Reunited for a Whole Transfer

Letter sent January 30, 2017:

HELLO!!

Okay, so first things first, we got transfer calls!! I am going back up to Stockholm to serve in TÄBY! I am so excited!  Täby is right next to Jakobsberg so I'm going to get to go back to my birthplace a few times. But to top it all off my companion is going to be SISTER DAVIS!!!!!! MTC companions reunited. Both the sisters that are currently in Täby are leaving and Sister Davis and I are moving in. We're opening up a new sister training leader area. So I'll still get to go on splits with tons of sisters in different areas. (SO SO EXCITED BECAUSE I CAN GO TO JAKOBSBERG). 

It was so sad saying goodbye to the ward here in Malmö. I serviously love this place so much. I was surprised when a few tears slipped out as I bore my goodbye testimony yesterday. That hasn't happened since I left Jakobsberg. I'm so grateful that I got to serve in Malmö for six months. But Sister McClatchie has served in Täby and she assures me that it is the somehow also the best place. It will be hard to beat Malmö. But I am thrilled to move to Täby. 

I'm sure a lot of you have heard but this week we had a worldwide missionary broadcast and they announced a new schedule and new goals and key indicators. We just started the new schedule today and it was so nice. We have so much time on P-day. Also it was weird to do our planning for the day in the morning instead of on Sunday evening. Sister McClatchie and I have talked a lot about it and we can already see how all the new changes are going to help hasten the work. God really knows what He's up to. 

This week I went on splits with Sister Gow. She's adorable. We tracted a massive apartment building and no one was super into being humble and wanting to hear about the gospel until we got to the very bottom floor. The first door we knocked on down there was a darling old Swedish lady who we're going to meet again tomorrow. I thought of President Uchtdorf's talk "Fourth Floor, Last Door" except for that this was "first floor, first door" but the idea was the same because we started at the top. I'm way happy that we just kept on going. 

So basically all I really have to say is that I'm losing my mind that I'm going to Täby. Real winter is about to begin now that I'm leaving the southern heat. Hope you all have a great week!!

med kärlek,

Syster May

[Also, from another letter, a little more information about the new missionary guidelines:

The new schedule is good! I think that maybe our mission president has always been a little lenient with the schedule because we have always been able to switch up our schedule if we need to...maybe it was more strict in other missions. But we are really excited for the changes! They also changed our "key indicators." Like, we used to have to count how many people we talk to each day, how many lessons we teach, lessons with a member present, referrals received, referrals contacted, new investigators, less actives in sacrament meeting, lessons taught to new converts and less actives, baptismal dates, baptisms, and confirmations, and progressing investigators. Now we will only be counting baptism and confirmations, baptismal dates, investigators in sacrament meeting, and new investigators. It will be so nice. It already has been so nice. 

Sass Snowstorms and Splits

Letter sent January 16, 2017:

Wednesday's snow

Hejsan Hejsan! (currently missing Dudas saying this to me every night over the phone...ahh the Jönköping days)

What a week. On Tuesday we were up in Västra Frölunda. I got to be with Syster Davis!! So good to be reunited. Man, ya just love the people you were in the MTC with. It rained all day long. We also talked to people on the streets all day long. Hahah we were soaking wet and shivering but it was a great time! The time flies when you're with a different companion and everything gets a little switched up!

On Wednesday the church became our home because we were there teaching lessons all day long. It was the dream. It was so funny though. We came in and an alarm was going off SO LOUD. That had never happened before. But we found the alarm thingy...it was like an old school metal thing so I just stood on a bench holding it so that it wouldn't buzz so loud until we could figure out how to turn it off. Well, our investigator showed up. And a member. No one knew how to shut it off but our investigator, Emmanuel, took it into his own hands and just took both alarms all the way apart. Gotta do what you've gotta do sometimes. Anyway, our lesson with him was SO GOOD!! He was so happy to learn about the plan of salvation. It was great. Also it snowed so much when we left our apartment in the morning. Like a literal snow storm. But by the time we went home all the snow had melted. 

On Thursday we talked to many people. I love being able to share the gospel on the streets everyday and to bear my testimony. I love being a missionary. It is the best. I'm so so happy that this was a part of God's plan for me and that He was patient in helping me realize that I needed to go! We also visited Rosa. She just got her foot operated so she just has to lay in bed hela tiden. I love her. We talked about the gospel of Jesus Christ--what he asks us to do to accept him. I've really learned the importance of those basic fundamentals of faith and repentance, baptism, the sacrament, the Holy Ghost. I remember a few months ago Anette telling us that there is no point in living righteously so that we can have the Holy Ghost with us if we don't actively seek after and follow impressions from the Holy Ghost. I'm so grateful for the influence of the Holy Ghost and that I can know if what I'm doing is pleasing for the Lord or not. 

On Friday we went on splits with Lund! I was with Sister Sidwell and she is just adorable and such a hard worker. She's confident in doing what the Lord wants her to do. I love being able to go on splits with so many sisters. I'm the one who benefits the most. I get to see so many ways to do missionary work and approaches and it is so good! I love it!

