Well contrary to what my title implies there was no actual whirlwind this week. I guess in retrospect I could have just deleted it, but it totally describes the way this week felt perfectly.
Saying goodbye is always hard and leaving Örnsköldsvik was no exception, but then what are memories for but keeping the past with us.
On Wednesday I took the train with Elder Pearson to Stockholm (about a 6 hour journey) and we met up with a bunch of the missionaries in Stockholm Central. I saw some people that I hadn't seen for over a year! It was a really great reunion. I also met my new companion Elder James, he's awesome! he loves reading and writing and si-fi so we have some pretty nerdy conversations about how it would be to live in space and things like that.
I think the highlight of our companionship for me so far though has been that he is willing to get up and go running every morning with me!!! Being on a mission not being able to leave your companion can make that prospect hard if your comp's not willing to go with you.
Also in explanation of the last part of my title Elder James is 6'6"! but he's a very quiet gentle giant for sure.
We are working in the area that I used to live in when I was working in Handen, so everything is really familiar even some of the faces in church! It's nice I was able to see both Stefano, and Nicholas. I talked to them and Stefano even remembered my name!
another tidbit of information, we live in a four-man so four missionaries in the same apartment, I love it!
anyway I hope that everything is going well for everyone back home, in Brazil, Argentina, and Sweden! or wherever you might be in the world.
Love,
Äldste Hans Draper Peterson
Monday, February 23, 2015
Monday, February 16, 2015
February 16th, 2015 | Journeying back to the land of Stockholm
Hey!
Well this week started out great, as we finally got our car back! I felt like I was living at home... it's strange how nice it is to have a car... however it didn't last long because I am getting transferred to Handen. I am excited, but also sad to leave the branch.
This week we had a Specialized Zone Training, which was fun and we got to see "Meet the Mormons". I really enjoyed it!
This week we had a surprise birthday party for Poominh who turned 12 and got the preisthood on Sunday, it was a really fun party, I made Dad's cookies and people from the branch brough lots of treats.
This is where we meet for sacrament meeting
Some awesome branch members! and me
Well this week started out great, as we finally got our car back! I felt like I was living at home... it's strange how nice it is to have a car... however it didn't last long because I am getting transferred to Handen. I am excited, but also sad to leave the branch.
This week we had a Specialized Zone Training, which was fun and we got to see "Meet the Mormons". I really enjoyed it!
This week we had a surprise birthday party for Poominh who turned 12 and got the preisthood on Sunday, it was a really fun party, I made Dad's cookies and people from the branch brough lots of treats.
This is where we meet for sacrament meeting
Some awesome branch members! and me
Monday, February 9, 2015
February 9th, 2015 | February!!!
Hey!
Well time sure flies when your having fun! I can't believe that it's already February. I think that the mission is funny like that, sometimes time drags on like it will never stop and sometimes it goes by like a whirlwind.
This week was good. For zone training this Wednesday we're memorizing two scriptures, so here they are,
"I say unto you, can you imagine to yourselves, that ye hear the voice of the Lord, saying unto you, in that day: Come unto me ye blessed, for behold your works have been the works of righteousness upon the face of the earth?" Alma 5:16
also,
"Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established." Proverbs 16:3
I have always loved Proverbs, and I really like the message that this one contains... It's really easy to memorize and I would encourage anyone reading this to try. (takes like 10 minutes).
It kind of reminds me of the saying "Fake it till you make it" in an offhand sort of way, but it is really true that "we are what we do". This is one reason why I feel that the people we choose to surround ourselves with have such a huge impact on the person we will one day become.
Examining the first scripture in Alma has also been invigorating, It gives a worthy goal to strive for. From memorizing it and repeating it over and over in my head I noticed the two words "for behold" in my mind this paints a picture of us standing before the Lord and looking back over our lives and all the works that we have done while enduring this mortal existence.
I hope that each and every one of you when reading this will consider that day and continue living righteously, It's so worth it and it gives peace, and happiness.
