Gold Rush in Skövde!!

Hej Familj!!!!

To start things off, we have found gold in Skövde! Okay, maybe not REAL gold, but something much more precious! A great new investigator!!! We were on splits with the Zone Leaders and I was out with Äldste Carlisle. We knocked on a lady's door and she was just about to sit down for dinner so she asked if we could come back in about an hour. So, we went and worked a little more and came back. Her name is Sabina and she is a native Swede. She has a little daughter named Arielia who is about to turn nine next month. Not exactly sure about the husband situation right now, but as far as we know she just lives there with her daughter. Anyway, the teach was nothing short of spectacular! She is just amazing! Everything she said was in line with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We jokingly said after the teach that she was, "quoting the Restoration to us!" :) She had a lot of thoughts about God and Religion in general. One thing she said was, "The Bible has been changed and translated so many times, I just don't think we can fully understand just from the Bible. I think we need something else to help us... Maybe that is what the Book of Mormon is..... I have been waiting for this!" Äldste Carlisle and I were almost jumping for joy! We were so amazed! She asked us questions such as, "How do we tell the difference between the word of God and the word of Man?" haha!! We had her answers! Sabina is extremely nice and just searching for the truth. She said that she was confused with Religion, but hoped we could help her figure it all out! We will try!! She is a very smart person... She works at the local hospital as a Biological Engineer. It may take some time with her because she is the kind of person that needs to understand things first and have them make sense before she can receive a Spiritual confirmation. But that is no problem because this Gospel makes COMPLETE sense!!! I love how that is so true! Well, I think you all thought this week was transfers?!?! Because I did not receive an e-mail from you all... haha, but no worries! I am sure I will get one in the future! lol :) Transfers are a little later on this transfer because of how it worked out with new missionaries from the MTC. The transfer day is on the 3rd of March so that means I should be e-mailing you on the 2nd of March that week... But that is in the future! Just letting you know! Well, seeing as I have no one to write back to, I will get to my Spiritual Thought and then go jam on the piano!!! Wooo! haha :) (You all know me!) Okay for the Spiritual Thought I would like to talk about elephants. Yes, that IS what I would like to talk about this week. You read it correctly! The Circus to a child can be one of the most magical places on Earth. High flying acrobats and funny clowns in cars.. not to mention all of the animals! One of these animals is a little different from the others. It is bigger, stronger and can spray water from its nose! However, this animal is probably the least secured out of all the animals. The tigers and lions have cages to hold them back and keep others safe, but the elephant does not. Why is it that the elephant, the animal who could probably do the most damage if startled, is only held back by a rope tied around it's neck fixed to a wooden stake in the ground?!? Why do the managers of the circus allow this to happen??? I will tell you... it is because the managers know that the elephant will not move. But why will it not move?? Why does it not use its massive strength and, with ease, break the rope or pull the stake out of the ground? Here is why... The elephant trainers, starting from the birth of the elephant, place heavy metal chains around its neck making it impossible for the little baby elephant to move. The elephant slowly grows up knowing, and truly believing that if it ever has anything around its neck... be it a big metal chain or a thin piece of rope... it cannot move. The elephant grows up, not knowing its own strength and ability. Has this happened in our own lives?? Have we been tricked into believing that something is impossible? Maybe it is a seemingly unachievable goal, or even an out of reach desire. There is something we want but we just keep telling ourselves we can't do it. Perhaps it is a habit we need to quit, or maybe its a need to repent of something. Possibly, it is something we have always wanted to do, an attribute we have always wanted to develop. But what if??.... What IF??? What if it was POSSIBLE!!?? In the third chapter of Proverbs, verses five and six, it says, "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." I love that part, "...lean not unto thine own understanding." It just goes to show that in the Lord, all things are made possible.. even if we just can't understand it! What an AMAZING PROMISE!!! Nephi was able to get the plates from Laban... Ammon was able to gather the sheep... Moses was able to part the Red Sea!!! All of these things seemed, to some, to be impossible. However, those with the faith knew that wonderful promise of which I just mentioned. That is, that with the Lord, anything IS POSSIBLE! It is my prayer that we all be more like Nephi, Ammon and Moses. Let us realize our potential with the Lord by our side! Lets not let some little rope tie us down or tell us we can't do it.... We CAN!!! And we must! I know my Savior lives. I know that he loves me and wants to see me accomplish great things. I can testify that I know he has helped me and made the seemingly impossible, possible. I know the same is true.... for all of us. I love you all... as ALWAYS!!! You mean the world to me and I don't know what I would do without you. Your kind words and loving prayers keep me going and help me to give my all while out here among the people of Sweden. I hope all is well and that you are all having a wonderful week. The Lord is directing our paths, and with him we will be able to do all!

Trogen och Stadig, Är Jag Redo!!!!!Faithful and Steady, I AM Ready!!!!!Äldste Kundis :) :) :)

This Week's Reading!
Tuesday - p.358 ch.60 - p.363 ch.62
Wednesday - p.363 ch.62 - p.368 HELAMAN
Thursday - p.368 HELAMAN - p.372 ch.3
Friday - p.372 ch.3 - p.377 ch.5
Saturday - p.377 ch.5 - p.381 ch.6
Sunday - p.381 ch.6 - p.386 ch.8
Monday (next) - p.386 ch.8 - p.391 ch.10