Try a Little Harder to be a Little Better

Hällå Där Allihopa!

President Beckstrand: “I’ve seen a lot of crazy things here in Sweden, but I have never seen 3 bank robberies in the same day. And especially not when we are picking up new missionaries.”

So we got a new batch of greenies on Tuesday. Which is always fun to see there smiling faces and help them get situated and show them around Stockholm a bit. One of the things that we usually do as well, is take the greenies out and go contacting people on the street…. But not this time. We start to pull up to the Stockholm YSA Center to show them around and take them contacting. But there were police taping off the main street in Stockholm, police running around and personally interviewing everyone they saw.

So President thought it would be a good idea to maybe forget contacting and think of something else to do.

But other than that it was a pretty great week. A lot of work like usual and a lot of cool experiences. Wednesday night, we got the chance to send home some of the missionaries and I sent home 2 of my past companions…. So that was weird. (Elder Moe and Elder Knecht.) It really hit me hard because I really love those Elders, but in the same, I’m next. Just helped me realize that I don’t have the most time left. So I need to keep working hard, and do as Gordon B. Hinckley admonished, “Try a little harder to be a little better.”

This leads to one of those days, where we went out and started to hit the streets. We felt impressed to swing by this less-active member. The bishop has asked us to go by all the less-active members, just to see how they are doing and try to reach out to them. But we saw this guy on the list and went by. He opened the door, and had the most confused look on his face. He then replied, “I haven’t seen you guys for like.....(started counting on his fingers,) 15 years.” He kindly let us in.

He made us smoothies and we met his son and girlfriend. The girlfriend was from California. She was really curious why, “Two sharp dressed men,” from the US are in Sweden, in the cold. She also asked us why we were Mormons! So we were able to explain why we are missionaries and how much this message means to us. She wanted to learn more, and so we had the chance to teach her right on the spot about the Restoration of the Gospel.She after said that she just knows in her heart everything we said was true. She said she didn’t know why so many people are becoming Mormons, until now. Haha

She began to tell us the story of her life and how the Lord had prepared her for this moment. She had always searched for the truth. She even went to a school for nuns, to learn more about Jesus Christ. Eventually her life lead her to come to Sweden, and just as soon as she made it here, she meets us. So we are now helping her towards baptism. She will most likely be leaving soon, so she might be baptized back in California, but we will see how it goes.

I love this work, it’s just an explosion of feelings, happy, sad, frustrated, excited, joy, and everything in between. I love it. Thanks for everyone’s prayers, and just keep on, keepin on!

Love,

Elder T.D. Haddon