Monday, June 27, 2016

MIDSOMMAR!


The Longest day of the year has come and gone, and now the days start to get shorter and shorter.... and I LOVE it!  I could really get used to this whole 3 hours of light in the winter and 3 hours of night in the summer!:) 
Well, being Midsommar, we had a wonderful Midsommar Fest with our Branch!  It didn't start out as fun, however... 
So, missionaries typically want to be on time to things.  So for the party, we heard that it started at 12 noon.  So we get to the beautiful little beach town (Åhus) 30 minutes early to go walk along the beach.  Then, we walk for like 25 minutes to find the place we were meeting. Dripping sweat, sun beating on us--just getting burned--wandering through a random forest... and we finally find the address! 

We looked at the place and thought--okay, well this is definitely not it!  Looked it up on Google maps, and yup---- we were in the right place!  
There were no people to be seen and we were right on time!  We all just looked at each other-- too tired to go home--so we just head to the back of the park area.   Slightly in despair, we all just ask, "What even is going on today?..."  Then one of the Elders says, "Well, there's a ping pong table!"  And the other one, "Well, there's darts!"  Haha!  So, we started playing, and soon 45 minutes passed by...and still nothing! 

None of us are much to complain, but it got to a point where we all just sat in these old nasty chairs in a circle around a tree stump table with flies attacking us.  It was one of those rare moments where you can already foretell the moment as being a great story in the future! 
After a little while, we hear car doors--and all of us just get this little spark of hope!  Sure enough, one of our favorite families shows up!  One of the girls immediately has Syster Howlett and me up and picking flowers in the forest to make our flower crowns and to decorate the maypole!   Once we get back with all of our flowers and bellies full of wild berries there are almost 30 people!  Wow--it was actually turning into something!  And it actually turned out really fun! 
So Midsommar basically is just the longest day in the whole year--the day where  a little more up north sees no darkness!  So to celebrate, you make flower crowns, eat lots of food-- especially berries:), sing and dance around the maypole, etc.  So, it's like if the movie "Tangled" had it's own holiday!  It is the greatest!!! 
Other than that though, we went to Ale Stenar again last Monday--so beautiful, but just too many tourists!!!  But, I guess other people have to enjoy it as well!
Tuesday we were knocking door to door, and this old, 90-ish year-old man comes up to us and just says what a shame it is that a church is just brainwashing such beautiful girls!  Hahaha!  I was trying so hard to not laugh!  I feel I must also add that this sweet old man had some blood on his chin and shirt--I was a little freaked out, and just thought, wow--what is even happening right now?!  It was one of the weirdest times!  
It really reminded me of this time I was contacting with my Mission Mom--Syster Bateman, and she starts talking to this old cool-looking sailor guy, and he ends up just yelling at her, while catching his dentures that kept flying out of his mouth!  Mini little Mission flashbacks! 
Um...other stuff--we had an awesome lesson with a man from Eritrea in a Pressbyrån.  That would basically be like having a lesson in a place that's a cross between a Starbucks and a Seven Eleven--it was pretty interesting!  The whole time this little girl was just staring at us, and the this weird little Zamboni floor cleaner kept going by--but surprisingly, it went well! 

Then, we had another awesome lesson that night with another guy from Africa--I am not sure where exactly, but it was a super great lesson.  Basically, he just said that everything we were talking about--the Book of Mormon, the Prophet Joseph Smith, etc. --was just making him question everything that his pastors had ever told him before!  That he really wanted to read the book and find out for himself! 
It was so cool and just so amazing to see him just hearing this for the first time.  He was just kind of sitting there quietly, but then he would turn to us and have this amazing question--the kind that you could tell he just sincerely wanted to know about.  He said--kind of in a slightly frustrated manner--"Well, why wouldn't my pastors have told me about this before? Why am I just hearing about it now?" 
It was seriously just so amazing.  It really had me take a look at myself and think--if I were in his position, would I be so willing to accept this other Book?  He loved the idea of there being more words from God, and I just thought--am I really treasuring the fact that I do have the truth? 
His desire to find out just made me realize how much I need to constantly be reading the words we have been so blessed with.  This really just made me think about my relationship with my Father and with my Savior.  Even just this man's prayer.  It was so personal and so sincere.  I know that I can definitely try to put more meaning and more purpose behind my prayers.  Not just to say them, but to truly look forward to talking to my Father.  To really think about what I am saying, and to every day seek to better. 

