Malmö's 20!

Letter sent September 19, 2016:

Pear the size of my head

 I love Sweden. I just do. We go running in the park by our house in the morning and it's just so tranquil and beautiful. There's this long stretch in the park and on either sides of the path there are massive pine trees whose branches go all the way to the ground and then there are little light poles dispersed between them and it is just absolutely dreamy. I feel like I'm in Narnia. I think it's going to be so beautiful in the winter. I hope they put lights up on all the trees. 

So this week the Malmö stake filled 20 years!!! Yay, way to go Malmö! Wierd that the stake wasn't even organized when I was born. In any case, they had stake conference this weekend and on Friday they had a party. By request the missionaries were asked to do a little skit thing at the fest (something that Elder Duke and Elder Demourdant had done last transfer that the ward thought was funny). It was one of those skits where there's a sheet up and then a person just pops their head and torso through and their arms and hands are the feet and legs and then someone else sticks their hands through to be the actual hands except that person can't see anything so it's funny. So we did "a day in the life of a missionary" and it was funny and you would have laughed. Don't worry, we recorded it. Post-mission laughs. 

Stake conference was super good. There was a person from the quorom of the 70 who came whose native language is portuguese and seoncd language is english. His english was passable but not bomb. But holy cow he was hilarious. What made it even funnier was that his translator was a 25ish swede who just kept talking in monotone. Elder whats-his-name kept on saying "WOOOW!!" during all of his stories and having all these big body movements while he said it and then it would just get translated to "wow." 

Practicing for the skit

Helping at the stake party

We met with a few people this week for the first time that we're excited to meet with again! Per, an old swedish guy who's been a member of the swedish church for like 30 years. Actually astounding because he is an active member of the swedish church. He actually goes. Unheard of. We also met with a guy named Krozan from Denmark. He's pretty good at swedish but he also just speaks danish to us. When people speak Danish and Norwegian it is the most confusing thing. They're close enough to swedish that I understand basic ideas and when they're saying but I don't get all the details. But right at the beginning when they start talking my brain just flips because I'm understanding but not completely and so I just automatically assume that my sweidsh is super not up to par. Then after a minute I realize it's actually just a different language. We also met with a man named Saif. He's just like, I don't know what to believe, there are so many options and I don't know what is true. We were like, yes, hello, welcome, we will teach you all. 

The absolute funniest thing happened. So we were calling through the ward list that the relief society president had given us (active members were highlighted so we new who was less active) to try to set up times to meet with less/in-active members. We called this youngish girl named Julia and she was super willing and excited to meet. We were super pumped. So we were meeting her in a mall. First time missionary meet ups are the worst because you don't ever know what the person looks like so you're scanning the crowd for some random person. She called us and was like, where are you? and then was walking towards us apparently. She was like, "Oh, I see you!" And up comes this member that we've totally met before at church. Don't worry though. We handled it smoothly. But it was just so funny. Sister Jackson and I just side glanced at each other and had no time to laugh about it in the moment. 

Sister Jackson and I got super over the diet life yesterday and made apple crisp. Overcoming the natural man is just so hard. 

Apple crisp delish

But man, I'm just so happy!! The gospel is the absolute best thing in the world. I'm so grateful that I have knowledge about Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father. There are so many people that have no idea about the fulness of the gospel. About Joseph Smith, the Book or Mormon. So go share it with them! You just have to suck it up and start talking. To your friends or your family or the random person sitting next to you or whatever. You never know who's searching and whose life it's going to change. The church is true. 

Have it good.

Syster May

Sisters stayed the night for stake conference