Week 55; November 22, 2014 – Six Areas in 12 Months

Hey guys!

So, our P-day was changed to Saturday this week. We had a large group of missionaries going home, so we are having transfers a few days earlier and we’ll be taking today off instead. 

The Narrowest Street in Stockholm

Believe it or not, we're both getting transferred. This will be my shortest transfer yet, we’re only switching bedrooms in the same apartment. President Beckstrand has decided to close one of the two Vendelsö areas and we will be replacing our two roommates who were working in Hägersten, just outside Stockholm. 

Elders Stoeltzing and Ogaard

This is probably the strangest transfer yet. I'm super sad to see Elders Kapp and Sandquist go, but this has been a really fun six weeks. Although we won't get to keep working in Vendelsö, I feel good about the opportunities we are leaving for Elder Williams and his new Greeny. 

Getting All Decked-out for the Holidays!

Hägersten will be an awesome area and there's a ton of work to do there. I can't wait to get out and work hard next week and hopefully settle down in one area for a while.
  

I wish I had more to report this week. Unfortunately, I got pretty sick with an ear and sinus infection, so I've been down much of the week. Hopefully, I’ll be ready to go by Monday. Until then, I'm going to get a little more rest and, by next week, I'll be telling you guys all about area number six! 

Love always,

Äldste Stoeltzing 

Week 54; November 17, 2014 – I Have Kept the Faith!

Hey Guys!

It hasn't been the busiest week, but we've been blessed and the work is moving forward!

We taught a less-active member named Jamie on Tuesday who still has a powerful testimony of the restored gospel. It was our first lesson with him, so we learned about how he joined the church and we shared our testimonies of Christ with him. He's fairly busy with work, but he wants us to come back and he will come to church as soon as he can.

Later that night I went on splits with our Ward Mission Leader, Brother Brändh. We taught another less-active member, Jamaal. Brother Brändh led the lesson by telling a story. He's super good at origami, so he folded-up a piece of paper as he told the story and he made one tear in it. The pieces spelled-out the letters “Love,” with a cross, and he explained that the atonement of Christ is because he loves us. I really hope I remember how to do that lesson because it was a super cool way to teach that principle and keep your attention.

Later, we found our second new investigator named Lisbeth. She was a lady that Elder Nielsen and I found on splits about two weeks ago. She was really receptive at the door and said she'd read a little out of the Book of Mormon. We didn't have much time, but we reviewed the principals from the first lesson and answered some of her questions. We hope to meet her again next week to teach the Plan of Salvation.

Last weekend we had Stake Conference. It was great to see members from my last three areas. The conference was wonderful. Nabeil from Norrköping was one of the speakers and he told an amazing story about how his family came over from Syria and how he found and accepted the Church in Sweden. All of the speakers were great, but what I'll remember the most is the news from the members in Linköping that Carl-Arne had passed away. I don't know if you guys remember me writing about Carl-Arne, but he was a man in his mid-90's that Elder Farnworth and I used to teach. Of all the people I've met on my mission I don't think anyone has had the impact on me that Carl-Arne has had.

When Elder Farnworh and I met with him Carl-Arne was fighting cancer and dealing with the trails of old age. He was sick enough that no one would have blamed him if he stopped coming to church, or even if he left his apartment for that matter. Despite his health challenges, Carl-Arne felt it was his priesthood duty to pass the Sacrament in his small branch in Linköping every week. Carl-Arne was almost blind and hard of hearing, but even still, after the Sacrament was blessed, he would drop his cane, pick up a tray, and pass the Sacrament to each member.

Carl-Arne showed me that even the most basic responsibilities of the priesthood have a significant meaning to someone who has given a life of service to the church. He still considered passing the sacrament to be the most valuable thing he did every week. He was the best example of enduring to the end that I've ever met. And I hope that no matter what I do to serve in Church, whether it be leading an Elders Quorum, or greeting people at the chapel door every Sunday, I hope to do it with the same devotion and love that Carl-Arne showed in his last act of service.

This verse is for Carl-Arne; 2 Timothy 4:7, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.”

-Äldste Stoeltzing  

Week 53; November 10, 2014 – Half-way done?  I’ve only Just Begun!

Happy November everyone! 

