Just though I would let you know that Sweden is just as amazing as ever, and I love it more and more every day!
Well, I might as well start off with something cool.....Sys. Bateman and I did a little interview thing about our Church! It was actually super cool and scary!
{the Systers were already out and about one day this week when they realized...they were twins!}
Apparently, for one of the high schools here in Täby, students had to pick a religion to study, and so ours was one of the ones selected, and we got to do it! It was actually a super cool experience, though. We were kind of scared at first, because you never know who they'll be or what they will be like, or what kind of questions they will ask, but it was really good, and really got me thinking about why I am here and what got me to this point...
And let me tell you that the gift of tongues is real.
I was freaked out because they were asking about everything--every topic-- and I was just thinking, "I don't know the vocab for this kind of stuff!", but, I was actually able to say what I wanted, and I was quite pleasantly surprised.
{so what do you do when you realize you're twins and it's too late to do anything about it? Take lots and lots of pictures celebrating it!}
I have been thinking about that a lot this week, actually--about how if you say you just can't do something, you usually can't, because you have already set the limits on your abilities. BUT, if we give ourselves the CHANCE to do something that may seem hard or even impossible, we will either be able to do it, or we will just be that much closer to doing it or achieving it the next time!
So, that was one of my biggest take aways from this week--that if I just say I can't speak the language, I won't be able to, because by saying that I can't, I am not even giving myself the chance to try! But, if you say, "yeah, I can do this... sure, I will mess up here and there, but hey! I will just get that much better after trying!"
Another thing I loved about the school interview was that these people had legitimately good questions! We were shocked! But my favorite one was, "If your parents weren't members of the Church, do you think that you would have found it and/or joined later in life?" I just thought that was the coolest question......
I always think about how different my life would be if I didn't have the Church in my life. It would be COMPLETELY different. But, I have never though about it quite like how they asked......
I though about it for a minute, and then the answer just kind of came to me as I opened my mouth and started talking. I just kind of said, "Well, I certainly hope I would. I feel like I would be interested to learn about it, and I would hope that I would accept it!"
But then, that just kind of got me thinking even more, and then I just said, "Well...I think you just helped me to better answer your prior question about why I chose to serve a mission. I think I am truly out here because if I wasn't born into the Church, if I didn't grow up with it, I would sure hope that I would be able to find it, so I want to help others find it just like I would hope someone would do for me!"
If I was born without any knowledge of a God, if I didn't know there actually was a plan for me and that I do have a purpose in this life, I sure would want someone to share that with me!
So that's why I am here.
Who knew that I would really find my answer during an interview with high school kids! But, I did--and I just can't stop thinking about it----
I am here because I know my Savior--I know Him and I love Him, and I can't imagine my life without Him. I can honestly say that there is nothing more satisfying--nothing more filling--than teaching others about Christ. Nothing can fill your heart, your whole soul with more joy than Bringing Others Unto Christ.
So, that was just the start of the week....sadly, I don't have a whole day to just write out everything because I can't even write out a fraction of the miracles and the fun times and things we experience every day! But, I try--so here are a few other little fun things from this week:
Okay, well good news! It's warm enough to just wear 2 pairs of tights now!!! Haha! Okay, well, 3 would probably still be better, but I refuse to wear 3 now! Spring is coming!!!
Oh! And one of my favoritest storiest ever! I can't remember if I already told you all about our mormon.org cards or not... so I will anyways! Okay, so like 2 weeks after I got here, we ran out of our cards with our information on them, so we have to make more. All we do is put on a handy dandy little sticker with our number and the church address--so super easy!
{picture from back in December when they were changing all of their cards...incorrectly!}
Yeah, so we make a bunch of those. Then we realize that it is almost the New Year, and our church time is going to change! Lame! But, we are smarter than that, so we get sharpies and we just change all of the times from 14:00 to 11:00....so, a pretty easy fix with a sharpie right?! Haha, no. But, we thought it was all great until that night.
We go to a members house with all of the Elders and they asked what we did that day, and as one of our events we bring up that we cleverly changed ALL of the times on our cards with a sharpie from 14:00 to 11:00! So we didn't have to waste the cards!
