Annandag Jul

Letter sent December 26, 2016:

The closest thing we got to our own Christmas tree (we decorated it)

Well, Merry Christmas ya'll. I hope you all had white Christmases because we got a wet warm one! Definitely not what I expected when I got called to Sweden but it was 10 degrees on Christmas! We were going scarf-less it was so warm. I almost thought I was on a deluxe Hawaiian vacation or something. 

This week has just flown by with all the Christmas festivities! We had dinner with a few members, the Del Barco's, Elisabeth Johansson, and Mamma Rosa. Mamma Rosa is one of our investigators and she is the absolute best!! She made us the yummiest food and kept offering her apartment to us saying that we could come just relax there and sleep over some nights and come cook food there if we want because she has her other apartment. We wish that worked with our rules but unfortunately not. She told us she wants to be our mother here in Sweden. Sister McClatchie and I were like, you are the kind of people that our parents pray for. People to just take care of us. 

We went and Christmas caroled in the middle of the city in Lund with our district of Friday. It was so fun and such a struggle haha. First you just have to know that no one in our district is a real singer. The first song we sung was "Nu Tändas Tusen Jule Ljus" which is just absolutely beautiful but isn't super upbeat. It took us  while to really get going. It turned out way fun though. 

Friday night we also had a dinner for one of our investigators and a new convert. We and the elders made it and it turned out so fun! 

Then Saturday was Christmas Eve!! The day that they all celebrate here in Sweden. We're allowed to watch Christmas movies for Christmas so it was unanimously agreed upon by the missionaries in Malmö that it was necessary to wake up at and meet at the church at 6 to begin watching Christmas movies so that we could get a few in before we went to members houses. Later, we went over to Per Larsson's house and made Christmas candy to bring to neighbors and then watched Kalle Anka. Then we went over to May-Elin's for the real fest! It was so so so much fun. They have 6 girls and we just had a blast with them opening their presents and eating divine Norwegian food. 

5:30 am, ready for Disney!

Christmas Eve with the Westgards

Then yesterday was Christmas day and it was just so good! I love having church on Christmas because you get a whole hour to just really remember why we're celebrating the day. The spirit was so strong in sacrament meeting. I'm so grateful for Jesus Christ and that he was born. That he lived for us. I know that the atonement is for each one of us! It's for YOU. I love Christmas time.

After church we went over to David Bäckström's and ate and skyped. Gahh, it was so good to see the FAM!!! I love you all and how did everyone get so giant?? 

Then this morning Sister McClatchie invited all the sister missionaries that live in Skåne over for a Christmas brunch. It was so much fun to have all the sisters together. I love the missionaries in this mission. Sweden is crazy and these people are the best. 

Christmas Brunch

I love you!!! Have a fabulous annandag jul (another holiday on Swedish calendars..."another day Christmas")

AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!

Syster May

GOD JUL

Letter sent December 19, 2016:

You can't see, but the Christmas tree behind us is MASSIVE

Sorry for the lack of email last week. Some quick updates from last week. We went to Västra Frölunda for work overs and then zone conference. We had to fold a million napkins into christmas trees for the zone conference to please sister Watson, a senior missionary who always does all the cooking for our conferences over here on the west coast. I would do anything for Sister Watson. She is the most loving human I have ever met. Plus, let's be honest. I love doing mundane crafts/tasks like folding a hundred napkins into Christmas trees. We got transfer calls last Saturday and found out that all the elders were going to leave Malmö and 4 new elders were coming. And that I would be staying in Malmö!!! I am so happy. I love love love love Malmö. 

Folding napkin trees with Syster Wagner and Syster Heaps

This week has been solid. On Monday we went down pretty south to Trelleborg to get pizza. Missionary rumor is that the pizza (kebab) gets better the more southern you are in Sweden so we had to go eat at the most southern pizzeria. Afterwards as we started driving back the sunset was just absolutely beautiful so we pulled oft to take pictures. There was a pence by the parking lot but there was an opening and trail off to the side so we went in that way and stood on the ledge of land for a while taking pictures. Then we decided to go out on a little arm of land that stretched a little ways out into the ocean. We were all out on this little arm having a great time until someone decided to breath through their nose and we looked down and realized that this peninsula thing was made up of compost. We quickly realized that we were frolicking on a pile of poop and ran back asap. Turns out the fence wasn't trying to limit our fun, it was just trying to protect us. Anyways, I'm attaching a picture of the sunset because holy cow it was perfect and the moon was shining so brightly. It's on the other side of the panorama. Beautiful. That night we handed out a bunch of cupcakes that May-Elin (she's like a professional cake decorator) had baked on buses. Everyone was so happy and it really felt like Christmas. We were like, we don't even care that we aren't invited anywhere for Christmas, we just want to hand out cupcakes on buses all day. It was the best. 

Moon/sunset beauty

Classic

Making cupcake toppers at May-Elin's

On Tuesday we had another classic missionary day of all our lessons cancelling. So we went out contacting and holy cow I was just not feeling it at the beginning but by the end it was so much fun. I love that that always happens. I think that contacting for hours is going to be the worst and then it turns out to be the best because I get to tell so many people about God and Jesus Christ and when they actually stay and talk back it's so rewarding. 