This week I played Pokemon with some of the youth in the branch, it was really fun and has been a great way to bond with them and develop greater friendships as well.
Funny story this week, Elder Pearson and I were walking along minding our own business (talking about the game Spyro actually) when all of a sudden we came to a part of icy sidewalk that was hidden by the snow from the blizzard that day... it was like that scene in star wars episode 5 (or 6) when they are on the planet Endor and Chewbacka chews on the bait to a trap and they all get caught in a net, only in our case it was snow covering the ice instead of leaves a trap. Anyway, we both went down at the same time hard, the hilarity of the situation made us both just burst out laughing, it hurt though haha and my neck is still sore, and Pearson hurt his knee. But anyway that's like only the fifth time I've gone down this winter haha. Don't judge me, dress shoes are slippery!
Anyway back to spiritual things, we got a new Investigator this week. He's Mongolian like Genghis Khan style and he barely speaks Swedish and no English whatsoever, so we're lucky to have a Lady in our ward that does, she was the one who found him.
Even with the launguage barrier teaching him was fine, we were able to find out that he had actually had missionaries over to his home in Mongolia when he was young and his mom even became a member. He said that he hadn't because of drinking and smoking. We're hopeful for him.
Other than that everything is going well, loving Sweden still (although I am of course excited for being home only 94 days!) and learning soooo much every day.
Love you all!
Elder Peterson
Me and Sovann battling it out in a deadly duel of wits, testing the very depths of our inner resolve to win.
the bus was a few minutes late so we did some pirouettes on the local ice rink
Snow... I had a video of me getting through this but this will have to suffice for now because the length of things I sent from myldsmain is too short. anyway the point is SNOW IS DEEP
just another day in the life of a Swedish missionary
English class
Chilling at home with my guitar
oh here is the guitar from a week or so ago
here is a walk we do about every day to the church... to the right in a few hundred feet there is a huge Swedish church with a big clock tower which is cool to look at when we walk by.
Well time sure flies when your having fun! I can't believe that it's already February. I think that the mission is funny like that, sometimes time drags on like it will never stop and sometimes it goes by like a whirlwind.
This week was good. For zone training this Wednesday we're memorizing two scriptures, so here they are,
"I say unto you, can you imagine to yourselves, that ye hear the voice of the Lord, saying unto you, in that day: Come unto me ye blessed, for behold your works have been the works of righteousness upon the face of the earth?" Alma 5:16
also,
"Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established." Proverbs 16:3
I have always loved Proverbs, and I really like the message that this one contains... It's really easy to memorize and I would encourage anyone reading this to try. (takes like 10 minutes).
It kind of reminds me of the saying "Fake it till you make it" in an offhand sort of way, but it is really true that "we are what we do". This is one reason why I feel that the people we choose to surround ourselves with have such a huge impact on the person we will one day become.
Examining the first scripture in Alma has also been invigorating, It gives a worthy goal to strive for. From memorizing it and repeating it over and over in my head I noticed the two words "for behold" in my mind this paints a picture of us standing before the Lord and looking back over our lives and all the works that we have done while enduring this mortal existence.
I hope that each and every one of you when reading this will consider that day and continue living righteously, It's so worth it and it gives peace, and happiness.
This week I played Pokemon with some of the youth in the branch, it was really fun and has been a great way to bond with them and develop greater friendships as well.
Funny story this week, Elder Pearson and I were walking along minding our own business (talking about the game Spyro actually) when all of a sudden we came to a part of icy sidewalk that was hidden by the snow from the blizzard that day... it was like that scene in star wars episode 5 (or 6) when they are on the planet Endor and Chewbacka chews on the bait to a trap and they all get caught in a net, only in our case it was snow covering the ice instead of leaves a trap. Anyway, we both went down at the same time hard, the hilarity of the situation made us both just burst out laughing, it hurt though haha and my neck is still sore, and Pearson hurt his knee. But anyway that's like only the fifth time I've gone down this winter haha. Don't judge me, dress shoes are slippery!
