"It's so pathetic; it's frozen milk and it's stronger than me!"

Hejsan! 

Guess who didn't turn into a popsicle up at the arctic circle? That's right, this chick! So, the week got off to a great start by doing work-overs up in Luleå and then heading up to Jokmokk and the arctic circle the day after. On the way up there, the thermometer said -34 C, which is still around -34 F. So, cold. Like, my hair, my eyelashes, my eyebrows, my nosehairs- frozen in about 20 seconds out there. It was COLD.  But also freakin' cool, like, I can now say I've been so far north that there are days of the year that the sun just doesn't rise. 

Other than that, it's been a great week. We got to go to Stockholm for ANOTHER meeting (I swear, I have been in Stockholm every week since October. Or at least it feels like it). It was a really good meeting; lots of great ideas for changing up things with planning and the area book, and my favorite was that we got the special surprise of watching 'Meet the Mormons' at the end of the conference. Guys, it's so good! Like, being 100% honest, I was crying. My mission has turned me into a waterworks, and I was very definitely crying. But hey, that's how you know it was good, right????

Otherwise, missionary work continues as always. Yesterday was especially full of tender mercies and miracles. I got to play 'Be Still My Soul' in sacrament meeting, and I can still say after however many months I've been out that music is my favorite way to bear my testimony. There's just so much power and feeling that I can put into music that I find hard to put into words. Unfortunately it doesn't work to take a violin out in Swedish winter, but on the rare occasions I do get to play, I always feel that much more effective.  We also had a tender mercy yesterday after church. The bishop came and grabbed us to say a woman had just walked in to the chapel wanting to talk to somebody, so we went through most of the first lesson with her. The spirit was definitely there helping us all in that lesson, which was so wonderful. And after that, we got to go to a member dinner that was DELICIOUS, and in which I lost a battle with a bucket of ice-cream. It was frozen SOLID, and I struggled to get more than a half-scoop of it out. I felt a little better when the elders and members ALSO struggled, but still, it was pathetic, I was defeated by delicious frozen cream.

And yeah, there was our week. I love you all tons, and I hope you have a fantastic week. Lycka till med allt!

Kram!

Syster Maxwell