Hey family! How are you all?! So this week was definitely another week packed with memorable experiences and stories! Me and Elder Whitworth were talking the other day and it seriously feels like we go, non-stop, 24/7 as zone leaders. Probably because we do. It's good though. I really like it and it makes it so we sleep really really well at night. ha ha. So this week was zone leader council on Wednesday. Zone leader council is a meeting for just zone leaders and the assistants and president once a month up at the mission home in Stockholm. So Wednesday morning our alarm went off and 4:30 and we got up and headed into central station here in Helsingborg and caught a bus to the airport just outside of town. Yep! We got to fly! It was really cool! I did not think that I would sit on a plane again until next March! ha ha But here in Sweden flights are actually super cheap sometimes so it was cheaper to fly up to Stockholm than to take a train. It was only like a 55 minute flight on a pretty small plane with tiny seats but man it was a heck of a lot nicer than sitting on a train for five hours! We got to Stockholm around 10.30 and had zone leader council until about 5.30pm. It went really well and was a great meeting. Well after zone leader council we found out that the office had not booked us a flight back but instead, were going to take us to central station in Stockholm and have us book our own train back. Well, by the time we got to the station it was 6.45 and guess when the last regular train to Helsingborg left Stockholm? Yep, 6:30. ha ha So we were like okay... what do we do? So we went to the booking window and the lady said there was a night train leaving at 9.30 that we could take. Well, actually, when she said this she didn't mention that it was a night train, so we were just like oh sweet! Give us two tickets! So she gets it all booked and hands us our tickets and we are all like okay awesome! When do we get home? Expecting it to be like 1 or 2 in the morning. We look down at our tickets and see departure time: 9:21, arrival time 6:03am!!!! ha ha Oh man both our hearts just stopped! The thing with night trains is that since they just go all through the night they go slower and make lots and lots of stops. So it takes twice as long to get somewhere. But usually it's not that bad because you book a room with a bed and just sleep the whole time. Well, seeing that we had no idea that it was a night train we hadn't gotten bed rooms. We had just booked regular seats! ha ha and the tickets that we bought were non refundable so we couldn't do anything about it! So Elder Whitworth and I went to a near by grocery store, bought some dinner, sat in central station for three hours, and then got on the night train..... lots of crappy sleep, two kinked necks, and eight and a half hours later we rolled into Helsingborg, the sun already starting to come up. Then we had to walk to the church where the car was parked which is fifteen minutes away and then drive home. We staggered into our apartment at about 6:30am Thursday morning. we both quickly got undressed and climbed into bed. But i forgot the best part! We had to be in Lund by 9:30 so that we could teach a zone meeting to the whole zone about what we talked about the previous day in zone leader council. Lund is forty minutes away by car! ha ha So we were able to get an hour and a half nap in before getting up, showering, and then heading to Lund. ha ha It was definitely an adventure! It really wasn't that bad. It was just a very loooong night!
The one up side to the eight and a half hours on the train is that is gave us plenty of time to plan a really good zone training message. We trained on the doctrine and why of baptism. Why our soul purpose as missionaries is to baptize. It went really well and the spirit was so strong as Elder Whitworth and I read from the scriptures and expounded on them and then bore solemn testimony of the truths. Towards the end of the meeting we gave everyone ten minutes to go out on their own to pray and contemplate their own individual purpose here in Sweden. To find their own vision and to feel of their own worth here in Sweden at this time. It was a very spiritual experience and as everyone quietly came back in after those ten or so minutes and sat down there was such a quiet calmness in the room and the spirit was there so abundantly! Elder Whitworth and I were talking after the meeting about how strong the spirit was there. We both noticed how it was a very unique feeling in that room. Almost comparable to the feeling of the celestial room of the temple. Obviously nothing close to that but that is the closest we could come to describing it. It was really a neat meeting and I think everyone really enjoyed it and got something our of it personally.
The other exciting news this week is in our investigators! First and foremost is Hermina, who had made the goal to be baptized this coming Saturday. She came to general conference yesterday and was able to watch a session in her native tongue (tagalog) so that was awesome! She really loved it. Afterwards we sat down and taught her and also planned out the baptism and everything. She is still looking super solid for this Saturday and is really excited to be baptized. She has actually chosen me to baptize her and Elder Whitworth to confirm her. I'm pretty excited because although this isn't my first baptism, it will be my first time performing the actual ordinance. So we are all looking forward to this Saturday and two o'clock when Hermina will be baptized! Other news on the investigator front is that we got to pick up two old investigators again this week. Their names are Danii and Rebeka. I met them once when I very first came to Helsingborg but then they had a baby and moved apartments and a bunch of other stuff so for about a month there we had to take a break from teaching them but now they are ready to start back up again. We went on Thursday afternoon and helped them move and then had a small lesson and it went really well. They have a long way to go, but are great people and are open to our message and want to change their lives.
So conference was absolutely amazing! This was my third conference while on the mission and each time I still just get so giddy and excited! It's the absolute best! So here in Sweden how they do conference is on Saturday night at 6.00 everyone comes to the chapel and watched the Saturday morning session live (because of the time difference) then on Sunday morning we watch the priesthood session, then the Saturday afternoon session and then we watch the Sunday morning session live again at 6.00 that night. All at the church. And the best part is since basically everyone can speak or at least understand English here they always play conference in both English and Swedish. Most the Swedes prefer English so that they can hear the prophet's and apostle's real voices instead of the translators. So we always just watch it in English. So that is nice! There were so many wonderful, bold, and simple talks this conference. I loved it! President Monson is always a favorite of course! He was really on one yesterday with the facial expressions! ha ha Russell M. Nelson's was a favorite also with his whole "catch the wave" talk. I really hope the members here were listening! ha ha. I also really enjoyed L. Whitney Clayton's talk! Even if it was a little trunky.... ha ha. :) It is always just so spiritually uplifting and refreshing to listen to conference! I love it! We were not able to see the Sunday afternoon session so we will have to watch that sometime this week.
Man I can't believe the wedding is coming so soon! What date is it going to be on again? And when would you like me to send a picture for my cardboard cut out? Or do you already have one? ha ha Just kidding, if it doesn't happen it doesn't happen. I have no idea how much those things cost anyways.
Oh and before I forget again! Do you remember Nadia from Täby? She was one of our investigators that was really solid but just couldn't quit drinking coffee. Well she got baptized last week! The Elders in Täby sent me some pics so I'll have to forward them on. It's so good to finally see her get in the water!
Well I think that is about it for this week. Keep me updated on who wins the NCAA championship dad! And keep me updated on anything else in the sports or home front! I love you all so very much and hope you all have amazing weeks! I'll talk to you next week! Love you all!
Love-
McKay.
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