This picture was taken at a wedding ofTobias and Sarah
The photographer tagged Adam's name
and posted it on Facebook! What a happy surprise!
Monday, February 21, 2011
A picture for our pleasure!
This picture was taken at a wedding ofTobias and Sarah
The photographer tagged Adam's name
and posted it on Facebook! What a happy surprise!
Sharpenings in Malmö
Hello dearest family! Congrats to Jake and Ailin! I hope to hear a lot more about your baby boy and hopefully get some pictures! Thats so crazy that jakezinho will be a DAD! Man I have great examples for older brothers. I am thankful for all of you! I am 20 years old and I have been an uncle for half of them! This sharpening I have received the package for my birthday, a couple of weeks ago I got the valentines one so thank you all who contributed! This week has been a great one! Sharpening we wanted to re-hash with the zone the Standards of excellence for 2011. We did the role play like on the office where they held up nationalities on their faces, but instead we did it with ACTUAL investigators throughout the zone. They found them, helped the member fellowship them, planned the church experience for each of them, taught and invited each "investigator" to baptism! I think the Zone liked it. My interview was great with president. It had been quite a while since the last one. Not much was said, just reporting on the Zone, and told him how Malmö and myself were doing! The Lord really blessed us this transfer to be a high baptizing Zone. I am so grateful for the amazing consecrated efforts that the Zone put forth during this 13 week transfer.
It has been a great week. Dorothy and Obed the recent converts have been having problems coming to church because of dorothy's boss at work. Dorothy had been taking off work on sundays so that she could come before her baptism. And now afterwards, her boss has been giving her ultimatums. So it's been tough for her but she has a testimony about coming, just difficult circumstances at the moment. We were able to get in contact with her friend Shila and we commited her to baptism. After explaining more about authority she thought it made sense. The main problem is is that she got married in January, and her husband is back in Ghana. so when he comes to sweden in a month of two, he will hopefully be baptized along her side.
After sharpening, we went to Helsingborg to do work overs with the elders there. I was able to go with Elder Davis (a new missionary) and their area had been struggling a little bit. we started out the day with a power hour (hour of contacting right after studies and before lunch). And we had a lot of success! After lunch we had a full blank day ahead of us. A really cool miracle was that we had been calling and calling people to try and meet them but they couldn't that day. But the last person we called he answered. As we talked we told him where we were and he said wait there! As were were looking out of a window at a pizzeria a bus came around the corner, stopped and it was the man coming off the bus. We were able to talk with him, he was busy but interested to meet up another day! They had had troubles meeting this guy before but the Lord provided that amazing circumstance where we could invite him personally to meet with us! That night we had a tough time tracting. But the very last doors of each of the buildings had a family that was interested in hearing more! 3 families! We'll see how it goes.
Back in Malmö we were knocking doors the other day and no one was home, so we were going to go back into the car to go to another area. But we had a feeling that we should stay, so we walked to a specific building and went to the top floor all the way down and the last door was a Swedish couple (70's) and they were super accepting and took us in! they had met missionaries before, gone to church, but then the missionaries were transfered and they lost contact after that! They committed to come to church next sunday!
This week I definitely could see the Lords hand guide us to find the elect. I think too much I believe that the spirit will just come to us and tell us where to go. But I have learned that as I constantly remind myself "what can I learn from this" "where does the lord want us to go" we become actively seeking the spirits guidance. As we do that, our Faith will increase and miracles are wrought.
Love,
Äldste Wad
It has been a great week. Dorothy and Obed the recent converts have been having problems coming to church because of dorothy's boss at work. Dorothy had been taking off work on sundays so that she could come before her baptism. And now afterwards, her boss has been giving her ultimatums. So it's been tough for her but she has a testimony about coming, just difficult circumstances at the moment. We were able to get in contact with her friend Shila and we commited her to baptism. After explaining more about authority she thought it made sense. The main problem is is that she got married in January, and her husband is back in Ghana. so when he comes to sweden in a month of two, he will hopefully be baptized along her side.
