BIG Changes in a tough area

As you know, the area Aldste Haddon has been serving in has had its well....challenges.... but things are starting to look a lot brighter! They had 60 people at church, an improvement over the normal 40 people that they're used to! There is definitely a new spirit and energy there and it's exciting to be apart of. Here is the email Aldste Haddon sent:

 

Hello There!

Got a couple good ól quotes for the week, 

1# "The problem with winter sports is that - follow me closely here - they generally take place in winter." (Very True.)

 

If you can catch the message here. Its pretty dang cold here. 

This week has been one of the best I have had on my mission. We were got to teach one of our Zone training this last week. We taught how to be missionaries, 

1.Find, 

2.Teach,

3.Baptize,

4. Strengthen.

But of course, we made it into something that we understand. Football. So you are the Coach for this team, (Christ's Team,) And we first need to FIND these Star players or..... The people prepare for the gospel. Once we have found these prepared people, we now have to TEACH them to play the game, or teach them about the gospel. And when they have learned how to play and are in the game, the score Touchdowns, or get BAPTIZED. Sometimes the star players get injured, pull a hammy for example, and we got to get them all fixed up and that is STRENGTHENING the members. It went super well, we got to teach this group of missionaries, what we can do to be better and be those "Coaches" the Lord needs us to be.

We have been doing some serious work here in Uppsala, This Sunday i felt was a really big example of it. We've averaged about 40 people in Sacrament and this week we had over 60 in sacrament with a total of 6 investigators and 3 less-actives in church.

We were able to teach one of out most positive investigator families with the Bishop and it was just a super powerful lesson. Just the all around feeling of the Uppsala Ward is 200X better, it is amazing to be apart of. The bishop said it himself. There has been some HUGE changes here, and it is never going to go back to the way it was.

We are excited to see it continue to growing, and changing of Uppsala. Love being here, and I wouldn't change what i am doing for the world.

Love,

Äldste Haddon

 

Also, one of our AWESOME missionary mom friends who's son is one of Ty's good friends mom (he is currently serving in Taiwan!) Anyways, she types up a quarterly newsletter for each of the missionaries in their group of friends. She sends out a question and the elders respond, she types it up and sends it to all of them and their families. It has been a great way to stay connected with all of the Stansbury elders. This month, Ty sent us his response to her question so we'd like to share it with all of you!

 

What principle of the gospel have you learned to live while on your mission? Faith, prayer, tithing, love, etc. Share a testimony about it. 

I have learned a lot on my mission one of those things following Christ's example in Luke 15:3-7:

 3 ¶And he spake this parable unto them, saying,

 4 What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?

 5 And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.

 6 And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.

7 I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.

Something I have found Joy in and much success on my mission is through, Bringing back the people to the church.

I have one story about a family that we found in Jakobsberg-Stockholm, It started out with a Woman named, Claudia. She joined the Church in Brasil, and doing that she had to run away from her husband, who was viciously against it. She moved to Sweden. She had 3 young boys, two joined the church in Brasil as well. She found the Church in Sweden and started going as much as she possibly could, problems with the language and distance, made it more difficult to come go as often. 

As the years went on, she stopped going to church at all, went to school, got a degree, and started to work as a cook. She finally got her life together, but she still felt something was missing. She one day finally had enough. She just fell to her bed side and wept. She started to sit there, not knowing what to do. She then started to pray. Her feelings hopelessness and sadness, started to diminish, and  she then started feeling  hope and peace. Then she heard something say to her, "Its going to be alright." She knew it came from God.

After she ended her prayer, 30 seconds later, she got a ring on her cell phone. It was us, the Missionaries. She knew that it was a sign from God, to get her back into the church and to do her duty as a daughter of God. We then Reactivated her and her 2 sons, and the youngest is getting ready for baptism.

I know that whether we are bringing people back, or bringing them here for the first time, it is the same. It is the Lord's work, to bring others unto Him. In my life, I have made mistakes, and been inactive as well. But through good friends like you all, and through the spirits powerful promptings, I am here today. Standing as a witness of Christ, even in the feet of snow. I love you all and thank you for your examples. 

Love,

Elder Haddon

Picture: Claudia and the Family.
Sorry, I have no idea why I can't get the highlighting off of the last quoted part... something to do with how Aldste Haddon copied and pasted the scriptures from LDS.org!