September 24, 2018 "Let Your Light So Shine"

The district

This week I had the chance to go on companion exchanges with Elder Gordon, and we witnessed an incredible miracle.

We were on the way to do language study at a members home, and the Tunnelbana (metro) ride was only going to be two stops, which usually isn't enough time to get a good conversation going that we can connect to the gospel, but as we entered the train station we were determined to try. We had

Exchanges with Elder Gordon

about three minutes before the train came, so we decided to sit down next to a younger guy, who seemed to be about 19 years old. He had a bag of items from a nearby store, so we immediately asked him about the contents of the bag and the store from which he had gotten them. He really opened up and seemed happy to talk to us. The conversation eventually shifted to more personal topics, and as the train came we boarded and sat beside him to continue our conversation. As we asked about his religious background, he informed us that he wasn't really religious, but that he had been to a confirmation camp (for the Swedish Church) where he had a minister, whom he really looked up to, tell him that God is much bigger than us and that it can be anything which helps us to be better. We highlighted principles of truth in what he said, and testified of that which we know to be true as well. As we spoke with him, we noticed that a lady across the isle was staring at us and listening. Elder Gordon turned to look at her, and she said, "I'm sorry i'm listening, but I'm just so impressed that you're talking about such deep subjects! I've been sitting here thinking and pondering about what you're saying, and I'm just really amazed!" We then began talking to her as well, and we soon approached our destination. As we got off the train, they both wanted to meet again to learn more, so we got their contact information and we'll be meeting them this week! The best part of the story is that later that evening we sent him a text telling him how nice it was to meet him, and he responded that he was really grateful we had talked to him. He said that he was in a dark place when we began to talk to him, so it was nice to have someone to talk with.


Sometimes it can be pretty difficult to talk to somebody on a train because it's quiet so everybody

ends up staring at you and listening to your conversation, but it's actually an incredible opportunity to

Kungliga Slottet 

(Literally translated "The Kingly Castle"....)

share the gospel with even more people. Those who listen start to think about the things we're saying, and those ponderings can lead to a desire to learn more or to change some part of their life. Similarly, it can be difficult to live the gospel standards when it seems as though others around us are staring at or judging us. While never easy, it can be our opportunity to heed the command of the Lord to "Let your light so shine before this people, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven." The Lord surely does work through small and simple means to bless and help his children.


Äldste Sirrine

September 17, 2018 A Blast to the Past

Riddarholms Church, a burial place for Swedish Kings

Well, they say it takes a village to raise a child, and I guess it took all of Stockholm to raise Elder Bills. After so many experiences together, we kicked him out of the nest on Wednesday, and now he's

The narrowest street in Sweden

free to spread his wings and fly. It was really hard to say goodbye, but what happened on his journey to Gotland just confirms to me that God directs us to where we need to be. We've been working with a less active family, but unfortunately haven't been able to have contact in a couple weeks, and yesterday we finally got a hold of them. We mentioned that Elder Bills had transferred to Gotland, had actually run into him on the 3.5 hour ferry ride out to the island! Apparently he was on a way to a business conference and they had a pretty good chat, and now we will be visiting them tomorrow evening to teach them.

After dropping Elder Bills off at the train station I stayed with the Gubbängen Elders for about an hour while waiting for Elder Radford to arrive, so we decided jump on a few different trains and talk with people. While doing so, Elder Ahonen started talking from a man who actually comes from his hometown of Espoo, Finland! They started speaking Finnish together, and it turns out that the man actually helped build the Stockholm temple back in 1985! He even remembered the day that Angel Moroni arrived to be placed on top. He had learned quite a bit about the church back in the day, and he still has the Book of Mormon that he received. He doesn't live in either of our areas, but it was neat to be able to re-spark his interest in the gospel and the church.


Being with Elder Radford again has been incredible! It's been pretty fun to catch up on everything

This statue is actually in the middle of 

a roundabout. I have to admit, Europe's 

roundabout game is on point...

that's taken place over the last year. Despite being in the same mission, it's pretty amazing how different our experiences have been and how much we've grown. We've been looking at old pictures of the MTC and reading our journal entries which has definitely brought some good laughs and memories. It's been cool to be back with an old companion, and it's been one of the smoothest transitions I've had. We already know a bit about each other and how we teach, so all of our lessons so far have been spot on as we teach by the spirit in unity.


