New Members, Being Protected, and Temple Ground Beauty

Baptismal service for Nina in Eskilstuna, April 4, 2015.  Pictured from left to right are:  Elder Clawson, Elder Fallon, Nina, and Elder Luke.

Baptismal service for Eva on Visby, March 31, 2015.  Pictured from left to right are:  Elder Treat, Elder Madden, Eva, and Elder Jones.

Baptismal service for Bill in Malmö, April 11, 2015.  Pictured for left to right are:  Elder Bailey, Bill, and Elder Brinkworth.

 Baptismal service for Otto in Trollhättan, April 11, 2015.  Pictured from left to right are:  Sister Hoke, Otto, his wife Primitiva, Brother Hans Ljungh, and Sister Nielsen.

Well, sometimes missionaries get caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.  Luckily for Sister Hoke and Sister Nielsen the good Lord was protecting them and a member from Trollhättan.  The car came out with the worst of it and we are so grateful that our Sister missionaries.  They came through this little mishap with only some bumps, bruises, and sore muscles.  The member was also okay.  The Lord does protect His missionaries.

April 8, 2015, a day of service at the Stockholm Temple as the spring flowers needed to be planted.  Our missionaries of the Stockholm South Zone, who work the areas around the temple responded to the call from the temple grounds keeper and came ready to plant 1000s of flowers.  What a great opportunity to be involved in helping the Lord's house look beautiful for all who visit.  Pictured are Elder Featherstone and Elder Cushing planting flowers at the temple grounds.

Elder Burgin and Elder Barnes taking a little rest, with muddy knees, after planting many flowers.
 

Elder Burton, Sister Lund, and Elder Avenius aafter a long day of planting at the temple grounds.

 

Finally Meeting!

 Tuesday, April 14, 2015, we were able to greet Elder Richards, who was delayed two weeks ago due to visa issues.  We are so glad to have him with us here in the Sweden Stockholm Mission.  Pictured left to right:  Elder and Sister Taylor, President and Sister Beckstrand, Elder Bliss, Elder Richards, Elder Noso, Elder Taggart, Elder Brown, Elder Sahlin, and Sister and Elder Tolley.

 After some in-depth orientation at the Mission Office, it was time for Elder Richards to find out where he will be serving and who his trainer will be.

Elder Richards will be trained by Elder Bliss.

 Elder Richards and Elder Bliss, happy to be together.  Elder Bliss is proud to be able to have Elder Richards as his "son."  Look carefully at the tie Elder Bliss has on.

 Elder Richards will be serving in Vendelsö with Elder Bliss.

Conference Weekend and MLC

April 4, 2015, Conference weekend, with the added blessing of Easter Sunday, at the mission home with our office elders and Sister missionaries from Täby.  A special treat as we also had an investigator and a new convert come to enjoy dinner and conference with us.

 Dinner before conference with some of the crew.  Sister Harkness, Elder Taggart, Elder Noso, Sister Beckstrom, Daniel (investigating the church, and Mikael, from the Täby ward.

 Getting seated to watch the first session of conference, Sister Beckstrom, Daniel, Mikael, Elder Taggart, and Sister Beckstrom.

Elder Brown caught indulging one more chocolate dipped strawberry.

 Elder Sahlin overjoyed to be here to watch conference and eat treats.

 Conference weekend with Elder Brown, Elder Sahlin, and President Beckstrand.

Decorated Easter Tree, bringing in the Easter season and Spring.

And, for this Easter, a special group who are ready to rescue all souls.  Give heed to their message and "Come Unto the Savior."     Elder Brown, Elder Noso, Elder Sahlin, and Elder Taggart, our faithful office crew.

On Tuesday, April 7, 2015, we had our Mission Leadership Council meeting at the mission home.  This is always a great moment for President and Sister Beckstrand to be able to greet and spend time with our great missionary leaders here in the mission.  Our theme for this meeting was taken from Preach My Gospel, Chapter 2, "How Do I Study Effectively and Prepare to Teach?"

 The MLC members listen carefully and soak in all the teaching provided.  Now their task will be to train their Zone members on the principles received in the council meeting.

 Elder Noso and Elder Sahlin provided some excellent insight and teaching for our council.  They taught us the importance of companionship study and why the Lord has asked us as missionaries to prepare ourselves using this study time. 

Elder Noso and Elder Sahlin providing a special "role play" of what not to do in companionship study in the morning.

 We need to come prepared, ready for God to teach us the things we need that day to help those we are teaching.

As the MLC members get ready to depart after meeting, some thought they needed some extra food to get them home.  Here we have Elder Stinnett, Sister and President Beckstrand, Elder Sahlin, Elder Barnes, Elder Floyd, Elder Ward, Elder Taggart, Elder Noso, Elder Schindler, and Elder Rasmussen.

 Panoramic views of Stockholm provided by Elder Brown.