On Wednesday we said goodbye to the fivepan. Elder Loerstcher left at 7am and then Elder Frankman left later and then elder cox. They had to use our bus cards and we had to get their phones and transfer reports so we ended up being at the station when the left and it was so sad. But we were so excited for all the new elders to come in and join us in the best city in the world. No disappointment. They got in that night and we had to hand over all the phones. I had felt so powerful all day with three phones. 

Saying goodbye to Elder Cox, the last member of the 5pan

The new Malmo crew

On Thursday we had dinner at the bishops house. I love their family. They have a son reminds me so much of Dalton. He's like 10 and the whole time they were like, "Sorry, we don't know when he's going to grow up." Haha, reminded me of home. On Friday we had district meeting. Then we taught a lady who used to be taught in Stockholm but had lost contact with the church. A lot of recent circumstances in her life have directed her to know that she needs to learn more about Jesus Christ now. She speaks Persian so next time we'll have a translator with us even though she speaks decent Swedish because she says she really wants to understand our message. Then we did family history with Lena. She's a master, I'm tellin ya. If every person was as good at family history as Lena then everyone would be found by now and the millenium wouldn't even be necessary. Then we taught our investigator named Jennifer. We read through the family: a proclamation to the family and talked about how we all are Gods children and have divine potential. The spirit was really there. It was so good. Then that night we were supposed to go Christmas caroling for a ward activity but like no one came so that was kind of a let down. Sweden really kills the joy of Christmas caroling because A) all buildings have portcodes so you can't just surprise people with singing. You have to like hope that they answer and let you into the building and then they just already know you're there. Also really puts a damper on swinging by and dropping of Christmas treats because, same problem. If you somehow do get into the building they don't have a walkway or porch to drop christmas treats off on if they aren't home. Basically, I'm just really excited to be able to do that next year. I love how everyone in the ward has "their treat" that they bring each year. I was thinking about the Carters homemade melt-away mints and moms white chocolate pretzel stuff. Yum. BUT, mine and sister McClatchie's "caroling" went well. We had a great night. 

The angels of the ward:  Karmen, Sara, Bianca, and Alva

Saturday we met with Khaldoon. He had read the whole restoration pamphlet before we even met and was just so sincere. Then at the end he prayed and said he was grateful that he had received so many answers to his questions. We're so excited to meet with him again. 

Sunday. The ward came in so clutch and people invited us over for Christmas. We're so excited to get to visit so many members this next week. We're going to spend Christmas Eve with May-Elin. She is our Norwegian mother. I love her and her whole family. It just feels like home there.

I'm so excited for CHRISTMAS. I'm so happy to be a missionary again this year. It really helps to remember why I really celebrate Christmas. It's so incredible to visit so many people. Some of which are well off and others which aren't and be able to see humble Christmas celebrations. I'm so grateful that Jesus Christ was born. That he lived and died for us. I know that He loves us and that he can help us with everything that we go through. He is our Savior and the light of the world.

MERRY CHRISTMAS 

Syster May

The Fivepan

Letter sent December 5, 2016:

With Mandi at Julfesten

 This week was so fab. On Monday we went and visited the sweetest lady in the ward named Jesy. Her son is the most obedient child I have ever seen. He's like 2 and he cleaned up all his toys without being asked and just kept playing quietly with them. 

Tuesday we went up to the beautiful land of Jönköping. It felt so good to be back in my old stomping grounds. Syster Gill and I had a great time together. She is a wonderful missionary and I'm so happy I got to spend a day with her! It was so good to walk the streets of Östra centrum again. 

Jonkoping with Syster Gill

Thursday we had district meeting. Nothing describes missionary life in Sweden better than our life on Thursday. We had the whole day planned with member present lessons and no extra time and then everything canceled. Classic. So we got some solid time out on the beautiful lit up streets of Malmö.

Friday I got to go to Helsingborg to do the work with Sister Eldridge for a day! I love her. Another classic missionary day occurred so we hit the streets. It's always fun to contact in a different city than your own. 

Helsingborg with Syster Eldridge

Saturday we had our wards Christmas party. SO FUN. We danced around the Christmas tree. (similar dances to the ones we did around the midsommar pole in the summer) I love that it doesn't matter what you age is, all swedes get up and dance around the tree like a bunch of kids. It's so much fun. We (all missionaries) got asked to do a musical number aka just sing we wish you a merry christmas. So the piano player gave us the music to sing to and it just was a bit of a train wreck because I'm pretty sure she printed the lyrics off from a Swedish website because it was not the same "we wish you a merry christmas" that I have been singing my whole life. But it made everyone laugh so I guess mission accomplished right?

Yesterday we had dinner with two young members in the ward; Matilda and Isabelle. I love them. We always feel so welcome in their cozy little apartment. We got a talking to because all Americans drive our cars too much and we're destroying the world. The fivepan had our debut thought together. Haha it was fun to have all of us teach the thought instead of just one companionship. I can describe our past week in Malmö no better than with "the Fivepan!!" One of us will shout it out and then the rest of us will echo shouts of "the fivepan!" (disclaimer: we're not actually a fivepan in case anyone was worried)

Malmo lights

That's a wrap. I just love the Christmas season. We've gotten a few "God Jul"s on the street and it's just real cheery. I love the advent calendar that the church created of ways that we can all follow Jesus Christ's example during the month of December. I've recently been amazed by the amount of love that God and Jesus Christ have for each one of us. I have a very current testimony that this church is true. That the gospel brings happiness faster, better, and more lasting than any other thing in the world. I love it. And I love all of you!

kram kram,

Syster May