Monday for P-day we went with the Linköping Elders to the Flyggvapen Museum (literal translation = plane-weapon museum). It was pretty cool! They had a lot of old fighter planes there and they also did a lot of kind of explaining the Swedish mindset during World War 2 and the Cold war. It was a lot of fun.
Tuesday we met with our 9 year old investigator and he is awesome! We had asked him to read the Book of Mormon with his mom who is a member and when we asked about it he preceded to give us a marvelous summary of the first several chapters of 1 Nephi. It was awesome! We had to meet with them pretty early in the morning so we went home and finally did our personal study that we hadn't had time for when we got called by 5 different people. It was the oddest experience. Normally we sit down and try to call a bunch of people but this time they all called us! We also had another lesson later that day in Finspång, about a 30 minute bus ride away.
Wednesday we were pretty busy, we met several investigators throughout the day. We even went to Finspång again to meet with two potential investigators. They are both from Africa, one from Nigeria and the other from Sierra Leon. We taught them the Restoration and the Spirit was so strong! It was amazing. We gave them both their own copy of the Book of Mormon and invited them to be baptized. They accepted which was awesome! Within a week we went from having none of our investigators with baptismal dates to work towards to now we have 4! The Lord's work is moving forward!
Thursday we had district meeting and we talked about what we talked about at our last zone training about being finishers. Our district printed off a really good poem called The Race by D.H. Groberg. It's a fantastic poem about finishing our race, even when we struggle and feel like we have failed or lost. We met a couple more investigators later that day and had a great lesson with a member.
(Mom's note: here is a link to a video depicting the poem : The Race)
The Race
--attributed to Dr. D.H. "Dee" Groberg
Whenever I start to hang my head in front of failure’s
face,
my downward fall is broken by the memory of a race.
A children’s race, young boys, young men; how I remember well,
excitement sure, but also fear, it wasn’t hard to tell.
They all lined up so full of hope, each thought to win that race
or tie for first, or if not that, at least take second place.
Their parents watched from off the side, each cheering for their son,
and each boy hoped to show his folks that he would be the one.
my downward fall is broken by the memory of a race.
A children’s race, young boys, young men; how I remember well,
excitement sure, but also fear, it wasn’t hard to tell.
They all lined up so full of hope, each thought to win that race
or tie for first, or if not that, at least take second place.
Their parents watched from off the side, each cheering for their son,
and each boy hoped to show his folks that he would be the one.
The whistle blew and off they flew, like chariots of
fire,
to win, to be the hero there, was each young boy’s desire.
One boy in particular, whose dad was in the crowd,
was running in the lead and thought “My dad will be so proud.”
But as he speeded down the field and crossed a shallow dip,
the little boy who thought he’d win, lost his step and slipped.
Trying hard to catch himself, his arms flew everyplace,
and midst the laughter of the crowd he fell flat on his face.
As he fell, his hope fell too; he couldn’t win it now.
Humiliated, he just wished to disappear somehow.
to win, to be the hero there, was each young boy’s desire.
One boy in particular, whose dad was in the crowd,
was running in the lead and thought “My dad will be so proud.”
But as he speeded down the field and crossed a shallow dip,
the little boy who thought he’d win, lost his step and slipped.
Trying hard to catch himself, his arms flew everyplace,
and midst the laughter of the crowd he fell flat on his face.
As he fell, his hope fell too; he couldn’t win it now.
Humiliated, he just wished to disappear somehow.
But as he fell his dad stood up and showed his anxious
face,
which to the boy so clearly said, “Get up and win that race!”
He quickly rose, no damage done, behind a bit that’s all,
and ran with all his mind and might to make up for his fall.
So anxious to restore himself, to catch up and to win,
his mind went faster than his legs. He slipped and fell again.
He wished that he had quit before with only one disgrace.
“I’m hopeless as a runner now, I shouldn’t try to race.”
which to the boy so clearly said, “Get up and win that race!”
He quickly rose, no damage done, behind a bit that’s all,
and ran with all his mind and might to make up for his fall.
So anxious to restore himself, to catch up and to win,
his mind went faster than his legs. He slipped and fell again.
He wished that he had quit before with only one disgrace.
“I’m hopeless as a runner now, I shouldn’t try to race.”
But through the laughing crowd he searched and found his
father’s face
with a steady look that said again, “Get up and win that race!”
So he jumped up to try again, ten yards behind the last.
“If I’m to gain those yards,” he thought, “I’ve got to run real fast!”
Exceeding everything he had, he regained eight, then ten...
but trying hard to catch the lead, he slipped and fell again.
Defeat! He lay there silently. A tear dropped from his eye.
“There’s no sense running anymore! Three strikes I’m out! Why try?
I’ve lost, so what’s the use?” he thought. “I’ll live with my disgrace.”
