Swede Is the Work : "When we try and take control of things God should control, we won't ever win." -approx. Sister Mecham quote

Hello Family and Friends!

Isn't that Sister Mecham quote awesome? She has some really profound things to say. I write them down sometimes because they are just that great!

Last Thursday something really cool happened!! We went to TRC (Teaching Resource Center) and we go to teach a girl in Swedish that had gotten back from her mission in Sweden super recently. TRC is where we teach members in our language we are learning. She asked me where I was from and I said Portland, Oregon and she says something like: "Do you know an Elder Bradley?" Her name was Sister Sarah Bass (something like that) and she knew Stefan! And I just taught her in Swedish. Small world. Also, Elder Johanson in my District is in the same ward as Brian Clayton. Random connections.

Something I'm learning here in the MTC is the need for more listening and less preaching. I already was aware of this concept before I got here, but it's really a true principle. Real listeners are hard to come by but people willing to "preach" to you are not. I want to be a real listener. That's how you really change people. Everyone wants to be understood, everyone has needs that come from inside themselves. Lots of missionaries preach; not as many sincerely listen to the needs of others. God knows those needs and when we really listen and ask sincere questions, we can show people we care.

Last night Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve came and talked to the MTC. I felt the Spirit bear witness to me of the divinity of Prophets and Apostles. Elder Cook talked about how they assign mission calls. It was fascinating. He talked about how he gets strong feelings inside. He said that he will sometimes feel strongly that a certain missionary needs to be with a certain mission, a certain language, or a certain people. It was fascinating.

I got to go to leadership training with Brother Hartman this week. He taught about the colors and how they respond to rules. SO COOL. He drew a circle and it represented the rules. He says that Reds follow those rules because that's just what they do. Then he drew a circle inside of the circle and said Blues make more rules and follow a higher law than they actually need to. He drew a line going outside of the rules circle and said Whites watch to see if anyone is watching before they fudge the rule circle. Then he said that yellows don't even see the circle. :) haha! So funny. It is beyond amazing to get taught by him. Everyone in our Zone seems to LOVE him. He really has a way with people and he really connects with us.

The Swedish is really coming along. Sister Mecham and I probably could teach a 30 minute lesson with only scriptures and pamphlets in Swedish. I'm doing my best to learn the language and the Savior is making up for what I can't do.

I love you all so much!!

Syster Nielsen