Anyway back to spiritual things, we got a new Investigator this week. He's Mongolian like Genghis Khan style and he barely speaks Swedish and no English whatsoever, so we're lucky to have a Lady in our ward that does, she was the one who found him.
Even with the launguage barrier teaching him was fine, we were able to find out that he had actually had missionaries over to his home in Mongolia when he was young and his mom even became a member. He said that he hadn't because of drinking and smoking. We're hopeful for him.
Other than that everything is going well, loving Sweden still (although I am of course excited for being home only 94 days!) and learning soooo much every day.
Love you all!
Elder Peterson
Me and Sovann battling it out in a deadly duel of wits, testing the very depths of our inner resolve to win.
the bus was a few minutes late so we did some pirouettes on the local ice rink
Snow... I had a video of me getting through this but this will have to suffice for now because the length of things I sent from myldsmain is too short. anyway the point is SNOW IS DEEP
just another day in the life of a Swedish missionary
English class
Chilling at home with my guitar
oh here is the guitar from a week or so ago
here is a walk we do about every day to the church... to the right in a few hundred feet there is a huge Swedish church with a big clock tower which is cool to look at when we walk by.
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
February 2nd, 2015
Well this week was great! It started off with splits on Tuesday with Elder Floyd from my group, it was fun to catch up on old times and it was also just really fun. While we were on splits we went into a secondhand store and I found an electric guitar for about 30 bucks with an action like butter, and a whammy bar! (it looks just like Veronica, Colan) so of course I bought it... its nice to have a quiet guitar in the apartment and I can take it apart and put it in my suitcase.
We also were able to visit with the kids from the Mong Family, they were really tight with Floyd when he was here, it was really fun to see how much of a difference missionaries can make it they try.
Before visiting with the Mongs we were able to teach a really great lesson to Tim on the Gospel of Jesus Christ, now we just have to explain authority better. Anyway that was Tuesday.
The rest of the week was pretty generic so I will spare you the details, but overall it was really good. I think one of the hardest things about the winter is the darkness but the next thing is probably the difficulty of being able to find creative workouts. We do have weights in our apartment that I have been using every day, and it's great, but I really miss being able to run every day.
There has to be like 5 feet of snow on the ground right now (ok so i'm exaggerating) but the weather goes through spouts of warmth which melts the snow and then freezes which makes it super hard to walk. So really I am quite grateful for the snow because it's easy to find traction. My companion Elder Pearson is from Saint George and so he is like a kid in a candy store when it comes to the snow (granted I probably would be too if it was my third time seeing snow in my life).
Anyway things are just great here, I am loving Sweden and I know that I am going to miss it. I am obviously excited to come home though and it is speeding toward me like a... well an airplane haha.
Love,
Elder Peterson
We also were able to visit with the kids from the Mong Family, they were really tight with Floyd when he was here, it was really fun to see how much of a difference missionaries can make it they try.
Before visiting with the Mongs we were able to teach a really great lesson to Tim on the Gospel of Jesus Christ, now we just have to explain authority better. Anyway that was Tuesday.
The rest of the week was pretty generic so I will spare you the details, but overall it was really good. I think one of the hardest things about the winter is the darkness but the next thing is probably the difficulty of being able to find creative workouts. We do have weights in our apartment that I have been using every day, and it's great, but I really miss being able to run every day.
There has to be like 5 feet of snow on the ground right now (ok so i'm exaggerating) but the weather goes through spouts of warmth which melts the snow and then freezes which makes it super hard to walk. So really I am quite grateful for the snow because it's easy to find traction. My companion Elder Pearson is from Saint George and so he is like a kid in a candy store when it comes to the snow (granted I probably would be too if it was my third time seeing snow in my life).
Anyway things are just great here, I am loving Sweden and I know that I am going to miss it. I am obviously excited to come home though and it is speeding toward me like a... well an airplane haha.
Love,
Elder Peterson
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