After sharpening, we went to Helsingborg to do work overs with the elders there. I was able to go with Elder Davis (a new missionary) and their area had been struggling a little bit. we started out the day with a power hour (hour of contacting right after studies and before lunch). And we had a lot of success! After lunch we had a full blank day ahead of us. A really cool miracle was that we had been calling and calling people to try and meet them but they couldn't that day. But the last person we called he answered. As we talked we told him where we were and he said wait there! As were were looking out of a window at a pizzeria a bus came around the corner, stopped and it was the man coming off the bus. We were able to talk with him, he was busy but interested to meet up another day! They had had troubles meeting this guy before but the Lord provided that amazing circumstance where we could invite him personally to meet with us! That night we had a tough time tracting. But the very last doors of each of the buildings had a family that was interested in hearing more! 3 families! We'll see how it goes.
Back in Malmö we were knocking doors the other day and no one was home, so we were going to go back into the car to go to another area. But we had a feeling that we should stay, so we walked to a specific building and went to the top floor all the way down and the last door was a Swedish couple (70's) and they were super accepting and took us in! they had met missionaries before, gone to church, but then the missionaries were transfered and they lost contact after that! They committed to come to church next sunday!
This week I definitely could see the Lords hand guide us to find the elect. I think too much I believe that the spirit will just come to us and tell us where to go. But I have learned that as I constantly remind myself "what can I learn from this" "where does the lord want us to go" we become actively seeking the spirits guidance. As we do that, our Faith will increase and miracles are wrought.
Love,
Äldste Wad
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Monday, February 14, 2011
Hooray for Aldste Winegar posting pictures! :D
So... we got new pictures... thankfully Aldste Winegar was kind enough to post them on Picasso for his family... I just yoinked them from there! Hey... I had permission!
Anyway... enjoy the Little Aldstes in the lovely city of Malmö!
The Streets of Malmö
Snowy Malmö, right out our apartment window
District lunch at Pizza Hut
Storatorget
Christmas at the Hanseen home
The Excitement!
A fun YSA activity in Helsingborg
Helsingborg
At the bottom of the castle thingy in Helsingborg
Aldste Winegar struck by a snowball atop castle thingy
A big pretty Church in Helsingborg
Football at Zone Leader Råd (council) on New Years Eve
Zone Leader Råd(council)
Zone p-day!
At TGI Fridays!!
Aldste Björk's "funeral". Mission over for him!
Adam with his new convert... happily ran into him at the Copenhagen Denmark Temple!
Aldste Winegar ... visiting the Kristus in Denmark
An INTENSE lazer course!
Bowling
The sign says-- "Swedens biggest Burger King opens here 8th of February."We ate there on the 8th of February!
Southernmost point in Sweden! A BEAUTIFUL day!
A Happy Aldste Webster!
A happy Aldste Winegar!
"He is a happy man for reaching this said southern most point in Sweden.Also, in doing so, he achieved a mission-long goal!" :D Way to go Aldste Webster!
A cool sign with major cities and their distance from said southernmost point in Sweden!
HOORAY FOR PICTURES!!!Feliz "Alla-hjärtans" Day!
Bom dia querida familia! OH wait... why portuguese you ask? I had an amazing experience this sunday! So yesterday was a baptism of an 8 year old girl in the ward. Daughter to a Swedish mother and Brazilian Father. The De Souza Family. The dad's parents were also able to make their way all the way to sweden! So I had the priviledge of talking to some true Brazilians which even included the "random language nannerisms" (Pra que voce ta falandando Swedish pra mim? Voce understand tudo que eu falo) OH man, it made me laugh, good times.
