Week 36 - America! And A New Mission President!

We traveled all over the place this week!

Tuesday was the Fourth of July!  We started by going to meet some investigators a half hour away in Finspång.  We caught one of them at the bus stop, he was on his way to Eskilstuna...for several weeks... awkward.  He forgot we were supposed to meet.  We chatted for a few minutes before going and meeting with our other appointment.  We had a really good lesson on the Plan of Salvation.  His roommate wasn't there but he ended up being on our bus back to Norrköping so we talked with him on the way back.  We then packed up all of our stuff for zone conference and caught another bus out to Kolmården for a member meal.  The husband is American so we had a 4th of July barbecue with them.  They even had a cake that looked like the American Flag, it was awesome.  We then went back to Norrköping so that we could catch our train to Stockholm for zone conference the next day.  We stayed the night and there were 8 of us all sleeping in one apartment meant for 2 Elders... It was a party.

Wednesday was zone conference.  We met our new mission president and wife, President and Sister Youngberg!  They seem really awesome so I am looking forward to getting to know them better.  It was a fantastic zone conference.  We then got a train back but we had to get a later train because we missed ours due to a connecting train running late.  It was super funny though because on the train back to Norrköping the missionaries across from me recognized the shirt of a girl that walked by as an American football shirt but didn't know the team, turns out it was a Wayzata High School shirt from Minnesota!  When she walked back I asked her if she was from Minnesota, she looked pretty surprised at first, so we talked for a minute or two before she returned to her seat.  When we pulled into Norrköping it was a complete downpour, there was even hail and a little thunder which never seems to happen in Sweden.  Elder Olson and I had of course forgotten our umbrellas and were in suit coats so we ran to the Spårvagn and then from the spårvagn walked quickly back to the apartment but we were pretty wet. Of course about ten minutes later it cleared up and the sun started shining again...

Thursday we taught our 9 year old with baptismal date before we had exchanges so I got to be with Elder Domino from my MTC group while Elder Olson went down to Linköping for the day.  It was super fun.  We had a couple of lessons and did a little bit of contacting and got to kind of catch up with each other.

Friday was another busy day. We ended exchanges at the train station and then waited there for ten minutes before our train to Nyköping came.  We went there and met with some members.  We read a talk entitled "Do Not Delay" from Oct 1999 from then Elder Eyring.  It is a really good talk about the blessings from repenting now instead pushing off things for later.  We then came back and met with another member before then going and helping another member move some furniture around her apartment.

Saturday we went out to Finspång again and taught one of our investigators.  We did a little bit of contacting as well.

Sunday we had a great day at church and then we got fed afterwards.  One of the families, their daughter just got married on Friday, had a lot of food left over and so they essentially went "we have all of this food that needs to get eaten, let's have the Elders come over".  We ate a lot of pasta salad.  It was super good.  I didn't even need to eat dinner I was still so full.

It's been a very busy week but I am so grateful for the chance I have to serve here and to see the Lord's work go forward.  God loves each and everyone of His children and watches over them!

Pictures for the week are: 

...there is me with all of our train tickets for Tuesday and Wednesday...

Mom's note: The tickets are as tall as he is!

...the Elders Olson, yes, we have three of them right now...

...we also had another hedgehog sighting on Monday...

...I also got a care package for 4th of July so Yay America!

Mom's note: I know he got another 4th of July package as well.
We requested a photo of him in his Old Navy Shirt.
Also you may notice the socks...they have fireworks on them. :)

--Elder Ashford

Week 35 - Back to Work!

This week has been utterly amazing!  There is so much good stuff happening!

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.

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.

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.”

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.

“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.

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.”

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!”

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.

Week 34 - Midsommar!

I know I say this a lot but this week was actually super crazy!

Monday was our missionary volley ball tournament so that was a lot of fun.  We took a train out to Södertälje and played volleyball for about 4-5 hours on P-day.  A lot of us were still pretty pale from no sunlight in winter and then always wearing proselyting clothes every day but just about everybody left a few shades redder than when they got there.  It was a lot of fun.  We then came home.  It was kind of crazy though.  

We got invited to Family Home Evening with the Bishop's family and so there was a bus that left at 6:20, we got off our train at 6:06, ran to our bikes that we had parked at the station, biked home, changed into a white shirt and slacks, and then biked back in time to catch the bus with a less active we were bringing with.  It was pretty crazy. We got to Söderköping okay though and the Bishop and his family took us to this place called Smultronstället which is literally an ice cream restaurant.  Not a restaurant that also has ice cream but literally the entire menu is ice cream.  They had some crazy looking ice cream and they could get pretty big too.  It was delicious!  We also walked up a big hill and got a beautiful view of Söderköping.