We look up, and all of their faces just kind of drop and they slowly say...."ummm, church starts at 10:00......." NO!!!!!!! Hahahaha, oh so horrible!!! Haha, horribly hilarious! So, for 1 and a half months while we were waiting for our new stickers with the right time to get here, we have had to scrape off the old stickers and hand write ALL of them!!! It was pretty funny! So, this week we have just been sticking on the new stickers on over the old ones! Haha! Oh, missions....they are the best!
Okay, and just have to say we have the best Elders ever! We have the AP's and Office Elders in our ward, so we are always working with them, and for some reason they think that they do nothing because they are in the office, and they say that we do everything--which is so not true!
Well, Tuesday, the high school interview was actually supposed to be with the POE's (Office Elders) but they had to go do something else last minute, so we did it for them--and so apparently for that, they thought we just saved the day or something--so, that night they come by our apartment and drop off a package of "Book of Mormons", as they said on the phone. Yeah...no.
We run down to get the box, go back up and open it. It was like a package of all of our favoritest things ever! They got us both muesli (our favorite oat cereal thing), risi fruitis (awesome Swedish rice pudding things) and Marabou bars! (heavenly Swedish chocolate bars!) WHAT?!
Haha! And then on the top of that, they made a little Photoshop picture for us! Haha, oh they are the best! #Team Täby!!!
Well, we also had a wonderful dinner/evening with the new office couple...and it turns out we're related!!! So, that was way fun! We just sat there for like 30 minutes finding all of these connections, and it was so fun! So I have family here!
{seriously--(Sys. Campbell's Mom speaking here)--this looks like MY computer screen at home--these are my people!}
Pontus and Susanne also took us on some more adventures!
{Thank-you, Pontus and Susanne!}
They took us to the King's Palace! Way cool...but in the bottom half of it, there is this amazing museum! It was probably one of the coolest museums I have ever been to...
It just felt like you were walking through a castle dungeon--and I quess it felt like it because it kind of was!
Oh! They had clothes form all of the prior kings and other royalty, and swords, and armour.. it was seriously just so cool! I was so fascinated by it all!
Then after that, they took us to the Mynt in Stockholm, and it was just really interesting to see all of the money that Swedes have used since the beginning. They had every single bill or coin that they have ever used on display, and it was so cool!
{that rectangular metal piece is the "largest coin in the world!"}
{Pontus said that this display contained various Alfred Nobel medals--so cool!}
This week we also had Specialized Zone Training! It was so good! They never disappoint! So, I will just leave you with a few of my favorite parts! The whole topic was focusing on Conversion--and being truly converted ourselves.
{the Systers just GLOW! Well, in the Swedish Mynt, they do, anyway!}
1) "To be converted, we DO and then we BECOME." I just thought that was the perfect way to sum up both conversion and faith. If we ever want to become something we must act on it and do something first!
2) "True conversion comes from being true to the Gospel." If you are not true to the Gospel in every aspect, you will not be able to be truly converted in every aspect. You will really just be cheating yourself from becoming more!
{evidence that she is mailing her first physical letter from Sweden home!}
3) Elder Bednar: "Living the gospel is the essence of conversion." The only way to become converted is to live like you already are fully converted!
4) and lastly.... Ä. Hemmingson: "If your going to do something, do it right." Haha! I love that. And it is so true.
So, to sum it all up...
{dinner with the amazing and wonderful PENCE Family! We love these people, and so do the Systers!!!}
***Try out asking yourself, "If I wasn't born into the Church, if I didn't grow up with it, would I find it? Would I accept it?"--- and then if so, what would I do then?
And if you aren't a member, ask yourself: "What would it mean to be part of this Church, and in what ways can it change my life for the better?"
{in the beautiful Pence Family home--thank-you, Kimberly!!!}
***Find happiness in the little things!
***Go to random little museums and just learn! Knowledge seriously is one of the greatest gifts we have! So, go treat yourself and learn something new--afterall, it can only help you!
{the beautiful Pence Family with the Systers on Sunday night}
***And lastly: Take a look at yourself and see what it would take for you to become truly converted. And then take that thing--or those things--and apply them! Make it happen, and see all of the blessings that it will bring!
Well, I love you all dearly! Hope you all have a lovely week!
Med Kärlek,
Syster Campbell