In other news this week was actually relatively difficult. We had a good week planned out but our really positive investigators just couldn't meet with us on our planned days, so lesson plans changed from baptismal commitment to recent convert lessons! On sunday we found out that Dorothy had been home-taught and the investigator who we wanted to teach ended up being there! So she was taught! Just not from who we expected! The lord will accomplish His work no matter what! We have been teaching a woman from Macedonia. They (her and her boyfriend) just showed up at church the other day which was a total miracle. Turns out she came to learn swedish, and also about the church and would like to worship with us. She isn't moving as quick as we would like but she has a certain light about her so we know she has come HERE for a reason! Speaking of coming for a reason, a while back we had got a referral from stockholm named Wei Yin Dee, the elders said that she likes jehovahs witnesses but was interested in the message. We also taught a member and asked her for a referral and said that she had a chinese friend who should come to church someday. We were kind of disappointed in the fact that our referral answered and said she would be out of town for the week because of chinese new year and that we should call her on Sunday, no answer. As we go to church we see the member with a chinese friend, we asked her her name and she said Wei Yin Dee! Turns out that she was the members referral and had also been contacted in Stockholm by missionaries there and referred to us from them! Luckily she was able to stay afterwards and witness the baptism! She loved it and we will be meeting her (already with a fellowshipper) on Tuesday! Exciting things! In other good news after sacrament, 2 swedish college students walked in after and said that they were talking about religion and walked by the building and just felt like they should come in... unfortunately it was right after the baptism happened but they were able to witness the confirmation and the members were SOO good in welcoming them, they just kept telling me that they had felt so welcome and asked so many questions. Afterwards, it turns out that there was two other students who came as well. None of them wanted to meet with the missionaries or give anyone their numbers, so we were suspecting that it was purely for information rather than salvation, but we hope that the experience was able to plant a seed for a later time in their life when they miss the feelings im sure they had here!
Im so grateful that this church is conducted in a way that the Spirit guides. We would not be able to accomplish this work without that Spirit present in our lives, teaching, and church services. But this IS the ONLY true and LIVING church on the face of this earth and I am grateful to be apart of it! As missionaries we see such a small part of the grand plan that our Father in Heaven has for ALL of his children. And I look forward to that day to look back and see how everything that happens in this life was all part of the Plan. It's not what If, but What IS!
Sharpening will be this thursday so that will be exciting! I also want to give a shout out to SWA and Jake Happy Birthday to both of you! And Ailin a while ago (my bad)! I look forward to seeing more baby pictures! Yay for baby boys!
Love,
Äldste Wad
In other news this week was actually relatively difficult. We had a good week planned out but our really positive investigators just couldn't meet with us on our planned days, so lesson plans changed from baptismal commitment to recent convert lessons! On sunday we found out that Dorothy had been home-taught and the investigator who we wanted to teach ended up being there! So she was taught! Just not from who we expected! The lord will accomplish His work no matter what! We have been teaching a woman from Macedonia. They (her and her boyfriend) just showed up at church the other day which was a total miracle. Turns out she came to learn swedish, and also about the church and would like to worship with us. She isn't moving as quick as we would like but she has a certain light about her so we know she has come HERE for a reason! Speaking of coming for a reason, a while back we had got a referral from stockholm named Wei Yin Dee, the elders said that she likes jehovahs witnesses but was interested in the message. We also taught a member and asked her for a referral and said that she had a chinese friend who should come to church someday. We were kind of disappointed in the fact that our referral answered and said she would be out of town for the week because of chinese new year and that we should call her on Sunday, no answer. As we go to church we see the member with a chinese friend, we asked her her name and she said Wei Yin Dee! Turns out that she was the members referral and had also been contacted in Stockholm by missionaries there and referred to us from them! Luckily she was able to stay afterwards and witness the baptism! She loved it and we will be meeting her (already with a fellowshipper) on Tuesday! Exciting things! In other good news after sacrament, 2 swedish college students walked in after and said that they were talking about religion and walked by the building and just felt like they should come in... unfortunately it was right after the baptism happened but they were able to witness the confirmation and the members were SOO good in welcoming them, they just kept telling me that they had felt so welcome and asked so many questions. Afterwards, it turns out that there was two other students who came as well. None of them wanted to meet with the missionaries or give anyone their numbers, so we were suspecting that it was purely for information rather than salvation, but we hope that the experience was able to plant a seed for a later time in their life when they miss the feelings im sure they had here!
