Arrival of Elder and Sister Johnson from the MTC!!!!

Tuesday, May 16, 2017, we drove to Arlanda Airport with our Office Staff to greet and pick up the Johnsons, who are coming to serve their mission here in Sweden.  We are excited to have this couple join us, as they will be replacing Elder and Sister Hurlbut, who will be returning home to the States this next week.

Pictured with Swedish Flag, left to right are:  Elder and Sister Clouse, Elder and Sister Johnson, Sister and Elder Anderson, Elder Stapley, Elder Craun, and Sister and President Beckstrand.

Elder Pack and Elder Craun, showing us how to eat a giant burger from Texas Longhouse, in Taby.

Elder and Sister Johnson, Elder and Sister Anderson, and Elder Pack.

Elder Stapley, Elder Craun, and Sister and Elder Clouse.

The Johnsons will be serving on the island of Gotland, where Elder Johnson will be the Visby Branch President.

Umea District Conference!!!!!

Saturday and Sunday, May 13 and 14, 2017, we traveled to Umea for our last District Conference in Norland.  We love Norland and the wonderful members who live in this District.  We decided to throw in a picture of President and Sister Beckstrand in the snow, just so we can remember what Winter truly is.  We had meetings with the District members on Saturday, which is always a wonderful event.  On Sunday morning, we had our general meeting with the District members.  After our meeting, the members presented Sister and President Beckstrand with a beautiful woven blanket depicting the birch trees in the forests of Norland.  We will always treasure this gift.

After our meeting on Sunday, Sister Beckstrand always makes sure the missionaries have something good to eat, after all, it is Sunday.  This is something Sister Beckstrand has done throughout the three years she has been here in Sweden.  What a great missionary mom!!!!

Pictured left to right are:  Elder Murri, Sister Moffat, Sister Hansen, Elder Martineau, Sister Hunter, and Sister Hall.

Pictured left to right are:  Sister McClatchie, Sister Eriksson, Sister Beckstrand, Elder Bentson, and Elder Harden.

Pictured left to right are:  Elder Johnson, Elder Fawcett, Sister McClatchie, and Elder Beveridge.

Sister Beckstrand and her Sunday afternoon lunch for the missionaries, and members who wander in.

Elder Kendall sitting on the edge of the baptismal font in the Skelleftea church building.

Sister McClatchie and Sister Eriksson, from Sweden, who serve together in Umea.

District President Hakan Stegeby and some of the members of the District.

Spring 2017 Couples Conference!!!!!!

Thursday, May 4, 2017, all of the couples in he mission met in Stockholm to begin our Couples Conference.  Elder and Sister Hales were to drive down from Ornskoldsvik and meet us in Dalarna at Nusnas.  We left Stockholm and began our 3 hour journey to Nusnas, which is where the Dalahast is made, all by hand.  An hour and a half into our journey, we stopped for a rest and took a photo op at the giant Dalahast, which is made out of cast concrete.  Pictured left to right under the giant horse is:  Elder and Sister Hurlbut, Elder and Sister Pettit, Elder and Sister Smith, Elder and Sister Anderson, President and Sister Beckstrand, Elder and Sister Hall, Elder and Sister Watson, and Elder and Sister Mitchell.  Not in the picture would be Elder and Sister Hales (driving in ffom Norland) and Elder and Sister Clouse (who have family visiting from the States).

Along our way, we got held up in traffic due to road construction.

Lake Siljan, which is in the heart of Dalarna.

We arrived in Nusnas and were able to tour the two little shops where they make the world famous Dalahast (or Valley Horse).  This is an amazing site to visit, to watch the skilled craftsmen cut, carve, sand, paint, and then hand paint each horse.  Tourist from around the world make this journey into the heart of Dalarna to see and purchase these wonderful souvenirs.  Needless to say, we all bought many of these little treasures to journey home with us.

Watching the skilled painters dressing up each individual horse.  Elder and Sister Hurlbut and Sister Beckstrand.  Look at the horses!!!!   Sister Beckstrand found her big horse to remind her of beautiful Sweden.  I don’t know how she is going to get this in her carry-on.

After Nusnas, we stopped to see the troll village.  Valbackens Stugby happens to be a fairy land of trolls and their homes, shops, and surroundings.  All of these items are hand constructed and are in small scale to fit the trolls.

Sister Hall and Sister Beckstrand outside the entrance to the village.

Elder and Sister Watson standing in front of the real home of the man who has carved and made all of this little troll village.

 President and Sister Beckstrand in front of the village home.

More pictures from the troll village.

President and Sister Beckstrand enjoying Valbacken Stugby!!!!

The old church in Falun, with the old church bell, and the grave site of “Fats Mats”, the miner who was preserved in the Falun copper mine.  Quite the story and one that Sister Beckstrand absolutely loves, in fact her is Sister Beckstrand kneeling behind the grave marker of Fats Mats.

On Friday, May 5, 2017, we were able to tour the Carl Larsson home and have lunch at the little café where he lived.  The Sisters really loved being able to see this incredible place and to view a lot of Carl Larsson’s paintings.

We had a wonderful time with the couples on this short retreat.  A big “Thank You” to Sister and Elder Hall, who arranged for the Couples Conference and put all the sites together.  Our couples are a great blessing to our mission and missionaries and we love them dearly.  President and Sister Beckstrand posed for one last picture and then headed back to Stockholm to speak at the Stockholm Stake Conference.

Mission Leadership Council Temple Trip!!!

Tuesday, May 2, 2017.  Since this would be the last Mission Leadership Council for President and Sister Beckstrand, we decided it would be wonderful to invite the MLC members to the Stockholm Temple to do a session with us and then hold our meeting on the temple grounds.  Besides, the mission home is in the process of renovation for the incoming mission president and his wife, the Youngbergs.

So, here is our Mission Leadership Council at the temple.  They are ready to carry on the banner of missionary work here in Sweden as we get ready to pass the torch.

With the sun shinning brightly upon us, here are our members, pictured left to right bottom row, then top row:  Sister Young, Sister Gill, Sister Hatch, Sister Sidwell, Sister Hansen, Sister McWhorter, Sister Christensen, Sister Hale, Sister and President Beckstrand.  Top Row:  Elder Jamsa, Elder Pfost, Elder Loertscher, Elder Lohmeier, Elder Adams, Elder Johnson, Elder Jensen, Elder Payne, Elder Olson, Elder Swenson, Elder Murtonen, Elder Goff, Elder Benson, and Elder Holt.

 After our temple session, we met in the Vasterhaninge Chapel for lunch and then some training and instruction.

Sister Beckstrand and the Assistants during some teaching moments with the MIC members.