Week 14--- Saw a little more of Gerard than we wanted to.

Hej hej allihopa! (everybody in Swedish)

This week has been great! We've been super busy.

We didn't have anything crazy out of the ordinary happen, it was a week full of lessons and reaching out to less actives or referrals. But that's what we are here for! I'll give you all an update on the people we are teaching:

This week we picked up a new investigator who the other elders in the area taught. His name is Pelé, he's in his mid-50's and is the man. He's got a stylish haircut, plays guitar and talks about feeling the music, and he's also a gym rat ha ha. Super sick guy. He's also the son of a recent convert in the ward named Signild who we are close with. But we've been out to his place twice to teach him. He took the lessons with his mom and they were trying to race to baptism, but he got scared or something right before his baptism and dropped contact with her and the missionaries I believe. So we are just working with him to get him back there, and just be his friend and love him. 

One thing I've seen on my mission is that people can be surprisingly open with us just because we are missionaries. They talk to us about their problems, hopes, dreams, they confide in us and it's cool to be that person for a bunch of people. 

We are teaching a kid named Hashim who has now finished the Book of Mormon. He read the whole thing in Persian in two weeks, which is crazy fast. He knows everything is true. It's a tough situation here (and one we run into a lot), because many people from the middle east don't have Tillstånd (or citizenship) so there is a possibility then can be sent back. So if they come here, are taught and baptized into the Mormon church, then get sent back to Afghanistan or Syria there is a risk that they could be killed because of their conversion to Christianity. Not a problem I would've expected here in Sweden, but it's been cool to meet and teach immigrants and see their humility and faith.

We headed to an area to meet someone who bloasted (or cancelled/not shown up) us but we felt like we had to be there for a reason. A lot of apartments here have a key code to get in, so it makes it impossible to knock doors there. But we felt like walking around, so we did and a little boy opened a door for us so we went on in and started knocking doors. We ended up teaching a guy named Gerard who lives alone with his cat. He was in a bathrobe so we saw a little more of Gerard-skin than we would've liked ha ha but it was cool. We're headed back tonight to teach him.

This week I want to share a scripture that has really impressed me. Psalm 34:4 and 1 John 4:18. 1 John says ´There is no fear in love. but perfect love casteth out fear because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.´ and Psalms 34:4 talks about how Christ can deliver us from all our fears. If there has been one topic that has intrigued me the most on my mission, it has been love. God is love. Love is incredibly powerful, almost indescribable. God loves us so much, and wants us to show the same love to others. If we have any fears, they can be chased away by perfect love, which comes from God.

I'm thriving here in Västerås, the mission is treating me well! I love you all!

Äldste Gordon

 

Yes this is real...didn't find the Gnome.

Doesn't taste like a mushroom.

Doin' dishes right. Saving on dry cleaning.