But then he thought about his dad, who soon he’d have to face.
with a steady look that said again, “Get up and win that race!”
So he jumped up to try again, ten yards behind the last.
“If I’m to gain those yards,” he thought, “I’ve got to run real fast!”
Exceeding everything he had, he regained eight, then ten...
but trying hard to catch the lead, he slipped and fell again.
Defeat! He lay there silently. A tear dropped from his eye.
“There’s no sense running anymore! Three strikes I’m out! Why try?
I’ve lost, so what’s the use?” he thought. “I’ll live with my disgrace.”
But then he thought about his dad, who soon he’d have to face.
“Get up,” an echo sounded low, “you haven’t lost at
all,
for all you have to do to win is rise each time you fall.
Get up!” the echo urged him on, “Get up and take your place!
You were not meant for failure here! Get up and win that race!”
So, up he rose to run once more, refusing to forfeit,
and he resolved that win or lose, at least he wouldn’t quit.
So far behind the others now, the most he’d ever been,
still he gave it all he had and ran like he could win.
Three times he’d fallen stumbling, three times he rose again.
Too far behind to hope to win, he still ran to the end.
for all you have to do to win is rise each time you fall.
Get up!” the echo urged him on, “Get up and take your place!
You were not meant for failure here! Get up and win that race!”
So, up he rose to run once more, refusing to forfeit,
and he resolved that win or lose, at least he wouldn’t quit.
So far behind the others now, the most he’d ever been,
still he gave it all he had and ran like he could win.
Three times he’d fallen stumbling, three times he rose again.
Too far behind to hope to win, he still ran to the end.
They cheered another boy who crossed the line and won first
place,
head high and proud and happy -- no falling, no disgrace.
But, when the fallen youngster crossed the line, in last place,
the crowd gave him a greater cheer for finishing the race.
And even though he came in last with head bowed low, unproud,
you would have thought he’d won the race, to listen to the crowd.
And to his dad he sadly said, “I didn’t do so well.”
“To me, you won,” his father said. “You rose each time you fell.”
head high and proud and happy -- no falling, no disgrace.
But, when the fallen youngster crossed the line, in last place,
the crowd gave him a greater cheer for finishing the race.
And even though he came in last with head bowed low, unproud,
you would have thought he’d won the race, to listen to the crowd.
And to his dad he sadly said, “I didn’t do so well.”
“To me, you won,” his father said. “You rose each time you fell.”
And now when things seem dark and bleak and difficult to
face,
the memory of that little boy helps me in my own race.
For all of life is like that race, with ups and downs and all.
And all you have to do to win is rise each time you fall.
And when depression and despair shout loudly in my face,
another voice within me says, “Get up and win that race!”
the memory of that little boy helps me in my own race.
For all of life is like that race, with ups and downs and all.
And all you have to do to win is rise each time you fall.
And when depression and despair shout loudly in my face,
another voice within me says, “Get up and win that race!”
Another thing on Friday was that we had a little bit of time left after our train got in to Norrköping so we went and talked to people on the street. As we were walking on our way home we see this guy on the street talking with this guy up in the window when the one on the street says "Hey look, Mormon Missionaries". Apparently he's a member and he was here visiting with some of his friends playing in the music festival that was going on, one of them being the friend up in the window who turned out to be the drummer for the band The Killers! That will be my small claim to fame for the week.
Saturday met with another new investigator and then met with one of our members and had a really good discussion about testimony. We even talked about the first story in Bonnie L Oscarson's talk from April 2016 titled "Do I Believe". It's a really great story about how when a mother is in a helicopter with her sick son on the way to the hospital, she has the thought that while she knows all about the Gospel and the Plan of Salvation, the question was did she truly believe it?
Sunday was pretty wild. We had an excellent fast and testimony meeting. Afterwards we were trying to arrange some appointments with some members when one of them walks up and says that 2 investigators were walking in. We go up expecting to see some of our other investigators who hadn't made it to church when we see Chassa! She used to be an investigator and she runs the Kebab restaurant we always get lunch at after District meeting. Apparently she was on her way somewhere else but figured she would swing by so she came for Sunday School. We went and met a new investigator after church which went really well and then met with a recent convert.
Today for P-day we checked out these viking carvings in some rocks about a 15 minute bike ride from our apartment in Himmelstalund park. They were pretty cool. Apparently they date back to the Bronze Age.
It's been an awesome week and I have really seen the Lord's hand in the work. I am so grateful for the wonderful people I get to meet and to see how the Gospel can bless people. Love you all!
-Elder Ashford
The first few pictures are of the Viking carvings including me paddling in a boat.
Then there was an American Flag flying for some reason so we got a picture with it. Happy 4th of July this week!
Here is all of us Elders at the plane museum including me doing my best airplane impression.
Also there is me and Elder Olson in our matching ties we received.
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