NEW area, NEW companionship, NEW baptismal date

What a crazy week it has been for Aldste Haddon in Sweden...

He has been called to be the district leader and a trainer of a new greenie fresh off of the plane, the new group of elders and sisters arrived from the MTC on Wednesday and that was also the first day Aldste Haddon stepped foot in his new area. He said that he picked his companion up and he asked him where they lived and Aldste Haddon said I don't know elder let's go find out togther so they carried their luggage through the city unti they found their new apartment together in a downpour no less! It took a couple of hours to find, but luckily they made it home before it had gotten too dark out.

They have since been working hard doing missionary work, they came across an awesome young man who was a self refferal looking for the truth. They have been teaching him and have set a baptism date for the first weekend in August and of course they feel thrilled and blessed at the opportunity and have really enjoyed getting to know this individual. He said that one evening they were talking and Tyson felt impressed to give him the biggest hug and reaffirm to him how important he is to his Heavenly Father. He said the spirit was strong and it was a great experience for all of them. He said that it is moments like those that make all of the hard times of walking through the rain with loads of suitecases worth it!

He really wants to thank everyone for your love and support, he can feel your strength and prayers for him even though he is a world away!

Also, our grandpa Larry Haddon (Our dad's dad) has fallen very ill, he was found having a seizure and passed out when grandma returned home from church yesterday. Late last night he opened his eyes for the first time, and has had an MRI. It appeared to be a brain tumor, but we have also been told that he possibly has contracted a virus that appears similar to brain tumors on MRI scans. They also think he might have blood on his brain. Of course, our hearts and prayers are focused in his direction and we appreciate your love and support as he is struggling with this scary turn of events.





The Aldste that trained Ty is on the left and the Aldste he is training on the right

Getting Ready to Train!

What a busy week it has been for Aldste Haddon...he has tried blood pudding (blood+flour=blood pudding), said goodbye to all of the people he loves in his area, met with the President, performed a bird funeral, had American pancakes to celebrate the 4th of July, and of course....taught the gospel.

So, where to I start...On Wednesday, Aldste Haddon gets to pack up and move to Jakobsberg, a city he has never been to before, pick up a brand new Elder fresh off of the plane and begin training and teaching in a new area. He said that when he met with president he said that all of the trainers would be in an area they knew except one...Ty said he thought in his head that that would really stink for that elder...then the mission president said Aldste Haddon! So he knows it's going to be a big adjustment and a huge learning curve, but he's' ready for it. He said that President Newell sat him down during their interviewing process and said never before have elders had to carry out as many tasks as the elders now leaving the office (planning an entire mission tour, organizing the trips of 50 missionaries arriving and an entire mission conference) and when he use to organize things like that in his job as an US Ambassador, they had a team of 30 highly trained people and President Newell was very happy with the job Aldste Haddon and the other elders performed. He offered to give Ty a letter of recommendation which would be huge coming from someone with his background. It was a big compliment. He has loved working with him in the office, and will miss it but is happy for the new challenge.

With leaving this week, Aldste Haddon said he has gotten very bold in his delivery with those he has been working with. He has borne a very strong testimony and challenged people to baptism right away and many have been feeling the spirit and accepting which he finds to be an exciting miracle. 

This week he was working with a man who is active in the gospel but who was saddened because his daughter was struggling with her testimony and beginning to leave the church. Aldste Haddon felt impressed to challenge the man to pray for his daughter to have spiritual experiences and a renewed testimony in the gospel. The man accepted the challenge. Aldste Haddon said that that Sunday was testimony meeting and half way through the meeting, a young woman came in and sat next to the brother. She later got up in the meeting and shared her testimony that she had been struggling with the gospel and had felt unsure of her testimony but had had amazing spiritual experiences the past week that testified to her that the church was true and she knew she was making the wrong choice to leave. After the meeting, the brother came up and cried all over Ty's suit (comes with the job) and was so over joyed about his baby girl. Ty was so happy to see such an amazing miracle in that family's life. The man whispered to Ty as he hugged him: 

"God really does answer prayers."

How true that is.

 As always my attempt to turn the pictures has failed me...not sure what the secret is, I've tried so many things!

...And a colorful district meeting

Aldste Haddon had quite the district meeting this week.... Here is how it went in his words...

