A Swedish Syster: I'M GOING TO SWEDEN!

YES!!! You heard me right, I'm going to SWEDEN!!!

Wow... so many thoughts going through my head right now! If any of you are thinking, well yes... that's where you got called, I must add that it was very likely that we would either temporarily or permanently be reassigned due to visa issues and laws changing there. But no need to fear because our TRAVEL PLANS ARE HERE!

{"our long-awaited travel plans!"}

I know I probably sound ridiculous but I'm not the only one--all 15 of the Swedish missionaries are going, too! Ahhh! It is actually real now! Its still is a little scary though because we will not have our visas for a while but I'm pretty sure the Lord will make what needs to happen, happen. THAT I am sure of. And I just found this out about 5 minutes ago, so I am still freaking out a little!

{Annie's cousin Emily with her mission call in hand!}

Okay, and oh my goodness! My dearest cousin Emily going to NORWAY!!! What is this?! Oh my gosh!

So, here I am at dinner last night and in comes our District Leader with the mail. He hands me a letter, and little did I know that I would be in tears a couple of minutes later!
I open the letter and immediately my eyes just see Norway Oslo Mission! I quickly went back and read it so carefully and I can't even tell you the joy that filled my soul!

Okay, now to Emily for a minute...Norway is going to be SO amazing! You will be in my same branch when you get here, and you will be in the classroom right next to mine! I keep walking in there just thinking of you being in there in 2 months! And we will forever have each other to talk to in our languages, me på Svenska och du på Norsk!

Okay, well I will write you a much greater detailed letter about everything, but Sweden and Norway are so very connected both here in the MTC and out in the cold, cold beautiful lands of Scandinavia!

{my sister Becky--Emily's mother--sent this to my phone...they'll be so close to each other!}

Well, as far as the week goes, those were honestly the best parts of my week! What more can I ask for than to actually know that I will be able to go to my country and that my dearest cousin will be right next to me?! So, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, those are two very special tender mercies I am grateful for right now!

{Twin Day, apparently!}

But onto some cool news: so I was called as the Sisters Training Leader for our Zone, and because of that, I get to help run the Thanksgiving Day Service Project! We will be preparing meals for approximately 350,000 people tomorrow just within a 2 hour period!

So, all of the Zone Leaders and Sister Training Leaders had a meeting last night explaining what we will be doing, and telling us how we should try to look our best (despite the hair nets we have to wear!) because a bunch of news crews and church publications want to come and take pictures and videos of it all.

{"preparing for the Thanksgiving service project--us with the ZLs"}

Then today, we had a 3-hour seminar/ hands on training for how to run this project. Tomorrow we will set every thing up and prepare some meals! It will take up basically the entire day, and then in the middle we will get to hear from an apostle of our Church! I honestly could not think of a better way to spend my Thanksgiving Day! I am so excited and so blessed to be able to be so involved in this wonderful work!

Temple Day today! So because its P-Day, we wanted to go to the Temple, but we couldn't go during the regular schedule. So our ZL's told us they were going to the first session at 5:45am. We think ok, probably one of the last times we can go for months. So, we get up at 4:30am, get ready, break out of the MTC, walk in the cold and snow up to the Temple, just to be told that sessions start at 5:45 Mondays and Tuesdays but not Wednesdays. Yeah. So not cool. But its the thought that counts right?!

Now for baretelse tid! (Story Time). Not many this week but it's all good...

{picking up packages!}

So, first of all, I am proud to share that for the first time ever Sis. Hall and I actually had a good meeting with our investigator Ståle... the one I was talking about last week, who Sis. Hall told him to "fold his guns", the one she asked "how are OUR kids?", and the same one I called by the wrong name and accidently cussed during a prayer with... yeah, that same Ståle--and we actually had a good lesson! It was truly amazing!

Okay, then on Friday as the four of us, Sis. Hall, Lowater (the sister going to Norway!),Sis. Ogaard and I were in bed just writing in our journals Sis. Ogaard just says, "Oh Sis. Lowater! Tell them what that saying was that you said earlier!" (so because Sis. Lowater is from England she says many different things and we just love it--and at the same time we are very confused as we try to decipher it!)

{Off to get a package for happy Sister Osgaard...Sister Lowater looking a little unhappy about having to get dressed again after already being in her pj's!}

So Sis. Lowater continues and says... "So I saw a girl in front of me in line and I just said "Haggles!"... Sis. Hall and I just look at each other and start laughing! We have absolutely NO clue what she just said! So she repeats it a couple more times and then Sis. Hall says, "Oh!!!! Hair Goals!!!" Haha! Oh, it was great!

So from "Haggles" to "Hair Goals"... one just seems a little nicer!

Well to sign off, I will leave you with some of my favorite parts from our devotional last night. So we had Elder Jorge F. Zeballos come, and he shared with us 4 key principles to be a great missionary:

{Systers Lowater and Campbell by the new MTC nativity}

1. Understand and live the mission purpose. (To invite others to Come unto Christ)

-Remember who you are.

-Come Unto Christ

-Your success will be proportional to your preparation.

- D&C 115:5-6 -Arise and Shine Forth

2. Teach the gospel by the spirit.

-The Lord speaks to all in their own tongue.

-As you do all that you can to learn the language, we can then be blessed with the ability to share our message with those we teach in their own tongue.

3. Love the People

-Genuinely love the people

-Show charity to All.

{"our awesome service gear for vacuuming the stairs in one of the main buildings on campus!'}

4. Work Diligently

-Work with all of your heart, might, mind and strength.

-Be of Good Cheer

-Know that you are Qualified.

-I am in your midst and I have not forsaken you.

{cookies from home!}

Now, one thing I have learned to be true is that if there is ever anything that does not go as planned or exactly how you wanted it to go, there is absolutely NO need to fear! The Lord knows all, and that is all that matters.

{I'm sure no one gave this box a second glance in the MTC mailroom!}

I am so grateful for this beautiful Thanksgiving time of year and all of the wonderful things that go along with it! I love you all and I am so grateful for all of your love and support!