On Saturday we went over to May-Elin's for dinner with the elders. They are a hoot. Kaylee, the 8 year old, is a character. She's so sassy haha she had us all laughing the whole dinner long. 

Yesterday Emmanuel and Isaac came to church! They both loved it and are coming back next week! Guys, the sacrament is so good. It's so peaceful and it's power is real. We really can start again every week as we come and take the sacrament with a repentant heart. Also yesterday we were tracting an apartment building and we normally just ride the elevator all the way to the top and then work our way downwards. We got up to the top floor and the elevator door opened and there was no where to go, it was just a door straight in front of us. So we tracted a penthouse. It was cool. Except that we had to keep sticking out our hand to keep the elevator door from closing haha. He wasn't interested. Too bad. 

Penthouse tracting

I'm just so happy. I love being a missionary and I love Sweden and holy cow do I love Malmö. Also way way happy because Sister McClatchie and I got a heater for our apartment so I can live in peace and warmth again. Hallelujah. 

Ha det så bra!

Med kärlek,

Syster May

Malmö is My Life and My Love

Letter sent January 9, 2016:

Hallå hallå!

This week we have hardly been here in Malmö. But the days that were here we saw miracles happen! On Monday and Tuesday we were up in Stockholm for mission leadership council. We talked about the goals and standards for the mission for 2017. It was so fun to be able to be in on the process of deciding the goals and everything. I know God has great plans for Sweden. There are so many promised blessings for this land. It was also FREEZING. Haha I guess it wasn't actually that cold but compared to the Malmö heat Sister McClatchie and I were super cold. Then I looked at the weather app and saw that it was -28 in Logan and I was counting my blessings!

Prettiest tree in Stockholm

Snow in Stockholm

One of the first Church places in Stockholm

Wednesday we got to meet with Nina and she said that she wants to get baptized in February! I love her! She's so adorable and she's been reading the Book of Mormon every day since we talked about it with her. 

On Thursday we had an INCREDIBLE district meeting. We talked about opposition and how we can find opportunity in our opposition. When we are placed in a hard situation, it is our choice to humble ourselves or to be prideful. When we humble ourselves and ask God what He wants us to learn from our situations then He is able to teach us. Then, if we rely on him and act in faith we can become stronger through our hard times. 

Then on Friday we were in Jönköping and it was so good to be back again! There was snow all over the roads and it was so beautiful! I remember when I transferred to Jönköping and Sister Wilson told me that Jönköping was beautiful with snow and I told her that I would probably never get to see it. But I got to and it surpassed all my expectations!

Snow in Jonkoping

Swedes think this is enough snow to sled on?

Saturday we taught THE CUTEST FAMILY. They are so prepared. I will hopefully write more about them next week. I love them already and they have the cutest kids ever. 

I love Malmö. According to my plans I will stay in Malmö for the rest of my life. But I assume God has different plans for me because that's normally how it goes. 

Snow in Malmo

Have it good. All my pictures are of snow this week in different cities in Sweden because I was just so excited every time I saw it.

Syster May

GOD FORTSÄTTNING

Letter sent January 1, 2017:

Good week. good times. We taught a lady named Nina a few times this week. She is the absolute sweetest. We also taught a few other investigators. We went and made tacos with Rosa and the whole time she kept telling us how when we get home we can invite a boy over and teach him how to make tacos and that it would just be so romantic. I love her. 

with Nina

We spent new years eve with the Clarks. They have 4 kids, one on a mission in Singapore/Malaysia. We played the funnest game called "Jag är..jag gör.." (I am...I do..) It's like a charades game where you get two cards and one of them has a noun and the other has a verb. So you get like, "A violinist who is juggling" and have to act it out. Sometimes it was a bit sketchy in Swedish because we were just guessing what words mean. We had to be home at 22.00 because it was Sunday the next day but we were woken up by the fireworks at midnight anyways so we got to see a few of them. It was so loud! We heard today that all the power in the entire city went out for 40 minutes around 1.00. Anyway, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! 2016 has been so SO good. I was laying in bed as the fireworks were going off and I remembered that at that time last year we were having a snowball fight in front of the chapel in Täby. I remember thinking that 2016 would never end. That I was going to die. But hey, no it's here and ended! It's been the happiest year of my life. I've learned and grown so much. I've come to really know that God lives and that He loves me. I know that this is His church on the earth. I know that living the gospel is what brings true happiness into ones life. 

Whoa. like 10 minutes ago a girl in her 20's just walked into the church and wants to learn more. Look at that, miracles all the time. So excited for 2017 to be a year full of miracles! Sister McClatchie and I and all the sisters that we're over are recognizing God's miracles and tender mercies each day in the month of January. You all should do the same. God blesses us in so many ways. It's so amazing to look back on each day and see all the tender mercies and small things that have happened and recognize that it was God. I know He loves us. I know He's there. 

GOTT NYTT ÅR!!!!

kram,

Syster May