We have been here in Sweden a month (almost!) The weather has been mild and the people awesome. On Monday night for Family Home Evening we got to get together with our Home Teacher (wife) and learn some Swedish Christmas Carols. One afternoon after our shift we stayed and helped two couples from America do family sealings. It was a great experience doing family names and to witness the emotions of those whose names we were doing. This week I did the ’V’ in Swedish for the first time. Witnessed a tender mercy from the Lord as I even understood what I was saying. Yes, and shed a few tears of gratitude when I realized what had happened. Went to the Röd Cros, a 2nd hand store to get some decorations for our little 18" tree. I found a big Santa and some darling tiny white candles in holders with Christmas Trees painted on them. For Thanksgiving we went to Pre and Sys Oscarson’s house. We all brought something for the meal and it was very good. We had a couple and a single sister from Norway and then also Pre Syvänen and his wife who had never had Thanksgiving. They wanted to know why the meat was called turkey when that was a country and what the dressing was made out of. One day after serving in the temple, Pres. and Syster Oscarson took us to the building where the church met for meetings for many years during the early years of the church in Sweden. We went to an Advent Concert, at the state church, to officially bring in the Christmas season. Tradition starts 4 weeks before Christmas and they light a candle each week. The concert had several choirs and the acoustics of the building were wonderful for they used no microphones. It was absolutely amazing and their voices were so clear. Äldste och Syster Rose
After being in the temple now for almost three weeks I think we can do, or have done, all the assignments. The shift coordinator is in charge 4 days a week and then they have a Sat shift coordinator. No one has the same schedule two days in a row. You just check this chart on the counter to see where you go next, or if your schedule was changed. I got to help a sweet sister who came to receive her own endowment. She will be married in a couple of weeks. It too was a sweet experience and grateful for the tender mercy of the spirit. She did understand English so it was awesome. Oh my gosh, Saturday was a blue sky and the SUN shone all day!! After we finished our shift at the temple we came right home, changed our clothes and went for a long walk and took pictures. It was delightful and really lifted our spirits. The Swedish Christmas Season begins on Sat. Nov 28th. They will turn on the manger scene and a few extra lights on the temple grounds. We are going to a concert that night to celebrate the beginning of the season. We have a 18” Christmas tree and we went to the Lions second hand store to get a few decorations. Everyone puts lights of some kind in their windows. It will be a special time of the year. We are thankful for each of you and the emails we receive. May the Lord bless you during this time of the year and always. Jesus is the reason for the coming season. Vi älsker er alla. Äldste och Syster Rose
Monday we changed the furniture around in the front room. We were not bored just opened the room up and feels a little more like home. We do not have to walk through the front room to the kitchen table. We then went with the Ensign’s to Handen to a mall. We bought a couple of cardboard stars to put in our windows for Christmas. While we were there we met the Soderquist’s so we all ate lunch together (Mexican food). I guess you can get refried beans someplace or cook your own! We caught the bus and came home ahead of the others and met Bro Malstrom and he took us for a walk around another part of Vasterhäninge. We walked through a cemetery where people had placed candles on the graves to honor the dead. It looked cool. After dinner we did our scripture study, read in Jesus the Christ (which we do daily first thing when we get up) and then watched several programs on BYU TV. Tuesday morning we went with Pre and Sis Oscarson and he temple secretary into Stockholm to a government office to show our papers and receive a personal number so we can be on Sweden’s insurance program. We went on the train and it was fun to see the sights and all the lakes. We went at a good time as we got all the business done and back to the train within an hour so we did not have to pay for the trip back. There was this beautiful church by the government office but I forgot to take the camera. We did serve in the temple in the afternoon and they are giving us every job fast (sometimes my head is swimming because I am trying to remember so much) but it is easy for dad. Dad met with the temple recorder today because they want him to teach a security class to some of the employees. Wednesday got up at 6:30 and had our usual morning and headed to the temple. It sure helps my day to read my scriptures in the morning. We both learned new jobs today and some were easy others were a little challenge to me. I wear this paper slip that says ‘Engleska’ so the patrons know I cannot communicate in Swenska. After the temple we walked to the grocery store and bought a bottle of syrup for hotcakes for about $10. The prices blow me away some high some ok. On the way home we went to a different grocery store for some sweet rolls and dad sent me in alone to get them. I was just going to put my hand out with change in it and have her take what she needed but it came to an even amount so I lucked out! After dinner we studied Swedish for a while. Dad is doing so great he talks to everyone at the temple in Swedish and does the ordinances too. I am almost able to read them well enough to do them with the card! Thursday and dad taught his security class today. He was a little nervous about it