Week 25-Snow, Burgers and Innebandy--

Tjena!!

This week flew by, we've stayed busy the whole week!

A couple highlights:

It snowed for a while at the beginning of the week so we got maybe 2 or 3 inches. Not a ton, but it's super pretty when it snows here! The city has decorated Stan (downtown) with Christmas lights and decorations overhead. It's feeling like Christmas! 

We were allowed 2 hours for dinner on Thanksgiving rather than the usual one, sooo we decided to take our Thanksgiving feast to probably the most classic Swedish place: IKEA ha ha. We went with the sister missionaries to Ikea and got some good ol' Swedish meatballs and potatoes and just relaxed there for the 2 hrs. Solid night. When I'm in Ikea here it feels like I'm back in America, not actually Sweden because Ikea seems like an American thing ha ha, not sure if that makes sense but everyone here loves Ikea. It's kind of like a Walmart equivalent... ehh kind of. 

On Saturday we visited our investigator P. He told us he'd make us dinner so when we got there he had us grill up some burgers and he had pommes (French fries) goin in the oven. He loves American stuff (like all swedes) so he tries to make things American when we are there. What better way than a classic American burger with eggs, homemade fry-sauce (made by Chef Äldste Young), and fries. Super good dinner, but 3 burgers with fries and Swedish pastries was too much!

Saturday morning, we played Innebandy which is like floorball (basically floor hockey but with a ball). We had a few of the members come and some investigators too. I wish we had Innebandy in America, it's always a good workout and tons of fun. The Swedes are insane at Innebandy too, mad ball-handling skills!

We had a good week for the work. Found some positive people, taught some first lessons to people and are building up our teaching pool. 

My spiritual thought this week comes from Helaman 14:30, Book of Mormon. The part I liked says: 

“Ye are free; ye are permitted to act for yourselves; for behold, God hath given unto you a knowledge and he hath made you free.”

We meet tons of people here that don't believe in God because there is so much evil in the world. I always go back to the idea of Agency, or freedom to choose, because that is the most important gift God has given us. We are here on earth to choose, that can be good or bad, but there is evil in the world because that's a choice some people made. That shows me that God loves us and trusts us. We just gotta use that gift right and choose the best! 

I hope everything's goin well back home, I love you all!

Äldste Gordon

Awesome night with David and Ida Holmdahl

Selfie with companion, who's much taller than I.

Yep, this is the place!

Thanksgiving Dinner!

Burgers, fries and Pelle!

Before our "Arabic Fade" haircut
Explanation of the Arabic Fade: Most of the barbers are Aarabic here in Vasteras. It was only $15 haircut, so we thought we’d give it a try. I usually cut my hair and my comps hair with some clippers and scissors I purchased.

After the haircut, barber grooming

After we washed and combed. Still a little short.

Aldste Young goofing the elf stance