Week 36, I'm Moving to Jakobsberg, 6 Investigators to Church and The Dead Man's Watch

Maddens and Mozes and Judith

Nya begynnelser,

This week has been crazy but I will let you all know the first thing..... I will be moving..... I am going to be the district leader in Jakobsberg which is right in stockholm... not quite centrum but right in the mix of things. It will be crazy because apparently the President and the assistants are in my district so those meetings will be a good time. Also, Elder Held my Father/trainer will be the zone leader in my area so I will be working really closely with him as well which is pretty cool I am looking forward to that opportunity. My companion just got finished training so I will be the "greeny breaker" but technically he will be mine as well so this next transfer is just going to be interesting and a little weird not going to lie.

Kerstin Och Jag

It has been really hard actually saying goodbye to the island which is I think why they tell you on Friday or Saturday and don't give you any time because that is too much time to be saying goodbye to people. The area is going really well and I have nothing but confidence in my companion to keep it going. We still have one baptismal date this week but we did have 6 investigators in church which is definitely the biggest number I have seen out here so that was a really neat experience! That is one of the hardest things about a mission is that you begin to care a ton for these people and develop these relationships and then you have to move to a new area but it will be good for me.

So a funny story for this week also. Elder Jones was in a lesson with an investigator that speaks crazy gotlandska... it is sometimes very hard to understand her but she is one of the most amazing people you will ever meet. Anyway, he made a comment earlier that he was looking for a watch and asked for a good place to find them. The conversation that then ensued with her went something like this.

"was it you that was looking for a watch?"
Elder Jones: "ya"
"well I guess I have a couple from my dead husband do you want one of them?"
Elder Jones: (not knowing he was agreeing to anything) "ya"

and so the story of how elder Jones got a new dead mans watch is told haha... it was great.

Ragna from the branch

We also taught kids english which was awesome we actually sang Justin Bieber at the end which would have been embarrassing but they were so into it so it worked well with me :) (song chosen by them). Other than that this week has been a blur we have been meeting with investigators and now we are saying goodbye to people and making sure that the transition goes smoothly and hoping that this week won't quite kill us haha.

I know that this work is true and that it is led by god. We are able to see the success and the light that the gospel brings into peoples lives and sometimes we take that for granted as members of the church. My hope is that we don't. That we look for the light that is in our lives and realize how much we have and how much of that comes from God. I love this gospel and I love being able to tell people about it all of the time!! Love you all!! thank you for the support!!!

Med Kärlek,
Äldste Israelsen

Karin

Dear Brother & Sister Israelsen,

We are writing to express our appreciation for your son, Äldste Jacob Israelsen. Äldste Israelsen has been assigned to serve as a District Leader  in the Jakobsberg II area of the Sweden Stockholm Mission. He is wonderful and well prepared missionary, and this added leadership responsibility will be a blessing to him and to the mission.

He is an exemplary missionary, demonstrating the work and faith which have earned the respect and trust of the Mission. District Leader is a position of sacred stewardship in the Sweden Stockholm Mission as it can have a tremendous impact on the culture of the mission and the missionaries themselves.

May the Lord bless you and yours.

With respect and kind regards,
James E. Beckstrand, President
SWEDEN STOCKHOLM MISSION