I can't believe I've been away for a year already… It doesn't feel real! This has been the fastest year of my life and I've loved every minute of it. It feels really weird to be in the middle of my mission. I've learned a lot out here, but I don’t feel like I'm nearly where I'd like to be as a missionary. So, I’m really grateful for one more year. I'll probably get things figured out right about the time I'm ready to hop on a plane and head home next year. 

Celebrating One Year as a Missionary... Shirt Burning to Follow!

So, it snowed this week too! That made for a cold, cold day of tracting. The weather was pretty unexpected, but it warmed-up quickly, so the rest of the week wasn't too bad.  Regardless, the cold, dark winter is coming soon. Glad we have mittens!  

A gift of mittens at Zone Conference - Warm hands and warm hearts!

We finally had a sit-down investigator lesson with someone who was really interested in our message this week. His name is Mono and he came prepared with a lot of good questions. We will hopefully teach him at the church this week, so expect to hear more about him soon! 

Translation: "Beware of Dwarf Hamster"

 We spent a lot of time trying to find a ton of new people this week and we had some good successes. We feel like we’re finally developing a good potential investigator pool. So, hopefully the area will be moving forward, full steam ahead, very soon. 

Other than that, not a lot has happened in the past week, but I'm ready to start my final year as a missionary… I can't wait to go one more round. Thanks for a year of reading my blog. This has truly been the best experience of my life and I'm so glad I get to share my adventures with you guys!               

Jag Älskar Er! (I Love You!)

Week 52; November 3, 2014 – A Halloween to Remember! 

Hey everyone!  

It's been a tough week, but it’s been a good week. We worked very hard and made this a finding-centered week. We are both pretty tired, but it felt good to work so hard. Even though we didn't see a lot of success, we did make some progress.  

On the road in Norrby

 We've been trying to work with members to bring them a message about the power of friendship to encouraging them to develop at least one new friendship in the month of November. It can be scary for members to be put on the spot, and asked for a name of someone to teach. So instead, we're trying to show members that by just being themselves, they can bless the lives of others if they open up and are willing to make a new friend. If all goes well, we can move forward and help them to share the gospel. This message seems to be going well. We also used the Ward Halloween party as a way to help members strengthen their friendships and invite someone to the party.

 

The beautiful Norrby countryside

We had our Zone Conference on Wednesday and the Beckstrand’s did a great job. Their message was about mission unity. Basically, if we could all be united in purpose, effort, and obedience, we'd see miracles in Sweden. Sister Beckstrand taught a lesson about being a light in the darkness (because the sun goes down at 4 pm now), and she explained how we need to be warm to do that… So, she gave us all a new pair of mittens that some awesome sisters from the Relief Society made for us. We also had the best lunch I've had at a Zone Conference in a long time, so thank you to the senior couples for your wonderful cooking!   

 

    

That night I went on splits with Elder Farnworth's ‘greeny,’ Elder Nielsen. We had the best night of work I've seen in Vendelsö. It was a miracle! Literally the first door we knocked was interested in our message and listed to the whole first lesson. She took a Book of Mormon and invited us back in about two weeks. Later that night we met a girl from Mongolia that talked to us for 20 minutes in English and said she'd also be interested. She took my other Book of Mormon and we got her email address. I was so thankful that Elder Nielsen got to experience a great night of missionary work and that I got to be part of an awesome evening.     

Crossing a bridge in Hägersten

Thursday was a tough, tough day. It started out well when the first lady we talked to was interested in a meeting and gave us her phone number. But, the rest of the day was a shut-out and we had a lot of doors closed on us. It was a good day for patience building, but I am thankful for the one person we did find. And, if we can teach her, the whole day would have been worth it! 

Hägersten

Halloween was interesting… First we helped Nikolas with an English lesson and then we went out to start tracting. We made it through 5 or 6 large buildings and we started walking to a different area when we found the coolest looking playground ever. I asked Elder Ogaard to take a picture of me, but when I hopped down, I put my hand out to catch myself, and when I got up my hand kind of hurt. I looked down and saw a big piece of broken glass where I landed. Then I looked at my hand and realized I had cut it pretty badly. Fortunately, there was a small clinic nearby and we got in right before they closed. I'm sure I looked like I had the best Halloween costume in town because no one looked the least bit concerned despite seeing a lot of blood. The cut was deep enough that I had to get stitches for the first time in my life, so that was cool! After getting five stiches, I was finally put back together… We decided we'd call it a night. But, it was certainly a Halloween to remember.