 

"So last week was my First District meeting i was able to teach. It was probably the most nerve raking thing i have ever done. So In my District is the Assistants, President and Sister Newell, Lowry's (Former Stake President.) I had to teach about "Baptism." 

 

I first thought it would be cool to have a musical number or some sort of talent to bring the district get a little pump up going. My companion  plays a mean Recorder, and can beat box at the same time. So i thought i would be appropriate to have him do that and get the district all pumped up, So he played called to serve. It was probably the greatest thing my ears have ever heard.  Sister Newell thought it was quiet fun ha. 

 

But we kept going for it. I started to teach about the importance of Baptism and why we come here and try help people to the waters of baptism. We discussed the importance of it and it was going very well. Until I decided to through a little Haddon story in it. This is how it went. 

"So we had an experience in the Stockholm Ward where a man, who wrote himself out was trying to fight members and trying to break things in the building. I stopped him took him outside and he was just yelling terrible things about what he read on the Church. He read some"Unfavorable Material," started to scream at me saying "All you do is baptize people! Party, get a pat on the back from the president and you just move on." I thought about that a lot. Thinking..... Wow he is so right. We do that. (Their eyes opened up wider then i have ever seen.) I then said lets read about one of the Greatest missionaries in the Planet, I don't know if you've ever hear of him, his name is Ammon. (No one laughed.) I was reading about when he was just running around supper excited because of how many of his brothers he brought back to the lords fold. His brother Aron told him that he was boasting a little bit, But he was quick to say that its not boasting in myself, its boasting in my God. And he talks about how happy he was because they literally loose the bands of hell from 1,000's of his brothers.I then explained that is a pretty DANG good reason to be happy and to party, and get slaps on the back from the president." "

 

 

He is also moving to a new area this week to train, we don't know if he'll still be living in the mission office and working in a different area like his last transfer or if he'll be physically moving, but he'll be working with his good friend Elder Allsop so he's very excited. He gets to pick up the greenie and go to a new area...it's going to be crazy!

 

Thanks for emailing and supporting Aldste Haddon! We'll let ya know how greenie week goes!

Midsommer

This was a good week in Sweden for Aldste Haddon; it was Midsommer which means just how it sounds "MidSummer". All the Swedes get together and dance around a poll type thing and celebrate summer. All of the missionaries in Sweden were invited to attend the same event. Aldste Haddon was in charge of putting the pole together and even started a good old fashioned game of American Football. He said that all of the Swedes were looking at them like they were totally crazy, and only 4 of the elders had played football before so it was a little crazy but it was a lot of fun.

They also found a tiny little frog and decided it would be very funny to come up to Sister Newell (Mission President's wife) with it hidden and surprise her with the little fella. They got all ready, and had the frog hidden and went up to her to strike up a conversation. They then said they had something for her and once she said oh what is it, they felt they had the perfect invitation to introduce her and the frog. As they opened their hands, she just started laughing and said:

"I have 4 boys, nothing like that will ever phase me!

So, the prank of the day was a bit of a bust, but they had fun anyway.

On a more spiritual note, they have been working with a family from China who was very wealthy there and came to Sweden to grow their business. They invested all of their money into their restaurant here but their business was very poor and they began to be very worried that they would soon loose everything and have to move back to China with almost nothing left. Knowing their concern and how much this meant to the family, Aldste Haddon and his companion gave the mother a blessing. They didn't see the family for about a week, but when they returned to the restaurant, it was full for the first time and has remained full (he sent pictures) He testifies that Heavenly Father knows us and our needs and when we ask of Him in faith and real intent, we will be blessed.

This week Aldste Haddon got yet another new companion and it sounds like that is going well so far!

Thank you for reading about Aldste Haddon and for your support!

A Service Filled Week

Aldste Haddon said that their week has been full of service projects this week which has been great. One of the days, they helped a new convert family chop wood in the forest to build a house and afterwards they went to the ocean to have a natural organic meal. It was "grassy" but delicious. He said it then started raining and the family went crazy dancing in the rain and got even more excited when the double rainbow showed up; he said they quickly took that opportunity to bow out!

They are also working with a young football (soccer) player who is getting very close to baptism. He said that he always invites all of his African friends to come hear the "White Guys" or "Jesus Boys"! He's very hopeful and excited to be working with this young man.