After all, that really is all we are asked to do--every day being just a little better than we were the day before. 
I read my patriarchal blessing, and then read Helaman 5 and Alma 9.   They just really helped me see the kind of missionary I want to be.  I have thinking a lot lately about being the missionary--being the person I want to be--but while I sit there thinking about it, I realize that just sitting there is not doing anything to help me get to that point... 

I have to act--and I can't just wait for the opportunity to come to be better, but I either have to make the opportunity, or I have to just have the eyes to see that every second is an opportunity to improve.  I can't just wish I knew the scriptures as well as some people--and just sit there being sad, and thinking they are just smarter than me--but I can see that time as an opportunity for growth--and then take it and actually study!  Just an example,  but I have found that with so many things this week!

Well, I'm off to try to put my words into actions, and go make this day awesome, and will have more for next week! 

Love you all, 

Syster Campbell


Monday, June 20, 2016

WEIRD AND WONDERFUL!

Hello!

I think I can quite honestly say this has been the weirdest, most unusual--but wonderful-- week of my mission so far!  I don't know how, but somehow it has seemed to surpass all of the others in that regard... 

First of all, we have literally been gone all week.  Tuesday: Helsingborg and Göteborg, Wednesday: Göteborg, Thursday: Malmö and Friday: Kobenhavn (Copenhagen!)  So as you can see, it,s been a little crazy with that alone!
 {beautiful Helsingborg}
But to start out, last Monday we had dinner at our friend Fadde's house!  If you remember from a few weeks back, she is one of our awesome, hilarious friends!  Well, she was so sweet and made us dinner.  When we were sitting at the table, someone comes in the apartment, and immediately I recognize the voice--I thought, "Surely it can't be the guy we met a couple days ago--the one who tried to convince us that we were wrong and being falsely taught?!" 
But sure enough, he walks in, and Fadde reluctantly says, "Hej Systers, this is my brother."  We just start laughing, and she says, "What?  Do you know each other?"  Haha!  And he says, "Yeah, we may have had a talk about religion a couple days ago!"  Fadde just says to us, "Oh no! I'm sorry!  When it comes to religion, he thinks he knows everything and that everyone else is wrong!"  Hahaha!  Good times, I have to say--I was not quite expecting to meet that guy again!

 Then Tuesday comes around, and we traveled to Göteborg.  We slept in a tiny apartment with 10 Systers!  There were literally mattresses lining the bedroom/living room, hall and kitchen floors!  I was lucky and got to sleep under the study desk!  I think I can quite confidently say that I have never quite done that before! 

Then Wednesday--time for the Mission Tour!  It was so great!  Elder Dyches from the 1st Quorum of the Seventy came with his wife, and we had an amazing Conference!  I'll talk about it a little more at the end of the letter, though...
 Thursday, we spent the day in Malmö trying to legalize my companion so I wouldn't have to send her back to the States!  And that night, we played basketball with the Buddhist, Fadde, her sister, the Elders, and then we were later joined by the guy Fadde forgot she was supposed to go on a date with! Let's just say it made for an interesting game!

 Then comes Friday...I don't even quite know how to sum Friday up...but I'll try!  So, we had the opportunity to go to the Temple in Denmark, and it was absolutely amazing--but let's just say there were some trials along the way! 