Photos from Hike to Söderköping

On Tuesday one of our lessons didn't show up so we did family history for a little while at the church. We then biked to meet one of our investigators and had a super good lesson with him.  We then biked back to the church to meet one of our recent converts.  We had a great lesson with him.  We then had to go buy food because we didn't have time the day before so we bought food, biked home, then biked all the way back and past the church for a member meal.  The next day Elder Olson estimated that we had biked for about 2 hours the whole day just trying to get back and forth everywhere.  We could kind of feel it.

Wednesday we met in the morning with one of the kids in the ward.  He is 9 but wasn't baptized when he was 8 so we have to teach him now before he can be baptized.  He wants to though and it was pretty fun being able to teach him, we'll be meeting with him quite a bit over the next few weeks.  We met with Nils-Erik and had a great lesson with him.  It's so awesome to see how he has such a strong personal testimony of the church, and he just hit his one month mark!  We also had a lesson with another recent convert and we saw a hedgehog on the way there!  We talked about the article "The Faithful High Councilor" from the June Liahona with her.  It's a super good article.  We came home and called a whole bunch of people trying to get lessons set up without a ton of success but we went out for the last 15 minutes of the day and on our way home we ran into 3 African guys who asked us if we were the Mormons.  Apparently one of them had visited one of the chapels in Stockholm so that was fun.  We managed to get all 3 of their numbers and we are going to try to meet them this week.

Thursday was district meeting which went well.  It was in Linköping so we then traveled back and had a lesson with an investigator before riding a bus out to Finspång to meet another investigator that just moved from Linköping.  It was funny though because on our way back we missed our bus and so we just walked into a nearby kebab place and we ran into two teenagers we had just sat next to on the spårvagn the day before.  It was funny and we said hello.  We then finally caught our bus home after that.

Friday was Midsommar!  It was a non-proselyting day for us so we got invited to the family gathering for one of the families that makes up roughly half the ward here in Norrköping.  There were about 42 people there, it was wild!  It felt kind of weird not having to leave to go make it back for a lesson somewhere.  We had all sorts of food and we went to a nearby church to see them put up the Midsummer pole and dance around it.  It was fun to just kind of rest for a day.

Saturday we had a P-day schedule so we took it easy.  We went to the church and played some pingpong. Walked around the city for awhile but all of the stores were still closed.  It's kind of interesting how Swedes actually close down everything for Midsummer.  Almost nothing was open while everyone was at home or visiting family, the streets are practically empty.  We listened to a few talks and then we went and visited a member, we had a really good lesson on likening the scriptures to ourselves and seeing how they can have personal application.  It was a really awesome lesson and it kind of helped me remember why I love the scriptures.  They were written and preserved for us to be able to read, learn from, and apply to our own lives and when we do so they become more meaningful.  Try to read this week from the scriptures and see how the scriptures can apply to your life and see how your studies change.

Yesterday we had church which went really well.  We had a great Sacrament meeting and second and third hour were also really good.  It was pretty crowded with everyone's extended family also in town, the chapel was almost completely full!  We also had a member meal right after which was fun.  We then came home and did our weekly planning.

P.S. I know this week seemed like a big party but I promise we also worked hard 

- Elder Ashford

Midsommar Photos!

These pictures were from when they carried in the pole and put it up.

Next set of photos with everyone dancing around the pole and

 then of course Elder Olson and I needed a picture(s) with it.

 

Week 33 - Studenten

Monday after our P-day we went and helped a member with a little bit of lawn work and then she fed us dinner after so that was awesome.

Tuesday we had was pretty normal. We had a lesson that fell through but we went out and talked to people. 

Wednesday was pretty cool.  We had a lesson and then as we were walking out we had a pretty funny occurrence.  I was on the phone with one of our investigators from Syria setting up an appointment for later in the week, we were on our way to meet our Syrian recent convert and we ran into one of our Syrian potential investigators, it was kind of funny.  We had our lesson which went really well.  We challenged Alex, the recent convert, to teach us a lesson next week and he accepted so that was awesome.  As we were leaving we were waiting for the Spårvagn with him and a lady who was also waiting for us started talking with us and asked if we were missionaries from our church.  It was kind of weird for someone to start a conversation with us for once instead of the other way around.  It turns out she used to meet with the missionaries a few years ago, so we got her number and it was actually super cool.  We also had a zone conference call talking about our vision for the transfer and we focused on the why.  Why we do what we do, why are we where we are, etc...  It was really great because when we understand why we do something it becomes easier to do it.

