Keeping my Fire

I am starting to build my relationships with the members of the ward here.. it is a really great ward.  I just need to talk more to people! I was never super good at that.... still a work in progress.  I am doing all I can to keep my fire... I want to go out with a bang!  That is much more exciting than just fizzeling (I have no idea how to spell that!) out of existence... lame!

The work is going great... it is hard with people on vacations, a lot of people don't want to do anything at all! Though at the same time for others there is nothing that they have to do! For example, yesterday we met with a new investigator that we have and he said that he has nothing to do, no work, no school, and no where to be, so he will meet as often as possible! It was a really nice change! In the school year and such, people always say to try in the summer when they have time. Then they are on vacation until school starts again! Ha ha, so is the life of a missionary! =P It is fun, I really enjoy it. Plus, we get to meet some really interesting, and some really nice people, as well as miracles and changes wrought by the spirit! I love being a missionary, it is the best ever!

The two other elders are moving out this week, and it will be just me and Ouimette!  It will be an exciting change.  Change happens for a reason, and it always works out!  

Salad week was really good.  I think it was to compensate for the cheesecake that we had!  Which was good, but not my favorite recipe!  I believe that we will be doing one more today... Elder Lopp is going home this Thursday... so Wednesday will be his last day with us in Hägersten.  We will have a little celebration / goodbye party for him!  I am excited... we are going to have turtle cheesecake!   I am excited.  

This week was a good week.  It was very fast, and thinking back it feels as though not much has happened while the whole time I have been keeping busy!  I don't know what happens with time! Yesterday we had a great teach with an investigator that moved into our area.  He has a baptismal date for the 4th of August, and if he keeps going with the fire and desire that he has now he will be baptized sooner than that!  We met him in the train station in the area that he lives in, and since we could not go in his house with him (he is renting a bed I think), we just talked in the station on a bench.  As we were sitting there talking about the gospel of Jesus Christ, a couple of ladies walked past.  They stopped and said, are you preaching?  We of course answered that we were, and they said, what?  They then, before we said anything else saw a Book of Mormon, and started yelling at us.  They began to tell us how wrong we were, and then telling the person we were talking with that we were wrong, and to never listen to us or he would go straight to hell with us.  It was quite unexpected, and a really good indicator to how interested our investigator (Misghina) was.  After they got over the initial yelling, we began to talk about what we believed, as from their yelling they showed that they really just had a bunch of misconceptions and false understandings.  As we taught and bore testimony, they changed.... slowly, but they changed.  They stopped yelling, became surprised even that we believed in Christ!  And, as we talked of Christ, they were amazed by our conviction.  One of them even said, ""Wow, they believe in Christ!"  The other was thinking we were just trying to trick her, switched to another language... some middle eastern language, and told our investigator again to not listen to us, that we were wrong, and then walked away!  Misghina was awesome, he stood up for us, and for himself.  He said that he was there because he wanted to listen to us, and that he was going to!  Overall, nothing bad came of it, only good.  I hope that the two women had their eyes opened a little, and that they recognize the spirit that they felt there.  I know that God was there with me and my companion, supporting us in the face of adversity.  I know that this church is true, I know that I am a son of the Most High and that He will support all who do His work.  I know that we will never be alone, we just need to have faith!  I love being a missionary, and the experiences that it brings.  I love the gospel and the peaceful, loving message that it shares.  I know that Christ lives and loves me.  I love seeing the spirit at work.  

I love you all, have a great week and I look forward to hearing from you soon!

Love ya!

Äldste Maxwell