So this week has been so great but very very busy. Unfortunately the new greenies have not yet recieved their visa's, so the mission is in a form of disarray right now as we all just kind of sit and wait for them to come. Because of the fact that we had some missionaries go home and didn't have any new ones to replace them we have had to close some area's temporarily but president is doing the best he can to make sure there are at least missionaries in every sacrament meeting on Sundays. It definitely is very odd to be on the other side of things this time around seeing that the last group to have visa issues was mine. So for now the 7 greenies have been reassigned to Virginia. Hopefully we can get them here soon! As part of all the switching around and things that have had to happen the past little while we got an extra hand here in the office for about four days! On Thursday morning Elder Day (my last companion, Elder Saldutti's son) came to the office because his companion, Elder Car, was needed up in Norrland for a few days to fill a gap. So Elder Day has been here in the office with us for a few days on what president calls, "extended exchanges" haha We are taking him back to his area today but it was definitely nice to have an extra pair of hands in the office for a while!
So we finally got snow this week and man has it been cold ever since! Last night we were out knocking doors and it was -14 degree's Celsius! Which is about 6-8 degrees Fahrenheit. So yeah, it was cold. and that mixed with the pitch blackness makes it very bright and cheery around here lately.... haha just kidding. It's really not that bad at all. Just cold. Speaking of cold, since we have a car as office Elders(which I am so ridiculously greatful for!) I am going to try and hold off with buying any more winter clothes until after Christmas because I guess the sales right after Christmas are really really good. I do already have one coat and I have inherited another, lighter, jacket from Elder Lamb so I should be fine. Elders Lamb and Marchant both say that they have never really needed a super heavy coat so I should be fine but we'll see. So we have definitely gotten into the Christmas spirit here in the office, it's great! We have a tree all set up and stars in the windows and Sister Newell even got all of us here in office advent calanders. The ones that you peel back each day and there is a little piece of chocolate behind it. They are really big here! I guess they are a big Swedish tradition since Swedes actually celebrate the advents. Weird thing though, is that they only go up 24 on the calendar because Jultomte(Santa) comes on Christmas Eve. So yeah, we have fun opening a new day every morning and eating our chocolate. haha. Have you guys gotten the tree up at home? You'll have to send me pictures of the house when it gets all decorated. Oh and mom, you would be glad to know that your decorations have definitely come into use an that happy holidays window decoration is on our kitchen window and now reads "abba soap daily" haha everyone has fun spelling clever things with it so it is fun:) Last night we got together with the Ericksons for out usual RE and we all enjoyed Glögg, which is a super Swedish drink that is usually alcoholic but you can find it non alcoholic. It is so good! You drink it warm and it tastes kind of like apple cider but with a very heavy taste of clove and other Christmas-y spices. It is super good. then, in the middle of our Glögg drinking we got a call from the Stockholm zone leaders saying that you could see the northern lights in the sky so we all ran to the roof but couldn't see anything so that was too bad :( but hopefully later on in the winter.
So an update on our investigators, Nadia came to church this week and really enjoyed it so that is awesome! As long as she can quit coffee on time she will be baptized on the 16th of this month. Björne is still doing awesome and is for sure getting baptized on the 15th of December! He is seriously the most prepared person I have ever taught so far on my mission. He is really solid, understands what he needs to do to be baptized, and is set on doing it. So hopefully we will have a double baptism week here in a couple weeks! All your prayers are felt in their behalf and our behalf and are so appreciated! Other than those two, we are working with a less active member who's sambo (girlfriend living with him) has become interested in the gospel. So it's kind of double duty on that one, trying to get him active again and teaching her, but it's good because then they are a support for eachother. Their names are Jan (said yawn) and pen. Jan is Swedish and Pen is a thai women. They have been together for quite a while but are not married so we'll have to fix that... haha.
So sounds like Aubry and Cody will be having a blast at Disneyland this week! That will be so fun for the girls to be there during the holidays! Have fun in Vegas at the rodeo mom and dad! Pick out a good ornament for me even though I won't be there hang it up! haha.
So holy cow that is so awesome that Stan and Roxanne got their calls to Sweden!!! They will definitely be the new office couple here to replace the Erickson's who go home in early March! That is so great because I know eveyone was a little stressed because we didn't have a replacement for the Ericksons until now! They aren't actually in our program yet that shows all the people who get their calls here but I'm sure they'll show up within the next few days! That is so awesome! I will almost definitely be here when they come. President has told me and Elder Asp multiple times that we will be here for quite a few months. (but just on a side note, he told me I could possibly be becoming a dad in March...) so I'm sure I will actually help train them in the ways of the office once they get here! haha It will be fun to speak some Swedish with Stan! I remember at my farewell he tried teaching me how to say the church's name in Swedish and I couldn't do it, and now here I am speaking Swedish fluently! haha It's so crazy to think about! Give them both huge hugs for me and let them know I can't wait for them to get here! On a not so awesome note, I found out that even though temple couples like the Backlunds are called to our mission, we have next to nothing to do with them :( We don't even get to pick them up from the airport, the temple just kind of does their own thing. So that's a bummer! But if I go to the temple in January or something maybe we could work it out to meet there.
Mom, thank you so much for sharing that awesome story about the geneology! That is so neat and is such an awesome example of the tender mercies the lord gives us every day. he really does love us so much!
Well unfortunately our p-day kind of got cut short because of errand running for President so I will head for this week but know that I love each and every single on of you so very much and I can't wait to talk with you on Christmas! Here in the next couple weeks we will coordinate when I'll call and everything :) This time you will be able to hear some real Swedish, not that MTC Swedish I spoke over the phone at the airport last time. haha.
I love you all so much! Have an awesome week!
puss, kram, och kärlek!-
Äldste Keetch
Good ole office work!
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