Aldste Haddon also got to give a talk in sacrament meeting, he said it was pretty tricky to speak in front of 100 native Swedes in their native language, but he must have done OK! No complaints that we know of!

As always, Aldste Haddon wants to thank all of you for your thoughts, prayers and support!



A Visit From Elder Ballard

This week was the mission wide conference, President Monson was planned to attend but because of the loss of his wife and his own health issues, he sent Elder Ballard and Aldste Haddon said he learned so much from him...

 

Because Aldste Haddon is in the office, he had to wake up at 2 AM to help prepare for the conference he had to help set up the chapel and make sure all of the missionaries were able to find the location and arrive on time. He was standing in the foyer when Elder Ballard walked in with a bunch of other general authorities. He got to shake all of their hands and listen to the messages they shared, he said the spirit was unbelievable. He said that Elder Ballard taught them so much about missionary work and they are even more excited to teach the gospel.

 

After the fantastic conference, they were able to go on splits with other Elders, he was able to find his best buddies from the MTC Faylor and Allsop and go on splits with them which was AWESOME. While the three of them were out, this lady in a top hat and tights who was likely on something too came up and tried to full on kiss each of them and they had to fight her off. When they told her no thank you, she yelled at them saying they needed a real woman! They laughed, one of those mission stories that will go down in the books!

 

He also got to see some ward members from his last area which was awesome...

 

This is the end of his email: "But, the week was great and thank goodness the craziness is finally over! I felt that it is exactly what this mission needed, and it was exactly what I needed. I am going to have a lot of changes in the next month and I didn’t honestly think I could do them or what I needed to do. This conference and the time I served with my old MTC friends, helped me realize that no matter how crazy of things president needs me to do, I can do them with the Lords help. I know that Jesus Christ lives and he loves every single one of you. I know that for a moment he thought of everyone one of us personally in the Garden of Gethsemane. He loves you and I love you all thank you for the support and hope to hear from you all soon."

Broken Hands, Sleepless Nights and The Funeral

Aldste Haddon has had a pretty crazy week, he said he got a total of 20 hours of sleep the entire week! They had a mission tour by President Richards which he said was awesome and very inspiring, but he got to get the chapels ready for his visit...

 

"On Thursday night, we were putting together this one Chapel about an hour drive away. It’s about 1 AM, and I am super exhausted, but we finally finish. I go to hop in the back of the van and I stick my hand in the side of the van for support and one of this sisters, we were giving a ride home, slams the front door. My hand just magically happened to be there. I hear the slam and the click of the door locking. I then asked the sister as nicely as I possibly could, “Will you please open your door.”

She replied, “Why?” I said, ”Because my hand is still in the door.”

She screamed open the door my hand is cut up bleeding a little and super swollen. We go to the ER but of course “Socialism,” I couldn’t get in until 5 in the morning so we left around 4 and went to sleep. Because we needed to be up by 6 the next day for mission tour! But my hand it actually not to bad now, just a little tender ha."

 

Saturday was the funeral of the young man who was serving in Provo on a mission but who is from Sweden. Aldste Haddon was a pall bearer, it was difficult with the broken hand but worth it. He said it was the first time they have ever filed the Stake Center in Sweden, and the spirit was so strong. The family shared stories about Jeffery and their testimonies of the gospel and that they knew they would still see their son and brother again. Ty was most touched by what the father said:

 

"“For you members, this cause my son died for, and it is worth it. For you that are not of this faith, find out for yourself what he stood for, and died for.”

Even though he lost his son, he was still standing for what they all believed in. Even at the worst of times, they still stood for what they believed in. We carried the casket out, it was a little hard with my hand but I managed. I gave them a big hug from you all and they so deeply appreciate the prayers."

Ty ended his email saying:

"Thank you all for all that you do. I hope you can keep them in your prayers and think of the amazing examples they are. They know that God lives, that he loves them and that he loves Jeffery. They knew that Christ died for them and their son so he can live again. They knew that he died for a cause worth dying for.  They knew they would see him again. I know that as well. I love you all so very much and don’t you forget that. Thank you for everything."

 

 

Temple pics, sorry they wouldn't turn this time...not sure why