Insert clever title here..

Hej Familj!!

Sorry about the lame subject line, but for some reason I was not able to come up with a very creative one today! Well, how are things in your neck of the world?? Everything swell? Good! Okay, I will start things off today with a bit of good news! We went shopping for new beds! Yay! No more air mattresses! Okay, well the delivery truck doesn't come until tomorrow so, one more night on them, but after that we will have comfy beds to rest our weary selves! haha :) Yes, that means that all of the bed bugs are gone! We have not received any new bites and have not seen anymore bugs! Woo! If you can't tell already, I am in a pretty good mood today! How could I not be right?! I am a missionary! Ya! So today for p-day we are going shopping. Yes, for groceries, but for other things this time! Like, fun shopping! haha It is very strange to me that I am freaking out over a shopping trip. However, it is strangely comforting at the same time.. Wow, weird! lol I will let you all know if I find something fun! Lets see... I want to add a fun story.. So, last night after a teach that went over time we were walking back to get our bikes and ride home when we contacted a man. This man was very strange! I stopped him and told him that God has called a Prophet today and that his name is Thomas S. Monson. He freaked out! haha He was like, "Really?! A prophet? Thats awesome!" SO, we of course started a teach right there on the dark street with this man. He was amazingly positive! He took the Book of Mormon right out of our hands and wanted to know how much it cost! haha The entire time we were looking for signs of intoxication, but we couldn't find any! His breath was pleasant, and his pupils were regular size.. This man was either a really golden investigator, or just plain nuts in the head! We are hoping that it is the first of the two possibilities, because we have an appointment with him on Saturday! haha It was just strange to have someone so positive! It just doesn't happen very often! lol :) Anyway, one more quick story! Somayeh... Do you remember her? Well, we have a baptismal date with her now! Woooo!!! We had a goal in our zone to receive seven baptismal dates this past week, so we looked at our list of investigators, and she was the one that we could not get out of our minds! We knew that the Lord was preparing her! So, we called last minute and asked her if we could come over... miraculously she said yes! :) We prepared and prepared, prayed and PRAYED! haha We taught her about the experiment explained in Alma 32 and challenged her to set the date! She gave us her normal, "I don't know actually" response, and that hit us pretty hard. Then I had the impression to kneel down in prayer right then and there! So, that is exactly what we did! We kneeled down and I offered a group prayer for us. Then after that we each had our own individual prayers to seek inspiration. I pleaded with my Father in Heaven to touch Somayeh's heart and to give her comfort in setting a date, a huge step for anyone! As we were finishing our prayers, she sat up and said, "okay, I am done". We said amen really fast and sat back on the couch. We both looked right at her and she said, in a soft, sincere voice, "October is best for me" Which was exactly what Äldste Bracken and I felt! :) My heart leaped for joy! It was an amazing manifestation of how prayers ARE answered and how much our Father in Heaven truly loves us! Hows that for a story?? hehe :) Well, that night we were able to call President Anderson and report! He was just as happy as we were! :) Well, I better get to the e-mails now... To start we have my wonderful father!! I love you daddy! :) Wow, it sounds like things really are pretty busy! From what I hear you are "up and doing!" (see Alma 60:24) (on second thought, the part that really applies, I have already quoted.. haha) I was really glad to hear that you have set a date to go to the temple every month! What a great sign of faith to our Father in Heaven that you are willing to follow his direction! :) Way to be! :) Thank you so much for the pictures of the house! It looks like you have a very nice place to live in right now! That view is spectacular! haha I would be lying if I didn't say that I was happy to still see my truck there! hehe, you know me! ;) Okay, I was wondering when the language question was going to come! It is indeed true that most Swedes can speak English. However, we do all of our contacting in Swedish, and as much teaching in Swedish as we can! A lot of times, because of the number of immigrants, we start the contact in Swedish and they have no idea what we said, so we start over in English. Most of the time that works! Then normally those that are interested who speak English, we teach in English. Obviously!! lol Other then that, it is all Swedish. It is great to have both because that way I am constantly learning rather than repeating a memorized script in the language. Now I must make sure I know the Gospel inside and out in Swedish as well as English! Yay! lol Thank you so much for your inspiration and kinds words! I love the e-mails!! :) Okay, now on to Matt! Well hello buddy! I love you! It is really funny about your work load. I totally know how you feel. In fact, I am pretty