Äldste Sirrine

September 10, 2018 Craziest. Transfers. Ever.

The Stenkronas

Well last night we got transfer calls and found out that Elder Bills will be leaving the great city of Stockholm. We had expected this might be the case, but much to our surprise, we found out that he will be going to Gotland to be companions with my trainer, Elder Wilkinson! I'm not sure that I've ever heard of someone being companions with their trainer's trainer before, but I'm glad that Elder Bills will get a small taste of what it was like for me when I was a new missionary ;)


The news of Elder Bills going to Gotland was crazy enough, but then we found out that the one and

The view out our apartment window

only Elder Radford (Yes, my MTC companion) will be coming here to Stockholm to be my companion! He is currently on Gotland with Elder Wilkinson, so he and Elder Bills will just be switching places. I can't even say how excited I am to be doing round 2 with Elder Radford, and it will be pretty amazing to see how much we've both grown over the last year of our missionary service. He is one of the best missionaries I've met, so I'm so happy I now have the opportunity to learn from him again and serve the people here in Sweden that we talked about so much in the MTC.


It's pretty amazing to see how much Elder Bills has grown over the last two transfers of training, and even more amazing to see how much I've grown while I've been with him. I have to say that Elder Bills is definitely one of the most bold, fearless people I know, and I have seen that the promise in the scriptures that we'll be given the words to say when we open our mouths is absolutely true.


I don't have much time to write because we are trying to do all the last minute things here in Stockholm that Elder Bills wants to do before he leaves, but things are going really well and are only getting better :)


Äldste Sirrine

The Karlsson family. Well, some of them..... 

There are 4 different Karlsson families that 

make up about half the ward here...

September 3, 2018 Taking Spanish in Highschool Pays Off

The Endler family. 

Bishop Endler was called as the bishop about

a month ago, but he was only baptized two years 

ago. He's the best :)

This week was pretty much miracle after miracle, and I wish I could talk about it all, but I guess a few highlights will have to suffice.

On Wednesday I was on exchanges with Elder Olson here in Stockholm, and we were supposed to have dinner with one of our investigators, but he called us a few hours before and told us he had to cancel because of work. At first we were a little disappointed, and as we thought about how we might use our time effectively otherwise, we decided to go tracting in Larsberg. Tracting isn't quite as

exciting as teaching an investigator, but then the thought came clearly to mind that there was someone we were supposed to find in Larsberg. The thought was so clear that it surprised me a little bit, but we went out with eagerness to see who it would be. While tracting, we met a few people who said we could come back which was pretty exciting, but it was on the way home that we found the person we were looking for. We were sitting on a bench at the train stop when suddenly a woman came up to us and started speaking Spanish. She knew absolutely no Swedish or English, but somehow we were able to understand what she was saying to us. (Thank goodness I took Spanish in High School so the spirit had something to bring to rememberance...) As it turns out, she's a member, and has lived in Sweden for a few years, but didn't know where the church was due to the language barrier. She really wants to come, so we gave her phone number to the first counselor in the bishopric who comes from Peru. He's now talked with her several times, and will actually give her a ride to church so she can start coming.

On Friday evening we were out tracting in the rain, not having much success, when it came time to

Street contacting in Stockholm

head home. We looked down at the clock and decided we had 5 minutes left and decided we had time to knock another door or two. We knocked on the next door, and before we had even said a word, the man who opened it said, "It's raining! Come in!" We were both a little shocked, this was the first time I've ever actually been let in while tracting before, and we were pretty excited to be directed to his couch where his whole family was gathered. The man and his wife have two children, and they come from Syria, although they've been here three years, speak good Swedish, and he works as a teacher. After giving a brief summary of our message and what we do, we asked if we could come back the next day to teach them more and they happily agreed. We went back the next morning and were able to teach them about the Book of Mormon and how they can come to know it's message by reading. They were very interested, so we got them started reading and look forward to meeting them again and teaching them further.

Äldste Sirrine

We went to visit Jesper, and it turns 

out they have Blackberry bushes 

with the biggest, sweetest berries 

you have ever seen. 

It was seriously amazing.

This is my favorite dog in all of 

Stockholm. His name is Timmy. 

We see him often, and have to pet 

him every time because he's so cute.

There are apple trees everywhere here, so you never go hungry while tracting!