Visas, Visas, Visas

Wednesday, November 25, 2015, we traveled to Arlanda Airport to pick up our second Visa Waiter, Sister Sofia Therese Eriksson, who will be serving her mission in Minnesota Minneapolis.  She will be here in Sweden while she waits for her visa to come from the United States.  Sister Eriksson is from Kristianstad, in Southern Sweden.  Pictured below, from left to right are:  Elder Featherstone, Sister and Elder Koyle, Sister Jackson, Sister Austin, Sister Eriksson, Sister Bolton, Elder Archibald, and Sister and President Beckstrand.

Sister Eriksson, while she waits for her visa to come, will be trained by Sister Bolton and they will be serving in Södertälje.

Specialized Zone Training

Wednesday, November 4, 2015, we received our first Visa Waiter to the Sweden Stockholm Mission.  We traveled to Arlanda Airport to welcome Elder Chingshun-Johan Abel Chiu Falck, who is waiting for his visa to Taiwan Taipei Mission.  Elder Falck is from the Utby Ward, Göteborg Stake, here in Sweden.  Pictured left to right below are:  President and Sister Beckstrand, Elder Sahlin, Elder Burke, Elder Olsen, Elder Falck, Elder Archibald, and Sister and Elder Koyle.

Wednesday, November 11, 2015, we started our first of six, Specialized Zone Trainings.  We started with the Göteborg Zone in the Utby Chapel.  Our training consisted of teaching the importance of Diligence, and finnishing strong.  We also taught about "Come What May and Love It" along with giving our missionaries a rally cry when they feel tired and down, "Remember Him!"  Our assistants taught about our personal testimony and always sharing it with everyone we meet.  They then taught about Joseph Smith, and his remarkable story and testimony as he restored the gospel of Jesus Christ back to the earth in our time.  It was a wonderful training and helped our missionaries remember why we are here and who we made commitments to.  A real burst of energy for all was had.

Elder and Sister Hawley prepared a wonderful lunch for our hungry missionaries.
 

Pick out your favorite missionary........
 

Thursday, November 12, 2015, we were in Malmö for the Malmö Zone Training.  Same format, great instruction by the spirit, and a great lunch from Subway.  Pick out your missionary....

Tuesday, November 17, 2015, after flying into Umeå the night before, we met with the members of the Norrland Zone for their training.  It is always a treat to travel to Norrland, and we were even greeted with falling snow on Monday evening.  Here we are enjoying lunch, and we thank Elder and Sister Delgado for helping to prepare lunch for us.  Pick out your missionary.....

Thursday, November 19, 2015, we traveled to the Västerhaninge Chapel to meet with the members of the Stockholm South Zone for their specialized training.  Another great day and here are the missionaries feasting on Sister Beckstrand's famous Sloppy Joes and Pasta Salad.  go ahead and pick out your missionary.......

 

Friday, November 20, 2015, we traveled by car to Södertälje Chapel to meet with the members of the Södertälje Zone for their training.  The request from the Zone Leaders was to have Sloppy Joes and Pasta Salad for lunch, so here they are feasting away.  Pick out your missionary....
  

Tuesday, November 24, 2015, we traveled to the Gubbängen Chapel in Stockholm to meet with the members of the Stockholm Zone for their training, the last of the six zone trainings for us.  Lunch was Taco Soup and Subway sandwiches.  Pick out your missionary......

Field is Growing

Elder Falck, while he waits for his visa for Taiwan, will be trained by Elder Richardson and will be serving in Handen.

Tuesday, November 10, 2015, we received a brand new sister missionary from the Provo MTC.  Sister Haikkola, from Finland, arrived 4 weeks early to the mission field due to the fact that she speaks perfect Swedish, as this is her native language in addition to Finnish.  President and Sister Beckstrand, along with the Assistants, were traveling this day to Göteborg and Malmö and could not be there to welcome Sister Haikkola to the mission.  Elder and Sister Koyle took over for us and did a great job of welcoming this new sister to the Sweden Stockholm Mission. 

 Sister Koyle, Sister Hoke, Sister Haikkola, and Elder Koyle.

  Sister Haikkola will be trained by Sister Hoke and will be serving in Örebro.

Sister Haikkola and Sister Hoke are ready to start out for their new adventure together.

