Guys, this has seriously been an amazing week here in Sweden. In a lot of ways, I'm still trying to wrap my mind around exactly how much has happened.
I guess the first big news that I have is that I got to go to the temple last week. Still in English, luckily (I'm just a little terrified for the day I have to do a Swedish session), but so amazing and so needed. Remember a few months ago when I said that the temple is better than Disneyland? Yup, still true. The temple really is my favorite place on Earth. I miss having the chance to go about once a week at home, but at the same time, I'm grateful for the experiences I have had in the temple and how much they strengthen me even now that I've been on my mission for about seven months.
And it really was a good week; it was more than a little crazy and involved running all over Stockholm just about every day, but in the end, it was all really good. We met some of the amazing members in Stockholm and Hägersten wards, and we taught people all over the place. After the temple, we were even able to get two teenage boys to sit and listen to us on the street for about 15 minutes. That was amazing; it essentially never happens that anyone is willing to sit and listen to us in a street contact, but it happened this week.
This week was also very special to me. About a week and a half ago, Najib said in a lesson that he wanted to move up his baptismal date because he KNEW it was true, so we did, for last Saturday. At parts of last week, we were absolutely and completely in doubt that it would happen, especially after he'd had to reschedule a lesson or two with us. EvenSaturday, we were having problems filling up the font (don't leave four sisters in charge of a font, because we have NO IDEA how that works), and getting towels, and a thousand other tiny little mishaps, but in the end, it all worked out. And from my perspective, it was absolutely perfect. The spirit was so strong in that room as the talks were given and Najib was baptized. At the end, he got up to bear his testimony, and it was amazing to see how much of a change had happened. He was talking about how he wants to be a member missionary, because the church has changed and blessed his life, and how he doesn't care if he can help one person or ten find the gospel, he just wants someone else to be blessed by it.
It's a little crazy, but I'm so grateful for the people that I meet out here. I feel like coming out, everyone warned me that I would be surrounded by tall, blue eyed, blond-haired Swedes, and to a large degree, I am, but I also get to meet so many amazing people from all over the world, and I learn so much from their different experiences and looks on life. It really is such a blessing to me to be able to see so many people from so many places.
This weekend was also super fun; we found a legit Mexican restaurant near Drottninggatan that I've kind of become obsessed with (seriously, I'm craving tacos even as I type this), and yesterday we were able to have dinner with a few Gubber (old men), one of whom had a very real flavor saver. It honestly was so much fun this past week, both with missionaries and members.
In other news, the plan for now is that I will be staying in Stockholm for a while yet. I guess this means I'll be spending half of my mission in the Stockholm area, which, quite honestly is fine with me. I really do love it here, and it's absolutely amazing to see it beginning to bloom with the spring time. Everything is finally turning green, and it's getting warmer and warmer every day. Gah. I just love Sweden!
So, there's my amazing week, I hope you all are doing great at home, and I love all y'alls stinkin' guts! Have a great week!
Love,
Syster Maxwell
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