  

Hi Five... Stitches, that is!

Saturday was awesome! Elder Steen had been helping to put together a ‘Trunk or Treat’ Halloween party for the Stake, and it went really great! We've only been planning it for about two weeks, so we had no idea what to expect, but the turn-out was really good! We had over 100 people come and all of the parents thought it was an amazing night. Yesterday, the ward told us they hope this becomes a yearly tradition and they thanked us for our help putting it together. Also, we found out that a good handful of kids in our Ward invited their friends to the activity, so we'll be following-up this week! 

Salamon Came to Church on Sunday!

Afterward, the whole zone took a walk around the Västerhaninge graveyard to look at the lights. Halloween is a little different in Sweden. They actually put more of a focus on remembering their dead than focusing on candy, so the graveyard was filled with people lighting candles to honor the dead. The whole place was lit-up with candles… It was really beautiful!  

A Halloween tradition of honoring the dead with light

Well, that was the end of an interesting, but good week. The work here is tough, but it is moving forward. Thanks for keeping me in your prayers. That really, really does help. 

I love all you guys. Have a great week! 

Äldste Stoeltzing   

Week 50: October 20, 2014 – Old Friends, New Adventures!

Before I get started, I just want to wish my little brother Josh, a happy 17th birthday! You’re the best brother I could ever ask for, and you make me so proud to be your big brother! I miss you a ton and I can't wait to see you in a little over a year from now! Thanks for inspiring me to be better every day! I love you bro! 

Josh's Birthday 2013

There has been a lot of change these past two weeks. We found out that sisters were coming back to Västerhaninge, and Elder Pearson and I would both be packing our bags. So, I feel sad to leave an area so soon, but I think the sisters will be really good for the area. I've actually been sent just up the road so it's not a real ‘good bye,’ I guess. It's been a good six weeks and I think this will be a nice change.

However, before we left we got to watch an incredible musical program called ‘Han Lever’ (He Lives). Elder Sahlin put a lot of it together with the help of the local YSA's (Young Single Adults) and we've been trying to help promote it through our contacting. It was an awesome performance. We had no idea how many people would come, but there were easily over 300. The YSA's shared great testimonies of the Savior and the music was incredible. It was amazing to see the community come together in support of the event and I think the program really showed the YSA's they could do amazing things together and it was a big blessing for me to be a part of.  
   

On Monday we went to the YSA Center in Stockholm and just played some games with other missionaries for P-Day. We said good bye to Elders Moe and Knecht, and Sister Miller also. They were all super good friends and great missionaries. I'm so thankful I got to serve around them and get to know them. If you guys read this, thanks for everything you did to make my mission special… I'll see you guys at BYU!
  

Our last lesson in Västerhaninge was with Andres. We taught his kids this time and we used an object lesson to explain the Holy Ghost to them. The kids really liked the lesson, but the best part was when Andres testified to his daughters that the Holy Ghost was real and how it can be a huge blessing in their lives. The girls really liked the lesson and they seem really excited when we come over to teach them. It was hard to say good bye, but I think we've done our part with Andres for now. The sisters will be a big help to him as they continue to teach his girls.

Vendelso

Wednesday was transfer day and I met-up with Elder Ogaard and the other missionaries moving into our four-man apartment in Vendelso. Elder Ogaard will be a fun comp. He's almost done with his mission, but he has a lot of energy still and he wants to make our time here count before he leaves, so I'm super thankful to have him as a companion. Likewise, Elders Kapp and Sandquist are working in Hägersten and they are super cool. This apartment is great and I couldn't ask for better people to live with. Elder Williams and Steen are the other two Elders in the area. It's awesome to work with Steen again and Elder Williams is a super hard worker that will bring a lot of enthusiasm to the area. We actually have four missionaries in the area which is pretty unusual, but I think it will give us a good fresh start. Oh, Elder Farnworth was sent to Hägersten, so he'll be in the district as well! The old Linköping team is back together, so I couldn't be more excited for this new district!  