Thursday had district meeting and we had a great discussion on the power of bringing members with us on our lessons and using the scriptures.  It was a great reminder for us that we have some amazing resources that we can't forget to use.  Afterwards President Beckstrand showed up and gave a few of us interviews that he hadn't gotten to last transfer. That night we had dinner with the Bishop's family which was fun.  On our way home we got kind of stuck because our bus didn't come and we waited for about 20 minutes for the next one that came later so we could actually get home.  It was fun though, we talked to 2 pretty cool middle eastern guys the whole bus ride.

Friday was Studenten.  It's the graduation day from gymnasium (their version of high school).  It's kind of funny because all the guys wear suits, all the girls wear white dresses, but then all of them wear these sailor hats, I'll put a picture down below. We had a lesson set up in a park but it didn't really work because the other thing they do is they meet up with their classes, rent out semi-trucks with flatbeds and party in the back with the music blasting and their had to be at least 6 at a time just driving around.  It was wild.  We then traveled out to Nyköping to visit some members.

On Saturday we had a few lessons that went super well.  We met with one of our members and watched President Monson's "Finishers Wanted" talk from 1972.  It is super good.  We also had a member buy us dinner which ended up tasting fantastic.

Today we had a really good Sunday and the Stake President was even here which was fun.  In priesthood we listened to a BYU devotional by Gordon B. Hinckley that had to deal with Leadership which was super good. (Mom's note: He later added the talk was entitled "The Loneliness of Leadership.") Yes, I am also emailing on a Sunday but do not be alarmed, we got a little time to email now because the missionaries have a volleyball activity so we will be in Södertälje all day tomorrow and won't be able to email but I promise that next week will have a ton of pictures.

Happy Father's day everyone! 

The pictures are of the studenten graduates walking around with their hats, a cool tower outside a church in Söderköping as well as a cute little stream nearby.

- Elder Ashford

Note from Mom: Here is a map that shows a few of the areas he mentioned above.

Week 32 - American Flags on Swedish National Day

Last Monday we kicked a soccer ball around with the Linköping Elders. On our way home though we tried to use a public air pump to pump up our bike tires. Elder Olson hooked up his tire and we heard the air flowing so we thought it was working but then realized that the tire wasn't filling up. Upon further investigation we learned that the pump didn't work and the sound of rushing air was in fact the air escaping, not entering, his tire. We laughed as we then walked our bike home as his tire was now too flat to ride. We did some contacting and tracting though and we had a really successful time. We gave out 4 Book of Mormons, which was highly unusual so we were kind of excited.

Linköping is about 42km from Norrköping and just under 30 minutes by train.

Tuesday was Swedish National day, which was interesting. We walked through a park where they were holding their celebration since we were in the area and they were handing out little Swedish Flags and they had some people bringing their fancy old cars for people to check out. What was really funny though was that I saw a lot of people wearing shirts with the American flag on it, and virtually none with the Swedish Flag. I found that to be pretty funny. We had a lesson and then later we had a member meal. While we were there we played a fun game with them that I think is called Kubb but I'm not entirely sure. Basically you both sides have a line of blocks and you throw sticks at them to try to knock the other team's down.

Mom's note - Apparently Kubb is really popular in the Midwest - especially in Minnesota and Wisconsin. There is a lot of Swedish and Norwegian ancestry in this area. We will have to get ourselves a set and/or check out one of the tournaments. Here is a link to a Minnesota Group.

Wednesday was very wet and rainy. We had a lesson and did a little family history which was fun. We then biked to a member meal and it was fine outside when we left but it started raining on the way. I wore a jacket so I was okay but Elder Olson was pretty thoroughly soaked. When we got to the member's house she immediately got him a towel to dry him off, and when she then saw that it wasn't working insisted on taking a hairdryer and blow-drying him, it was really funny to watch.

Thursday we had district meeting and set some goals for the transfer. It was still kind of rainy though. But not all the time. The weather here changes on a dime. We went out contacting and brought our umbrellas because we would seriously put them up, then 10 minutes later it would stop raining, we would keep going for another 10 minutes, and then it would start to rain again and the umbrellas went back up. It was kind of funny. We also had a member meal that night with a family in our ward but that is actually the Branch President for Linköping so he invited the Linköping Elders too. We were on our way to go catch the spårvagn, when we stopped to talk with a member we saw on the street. The spårvagn then starts leaving without us and we see the Linköping Elders onboard. We realized that if we ran we could cut the corner since the route kind of curves so we ran through the city and through a park to a few stops down in time to catch it and sit down next to the other missionaries, it was kind of fun. (for those of you, wondering a spårvagn is a tram.) We had a great member meal and then since the four of us were there we did exchanges.

