August 24, 2017 Farewell From America!

August 24, 2017

Well this is it, the last P-day in the MTC, and the last I'll have here in America! Sadly, that is not the case for my companion, Äldste Radford, and two other missionaries who haven't received their visas yet. They have been temporarily reassigned to the Phoenix Arizona mission, although we are still crossing our fingers that they get their visas before we leave. Apparently the visas have been known to come the morning of departure, so we hope that's the case. It's been pretty hard for them because we are all getting so excited to go to Sweden, and now they can't go. However, they know the Lord has a plan for them and are excited to get out in the field wherever that may be. We got our flight plans last Friday, and it looks like we get to leave at 3:30 am on Monday! Normally such an early departure may not be the most exciting prospect, but if it means we are going to Sweden, we'd do just about anything :)

On Saturday we got to help with the MTC open house tours again. It has been such a unique and wonderful opportunity to do so, and I loved getting to talk to countless people who had been here many years before and had such fond memories. To see their excitement at coming back made me so happy and grateful to be here. It was also fun to see a few familiar faces come through, including Tanner Mangum and a few other BYU players. That made me feel really small.... Over the past few weeks I have gotten used to the MTC, and seeing the wonder and amazement on everybody's face as they walked through was just a good reminder of how unique and special the MTC really is.

On Monday we watched the solar eclipse and it made me think of Alma 30:44 "But Alma said unto him: Thou hast had signs enough; will ye tempt your God? Will ye say, Show unto me a sign, when ye have the testimony of all these thy brethren, and also all the holy prophets? The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator." I testify that the very existence of the earth and planets is truly a witness of God. There is no other way they could move in such perfect relation to each other, or even exist. For the Tuesday night devotional Weatherford T. Clayton of the Seventy came and spoke to us. He talked about the eclipse and related the moon to Satan. Through our choices in life we may allow Satan to "block out" the influence of Christ in our lives. However, even when the eclipse is at totality, you can see a ring of light around the moon from the aura of the sun. Likewise, even if it feels that Satan is completely covering Christ in our lives, He cannot block all the light. There will always be light, and if we focus on that light and have faith, it will begin to grow until we can once again feel the full influence of Christ and his spirit in our lives.

On Wednesday our district got to be Hosts for the new missionaries that came in! I can't tell you how weird it felt to see missionaries being dropped off and to think that was six weeks ago for me... It feels as though it's been about a week. It brought back so many thoughts and feelings from that first day, and it's amazing to see how much I've grown. I also got to attend the meeting for all the new missionaries because Äldste Radford was performing a musical number along with Äldste Wayment and Eldste Cribbs (Eldste Cribbs is going to Norway). I am so grateful I got to go to that meeting. It was truly a unique experience to go a second time, and I wish all missionaries could have that experience. It was such a good reminder of how much excitement, energy, and enthusiasm new missionaries have when they come in. Sadly, that enthusiasm and energy fades over time for a lot of missionaries, and I wish they could go to that meeting to learn from the example of all the new missionaries, and rekindle their enthusiasm and desire to serve.

Well that's all for this week, and next time will be from the great land of Sverige! I love this gospel and the happiness that it brings to my life, and the lives of countless others. I am grateful to be a part of God's glorious work on the Earth at this time, and I know he will help me and bless me as I seek to bring others to Him.

Äldste Sirrine

August 17, 2017 Life in the MTC

 

Me and Äldste Radford

 

Our Swedish pride. (Yes, that's a Swedish Fish holding up the flag)

August 17, 2017

Over the past couple weeks I have come to really appreciate the MTC. It's pretty amazing to have all day to study, prepare to teach, and learn a language. Last Saturday I ran into a senior missionary who is going to Sweden. He was standing next to me in line for lunch, so I started talking with him, and it turns out he and his wife are only in the MTC for a week. They've been "learning" Swedish for a month or two, but the extent of their instruction was a 1 hr Skype call to the MTC each week. Long story short, they really don't know any Swedish, but they are so excited to serve and they won't let the language daunt them. After that conversation I began to be even more grateful for my time at the MTC and the time I have here to prepare.

Sunday was probably the best day I've had here at the MTC so far. I'm not sure I can really explain why, but the spirit was strong all day and it was just a good day. The devotional on Sunday was broadcast to all the other MTCs and M. Russell Ballard came and spoke to us on the importance of staying completely focused on the work. It was a fantastic devotional and afterwords we watched the talk "Open Your Mouth" by Jeffrey R. Holland. Towards the beginning of his talk he mentioned how he used to preside over all the European missions and said that the missionaries in the Northernmost reaches of Norway would take comfort in the fact that every time they knocked on a door, somebody was getting baptized in Chile... I can definitely relate to that...  :) He also reminded us that God can only work through us if we act on our promptings. He pointed out that Satan cannot take a life, so when Joseph Smith prayed to know which church he should join Satan did the next most limiting and destructive thing he could. He tried to bind Joseph's tongue. He tries to do the same to all of us today, but we must open our mouths and speak the words God would have us say.

