This Week Has Been Really Good

This week has been really good. I started making smoothies again, made a really good one last night!!! I found one of the stick blender things in the apartment, forgot what it is called in English... but it works really well! I also had a raspberry chicken (like we made, but not quite as good) And last night I made gourmet Ham and Cheese! ha ha It was really good, I enjoy cooking. My companion is scared of my food though, he doesn't know what I am doing with it! Like, I put spinach in the smoothie....ewww! and raspberry reduction sauce = raspberry stuff. It is okay though, I cook for me and he cooks for himself, he told me that is how he has always been with his companions. I can live off about 200 crowns a week for food! and it is good food too!!! I made broccoli too, I never thought I would have missed it that much!

I am continually finding more answers to my prayers, and being blessed by the Lord. In the past week there have been at least three people who have contacted me! I had never had that happen so far, but it is awesome! I was able to teach several new people and had a great time! One of them was on the bus back from Filipstad, we had gone to visit a less active family.

We got on the bus and it started going... I decided I had to use the restroom and so got up, told my companion and went to the little restroom in the back of the bus, it was just like in and airplane...tiny. Anyways, on the way back to my seat a guy asked me a question, I didn't understand at first, but soon figured out he had asked if i was a seller. (Woo Hoo!) I, of course, said I was a missionary. He told me he was a seller, along with four others with him, I, taking advantage of the situation, began talking to him and the others. (So far all in Swedish) He asked questions about me, missionaries, the church and what I did. I asked questions about him, what he believed and why. It was a great conversation and I really had a lot of fun. About half way through he told me I could switch to English if it were easier, so I did, his English was amazing. Anyways, I taught a lot and learned a lot, he had heard about our church because everyone asks him if he is one of the Mormons when he knocks on doors.... so he had a few questions about what we believed and a lot about why I would be doing what I do as a missionary, especially since I don't get paid in any way! (He didn't think blessings counted) Anyways, before I knew it the bus ride was over (it was over an hour long), I had some new friends, and we parted ways.

I ran up by my companion, got my bag, and on the way off the bus waved back to the others, they all waved back and my companion was super surprised! He didn't know what I had been doing the whole time! He was like, "How many people were you talking with? The whole back of the bus waved when you left! " That was truly an answer to my prayers because I was contacted by him and then given tho opportunity to talk in Swedish and teach- and all on the bus! I am going to try to do that a lot more, it is fun talking to people on the buses and a lot better than just staring off into space for an hour!

Jag vet att Gud lever. Han verkligen alskar var och en av hans barn. Det ar spannande for mig att lara mig om evangeliet, att Gud vill hjapla alla oss. Han sande hans son att lida for vara synder att vi maste inte. Jesus Kristus ar min fralsare och van. Jag kan inte allting men som Nephi sade jag vet att Gud alskar oss. Han kannar till vara provningar, han kan hjalpa om vi lat honom. Jag vill lara mig allt som jag kan medan jag ar pa min mission eftersom jag vet att det har ar livs chans. Dar finns manga saker som Gud vet sa att vi maste forlita oss pa honom i allting. Gud hor vara boner, och nar vi be med tro ska han gor vad han vill att hjalpa genom dem svart tider.

Jag alskar alla er! Jag hoppas att ne har det bra denna vecka!
Aldste Maxwell

(Note from Mom: I hope his testimony translates well for you, the way he wrote it, it translated well but I don't have all the correct accents/letters on my keyboard.)