Elder Wilson and I were in Linköping on Friday, we had a good time, we spent a lot of time talking to people on the street. We also had an activity with a few members so that was pretty fun.

Saturday I was back in Norrköping with Elder Olson. We had a busy day. We met with one of our recent converts and then he stuck around for when we met one of our investigators which was awesome! We also had dinner with Nils-Erik, our recent convert, and it was awesome. He showed us some of his music equipment which was pretty cool. We also had a really good discussion on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We then had him drop us off at the university here to meet with one of our investigators. He was leaving for Austria the next day so we wanted to meet with him. A lot of our investigators have been either getting sick or going on vacation so it's been kind of an odd situation for us.

Sunday we had church, unfortunately all our investigators were busy so they didn't come but we had the opportunity to talk with some primary kids for like 10 minutes which was fun! They were talking about missionaries in their class so the teacher had us come in to answer a few questions. It was great. We then ate with some members for lunch which was pretty fun as well. We then got to come home and do weekly planning! So that took up a lot of the rest of our day.

It's been a great week and I feel like I can see the Lord's work going forward. It's so cool to be a part of it and I'm really grateful for that. Have a wonderful week!

- Elder Ashford

Week 31 - Norrköping Part 2!

This has been a wild week but it was a lot of fun so here we go.

Tuesday evening we traveled to Stockholm to spend the night for Zone Conference on Wednesday. That meant our only real time to get much done was in the morning and early afternoon. We had met two investigators and another member pretty much back to back so we were going all over the place.  We then packed our bags before heading to the station.  We got to stay the night with the Office elders and the Assistants as well as another set of elders who traveled all the way from Karlstad.  It was fun though.

Wednesday was zone conference.  It was also President and Sister Beckstrand's last zone conference as they will be going home in a few weeks. We had a great training though.  The Assistants talked about remembering to take the scriptures and liken them to ourselves, to see the personal application, as well as then help others see how the scriptures apply to them too.  The Beckstrands then gave us the training that they usually give to missionaries when their going home since they won't be able to give that to all of us later.  I really liked President Beckstrand's thoughts. He essentially went through  President Monson's talk from 1972 titled "Finisher's Wanted".  It is a great talk and reminds us of how important it is to stick it out to the end instead of giving up before we earn our reward.  We then had lunch and then time to take pictures as it was essentially the Beckstrand's big goodbye to all the missionaries.  We then went and got on a train home.  We hadn't realized earlier in the week how late our train was going to be so we had scheduled a lesson for right after we got back.  After the lesson we finally got home.

Thursday we met with one of the people that we had got a phone number from.  They invited us over in the morning to what turned out to be... the Jehovah's Witness Kingdom Hall!  We met and had a good discussion but we could tell that they weren't super interested in our message.  We then met with Nils-Erik, the man who was baptized recently, and we went over the Plan of Salvation.  It was a great lesson and we even watched the Mormon Message "The Refiner's Fire" which is fantastic if you haven't seen it.  We also took a train all the way out to Nyköping to meet several people only to have them all cancel on us so we had a good time just contacting instead since we had to wait for our train home.

Friday was a pretty quiet day and we had a good member meal.

Saturday was transfer calls!  Elder Olson and I are staying in Norrköping together so that will be fun.  We had a few lessons during the day and then we had dinner with some members that night.

Sunday we had church and it was great as always.  We also did some studies and contacting later in the day.  That night though was an awesome experience.  We went out tracting, we first knocked on a few doors that had been pretty positive when we tried them several weeks ago.  Neither of them answered so decided to continue knocking our way through the building where we had left off last time.  We didn't have a ton of time so we were expecting to just knock a few and then leave to get home.  The very first door we knocked on opened up.  It was a guy from the Ivory Coast and he had actually met missionaries a while ago.  We were talking at the door when one of his kids comes up and says "Mom says they can come in" so they invited us in.  They had just had a party for their 3 week old baby, as in we had heard their guests leaving in the stairwell about 5 minutes before we knocked.  We sat down and had a great lesson.  The man had a lot of really good questions that we were able to answer and was happy to have us back again.  It's one of those experiences where you just know that God put us there in the right place at the right time.  It was so cool.

God really does know each and every one of His children and knows what they need and when.  He loves each and every one of us.  I hope you all have a wonderful start of summer!

-- Elder Ashford

Pictures

The first one is my district at zone conference

Then it's Elder Olson and the other 3 of us who have all been companions with him

Then the last 2 are us riding majestically as knights on this random outdoor chess we found while contacting

Bonus Photos

We had half of our MTC group at Zone conference so we got some pictures as a group with the Beckstrands.