For the devotional on Tuesday, Elder Neil L. Andersen came and spoke to us. Our branch presidency told us that it has been months since an apostle has come to the MTC and now we've had three in the last three weeks. What an amazing time to be in the MTC. Elder Andersen said that miracles occur through goals, hard work, prayer, and a blessing from heaven. I can testify that that is true. When we pray to God we must listen for his answer and then we must be willing to act on it. If we do, our Father in Heaven can bless us and our capacity for recognizing spiritual promptings will increase.

On Wednesday we got to Skype Pia, a member in Sweden, and teach her a lesson. It was amazing to talk with a true Swede even though it was a little difficult to understand. I am so grateful to live at a time when technology can give us such opportunities to grow and spread the gospel. The lesson went really well and it made us even more excited to arrive in Sweden. It's coming really fast, and we get our flight plans tomorrow! It's crazy to think we're leaving so soon, but we couldn't be more excited :)

I am truly grateful for my time here at the MTC and the things that I have learned. It's truly incredible to see how much we've all grown, and to see the how the Lord has truly made weak things become strong. I love this gospel and I testify that the peace and strength we receive when we follow Christ can come in no other way.

Äldste Sirrine

August 10, 2017 Third Week's The Charm!

The method by which I memorized 103 words in an hour. ( Yes, I promise there is a method to the madness)

August 10, 2017

So last Thursday night I decided to memorize a few phrases in Swedish that I could use when I taught the Plan of Salvation. I was working on them up until the end of class which was about 9 o'clock and I was feeling pretty good about having memorized them in a fairly short period of time, until I went to bed. Those phrases seriously haunted me all night as they just kept running through my mind over and over, and Äldste Radford informed the next morning that I was even talking Swedish in my sleep... The good news is, I definitely had those phrases down and there was no forgetting them. The bad news is that I didn't even use them when we taught the plan of salvation because they never seemed to fit right. Because of this, I altered my memorization technique to focusing on words instead of phrases so the spirit can more fully guide me through the lessons and bring words to my remembrance.

The lessons are going well and they are getting better everyday. We are all getting really excited to go to Sweden but we have also been realizing that we are going to have no idea what we're doing when we get there... The amazing thing is though, as long as we rely on the Lord and put our faith in him, we will find ability far beyond our own.

This week our district found out that our moms apparently love us. Throughout the week our district has received an impressive stash of granola bars, trail mix, fruit snacks, goldfish, several cases of soda, all sorts of candy, etc. Half our district lives in one room while the rest of us live in the other. The district has decided to live the law of consecration, so we have piled all of the snacks in one of the rooms and it is open to all members of the district. I was already pretty impressed by how much food there was, and then there was yesterday. Out of the blue,  our district received 60 doughnuts, 12 cinnamon rolls, and 4 giant cookies between all of us. I'm just glad I'm not living in the room where it's all being stashed because just the sight of it kinda makes me sick... The sad part is that I really want to still fit into my pants when I leave the MTC so I haven't been eating any of it. It really is quite impressive though and I guess it's good to know that we could probably survive the rest of our time here without the cafeteria, if something were to happen to it.

The food stash

Sunday evening was definitely one to remember. For the devotional, Jenny Oaks Baker and her family came. She spoke to us and they performed several songs as a family throughout her talk which was pretty amazing. They are such a talented family and it was really cool to hear some of her experiences and then have time to ponder on them as they played a song and brought the spirit even more. Right after the devotional the whole MTC was asked to watch "The Character of Christ" by Elder Bednar even though we had already seen it. I was perfectly okay with this because that talk is one of my all time favorites and it was cool to hear it again and pull new things from it. While most of the missionaries were in the auditorium for the film, Äldste Radford and I were in the smaller overflow room in the new building where they were broadcasting to. As soon as the film ended, everybody just quietly stood up and stayed standing. We were towards the back so we couldn't tell why everyone was standing, but we were able to see President and Sister Martino walk in. It seemed a little strange and then all of a sudden Elder Bednar started speaking. He had decided to come by the MTC and surprise all of the missionaries and let's just say it definitely worked. He essentially held a Q&A session which was amazing. One of the things that stood out to me the most is when one sister asked him how he knew that God loved him. As an apostle of the Lord you might expect some grand reason or unusual circumstance as a special confirmation of God's love and existence, but he simply replied "Because the first first word God the Eternal father and His Son, Jesus Christ, said in this dispensation was Joseph". The way Elder Bednar knows that God is our loving Heavenly Father and knows each and every one of us is available to us all, it's not something reserved for an Apostle. He knows because he has chosen to believe the words of God through his prophet Joseph Smith. Elder Benar also talked about how prayer should be an ongoing process, not something we do just three times a day. We should be continually asking the Lord for help and then reporting on our efforts and striving to do all that we can.

