First New Companion

After six weeks in Sweden, Aldste Haddon has been transferred for the first time, he is the only greenie in his group who has been transferred, and he is starting to realize that he probably is done with his training period and really in the thick of things now.

 

He said that last week was mostly an adjustment with having a new companion and having lost all of his serious investigators. They spent the majority of the week tracting and contacting so they've been trying to work hard and find some people they can start teaching more seriously.

 

Other than that, there hasn't been much new going on, he did send home some chocolate last week (super yummy!) and he doesn't even like chocolate usually but he loves Swedish chocolate, we're not sure what he has been cooking for himself there, so he might be living on chocolate for all we know!

 

Thanks for all of the emails and letters being sent his way! He loves to hear from everyone!

1st Transfers

Aldste Haddon had another good week. He and his companion set a record for their area teaching 20 lessons this week! Because of that, they are being separated tomorrow at transfers and Aldste Haddon is sad and nervous about that because he likes his companion and the training period with your first trainer is usually at least twelve weeks, but he's excited to start a new adventure!

 

Unfortunately, both of their scheduled baptisms have fallen through but Aldste Haddon just says that's more incentive to keep working harder and reaching out to more and more people. Other than that, this week is pretty slow on the new information. Here are some long awaited pictures though!

 



Lots of Investigators

Aldste Haddon had a good week this week (except he didn't hear from his most favorite sister because I tried to attach pictures of my kids to the email and apparently that makes it so your email doesn't go through so when I got up this morning I saw it didn't make it...let this be a lesson to you all! :) I sent it again and hope he gets to check his emails again because he has checked them as late as 9:30am our time before...enough about my sob story...)

 

 So things are going well in Sweden, they have a baptism set for next week as of right now, sadly they didn't see that individual at church on Sunday but plan to catch up with him this week and hopefully his baptism will still go as planned.

The man they met last week on the bus is continuing to learn about the church and they feel encouraged by that. He said that they even met with his parents and answered some questions and misconceptions they had had about our beliefs.

Aldste Haddon and his companion are also learning that befriending people and helping them to feel truly loved is the best way to teach. (I might be biased, but Ty always seemed to be good a befriending people anyway, He's a good example to me of that.) They are working with a young man about their age who has had trouble making close friends so they have become good friends with him and even take him to young adult activities where he is making friends in the ward.

Lastly, the family they have been teaching since the first week he got there is also doing well and allowing them to come teach the gospel.

 

All in all, it sounds like they're doing their job out there in Sweden. Aldste Haddon is a hard worker and loves his companion and that seems to show with all the people they're able to reach and teach right now. As always, thank you all for your love, prayers and support!

First Baptism Dates!

Well it sounds like it really has been a great week for Aldste Haddon! They have been working hard to make sure he has mastered the language. It was their Swedish only week and he thought that his head might explode with all of the the Swedish, but it's helping him learn it and he's had some conversations with people which is a huge step!

 

This past week, they were trying to decide where they wanted to go and Aldste Haddon suggested they go to Värberg which is a two hour bus ride from where they are, but they decided that it would be a good idea. So they went to the bus stop and found they had missed the bus and had to wait for a long time until the next one so they just talked to people and tried to help others where they could. When the bus finally came, they decided to split up and sit by different people. A friendly man sat by Aldste Haddon and asked him what he was doing and he told him he came from The Church of Jesus Christ. The man said he had been struggling with things in his life and he really wanted answers and to get help. Aldste Haddon promised him that if he allowed them to teach him and if he listened to what they had to share, he would receive the help he needed from Heavenly Father to overcome his trials. Aldste Haddon said then man agreed and they began to teach him. From that moment until now, that man has been able to overcome many of his trials and has set a baptism date for mid March, another investigator that they have been working with is scheduled to be baptized that day as well. They are so glad they were able to teach them and share the gospel with people who were ready to hear it. Pretty exciting! Thanks for keeping him in your prayers!

-5*C! BURR

Aldste Haddon has had a good week in Sweden, although it has been VERY cold, -5*C without a coat in one of the pictures which is 23*F but it's 100% humidity so that makes it so much colder...other than that things are going well for him. This week his mission president asked them to go around to all of the active members gathering refferals so they were busy making connections that way which he really enjoyed getting to know the members. They were also issued a Swedish only week, which means they weren't allowed to speak english at all. He said it was tough and a little rough to only speak Swedish but it he knows it will help him to be able to learn the language better.

The family they have been teaching had a death in the family this week so it was hard to get ahold of them but he's hoping that they'll be able to be of comfort to them through teaching about the plan of salvation and eternal families. He also said he really likes his companion, they're a lot different but he thinks that makes it work and they're able to work together well. He said he's a stud and he loves him!

He said all of his emails this week were about the new stake presidency in Stansbury, so he thinks it must be our only news! :) Maybe if he thinks we're always boring here, he'll never be homesick, I don't know! But he's excited (as are we) for President Child and know he'll do great!(we might be a little bias since he's Tanner's uncle and all!) Other than that, he didn't seem to have much to report this week! Here are some pictures he sent over! Thanks for checking in on our missionary!

 

 



Mission Calls-Had to Share This!

Today in sacrament meeting, a brother in our ward mentioned that he had seen this video on KSL.com created by Danielle Chard of Olympus High School and it really strengthened his testimony and brought the spirit into his home. I checked it out and cried! It's so amazing to me so see young men and women so touched, willing and excited to serve our Heavenly Father. It's amazing to see the work progress and it makes me want to share my testimony of this gospel as much as I can!  One comment posted on the site about the video said:
"I am not even a Mormon, but a stalwart atheist, yet I was extremely affected by this video. It truly shows your church's wonderful thankfulness and kindness, and I was moved to tears by the ardent passion you have for your beliefs and church. Bravo!"
 This really is a great and marvelous work and I feel so blessed to be apart of this gospel and to have all of you in my life and in Aldste Haddon's life. Together we'll bring the world His truth, and be messengers of Christ. Thank you all for supporting our full time missionary, for your love, prayers and thoughts, we couldn't be more grateful! We love you all!
If you can't view it through the blog, here's a link:
http://www.ksl.com/?nid=1016&sid=24009271

 

 

PS LOTS of Sweden calls, Aldste Haddon said that their mission is expected to double in the next couple months!

 



Some Time in Boras

Well another week has passed by already! Aldste Haddon said that he has had a great week! His companion had a meeting in Stockholm so he spent some time in Boras, so that was fun and beautiful he said.

The family that he was able to meet with last week let them come teach them again last night. He said they are a really great family to work with. He was able to share some scriptures and they teach the plan of salvation in a new way that is focused on the atonement. He says that it is a great way to teach because that's what it is all about and the spirit is so strong when they teach that way.

He said that the best way to contact is to make friends with people first, he said that in Sweden people don't really feel comfortable to allow people into their homes unless you're friends with them, so they recently played "inabundy" (not sure what that is, guess we could google it) with a guy who now lets them in to teach him so Aldste Haddon is excited about that!

When asked about the food he said it's pretty good there, he loves Kbob pizza it has french fries and crazy sauce on it and it's "freakin great"! He also said that it is still FREEZING there and it gets dark at 3pm, (which means its ALREADY dark Monday evening there)!

Aldste Haddon also said he's not at all homesick, (sorry if that hurts anyone's feelings he said), but he feels like he only has one shot in Sweden and its not worth thinking about home when he has work to do! He doesn't want any regrets so he's working hard and staying focused!

And as always is grateful for your love and prayers! He's had a great week!