Vecka 55, New Companion Got Off the Plane and We Went Teaching!

I Hope They Call Me on a Mission!

HEJ!!

This week has been one giant adventure with a lot of success and a promising next transfer. I got a new companion on Wednesday, Äldste Kapp he is from the missionary factory down there in Utah and came up from Stockholm. We get along super well and he came ready to go he has been out on his mission now for about a year and a half so its interesting to have another older companion but we are having a really good time together. This week we have had so many experiences with investigators and less actives so on Wednesday, when Äldste Kapp got off the plane we basically went back to the appartment and just went to go teaching. We have an investigator named Ranja who is super cool and we were finally able to meet with her. She has been meeting with the missionaries for a long time and has come to church and reads the Book of Mormon every day but has not taken that step to be baptized into the church. But we had a great lesson with her and will hopefully be able to help her in the future and see that change and take that step soon. We also had a lesson with Emma and Josef. They are another couple that have been pretty busy the last while and we finally got ahold of them. He is a member of the church but hasn't come since he was pretty young and his Sambo is not a member of the church. We had an amazing lesson with them as well and are excited to see their progression in the gospel and we feel like there is just so much that we can do to help them!!

We Have an investigator named Julianna who is from Uganda and is pretty much the greatest (the lady that we chased down in the parking lot last week ;)). We had an amazing lesson with her this week and she was even able to come to church this week!! She has the cutest daughter on the face of the planet and we were able to get a ride with a carseat from some amazing members and everyone just took care of her from the moment that she came into the chapel. It is amazing to see these members really live the gospel and see the example that I believe Christ really wanted us to live. Its amazing. Stay tuned for the next episode and what happens with her because we can see some amazing things happening there. There is also a less active that comes and teaches with us to her house. Its amazing to see his testimony come out and he has been an incredible help to her and has come the last two weeks to church as well!! It is fantastic to see how just sharing our testimonies helps us to grow and love other people as well as realize the way that God wants us to live.

There are two other investigators Peter and Beatrice and it literally feels like we are talking with a Stake President and Relief society President but they have not taken the step to be baptized into the church but they know it is true. The Lord really has searched them out and it is so cool to see people from the eyes of what they can do to help other people and I think that as we see people from that perspective we will be able to help them in the way that they actually need to progress in the way that God wants them to  and to affect the people that need to be influenced by them. I am learning more than eny other time in my life that God works in His own time for people but he always knows what they need to move forward which is why we need to try an have the spirit with us as much as possible so that we can actually help these people move forward in the way and time that God wants them to.

We have a vision as zone leaders to help the Zone in Norrland become more consecrated. To make every effort we can to make the work go forward in these places. We have both found that it doesn't really matter where we have been in the mission but that when we have worked hard there come the people that want to be taught. We are going to become more consecrated as a companionship and try to bring that to our Zone. This work is Gods work and can change the lives of the people around us as long as we let ourselves be the catalyst for the Spirit and for God to work inside of other people. I am super happy to be here in Umeå and we are seeing everything move forward in a big way here!! I am excited to see it go forward with Äldste Kapp here in Umeå and in Norrland! Have a fantastic week and know that I know that the church is true :)

Have an amazing week!!!

Äldste Israelsen