Normally the film ends at 9 o'clock and they ask us to go straight to our residence halls, but on Sunday Elder Bednar talked to us until 10. I appreciate his willingness to take time out of his Sunday evening to come talk to us and I loved hearing the answers to questions that so many people here have. I know that Elder Bednar is truly an apostle called of the Lord. If the Lord were here on the Earth, He would have the same apostles, and the Church would run the same. This is His church. I know that President Monson is his prophet here on the Earth today and that he is the only person who holds and is authorized to use all the priesthood keys. Here on the mission there are many times were I feel inadequate, we all are. But I know that through the Lord we can not only be enough, we can do anything according to his will. I love my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ with all my heart and I know he lives. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Äldste Sirrine

August 3, 2017 Week 2!

My Two best friends for the next two years

August 3, 2017
What a week! Time is going by so fast and it's incredible to watch all the new missionaries come in and to think that that was me just two weeks ago! Last Friday we got another teacher, Sister Hall, and with a district of all elders it's kinda nice to have a sister join us, not to mention her hand writing is significantly better than our other teacher, Brother Beck, and it's nice not to have to work so hard to
read the board... It really has been nice though, and it's amazing to see how differently they teach and how much we need both. We have also gotten a new investigator to teach and I'm so glad that I can have another chance to teach the lessons now that I actually know a little more vocabulary. Our first lesson with our new investigator, Hanif, was our best lesson yet. Äldste Radford and I had made a plan for the lesson, but right before we went in we decided that we would trust the Lord so we didn't take our lesson plan or any language helps with us. By doing so, the Lord was truly guiding the lesson as we were able to say everything we wanted to with greater clarity in addition to many
other things we hadn't planned on saying.

Me and Äldste Radford in the new facilities

One of our favorite things to do in class is ask the teachers about some of the words that sound really weird in Swedish. There are quite
a few words that sound extremely close to each other in Swedish but they mean very different things. One example is döpas (to be baptized)
and dopas (to do drugs). There are also several word that sound like very bad words in English, but are used frequently and don't have bad meanings in Swedish. We always enjoy asking about words like these and there is always a fair amount of laughing involved. While spending time learning these words may not seem important, we have quickly learned just how important it is. For example, Äldste Barney and his companion were wrapping up a good lesson and he meant to tell their investigator that she was a great investigator and accidentally said "You are my darling investigator" instead. The best part is that he had no idea until our teacher told him several days later, and we have been laughing about it ever since.

The days here at the MTC are all pretty similar, but I always look forward to the devotional on Tuesday nights. This week we had Jean B. Bingham (Relief Society General President) come speak to us with her husband. She is such a powerful speaker and she spoke to us about the importance of enduring to the end and helping recent converts stay active. While the devotionals are always good, my favorite part is actually the devotional review we do as a district right after the devotional finishes. The spirit that there is so special, and it's amazing to hear the powerful testimonies and thoughts of our district.

Our Classroom

On Wednesday our district was assigned to help with the MTC open house. My companion and I were in charge of starting a video at the very end of the tour and then sharing our testimony with the groups as they came through. That was one of my favorite things I have done here at the MTC. The new buildings are stunning and I loved getting to share the spirit that is here with visitors from many different backgrounds. Sadly, the Swedish missionaries don't actually use the new buildings as our classrooms are in the old facilities, but we always go over to the new buildings for our personal/companionship study because they are absolutely amazing. In several areas they have massive murals on the walls, soft music in the background, and floor to ceiling windows that create a wonderful atmosphere for studying.

One of the study areas in the new buildings.

I feel extremely blessed to be a part of my district. We have all grown close together and we enjoy doing everything together (especially soccer... during exercise time we have played several
other districts and none of them come close to beating us). All the elders in our district work extremely hard, and while we have fun, we stay focused on our purpose and work diligently.

One of the things that stood out to me in my studies this week was in Preach My Gospel Pg 185. It talked about the importance of listening and that as we listen to others we shouldn't think of how to respond, but we should focus on what they're saying and then the Lord will give us what we should say. This also relates to D&C 84:85 "Neither take ye thought beforehand what ye shall say; but treasure up in your minds continually the words of life, and it shall be given you in the very hour that portion that shall be meted unto every man." I'm guilty of sometimes planning my response while somebody is speaking to me so that I can respond in a way that I think will be best. However, as I have focused on doing what Preach My Gospel suggests, I have seen the Lord truly direct my words and he has given me the things to say far better than I could ever say on my own.

The view from our classroom (yes, it's on the very top floor. ..I guess climbing five floors every day is probably good for us