The Darkness is Setting in!

November 2nd, 2015

 

 

 

Hejsan Family and Friends!

It's getting darker and darker, but God's light is only getting brighter and brighter in this land. We just have to keep the energy high during the cold and darkness- and I received the perfect new companion to do that! With tears, I put Syster Lund on a train on Wednesday morning. It was hard for me to see her go. I then hopped on a bus to Göteborg to spend the day with another Syster until Syster Hong arrived that night. Syster Hong is FABULOUS. She is gorgeous and a convert of just 4 years. Reminds me a bit of my dear Sister Helmick! She is from Arkansas and is just a ray of sunlight. She keeps me laughing and helps me to not be so stressed. God has blessed me so much with companions. 

On Tuesday we had the most incredible lesson with our investigator, Jackie. On Monday night I was trying to figure out which member that needed to come with us. I thought of this one specific family and they just felt so right. We went to the lesson with them, and at first we were pretty worried about the way it was going. Brother Ahlström and our investigator, Jackie, were getting in a pretty heated discussion. He was being pretty straight up about our doctrine and the implications of the Restoration. She has concerns about being re-baptized because she believes the man who baptized her was a man of God. Brother Ahlström was being pretty much as straight up as you could get. Syster Lund and I both knew we needed to say a prayer, and all of the sudden Syster Lund almost yelled "Time out!" She calmly expressed we needed to say a prayer. The lesson went SO well after that. After the lesson, Jackie also received a priesthood blessing from Brother Ahlström and it was PERFECT for her. Jackie said that two things had been said during the lesson and blessing that had directly answered her prayers. It was the most incredibly spiritual lesson I have had on my mission. Brother Ahlström blessed Jackie that soon her children would be able to notice a change in her- obviously because of the Gospel. After the blessing, there was this incredible peace that just permeated the room. I can't even describe the miracle it was and the change we saw in Jackie. Members are so vital to missionary work! They can say things and affect people in ways that we cannot. If you are a member reading this, please help the missionaries! They need you so much. You can have an influence that can affect the salvation of souls.

On Saturday I played for the first time in my life a sport called Innabondy. It is kind of like Hockey, but in a gym. We played a pretty intense two hours of Innabondy. It was SO fun. Needless to say, Syster Hong and I were in PAIN the next day.

I love this quote I read this morning: "I believe our teaching can lead to healing of the spiritual kind... As with the Master, wouldn't it be wonderful to measure the success of our teaching by the healing that takes place in the lives of others?... Could we try a little harder to teach so powerfully and so spiritually that we really help that individual who walks alone, who lives alone, who weeps in the dark of the night?" -Elder Holland. The Gospel can heal our broken souls!

One more thing- I got this in an email from Pres. Beckstrand (our Mission President) for his October letter. I started to get emotional, it was so inspiring. I just wanted to share this: One moment for me that was extra special was listening to our beloved prophet, Thomas S. Monson, during the Sunday morning session. He started out with such strength and clarity in his voice. Toward the end of his message, he was exhausted and doing his very best to finish the message he wanted to deliver to the saints. I found myself praying that he would have the strength to finish and that nothing would happen to him. I wondered why others would not come to his aid as he was starting to slump at the pulpit. Well, as you know, he finished his message and President Uchtdorf assisted him back to his chair. It was later that I was made aware that small children watching conference had seen something that I had not. As the small children drew pictures of what they beheld, President Monson did indeed have help to finish his message. These pictures that small children had drawn showed the presence of angels on his right hand and on his left hand. Truly, as the Lord has promised us in the Doctrine and Covenants 84:88, "I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up." Elders and Sisters, we each have that very same promise as we are about the Lord's work here in Sweden. As missionaries for the Lord Jesus Christ, we need to make a conscientious effort to devote our energy and time to the things that truly matter, while uplifting our fellowmen and building the kingdom of God.

God's promises to his servants are great! Let's stand up together and serve Him!

Jag älskar er! Mer än ni kan vetta.

Syster Nielsen