Week 48---This boy's leaving Skelleftea and heading to the big city!

Hej på er!

This has been an exciting week and another exciting week is on the way. Your boy is leaving Skellefteå on Wednesday! I'll get to that in a sec.

This week we had an interesting experience. We talked to a couple that was outside their house about a week and a half ago and they seemed interested in the Book of Mormon and they had invited us to their church for a choir night... like we come and sing in their choir. I'm always down to sing in a choir, and we felt it'd be good for this situation of teaching the couple, so we showed up Tuesday night and sung with the choir of about 15 people. We fika'd with them (juice+cookies) and headed back in to send up "songs of prayer". We weren't sure what was going on, but we followed in for the last bit before we took off. Turns out they believe in the gift of speaking in tongues, so within about 10 minutes of the piano priest playing and singing praises and us following along, everyone around us started speaking in tongues ha ha basically jibberish, at least to us,  which kinda sounded like they were casting spells or something. Definitely an experience to remember. We're teaching the couple in a week so hopefully it pays off, if not, a great experience. 

We drove up to Luleå and Boden this week for 2 days and were with the elders up there. It's always a good time. It was kinda like our last get-together before transfers this week just in case some of us leave.

We got transfer calls yesterday! I had a few clues that I'd be taking off so I got to prep myself a bit. This Wednesday morning we'll be driving 2 hrs down to Umeå and I'll be flying back to Stockholm to serve in an area called Jakobsberg! (translated, Jakob's hill) My new companion will be Elder Francis (who was up in Boden a few transfers back so I got to be around him a bit). I'm way stoked, I've heard great things about this area and I know that Ä Francis is a hard working kid. It's gonna be a bit of a shock going from being tucked up in Skellefteå with a congregation of 5 to now being in a suburb of Stockholm with a bigger congregation and other missionaries around!

We're making our rounds to say goodbye tonight and tomorrow so we've got a packed week. Only in Skellefteå can you go around and say goodbye to each member individually ha ha I'm gonna miss this place. The members here, while few, are some of the strongest, more pure-hearted members I've seen anywhere. Anyone who comes to Skellefteå is getting a blessed area (and a car😎always a plus). 

To get a last solid stund together, Elder Strong and I took dinner hour up at the lookout of Skellefteå and grilled up some hot dogs and smores around the campfire. Ä Strong has been a good comp to me, and an even better friend. I'm truly gonna miss him. 

Spiritual thought for the week comes from Alma 37:37. ( Book of Mormon scripture) I like the first line saying "Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings and he will direct thee for good". Often we as people feel like we know best, that we can handle things ourselves. But God knows everything, especially how the future looks and how you can be happiest. We are encouraged to counsel with Him, and if we do that, then He won't lead us wrong. Next time you have a big decision (or it can be little), run it by God in prayer and you'll be guided in the right direction. I've seen Him do that in my life and know He can do it in yours. 

Love you all! Thanks for your support and following what's goin on in my life 

Äldste Gordon

Ula, she always prayed for us and we felt her prayers.
I'm going to miss this lady!