Im so grateful that this church is conducted in a way that the Spirit guides. We would not be able to accomplish this work without that Spirit present in our lives, teaching, and church services. But this IS the ONLY true and LIVING church on the face of this earth and I am grateful to be apart of it! As missionaries we see such a small part of the grand plan that our Father in Heaven has for ALL of his children. And I look forward to that day to look back and see how everything that happens in this life was all part of the Plan. It's not what If, but What IS!
Sharpening will be this thursday so that will be exciting! I also want to give a shout out to SWA and Jake Happy Birthday to both of you! And Ailin a while ago (my bad)! I look forward to seeing more baby pictures! Yay for baby boys!
Love,
Äldste Wad
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Dig for Gold!
Sorry! I guess my big letter didn't work yesterday! Try #2!
Hello lovely fam!
This has been an amazing week! Just so mom knows I got my Valentines package before my birthday one. I think they will be waiting until Sharpening to get that to me! This past week has been amazing! The highlight of it all was teaching Dorothy and preparing her for confirmation! The first time we met with her she had a friend with her (shila) who also comes from Ghana! Turns out that Shila also brought a friend with her (Leila) from Kenya. I need to make a goal to teach all of Africa! Because I'm sure I'm getting close. haha But Shila came to church last week and absolutely loved it so she brought Leila along for us to teach her as well! So we were going to teach the Restoration to Dorothy. But instead we taught the Restoration to her two friends. Shila was super open for it. Leila, after the teach, said im 7th day adventist... but I really need to be open for the spirit and follow what God tells me! So she decided to read and pray about the book of Mormon. So we got a return appointment with them for a couple of days later. Shila had work and Leila couldn't come. But nevertheless, Dorothy brought her niece to the teach! So we taught her the Gospel so now she knows what our purpose is! And then she said something that made my day! " I am just like Joseph Smith, I have gone from church to church and I am just sick of leaving churches. I just want to join ONE and stick with it! And dorothy told me that the gospel is lived so much more than spoken in this church. So I would like to come and see for myself!" What a line from an investigator right? So pretty much, we have 3 baptisms planned for the end of this month! No set date, but they are all open for the spirit in their lives and thats all it takes! We are also teaching an investigator who has come back from a long vacation in England. his name is Michael. He has a low attention span but we watched the Restoration movie and he understood what it meant for him and he is willing to meet any day to find out if it's true!
We have also been teaching this man who left the church a while ago. And he told us that he wanted to talk to the bishop so that his friend (him) could be baptized! He is an amazing guy. It's taken a lot of prayers and visits but he will pull through eventually! Elder Winegar and I have been planning for our Zone Sharpening message and We are going to be practicing the Standards of Excellence. So we are going to practice Finding, teaching, inviting to sacrament and committing to baptism to give a visual on how POSSIBLE weekly baptisms are! Elder Winegar and I were talking and were thinking that the Ward probably wouldn't like weekly baptisms (as far as preparing for the service goes). But they would definitely be happy with 5 a month. Spaced out every other week. That seems attainable!
As you can see, miracles happen in this work! The Lord will carry out his work whether we do or not. But why not be apart of His work and Glory! This is the greatest work! I'm thankful to be here in Sweden at this time, to be with these people and to feel the spirit testify through me to those I meet. Such a great blessing. Just like all of you! Thanks for all your support and for the advice you give me!
Love you all!
Talk to ya later!
Äldste Webster
Monday, February 7, 2011
That's it??
No official letter today... don't know why. Dad got this message around 4:30 this morning... that is all! BOOO WAAA!!!
Hey whoosie, just so you know.. I Love you! Thanks for writing me, especially with your business! I would love to hear some of your mission stories! Either I have forgotten a bunch, or I have just never heard them from you!
Love ya papa!
Äldste Wad
Hey whoosie, just so you know.. I Love you! Thanks for writing me, especially with your business! I would love to hear some of your mission stories! Either I have forgotten a bunch, or I have just never heard them from you!
Love ya papa!
Äldste Wad
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