New Arrivals, Returning with Honor, and MLC

Tuesday, October 27, 2015, we found ourselves once again at the Arlanda Airport in Stockholm picking up more new missionaries.  It was a little different this time as we had two different arrivals, first we picked up Elder Muirhead, who had been serving in Chicago, waiting for his visa to arrive.  It was good to finally have him arrive in Sweden.  Pictured left to right:  President and Sister Beckstrand, Elder Archibald, Elder Rasmussen, Elder Muirhead, Elder Bliss, Elder Burke, Elder Sahlin, Sister and Elder Koyle.

Then, one hour later, we picked up Elder Murtonen, who arrived from the Provo MTC, the only one from his group of 12 elders, to arrive.  He is Finnish, and therfore does not need a visa.  His MTC group are spread from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C.  Pictured from left to right are:  Elder Sahlin, Elder Burke, Elder Archibald, Elder Murtonen, Elder Rasmussen, Elder Bliss, Sister and President Beckstrand.
 

Our traditional picture with the Stadshus in the background.  Pictured from left to right:  Elder Burke, Elder Muirhead, Elder Murtonen, Sister Beckstrand, President Beckstrand, Elder Sahlin, and Elder Bliss.

We had some time to take the new Elders out to the temple in Västerhaninge.  Here, the Angel Moroni sits atop the temple spire, with fall foilage in the foreground.

Elder Murtonen and Elder Muirhead at the Stockholm Sweden Temple.

One last picture of the outgoing mission office crew.  President and Sister Beckstrand, Elder Bliss, who will be transferring to Jönköping, Elder Bliss, Elder Rasmussen, who will be transferring home to Orem, Utah, and Elder Sahlin.

Wednesday, October 28, 2015.  New missionary orientation at the Täby Chapel.  Elder Muirhead will be trained by Elder Walker.

 Elder Muirhead will be serving in Uppsala with Elder Walker.


 Elder Murtonen will be trained by Elder Erikson.

 Elder Murtonen will be serving in Vendelsö with Elder Erikson.

After the orientation, time for a great Swedish meal of Swedish meatballs before we head to T Central for trains to our destinations.  Elder Burke, Elder Erikson, Elder Murtonen, Elder Walker, and Elder Muirhead.

Sister Beckstrand enjoying some Swedish meatballs, her favorite, along with Elder Archibald, Elder Rasmussen, and Elder Burke.

Many thanks to Elder and Sister Koyle, our Office Couple, for all that they do to keep the mission running forward.  Eat up, Sister Koyle!

After we got the new missionaries on their way, we were off to the Stockholm Temple to do a session with our missionaries who have completed their assignments.  Pictured from left to right, front row:  Elder Rasmussen, Elder Noso, Sister Modersitzki, Sister Sorensen, Sister Beckstrand, Sister Carrington, Elder Ahlstrom, and President Beckstrand.  Back row:  Elder Stoeltzing, Elder Jones, Elder Smith, Elder Brinkworth, Elder Brown, Elder Stinnett, and Elder Allen.

 Elder Aabo finally arrived....so one more picture:  Elder Rasmussen, Elder Noso, Sister Modersitzki, Sister Sorensen, Sister Beckstrand, President Beckstrand, and Elder Ahlstrom.  Back row:  Elder Stoeltzing, Elder Jones, Elder Smith, Elder Aabo, Elder Brown, Elder Stinnett, Elder Allen, and Elder Brinkworth.

 And our potographer, Elder Bybee, with a selfie!

Our farewell dinner for this great group of missionaries who are returning home with honor.  Pictured left to right:  Elder Stinnett, Elder Rasmussen, Elder Brinkworth, Elder Allen, Elder Brown, Elder Smith, Elder Jones, and Elder Stoeltzing.

 Same table, other direction:  Elder Jones, Elder Stoeltzing, Elder Ahlstrom, Elder Noso, Elder Stinnett, Elder Rasmussen, and Elder Brinkworth.

 Elder Koyle, Sister Sorensen, Sister Carrington, Sister Beckstrand, Sister Modersitzki, and Sister Koyle.

Mission Leadership Council meeting.
Tuesday, November 3, 2015, we met with our Mission Leadership Council for instruction for this next transfer cycle.  Elder Archibald and Elder Sahlin, our Assistants, taught about the need for personal testimony and following Christ in everything that we do.  The invitation was given to like Peter, "Follow Him!"  President and Sister Beckstrand taught the Christlike attribute of Diligence and the need for each missionary to start strong and finish strong, even when our physical strength is about gone and it is dark outside, we need to be diligent in His work.

 MLC members receiving teaching.

 A great group of missionaries make up our Mission Leadership Council.  We are so thankful for their dedicated service and love for the Savior.