We had a lot of opportunities to teach and share our testimonies and we were able to see Azi be baptized!! She has had a fantastic experience investigating the church and a lot of her questions were able to be answered in the gospel and the things that she ahs been worried about for most of her life about religion and about other churches have been worked out as she has been reading in the Book of Mormon. She told us that whenever she felt like she should back out or was confused or didnt know what to believe she would always read a little in the Book of Mormon and pray about it and that is why she was baptized because she knew that is what God wanted her to do and that is what she felt was right. I had the priveledge to baptize her and the service went so well. The confirmation on Sunday was on her birthday and she said it was the best birthday that she could ask for. After church a few families got together and invited her, another Persian member Elaheh and one of our investigators who came to church to come and celebrate with them at their house so we were able to have some dinner and celebrate a little for that special occasion. Such an amazing experience.
This week we also have had the opportunity to use the initiative that the church has come out with "a Savior is Born" which is such a good video to share on Facebook or wherever to spread a little curiosity about the Savior and knowing more about him. So we have been using that video as a mission and Elder Albertsen and I have seen a lot of success with it this week. We met this man named Juha when we knocked on the neighbor of an investigator. He opened the door and we showed him the video and started talking about the book of Mormon as another testament of Christ and how he could come closer to God. He wanted to know more and we came the two days later and taught him the restoration and he said that it would mean everything to him if it was true... such a cool experience and its always great to find new people to teach. :)
We have been trying to work with the ward as much as possible in the last little while and we had ward council this week to discuss the work and the people that needed focus both less actives and investigators that we are teaching. This ward is so willing to work with thte missionaries but it has taken a little time for them to be able to trust the missionaries ( it always goes up and down) but the work can only go forward if the ward and the missionaries are both on board. We are going to get a persian sunday school class so that we can retain the persian speakers that we already have and hopefully see many more coming into the church here in Utby. I am super excited to see where the worl goes and how the members start to catch the fire or missionary work because it really is the best thing ever to share your testimony with people that are searching and need to hear these things and it comes from the ward and the missionaries putting everything they can into the work it means coming outside of your comfort zone and doing more than you think that you can but when you do it means everything.
We have been running around teaching people this week and taking care of the baptism and making sure that everything would work. We also had transfer calls this week and to my great besvikelse I will be leaving Utby and going to serve in Södertälje as a zone leader with elder Featherstone who came to sweden in the same group with me so that will be really exciting! But it was hard to leave these members and all of the people that we have been teaching but if that is whats needed I will go :)
I hope you have the best week this week I want to add my testimony to Joseph Smiths and Sidney Rigdons in the doctrine and covenants section 76 vers 22 that Jesus Christ lives and guides this church and can be the center of our lives if we let him and search after it. I love this work and I am excited to work in Södertälje 18 months have flown by and the last 6 will go by super fast so I am looking forward to taking advantage of that time and serving to the best of my ability.
love you all!
Äldste Israelsen
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