Monday, June 30, 2014

Journey to the Center of Stockholm (or, in other words, T-Central)

Hey! So, Missionary life is crazy. It just is. The concept of what we do is insane, how we go about it is crazy, and the missionaries themselves have pretty questionable sanity. Haha, but no worries, it's as fantastic as ever!

I feel this is pretty well evidenced by last Wednesday. We were on our way to a lesson in the morning, when we happened to run into the investigator we were on our way to meet on the bus. She told us 'I'm so sorry, but I can't meet today. I'm getting married.' Married?! We hadn't even known there was a potential man to get married to! But, we gave her a hug, wished her luck, and went out to find someone else to teach for the next hour before going to another investigators house. She had decided that after our lesson, we would make buns. So, we sat down to start reading the Book of Mormon with her, and she said that Sister Byrd and I should swap off reading. So we did. Until she suddenly started reading for a few verses. Then stopped. It continued like this for the rest of the chapter. And then while making buns, she kind of just pulled random things out of the cupboards and threw them in the dough. I got the lucky job of mixing the butter. Yup, just butter. It was a party and a half!

There are definitely moments where I sit and reflect, 'This was NOT included in my mission call.' Seriously, I have been a cook, a waiter, a therapist, a floor-mopper, a choreographer, a butter mixer, an event planner, a guinea pig, and so many other things that I didn't realize when I got my call all fell under the title 'missionary.' However, they have all been so much fun, and I'm sure one day, I'll be grateful for the training I've gotten in meeting so many different people out here on my mission.

And yeah. A huge chunk of our week was taken up this past week by our trip to Stockholm so I could meet with a dietitian. All went well, and we have a healthy Sister Maxwell for now. We also got to visit the temple while we were there, which was absolutely amazing. I love the temple so much, and I can truly say that the Spirit there is unlike anything else. 

It led to some interesting explanations to the temple workers, but it was, in a way, a blessing that Stockholm's Zone Conference was happening the same day. Everyone at the temple was wondering why two sisters  decided just to ditch out on the conference, but I was able to meet one of the elders from my MTC group on the train down to Västerhaninge and talk with him for a while. We also stopped for just a second outside the chapel on our way to the temple when suddenly Sister Stewart appeared at the door. I may have shrieked and ran to give her a hug. Seriously, it's so crazy to think that it was nine months ago Wednesday that we went to the MTC.

We also got the chance to visit my favorite Mexican restaurant in Stockholm, La Neta. Yup, it's just as good as I remembered. Definitely suggest it to anyone traveling through Stockholm.

But at the same time, it was a little weird to be back. We even stayed in my old apartment in Gubbängen. I think I can safely say after three weeks of being gone that I'm grateful to be in Borås and out of Stockholm after 7 months there. I love the area, and I love the people, but I'm also loving the learning and growth that's coming in quiet, statue-filled Borås.

We also had a really cool 'practice' lesson yesterday. There's a young adult in the ward who hasn't been baptized yet, but will really soon. We got the amazing chance to meet with her yesterday while making dinner for the Young Adults in the ward. That lesson was seriously the closest thing I have ever had to teaching a lesson like they have in 'The District.' It really was amazing, and I consider myself so blessed to have gotten to hear her testimony of Jesus Christ and the gospel and how it has blessed her. 

Still raining, and I'm getting more and more used to it. Serioulsy, I didn't know it could rain this much in a day before Borås. Oh well, I love it anyways! I hope you all have a great week, and I'll talk to you later!

Love,
Syster Maxwell

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