First of all, the way there:  Apparently, we were told wrong when we heard that the travel cards that we have would take us to Denmark.  So, while we were on the long-anticipated trip, and starting the cross at the Øresund Bridge to Denmark, up comes the ticket-checker, bearing the grave news that our passes were not sufficient... 
To our dismay, two 1000kr. tickets were given ,but he kindly said that he really wished he "didn't have to do this" and that he's sure that if we email the travel services, that they may take them away.  He was really nice though, and he didn't give me a ticket for some reason--I don't know how that happened, but he just said, "just really pull the 'I'm an American card' when you email the people about the ticket, and I'm sure you won't have to pay for them!" Haha!  So, that was the start of our day! 
{Bustling, beautiful Copenhagen!}
Once we got to Denmark, it was still not quite smooth sailing--we spent forever trying to find where we could get day passes for the buses--found it--then sprinted here and there trying to find our bus while getting yelled at by motorcyclists in the middle of the road, almost getting run over, then finally finding the bus--got on--rode on it for 10 minutes just to find that it was going the wrong way!  We got off and tried to find the one going the right way, chased after it and barely made it! 
But then we made it!  In the middle of a crazy, busy city lays the beautiful Kobenhavn Temple!  We go in and I feel more peace than I have in over 7 months!  It was so incredibly gorgeous, peaceful and so very needed!  
{with their "Swedish Grandpa", Bo Wennerlund}
After our lovely time there, we were trying to find a place to eat--and out of all of the places you could go to to eat in Denmark, somehow we ended up in the most authentic Indian restaurant I have ever seen...

Then it was time to head back--back over the bridge, just to find out our new passes didn't work, either!  We had been told by three different people working with the trains that these tickets would work--little did they know they didn't!  Thankfully though, somehow the lady didn't give us tickets this time!  We were very blessed!  Sadly though, the long-anticipated ride on the bridge to Denmark that I was so eagerly looking forward to is now and forever tainted with the memory of our 1000kr tickets! 
Even with all of this, Denmark was gorgeous--but I have to say, its showed me just how much I love Sweden--just kind of in every way I love it more!  So, I guess that was good! :)

Well--that was my week!  A little crazy and a lot fun!  But now to my favorite part--what I got from our Conference! 
So, the part that actually hit me the most was while President and Syster Beckstrand were speaking.  They were talking about the Spirit, and how we each individually come to feel the Spirit.  They talked about how we each have a "pattern", and how we must each come to find what our pattern is!  They talked about their pattern--how they have noted what they start to feel before they receive guidance, how they feel during, and then after.  They said that over time, they have just been able to see it in each other, whenever the other was feeling the Spirit. 
They talked about the importance of noting how you feel and how that can help you to notice and be more aware of the promptings of the Spirit.  Ever since, I have really been trying to think about this a lot--about how if we choose to we can feel the guidance of the Spirit in everything we do.  And not just occasionally--we can have this always.  It's up to "var och en"--each one of us--to decide if we are going to hear and follow the still small voice--or if we are going to drowning it out with our own thoughts, or the voices coming from the world. 
While thinking about this, I have also listened to a Conference talk given by President Eyring, called  "TheHoly Ghost as Your Companion".  Absolutely gorgeous message--talking about how we can have the Spirit with us always. 

He says:  "We can, if we live worthy of it, have the blessing of the spirit to be with us, not only now and then but always." And he kindly suggests how we can come to feel the spirit more." 
He says to those who are struggling to feel the Spirit:

 " You have at times felt the influence of the Holy Ghost.  You can treat those moments of inspiration like the seed of faith that Alma described in Alma 32:28.  Plant each one.  You can do that by acting on the prompting you felt. 

"The most valuable inspiration will be for you to know what God would have you do. Whatever it is, do it.  When you demonstrate your willingness to obey, the Spirit will send you more impressions of what God would have you do for Him.  As you obey, the impressions from the Spirit will come more frequently, becoming closer and closer to constant companionship."  

I absolutely love that.  And it is so very true. 
As we seek to have the Spirit with us more we will be given promptings.  As we act on those promptings we will be given more.  I have been seeing this a lot lately.  Sometimes we are out on the streets, and I feel a prompting to go talk to someone, and when I do they just stick out their hand and say, "Nej, tack!" , and walk away.  I always have to stop and think about it for a minute and think, " but I totally thought I have to talk to that person? Why wouldn´t they listen?" 