The ward here is great! They are so ready for member missionary work and they gave us a warm welcome. It's a smaller ward and I think it will be a lot easier to get my mind wrapped around its’ needs than I was able to do in Västerhninge. We plan on working with members a lot and I think that together we will do great work.  

So far, the start in this area has been really good. We went on a contacting blitz and split-up with other Elders in the district. Elder Kapp and I found six new potential investigators and we taught a lesson on the street about the Plan of Salvation. It felt great! 

That night we found a restaurant that was basically the Swedish equivalent to Panda Express! I felt like I had died and gone to heaven. I haven't had good Chinese food in forever, so it was one of the best meals I've had on my mission! Okay, maybe it wasn't that good, but I've really, really, missed Chinese food.

We went tracting later in the week where we found four more potential investigators! One of them invited us over on Sunday and we taught them the full Restoration lesson. It went really well and we hope to see them again this next week!  

It must be a sign!

Well, I think this area will be a great change. It's weird to think this is my fifth area, but I'm really excited for the time I'll have to serve here.  

Thanks for reading… Love you guys! 

Äldste Stoeltzing  

Week 49; October 13, 2014 – On the Road Again!

Hi Everyone,

This will be a short update… I found out I’m being transferred out of Västerhaninge so they can put sisters back here. It seems like this is the first time in forever that sisters haven’t served in this area. I’m going up the road to a place called Vendelsö, about 20 minutes North toward Stockholm. We’ll be in a four-man apartment with two other missionaries who are both really cool.

Our current apartment smaller than my room back home, and I can say that claustrophobia is a real thing!  It’s been really hard to function in a space that small. The bathroom is half the size of our small walk-in closet back home and the kitchen was even smaller. So, it will be good to have a little more room to stretch out, but I’m happy for the change.

 

Elder Pearson is also excited to be heading even farther North! He’s been here for a long time, but we've both had a great experience serving together. Sorry for the short note... We have a lot to do. I’ll write more later.

Have a great week!

Äldste Stoeltzing

Week 48; October 6, 2014 - Flowers and Testimonies Bloom

Hey, I hope everyone had a great week! This has been a really good week for us. We had another awesome floor hockey game for P-day!  

Ship Wrecked in a Playground!

Tuesday was really cool too. The temple needed new flowers planted, so we brought the whole zone out to plant over 7000 flowers at the temple. We we're all super tired by the end of the day, but the temple looked amazing. 

Missionaries Planted 7,000 Flowers to Beautify the Temple

Ansel Adams would have been proud to photograph
Elder Pearson's hands after a day of planting

That night we went to see Andreas and that went really well. He's making a lot of progress and he’s remembering how much his testimony means to him. He was praying for answers last week and he felt that God was still there for him and would help him work out his questions if he was patient. He accepted that he needs to work to find those answers, but he knows that God will help him. He invited us to come and teach his three daughters tomorrow and wants them to have more of the the Gospel influencing their lives. We're really excited to go back and teach the family and we are looking forward to working with them more.  

Working in the beautiful town of Nynäsham

We we're also trying to track down investigators from the sister's old area this week. The first guy we contacted looked at us through the peep hole in his door and just chuckled a little bit. So, we tracted around the building a little more without much luck. When we got outside I decided to contact an older man using a walker. He smiled and said he was actually a member of the church. He hadn't had any contact with the church or the missionaries for quite a while, but he gladly invited us in. It was really cool to see a message reminding him, “Don't forget to read the scriptures,” written on a sticky note on his door. He then showed us that he kept a copy of The Book of Mormon in his walker bag and he takes it with him everywhere he goes. We shared a gospel message with him and he expressed how thankful he was that God had helped us cross paths that day. I am really thankful we were directed to a random part of town to a random name on a list, after we thought nothing would come of it, we were able to visit someone that really needed to see us.  

The week ended great. We got to watch General Conference for much of the weekend. It was wonderful to be uplifted by messages from a latter-day Prophet and Apostles (See link below). 

Oh, by the way, I want to wish my Dad a happy 50th birthday!  Thank you for being the best Dad ever! 

Have a great week everyone… I Love you guys! 

Äldste Stoeltzing 

Editors Note:

Read or listen to the messages from the October 2014 LDS General Conference on the following link: https://www.lds.org/general-conference/sessions/2014/10?cid=HPSU100514465&lang=eng