This week was really weird. Monday was a normal P-day, and we had fun bowling with the single adults in our branch. I won, but considering I'm the only one who has been bowling more than 5 times who still has their youth that's not a big accomplishment. I got 4-6 strikes the whole night, so it wasn't anything incredible.
Tuesday we headed out to Göteborg for a mission tour by President Donaldson. That took up our whole day, because we had to help set up for the conference the next morning, and it was a really long drive. But it was fun. Wednesday we had the conference, and I learned a lot of great things. One thing I thought was cool was how President Donaldson gives his talks. He says general authorities do the same thing though. They minister to the one. Focus on talking to one person, addressing their needs, and getting the Spirit there, and you will be able to impact a room of people very personally because you are focusing at one person at a time. I also had a great quote from him: "The righteous dead are hastening the work. They pray and plead for their temple ordinances to be done by one of their living descendants." That's why we meet so many people who really haven't had contact with the Church before, and things click right away and they're positive. That's another reason why people are so positive around us. Their ancestors want to be saved, so they are working hard to help their descendants so they all can be saved.
The focus of the conference was recognizing the Spirit, and Sister Beckstrand helped us understand that the Spirit speaks to us in a pattern, and we need to learn to recognize our pattern. That's another reason why we have study for 3 hours every morning out here. That's one of the great blessings of a mission, learning the pattern of how the Holy Ghost speaks to you. The assistants focused on giving your investigator a voice because as you listen sincerely the Spirit will give you something to say, and allow you to use their language to touch their heart with the Spirit. People hearing the gospel in their own tongue can be much more than just their language, but using the same words and style they use. It's pretty cool.
Thursday we were on zone leader splits, but I was here in Växjö with an Elder Sheldon, who was my trainer's companion in my last area right before I came in. He was only there long enough to warm up the bed before I came in. We had a great time together. We did lots of work. Lots of contacting, talked to some newspapers about getting articles written about missionaries in Sweden, especially Växjö, and got in contact with a referral, a potential investigator, and some other great people we've met. He speaks fluent Spanish, which is funny because before that day I've only met two people who speak Spanish outside of our branch. The first people we saw outside of our apartment that day were from Chile. On our way in for lunch, we saw two more from Chile. We tracted into a family from Chile. Apparently there's lots of Chileans in Sweden. It was a wonderful day though, and lots of good was done.
Friday's big appointment got cancelled, which was alright since we got the chance to help out a less active member with some service stuff, and do service for some other people. Service opportunities are rare in Sweden because no one wants to have someone do something for them, and if they are the kind of person that would be fine with it, they usually live in an apartment, so there's nothing to help them with. Community service doesn't exist out here either. They have hired people whose jobs are to find things to do that would normally be service projects, and do them.
Saturday we played football again, and I'm getting better, even though I made some really stupid mistakes (like missing when it was wide open and I'm 2 feet away from the goal). Not sure how some of those happened, but I made up for it with a lot more goals this week.
The crowning event this week was my talk in church. Those of you who talked to me about my talk right before I left on my mission know I wasn't happy about it. I didn't do as well as I thought I should have. So I prepared all week to make this one good. I was the second of two speakers, and my topic was, "Att förkunna evangeliet för världen" ["To proclaim the gospel to the world"] from Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Fielding Smith. I went up there with quotes from conferences, Liahonas, scriptures, and a well organized outline to guide me through a series of points, experiences, and quotes I wanted to share, and I gave a great talk. I was pretty nervous because I don't think I've spoken that long before in Swedish about one topic, other than with the lessons from PMG [Preach My Gospel], but those it's easy because there's so much to talk about and it's very simple. I had the Spirit with me though, and tried to do as President Donaldson instructed us and minister to the one. Apparently it worked. I gave my 25 minute talk with frequent testimony bearing, and a closing invitation that will help the members here be more engaged in missionary work, and I can honestly say, I couldn't have given a talk that well in English, let alone Swedish without divine help. Needless to say I feel it went better than my last talk.
Be member missionaries. President Eyring said it right when in the February 2011 Liahona he instructed us that members have a responsibility to find people for the missionaries to teach, and missionaries have the responsibility to teach those who are not yet members of this church. As we each work hard to fulfill our part, the work truly will be hastened on earth this day. Be an example and a light. The hastening of the work is just as important as those big events of the past, the Book of Mormon, the first vision, the restoration of priesthood authority. The hastening of the work is on the backs of all members of the church, not just the missionaries. We all need to work hard and put the Lord first since there is no greater work we can devote ourselves to than the work of salvation, of building up the Church and kingdom of God on the earth today. (Dad, use the source for my talk (teachings of the prophets), last paragraph for the exact quote). You're all wonderful people. I love you all.
-Äldste Liddle
Med vänliga hälsningar, [Sincerely,]
It's my 6-month mark this week, so I burned my Christmas present. Don't worry, it was given to me to burn.
Branch picture.
Bowling with style: I like Elder Delgado's form. Sadly I didn't get any pictures of me bowling.
This is my mission grandpa [by which we presume he means his trainer's trainer].
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