Bon Fire You Say?? Let it Burn

Thursday, April 30, 2015, missionaries in the Stockholm area gather out at Västerhaninge for the annual Valborg tradition of burning our Winter and welcoming in Spring.  Here is the beginning of the event with the bonfire at the ready.

 The crowds gather and the local scouts usher in the kids with burning torches, ready to set the bonfire a blaze.

Then, the crowd counts down from ten to one, and the kids all walk forward and throw their lit torches onto the bonfire and the event is on.

The fire begins to grow....

 larger and larger......

and begins to give off a lot of warmth on this chilly evening.

 The missionaries get excited for the fire and decide to get in some group photos of the event.

 The Elders all together, I wonder which one of these Elders has down this before?

 The Sisters gather for a photo of their own.

President and Sister Beckstrand, enjoying w wonderful evening with the missionaries.  Sometimes, you just got to let go and enjoy a good burn!

 As the fire burns, the evening moves on, and the missionaries get a little crazy.

The Sisters have their own type of crazy going on at Valborg.

Instruction From an Apostle

April 21 - 23, 2015, President and Sister Beckstrand traveled to Frankfurt, Germany, for special instruction from Elder David A. Bednar, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, on Disciples in the Digital Age.  We have been informed that our missionaries will soon be receiving Mini-Ipads to help in further the Lord's work in Europe.

 At a break time, Elder Bednar counsels with the Europe Area Presidency members along with Elder Brent H. Nielson of the First Quorum of the Seventy and Elder Stephen B. Allen, Area Seventy and a member of the Fifth Quorum of the Seventy, also Managing Director of the Church's Missionary Department.

 Elder Bednar and Sister Bednar provided some additional insights and testimony to the Europe Area Mission Presidents and their wives.

 

Umea District Conference

On Saturday, April 18, 2015, Sister Beckstrand and President Beckstrand traveled to Umeå for District Conference.  After the Saturday evening Adult session, they took the missionaries from Norrland out to enjoy Pizza at a local Pizza Shop.  Pick out your missionary if he/she is serving in Norrland.

Monday, April 20, 2015, we enjoyed an outing to downtown Stockholm to be with the missionaries on P-Day and take in the Cherry Blossoms.  Spring has finally come to Sweden and people are loving it.

 Sister Allen and Sister Hong with Sister and President Beckstrand.

The assistants, Elder Noso and Elder Sahlin, with Sister and President Beckstrand.

 Elder and Sister Taylor, our Office Couple, with Sister and President Beckstrand.

Our trusty Office Elders, Elder Brown and Elder Taggart with Sister and President Beckstrand.

The Cherry Blossoms were absolutely breath taking.

 Elders Taggart, Sahlin, Brown, Floyd, and Noso, giving a helping hand to Elder Rasmussen.

"Wizard of Oz" Sister Conference

Thursday, April 16, 2015.  Time for another Sister Conference with our sister missionaries.  The theme for the conference was, "The Power With In" with a "Wizard of Oz" take on the special gifts that we have in order to allow us to love all people and share the gospel message.  Below is our Sister Conference group photo for us to remember this special day.

 

Sister Tolley taught the sister missionaries about knowledge, something that the Scarecrow desired on his trip to Oz to see the Great and Powerful Wizard.

 Sister missionaries paying very close attention to Sister Tolley.




Sister missionaries being taught about love.

  Sister Hawley taught the importance of love and having a true heart.  This is something that the Tin Man traveled to Oz to receive.

 While the teaching was going on, the Elders were in the kitchen preparing the fruit cups for the luncheon the sister missionaries would enjoy.

Sister Taylor taught about courage and shared a very personal story about "The Cokeville Bombing", a very close and tender subject for her and her daughter.  They were involved in the bombing incident

 Sister Taylor sharing her message of courage and how Heavenly Father blesses us through our trials.

Sister Beckstrand concluded the conference teaching the sister missionaries that like "Dorothy", they have always had the power to return home to their Heavenly Father.  The power rests inside each one of us, and we can find that power and use it to return to our Heavenly Home.

Lunch time at the Sister Conference.  Following are pictures of the lunch with all of our Sister missionaries.  Go ahead and pick out your sister.
 

 And, final picture of Sister Beckstrand, Elder Tolley, Elder Hawley, Elder and Sister Wood.

And here is the Photo Booth where we showed our good sides :)