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| A beautiful, 1000 year old church we walk by each day |
This week as we were out on the street we met a Monk, who was also proselyting. Intrigued by his clothing, we had to go talk to him and actually had a really cool conversation. As we spoke with him I couldn't help but analyze his contacting approach to see if I could apply anything to improve my
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The Monk we met on the street! |
own... As we spoke to him I couldn't help but think that his beliefs and clothing seemed a little strange at first, and that's when I realized that that's exactly what people think when they meet us on the street. It was an incredible experience to be on the other end of being contacted on the street, and that realization has helped me improve the way I talk to others to whom our beliefs may seem strange and foreign. Ultimately the spirit must present for conversion to take place. People may not understand our unique message at first, but as they feel the incomparable power of the spirit, the desire to learn more will grow within them. It was really cool to meet someone who was so strong in their faith and who was out doing the same thing we are. He was incredibly nice and we had a wonderful opportunity to teach him the restoration and even gave him a Book of Mormon.
On Saturday we had our branch Christmas party! We had a really good turn out, and it was a good time for members and
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| Branch Christmas party! |
non members alike to enjoy each others company, food, the missionaries singing, and President Karlsson reading the account of Christ's birth in Luke. We had a lot of non members come, and it was a wonderful opportunity for them to feel the spirit of Christ.
This week we had an awesome lesson with Nadia. At first the lesson seemed a little scattered and wasn't going as we wanted. As Elder Cotton was speaking I began to listen as hard as I could for what the spirit wanted me to say, and I felt prompted to share James 1:5. That's when everything changed. I had just recited the scripture from memory, but she wanted to see it, so we opened up to it and read it again. She was clearly thinking deeply and
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| Food for the Christmas party |
pondering this scripture and she listened intently as we continued with the lesson. The goal of the lesson was to invite her to start writing down her spiritual promptings and answers she receives, because we know she receives answers, but it's easy to forget those feelings or rationalize them as imaginations later. When we invited her to do so, she told us that she knows she needs to because earlier when we read James 1:5 she had received a clear answer, as if God was slapping her, to something she had prayed about a few days ago and she needed to write it down. I am so grateful that the spirit prompted me to share that scripture. There is no way I could have known that's what she needed, but the Lord did. I am also so excited to see how recording her spiritual impressions will help her. Doing so can help us recognize how the spirit talks to us personally, and it can give us strength later. I have
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Persian dish called "Ash".
Super intense. Super super good
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often wondered what makes Lehi, Nephi, and Moses different from Laman, Lemuel, and the Children of Israel. They all wandered in the wilderness for many years and suffered greatly, but Lehi, Nephi, and Moses remembered the hand of the Lord and the miracles, while the others remembered their old life and focused on their afflictions, forgetting what great things the Lord had done for them. Remembrance is a powerful thing. Recording spiritual thoughts can help us stay focused on what the Lord has done for us, and the answers we have already received from him. I testify that the Lord hears and answers our prayers. He loves each and every one of us more than we can comprehend, and as we open our mouth to share that message with others he will give us the words to say.
Äldste Sirrine
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| A cool bridge |
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| Thomas Munktell. Who is that? Good question... I don't actually know. |
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| What's going on in Sweden you might ask? Apparently Star Wars... |