sure I said those exact same things that you said when I was e-mailing Josh and Kevin on their missions! Just find solice in knowing that we have all been through it, and are STILL going through it!! haha You can do it Matt! Just be focused, prioritize and have fun! Keep that smile on your face, and everything will work out! :) Yeah!! Way to go BYU!! Thats the way to do it! How are they looking Matt?? High hopes for this year?! Hey you... keep your head up! Sure you have lots to do, but you have lots of help! Have you tried getting on your knees and praying!? Those times when you might feel alone Matt, always know that all you must do is PRAY.. Please, never forget that! This move is taking a toll on you, and I can tell.. You are growing so much! The responsibilities that you have are making you a stronger person! You will be unrecognizable to me when I get home, I can already tell! You can do it Matt! I love you... Push forward! Endure! YOU did not come to this earth to be ordinary! Be great! :) I love you Matt, always know I am here for you and that I pray for you daily........ :) Okay, now on to Mom!! I love you mommy! :) Before I forget... Be sure to ask if any of the Elders that come to dinner know me, or know of any Elders in the mission that know me! I want to find where those crazy elders are! It has been forever since the MTC! Sorry, lol :) As for the letter about the move... yeah, sending it in letter form was most definitely the best idea! :) I know this must be hard, but as you said yourself, the Lord will help you! Moving, I can only imagine, would be a very difficult thing! But, reports say that people are doing it all over! haha hahah ahaha.. lol sorry, my attempt at a joke! :/ lol Well, I found it very funny that you miss the Ave C house for it's bathroom! haha Of all the things!!?? lol I understand though.. That was a nice mirror! No.... NO WAY!!! Michael McLean is coming to Great Falls?! You are so lucky! Why did all of these cool people decide to come visit AFTER I left?! Whats the deal!? Well, be sure to enjoy that one! What am I saying, I don't need to say that! You will love it! TO answer your question, yes! I did get the EFY Hymns CD!! It has been playing in the player non-stop for a few days now! haha Thank you so much for that! And yes, REAL AMERICAN UTAH MORMON GIRLS!! hahahaha They were in church again, ad it was the same translating fiasco! lol It was fun! And sadly, no.. Morris was not at church. Next week though! I can feel it! :) Thank you so much for your e-mail Mom!! I love you!! You are in my prayers every day!! Okay everyone, lets start the Spiritual part! My thoughts today come from the Book of Alma in the Book of Mormon! In Alma 60 Moroni composes an epistle to Pahoran the chief judge. In this "letter" he basically chews-out Pahoran and tells him that he needs to help his armies and send troops and supplies! Moroni has been suffering for the past while and he is just fed-up with not getting any help! In verse 28 it says, (directed to Pahoran) "And behold I do not fear your power nor your authority, but it is my God whom I fear.... and it is because of your iniquity that we have suffered so much loss." (be sure to go to chapter 60 and read the whole thing to get the REAL effect) Moroni doesn't know what is happening in Zarahemla, and is actually falsely accusing Pahoran of doing wrong. Pahoran is fighting a little war himself because since Moroni has been gone, some very evil and wicked men have been taking over the city. So, we would reasonably infer that Pahoran would be a little angry at the false accusations... But he is not! He writes back and says, in verse nine of chapter 61, "And now, in your epistle you have censured me, but it mattereth not; I am not angry, but do rejoice in the greatness of your heart." Pahoran decides to NOT be angry! Wow!! He was just falsely accused, chewed-out and reprimanded by his friend Moroni, and the first thing he does is "rejoice in the greatness" of Moroni's heart! There is a very important lesson to be learned here! We must not let ourselves become angry! This is something I have been working on a lot recently. In my continual quest to me more Christlike, like all in the church are doing, I have found that one of the most difficult areas is not becoming angry! So many times I have heard stories about people leaving the church because of what one, might I add, imperfect person said to them or of them. I have even seen here in Sweden the effects of anger and how it halts and even destroys the eternal progression of some of our brothers and sisters. Leaving the church or becoming inactive because of what one person has said is just sad. Don't let yourself do this! Always remember that people have faults. I have faults, you have faults... every person on this earth besides Christ has faults! So, lets always remember to show an increase of love. If someone wrongs us, lets decide right now, not to be angry, because it is just not worth it! Sorry if this has been kinda jumbled, but I feel very strongly about this. I love you all soooo much! You help me through the toughest of times whether you know it or not. Keep praying and loving! Until next week...

Trogen och Stadig, Är Jag Redo!!!!!
Faithful and Steady, I AM Ready!!!!!

Äldste Kundis :) :) :)