we can see the ocean and it's really just beautiful. Hopefully we'll be able to take a trip over to the Köpenhamn temple! It's been 6 months since I've been so it's time for me to go again so I think President will let us go sometime this transfer. 

I always thought that talking to people would get easier on the mission but even now it's still just as hard to stop strangers on the street and start talking to them. I don't know why I get scared. If they're mad or not interested then they'll just say that and then I won't have to talk to them. And if they're nice and willing to talk then it will be pleasant. And there are always a few extremely awkward conversations every day, but I forget those as soon as they're over. Haha, but I still just have to get over myself every day. It's good though. Character building. Before my mission I always thought that I wanted to marry a returned missionary. But it was mostly just because it's essentially a commandment for them. But now that I've been out I want to marry a returned missionary even more because I know what you go through on a mission and if you do it right you learn more out here than you could ever learn in 2 years at home. You go through things here that you don't go through anywhere else. And the experiences are good and make you a better person. Sometimes I get all caught up thinking if I've learned enough or if I've even changed at all. I hope I have. I guess we'll see when I get home and am placed in a normal situation. 

Malmo Bound

Letter received August 15, 2016:

Aftermath of Birthday Cobbler

We got our transfer calls and I'll be doubling in to Malmö with Syster Jackson! I've only met her a couple times but I'm super excited! I was talking to the office elders on the phone a couple days ago asking about the situation down in Malmö...the apartment, phone, etc. and they were like, "basically you will have your companion and your testimony for the first little while." So that was encouraging haha. That's all we really need! Nah, there's an apartment and beds but other than that, nothing. I'm just beyond excited though. At church yesterday everyone was like, "good look learning a new language!" They speak skånish down there so that will be a good time. Really it's just a super thick accent that's danish-like and they have a few different words. I think. I don't really know. But I'll find out soon!

In other news, we talked to a lot of people this week. I basically just update you all on things that are out of the norm. But every email every week could say "we talk to a lot of people." 

We traveled to Stockholm on Thursday because Sister Christensen had her train the trainers meeting on Friday. Since Jönköping is out in the middle of nowhere with no other sisters nearby, I went with her and spent the day with the Jakobsberg sisters, Sister Davis and Sister Matwaychuk. I love them both. It was good to be back. 

I have discovered a hole in one of my shoes and am feeling shoes-feeling like a fulfilled missionary. Unfortunately it has rained every day since the hole has been discovered. It's fun and squishy. 

Yesterday was a birthday to never forget. We were walking around stan and Sister C was like, "what do you normally do on your birthday?" I told her and she was like, "Oh, so you don't normally contact?" I was humorous in the moment. Mom came in so clutch with the berry cobbler. I loved it. It's exactly what I would have asked for if I was home. 

I love you! Have a great week!

Have it good.

Syster May

Deteriorating Socks

Final Pic of the District

Actual Final Pic

Peanut Butter and Honey Sandwiches are Life!

With the Jakobsberg Systers

Cutest companion making waffles

Birthday cobbler

 Portion from letter to mom this week:

Yes, so I'm going to Malmö. I'm very excited. I'm just so excited to open up a new place. They haven't had sisters in about a year. Everyone who has seen the new apartment says it's giant and so nice. I'm also excited to be with Syster Jackson. She's been on her mission for 15 months so it will be nice to be with someone who is good at Swedish so I can learn from her. I'm just happy and excited. 

Syster C and Me

Letter sent August 8, 2016:

Dora

Didn't realize the repercussions of not writing last week when I made the decision not to. Currently in regret. BUT. Last week I went down to Helsingborg. I got to spend a day with Syster Christofferson. She is darling and so confident to just talk with everyone! She is Syster Wilson's greenie so I got to see Syster Wilson as well. It was super fun! Basically that was the only super-out-of-the-norm thing that we did last week. Hence no email.

But this week is a whole new ballgame. On Monday we had a zone volleyball tournament. President and Syster Beckstrand organized one last year as well so I guess it's going to be a tradition or something. It was super fun. My team took a devastating loss in the championship game and ended up getting second. I eliminated my frustration playing doubles for the next hour and a half and had the literal time of my life. Also got sad because my volleyball skills have significantly diminished (not reason for loss of the championship). It was super fun to dive again. 

While there, Emma came to visit the park we were playing at so I got to see her and talk to her for a little bit! It had been so long since she was living with Holly and it was so fun to see her. Mom, we'll have to come visit her because she lives in the most beautiful city. 

Thursday we went back to Gothenburg for a specialized zone training. It was just wonderful, like they always are when President and Syster Beckstrand and the assistants talk to us. They talked about obedience and the blessings that come from being completely obedient and following the spirit. During lunch we did this thing where we had a ball of yarn and you toss it to someone in the circle and say what you like about them or something you've noticed that's good about them. Then they toss it to someone else, but keep hold of the string so it's like a giant spider web at the end. It was supposed to be a unifying activity because everyone was doing it in all the zones and so we're all connected. It sounds cheesy but it was actually super heartfelt and nice and feel-goody. 

We visited Dora again this week. Can't say it enough but I love her. We're trying to help her understand that God's commandments apply to all of us, regardless of circumstances. 

We also met with Abdul a couple times this week. A member named Alex came to one of the lessons and it was so so good. The spirit was so strong as we read Mosiah 18 with him and all 3 of us bore testimony that baptism really is his next step and that it's possible. I've seen such a big change in Abdul since we started meeting with him. His countenance is different and when he bears his testimony in lessons, his belief in Christ and repentance has strengthened. It's wonderful to see. I think when I came on my mission I expected change to be immediate. And even now I expect that sometimes. But with Abdul it's taken time, but it's so worth it. It's so good to see that anyone who exerts effort can change and become better and happier.

We also met with Ted a few times this week. Ted is hilarious. He was talking about my birthmark and so we were asking him how to say mole in Swedish and he kept on acting out the animal, mole, and telling us the word for the animal instead of for the skin deformity. It was super funny. And he came to church on Sunday! We've been reading the book of mormon with him. This week we read 1 Nephi 3 and 4. When Nephi and his brothers return to Jerusalem to get the brass plates from Laban. I was getting so into the story. Nephi is so obedient. I know that obedience to what God has asked us to do brings blessings and happiness. I also know that God doesn't ask us to do anything that we aren't capable of. When we rely on Him, we can do everything that is required of us.

I'm just really happy for the gospel in my life. For my belief in Jesus Christ and the happiness that it brings me every day. It's not always easy to read the scriptures, and say good prayers, and pay attention during church but I know that when we just buckle down, stop making excuses, and do it, blessing come. Happiness comes. You just feel good. Hela tiden. all the time. It's wonderful.

Ha en bra dag och vecka!

Kram,

Syster May

Me and Syster C

Eating Grapes with Ingalill

Syster Christofferson and me

Dora in a Nutshell

Abdul

Seeing Emma!

The Zone

Carrying 50 kilos of Liahonas