Northern Lights

For all of you waiting for pictures of the Northern Lights here in Sweden, here you go.  These were taken by our missionaries who are serving up in the Norrland Zone of our mission.  They are absolutely magnificent.  This land of Sweden never ceases to amaze us with it's beauty and splendor.

More Work Completed

 Baptismal Service for Sinath in Örnsköldsvik, April 4, 2015.   Elder Oberender and Sinath in the lake for her baptism.

  Elder Oberender, Sinath, and Elder Walker.

Spring Time in Sweden

As Springtime approaches, you begin to see the signs of Easter.  In Sweden, Easter has become a secular holiday.  You will see the birch twigs adorned with bright colored feathers everywhere you go.  These birch twigs were used to thrash one another, symbolic of Christ's suffering.

 Also, you may see witches hanging from trees in yards.  On the Thursday before Easter, witches flew off to consort with the Devil at Mount Blåkulla, and people would protect themselves by painting crosses on their front doors and hiding broomsticks and rakes so that the witches could not fly on them.

This truly is quite a site to behold.  Now days, the little children dress up like witches and old men, rabbits and chickens, and go from house to house with the greeting of "Glad Påsk" or Happy Easter.  The children give you a little homemade greeting card, and then you are to provide them treats for their long journey to Blåkulla.

 And, here are the first "Trick or Treaters" if you will that knock on our door, wishing us "Glad Påsk."

Baptisms

Baptismal Service for Akil in Södertälje, March 28, 2015.  Pictured left to right are:  Elder Schindler, Akil, Elder Rasmussen.

Baptismal service for Camsin in Södertälje, March 28, 2015.  Pictured left to right are:  Elder Rasmussen, Camsin, Elder Schindler.

Baptismal service for Kitan in Umeå, March 28, 2015.   Pictured left to right are:  Elder Nielsen, Diana (daughter), Kitan, Tanya (daughter), Elder Aabo.

Baptismal service for Johnson in Jakobsberg, March 29, 2015.  Pictured left to right are:  Elder Israelsen, Johnson, Elder Johnson.

Baptismal service for Claudia in Handan, March 29, 2015.   Pictured left to right are:  Claudia's sister, her friend, Claudia's little brother Dennis, Elder Lundquist, Claudia, Harold (Claudia's brother), Elder Stinnett, and Jenny, Claudia's mother.

Assignment Time

After our orientation on Wednesday, April 1, 2015, it is now time to reveal who our new missionaries will be trained by and which area they will be serving in.  Sister Mecham will be trained by Sister Spencer.

Sister Mecham will be serving in Kungsbacka with Sister Spencer.

Sister Nielsen will be trained by Sister Savage.

 Sister Nielsen will be serving in Luleå with Sister Savage.

Elder Perkins will be trained by Elder Allen.

 Elder Perkins will be serving in Sundsvall with Elder Allen.

Elder White will be trained by Elder Bradley.

 Elder White will be serving in Utby with Elder Bradley.

Elder Castleton-Rudolph will be trained by Elder Corbin.

 Elder Castleton-Rudolph will be serving in Helsingborg with Elder Corbin.

Elder Reed will be trained by Elder Kapp.

 Elder Reed will be serving in Stockholm with Elder Kapp.

Elder Johanson will be trained by Elder Lundquist.

 Elder Johanson will be serving in Helsingborg with Elder Lundquist.

Elder Hainsworth will be trained by Elder Christensen.

 Elder Hainsworth will be serving in Kungsbacka with Elder Christensen.

Elder and Sister Wood will be trained on the job at the YSA Center.

 Elder and Sister Wood will be serving in Stockholm at the YSA Center.  Congratulations!!!!!

Elder and Sister Tolley, our Apartment Couple, provide some additional training to our new missionaries.

 And then it is time for our traditional send off meal, Swedish meatballs, with mashed potatoes and lingon berries.

And a picture of our assistants, Elder Sahlin, Elder Noso, and Elder Lambson,, and their office home.

 More fun at the send off meal with our missionaries.

Elder Brown and Elder Sahlin with selfie time.
 

 Heaven help us all, as the Scandinavians are now running the show in Sweden.

Who let them have control of the IPad???????

Wednesday, April 1, 2015, at the temple with this great group of missionaries.  We will certainly miss them and their great work.  Pictured left to right, front row then back row are:  Sister Beckstrand, Sister Stewart, Sister Maxwell, President Beckstrand, Elder Sandquist, and Elder Lambson.

 Well, just as Spring is coming, it is time again to say a fond farewell to this latest group who have completed their mission in Sweden.

 Farewell dinner for this fine group at the mission home.  Pictured left to right are:  Elder Tolley, Sister Tolley, Elder Lambson, Elder Sandquist, Sister Maxwell, Sister Stewart, and Sister Beckstrand.