We must be humble enough to see that often we may be too proud to listen to the seemingly small promptings we receive.  As we act on the smaller promptings we will see that we will be given greater promptings because we have shown that we will act on the small things we have received.  I have found that this doesn't necessarily come quickly or easily, but it comes with consistency... 
As we consistently listen to the still small voice--the Spirit--we will be able to feel it with greater abundance.  Then we will feel that joy that comes with it more prevalently in our lives. 

Decide now that the moment you wake up tomorrow, you will feel the Spirit in every aspect of your life that day.  Pray to feel it, and pray that you will be able to listen and to act on the promptings you receive.  You will never know if it works unless you try it!

Jag älskar alla er!  Alma 5:14.


Med Kärlek,

Syster Campbell

Monday, June 13, 2016

SUNSHINE AND STRUGGLES

Hello, my family & friends!

I hope life is swell for you all!  Its been pretty lovely here!  Beautiful summer weather, long never- ending days--literally--because it doesn't get completely dark!  When we go to bed at night, we have to make sure we completely cover the windows or the light will keep us up!  Haha! I've never have had this problem before--I love it!
Other than that, we had a lesson in the cemetery, and met with a guy who was an hour and a half late and he had a never ending supply of questions!  
{their favorite place, she says!}
Saturday, the Elders had a funny day...let's just say they broke an ice cream scoop, left one of their bags on a train, left their keys in another bag that was at our house, took the bus all the way to their apartment, and then called us saying that they left their keys...so, at 9:30pm, we walked to the station to bring them their keys!  
We figured they had had I pretty awful day, so we decided to draw them a picture!  We drew all of us, the K-squad Crew and each of our own struggles.  Me--always hurting myself, so I drew a little cast; one of the Elders with the broken ice cream scoop, the other with the bus card in his hand which he lost...and then for Syster Howlett...well, that is just a whole different story!  
{a "teepee" they found in Kristianstad}
So, occasionally there are "mean" trainers who tell their babies (greenies) that the phrase,  "Jag har bråttom" means, "I have diarrhea"--when in reality it means, "I'm in a hurry!"  So, naturally, Swedes say it all the time!  To the trainer and the Swede, they hear that the person is in a hurry--while to the mis-informed greenie, they are hearing that everybody has diarrhea!  
{a day working with the Sister Trainer Leaders}
So, in an effort to try and be a nice trainer on her first day here, I told her that some of the time trainers are "mean" and tell their greenies that "bråttom" means diarrhea.  Well, apparently due to the fact that it was only her second day, there was just too much information to take in all at once--so she just heard bråttom=Diarrhea.  Hahaha!  So, for two weeks, my poor Syster Howlett thought that was what it meant!  
Finally, she just snapped and said, "Okay, why in the world do Swedes think that it is even okay or even an excuse to say that they have diarrhea all the time!  I don't get it!"  Oh, wow!  If only I had a picture of my face at that moment--after two whole weeks--I just about died!  I just said, "Wait.... WHAT?!"  Hahaha--so you know bråttom doesn't actually mean diarrhea, right?!"  The saddest most confused look just comes over her face and she says, "What?!" Haha!  That was truly a great moment!
 {with one of her favorite members of their branch in Kristianstad}
Well, sadly I must go--but one thing to leave you with; "The Holy Ghost as Your Companion" , by President Henry B. Eyring--please read it.  Just do it.  It is so beautiful, and just so simply states why we need to constantly strive to live to have the Spirit with us.
 Jag älskar alla er med hela mitt hjärta!

Med kärlek, 

Syster Campbell (Syster Lägerklocka!) 
 {a graduation celebration in Kristianstad}

Tuesday, June 7, 2016

SKÅNE


Well hello, my dearest people! 

This letter's got to be cut short, but it has been an AWESOME week!

Just to hit the essentials...the work is seriously amazing right now.  I can't believe it at times. Honestly, miracles are happening, and it is very humbling to be watching them right where we are. 

Min lila grönsak is amazing! I love training, because seriously my "kid", Syster Howlett, is training me

But honestly, I was really scared to train!  I felt so inadequate--I felt so young in the mission and I did not think I could help her enough with the language because I was struggling enough myself! 

