Tuesday, August 16, 2016

HELSINGBORG!

Well, transfers are here again, and after staying put for 4 of them--a whole 6 months--they're kicking me out!  But I'm not landing too far away...I'm headed to HELSINGBORG

Okay, I just have to tell ya...ever since the MTC I have wanted to go there!  But, that wasn't even an option until 2 transfers ago!  One of my teachers in the MTC always raved about Helsingborg and how beautiful it was.  I would say, "I'm going there!", and he said that it was only an Elders area, and I said,"just watch."  Haha!  So, I am pretty stinkin' excited!
One of the best parts was on Saturday, when we had the transfer call, the Zone Leaders were doing it and they said, "...and in Helsingborg, Syster Wilson will be leaving--and she will be replaced with the "Reigning Queen" of the Malmö Zone!  Syster Campbell will be going to Helsingborg! 

I felt quite honored--I didn't know I would get such a title for outstaying EVERYONE in the Zone!  Its crazy to think I very well could stay down here in the South for 10 ½ months of my mission!!!  But, no complaints here!  I never saw myself as a southern gal, but I'm definitely becoming one!  Skåne just can't get rid of me! 
 Okay.  Well, quickly on for the rest of the week:
--Went to the Southern-most tippity-tip beach of Sweden for p-day!  It was beautiful!

--Painted the Sandelins house!
--Passed by a Kebab food truck, and saw one of the Elders' investigators working there, so we stop by to say hi, and he reaches into the cooler and hands us some energy drinks for free!  Haha, sickest!  Don't worry--I didn't drink it!
--Went to Lund for a day and had some interesting experiences there...

    ~got blåsted 3 times (as in no-show appointments)
    {pointing out all of "her people" behind her}
~tracted into a guy who had filled the inside of his door up with egg cartons--and he said, "What do you want?  I´m in the middle of trying to re-write the Bible."

 --Sat in the windows at the apartment singing to passers-by, and a whole bunch of them would just stop and record it, and then some even tried to give money!  Haha!
{Noah Sandelin "fixed" her hair!}
--Got in the shower just to see a HUGE spider hanging down over the shower.  Naturally, freaked out! Put on my towel. Yelled--"Eunice!  Get the oven cleaner!!!"  Now, if any of you remember weeks back we had another similar incident where there was a big nasty spider...yeah.  Well, it went down pretty much the same way.  So we sprayed that thing for quite a while, and then went on with our lives.  P.S.  Oven cleaner really does a good job:)

--Got the lovely little call to Helsingborg!
--And my "Baby" Eunice, (a.k.a. Syster Howlett) is going to be a mother and train, so I'm going to be a grandma!!!

But, now on to bigger and better things. 
One thing I have learned this week is to keep the testimony you have right now close at hand, because you never know when your own testimony will be the very thing that answers your own prayers and saves your own testimony. 
This week, I was kind of having a hard time with some things.  It was kind of hard for me to understand and hard to see.  Thinking of the questions, and just sitting on a bench just trying to pray to find an answer... 

I don't think I have ever quite prayed as hard as I did on that little bench on that blustery, cold, rainy night.  I was freezing--without a jacket--confused and exhausted, and at the same time I had my Book of Mormon out, and I just wanted to know
I continued to pray--and as I did, the wind picked up and the pages flew...The wind would stop for just enough time for me to read a highlighted verse, and all of a sudden it would pick right back up, change the page, and I would read another verse that I have so darkly marked, worn and loved.  Verse after verse, re-emphasizing the same truths.  The same exact things I had just been praying about. 

It was amazing to me to see how the very things I have been studying the past few weeks were the things that helped me receive my answer.  There is something about receiving an answer from past personal experiences.  We have them for a reason, right?
Lately, during personal study, I have been wanting to make my Book of Mormon more personal to me, and I know I had that feeling for a reason--because God knew at one point, if I started to drift, all I would need was a little self-reminder.  So, I did that.  

While reading everyday, if there is something that really stands out to me, or I just love and want to apply it, I will write out whatever it is I need on a post-it note, and stick it in.  Doing that alone has made the biggest difference for me. 
It is not just reading a history book, but it is reading my own book.  A book written just for me to help me with everything I go through.  I am so grateful for the Book of Mormon and for the gift that it is from our loving Heavenly Father. 

Treasure it.  Read it.  Study it.  And let it work in you.  Allow yourself to learn from it and see that it was written for you.  Read it daily, and you will never have to doubt.
"My young friends, now is the time and today is the day to learn or reaffirm for yourselves that the gospel is true.  Each of us has an important work to do.  To accomplish that work, and to be protected from worldly influences that seem to be constantly looming, we must have the faith of Alma, Nephi, and young Joseph Smith to obtain and develop our own testimony." --Elder Craig C. Christensen

If you're struggling with your testimony focus on the simple truths.  God is our Father and Jesus is His Son.  Jesus is also our Savior. 
 Have faith and read from the Book of Mormon daily.  I've seen sweet missionaries struggling to find a testimony, while trying to sink into deep doctrine and setting the Book of Mormon aside.  That is not the way.  Please read from the Book of Mormon daily, and you will never need to fear losing the small and simple truths.
I love you all with all my heart--and you'll be hearing from me next week in Helsingborg!

Med Kärlek,


Syster Campbell




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