because they could not find the church security manual (that dad wrote) so he did most from memory. They all said what a great job he did and Suzanna (office at the guest house) asked him for self defense lessons! Tonight we went to a musical get together in the basement of the guest house. One of the brothers from a visiting ward from Sweden is a musician by profession and played the accordion for us. He played all kinds from a lot of countries and we all ended up dancing to a Humbolt waltz at the end. It was fun and we all laughed. Dad still prefers western music! When we walked to the temple on Friday morning the sun was peeking through and we had hopes for a good day. By noon it was very cloudy and gray again. Had a tender mercy today as there was a patron visiting here from a southern stake and she looked familiar but did not click. She was here doing family names for the first time. While she was in the baptistery she thought dad look familiar but thought he was from Denmark. When he turned and she could see him name tag it all clicked for her. In June of 2007 she was at a convention in Park City and decided to receive her endowment in SL. We were the ones serving and I was able to do instructions for her. We met her after the session and showed her the baptistery, and arranged for her to do a couple of sealings. We ended up getting her address and sending her a temple Christmas Card. Her name is Michaela Josephine Nilsson and she is beautiful. It was good to see her again and to help her with family init and endowments. I hope we will see her again and again. We were asked to help on Saturday as a Single Adult group was coming. Dad had to be there at 7:00 but I did not go until 9:00. Busy day but enjoyable. I met these two girls from Denmark but I could not remember the cities where dad and Brent served. I Eating at the Mall was hoping dad met them but it was late when we were finished. We ate and walked to the store and when we came back into the lobby at the guest house there they were on the couch. Ended up that they knew the mission president that dad was a missionary with and two other couples that served in the outreach program in Copenhagen. Also they know Bettina and her family. The one girl had been Bettina’s roommate and she ran and got her camera with a picture of Bettina’s baby. It was fun to talk with them. Another tender mercy for serving a Saturday at the temple. We have met some marvelous people this week. The Karlsson’s served in the temple pre. In Denmark and he has Parkinson’s disease. She asked us to keep him name on the prayer roll because he is scheduled to have a deep brain probe done in April or May to help. His name is Fredrick Karlsson so if you would add him name along with our each two weeks that would be wonderful. Sunday was a sweet day. Dad understood more this week than last and I heard a couple of more words that sounded familiar! I do have a lady that tells me what is going on in RS but the rest I just try to feel the spirit. It was great to talk to Shannon, Dan and kids. Janey even acted like she remembered us. Keep us up on the house project, good luck Dan! I guess next week is Brent’s turn, get ready! We are doing great. The temple is awesome. We are enjoying each other and being together so much is a blessing.
It is hard to believe that we have completed a week at the temple. This week all sessions were in Norwegian because there were two wards in the temple. Nancy went on five sessions and Chuck went on four. Chuck could understand a lot more than Nancy! We enjoyed a nice Sabbath day and are going to Bro and Sis Malstroms for dinner. It is a challenge to know what to fix for meals as their groceries are expensive and they carry very little Mexican food!! A head of lettuce is $5. We walked around an old Viking cemetery yesterday but we will go again and take some pictures. Things are going well! Thanks for your love and support. We have not seen the sun except for about 5 minutes today when we saw a slight shadow coming through the window during church. We are truly blessed to be here and we even had home teachers today!
Just wanted to let all of you know that we arrived safely in Sweden. Pres. & Sister Oscarson were at the airport to meet us and take us to our apartment. It is a very nice little apartment and overlooks the chapel where we will attend church. It will be a long walk, about 50 feet, to get to church. The Oscarson’s were nice enough to have purchased a few food items for us so that we had something to eat this morning. It is cold and stormy today, but I suppose that is going to be fairly typical this time of year. We slept well last night, but we are still a little jet-lagged. We have not, as yet been able to find the box of shoes we sent over. The guy who we sent them in care of said he has never seen them, but the secretary in the temple said she has seen them and she thinks they were put in the wrong room. As yet we don’t have them. We will be set apart this afternoon and then they want us to attend a temple session (as patrons) in Swedish. We need to get over and purchase some groceries and a few other items later today; it will be our first venture at shopping. They took mom’s shampoo, lotion and all her hair products at the airport security because they were in too large of containers, sooo… she had nothing to fix her hair with this morning. However, we will survive. We love all of you. Keep us in your prayers as we will need all the help we can get.
We went to an Advent Concert, at the state church, to officially bring in the Christmas season. Tradition starts 4 weeks before Christmas and they light a candle each week. The concert had several choirs and the acoustics of the building were wonderful for they used no microphones. It was absolutely amazing and their voices were so clear.