But, I cannot even begin to tell you how much I have felt the language increasing in just the past 2 weeks.  It's been a miracle really!  
I still have so much to learn, but the Lord really has helped me and strengthened me, and that is usually something that is really hard for me to tell when I have improved in something--so that has really told me something this week! 

But aside from that, my comp is just wonderful.  She is incredible and I just love her to pieces!  We have so much fun together--making Pad Thai, taking care of our cilantro plant, Hector.... 

Fun/not so fun fact for ya...apparently Sweden doesn't believe in just selling cilantro in bunches.  You have to buy the whole plant if you want any cilantro!  So, that's what we did! We bought him, took him home, and he now sits on our window sill where he gets approximately 19-20 hours of sunlight a day! 

He was without dirt for a week, but we finally had the Elders get some dirt for him.  They came back with a bag of dirt they had gotten from the Orthodox church next door.  They said they were pretty sure they got it off of the grave of a dog--we're not quite sure what to think of that!  So, Hector is doing pretty good... 

And as far as we go...we are LOVING the sun!  It is so fun and crazy to just wake up and the sun has already been up for hours!  Sometimes we are out contacting--talking to some amazing people on the streets,  and making up games while contacting to have fun as we work, and then we realize it is 10:00pm and we needed to be home an hour ago!  It's horrible, because the beautiful warm sun can just keep you out for hours and you don't even realize! 

It has been so hot, and I have been trying to work on my tan a little here and there--haha, not really, though!  We are just out in the sun for hours, I get burned and then it tans!  It's a pretty good deal!
And one of the best parts of the week?  A visit from Pontus and Susi!  They surprised me--and I loved it so, so much!                         
Well, this has also been a really weird week!  First off, Friday was this grad night-type of thing for the students graduating, and apparently in Scandinavia on the last day of school, people dress up really weird and then go around and have a type of scavenger hunt thing.  So basically it was like Halloween--but Swedish!  I don't know, there were just Vikings, and firefighters, and people dressed up like whoopy cushions all over the place! 
At one point while we were contacting, Syster Howlett just turns to me and says, "We should go see what the whoopy cushions think the meaning of life is!"  I just died laughing, and the night just got weirder after that.......... 
We had a lesson with two guys that were up on their 3rd floor apartment balcony!  So, that was interesting!  They said "Hey!", as we were walking by, so we decided to make a lesson out of it!  It was pretty funny!  So, we got to teach Marco from Italy and his friend the whole Restoration while yelling up to the balcony! 
At one point they said, "wait there--we're coming down!"  We waited a minute, and then they came back out on the balcony and said, "actually, were too lazy.  But if we throw down the keys, will you come up?"  Haha.  No.  And then continued teaching from down there.  It was definitely an interesting experience!  Haha, good memories!
After that, we met a 20-something Swedish Buddhist who kissed us three times each on the cheeks--super weird!   He said that we were completely different than what 'South Park' makes us out to be!  He said, "They just make you guys seem so weird--but you guys are chill, and apparently Mormons are beautiful!"  That was awkward! 
But the best/worst part was that the Elders were just down the street watching the whole thing, and just cracking up the whole time--so after that we just said, "well, actually we have Elders here, too--and they are right over there!"  So, we walked over and introduced him to the Elders!  We're thinking the Elders can probably teach this one, haha!  But, we are playing basketball with the Buddhist this week...so that should be fun!
Other than that, we had the most AMAZING P-Day today!  We biked all around the beach in Malmö...it was absolutely gorgeous!  Just a huge group of us riding around for hours and getting off at random spots to take pictures and have fun! 
And our final destination--the bridge to Denmark!  It was so cool!  We didn't get to go on top, but I just stood under it, and that was pretty cool!  
So, I think that counts as going to Denmark, right?!  Well, if we go to the Temple soon, I will actually be able to go to the Temple in Denmark! 
Well, that's about all I have time for--but to share something that has helped me this week, I have really loved listening to these two talks lately: "Be Thou Humble", and "The Healing Ointment of Forgiveness" that were given in this past April General Conference.  Both are really good reminders of how we can try to improve ourselves every day. 
Well I love you all, and I want to hear how you are all doing!

Med Kärlek, 

Syster Campbell