Södertälje! My new area.

Hi Everyone,

Well, the transfer happened and now I find myself in Södertälje.  A city to the south east of Stockholm, it's a beautiful city with a great ward.  It is not quite as big as Vendelsö but is still large.  The city is like Eskilstuna and has a large population of immigrants, so we meet with people of every nationality and have members here from all over the world.  For the time being this area also has a car and so I have had the opportunity to drive around Sweden and really see how beautiful the country is.  

   My new companion is Elder Leirimaa from Finland.  I have a great responsibility ahead of me and I hope we're together for a while.  Already we've been working so good together and we've been seeing miracles.  We're meeting with a women from Liberia who's finding/demonstrating strong faith in Christ.  This last week we've taught her the commandments that the Lord has given us.  Although she lives in a humble situation she embraced the law of tithing and is excited for the blessings that the Lord has promised us when we follow it.  She is on the road to be baptized the seventh of September.

   Another time during the last week after teaching a lesson and on our way out the wife of the house came to us and told us she always feels peaceful when we talked and when we're there. I responded  with "Det är inte oss" (that isn't us).   She then asked is that the Holy Ghost?  Both Elder Leirimaa and I then had the opportunity to testify of the Holy Ghost.  It's times like these that make being a missionary so rewarding.  

    I hope everyone is having a great summer and enjoying the blue skies and summer days.  All too soon we're going to get hit with a lot of snow and winter.  However, even the winter here in Sweden is beautiful in it's own way.  

    I'm doing great and love my new area.  I'm able to drive in this area now.  I get to travel all over my zone and so I'll see more of Sweden and meet more people.

 Stockholm

 Leirimaa and I driving

 Norrköping

My companion and I share this car!

Love,

   Äldste Moe

Getting transferred to Södertälje area tomorrow!

Hey all,

 Well, it's when you begin to get comfortable that things get shaken up.  President Newell called and I will be transferring to the Södertälje area tomorrow morning.  My new companion will be Elder Leirimaa.  He is from Finland and pretty cool, he was the assistant when I first came to Sweden. I'm fortunate to be comps with him and to be in Södertälje.  Södertälje is in a district with Eskilstuna, so hopefully I will be able to visit Eskilstuna and see some of the people I grew to love there.

   This last Saturday a member called and asked us to come by and give her a copy of the Book of Mormon.  We went kind of wondering why she would want a copy of the Book of Mormon.  We went over and she shared with us an experience she had at work bearing her testimony to a friend who said that he felt the spirit and wanted a copy of the Book of Mormon.  She had been praying for a missionary opportunity.  She has every excuse not to do missionary work, her Swedish and English is not the best, being a native Spanish speaker and her family is not members but she still looks and seeks out opportunities to share the gospel.  As she was explaining her experience with her friend we felt the spirit so strong.  Members have the potential to be such effective missionaries, it's amazing.  I'm grateful to have spent time in this area of Sweden where the church is a little bit stronger and to see the possibility.  It keeps me motivated and inspired seeing how happy people can be.  

   

 

 Elder's Muirbrook and Newkirk and me

Vendelsö's ward mission leader and me

Love,

   Äldste Moe

The work is slow but steadily moving forward!

Hej all,

family photo-Elder Geddes, Judd, Nightingale and Moe

  This last week has been quite cool.  We had an amazing lesson with someone named Claes who is really fighting a smoking addiction and using the gospel to help.  He has made such good progress and is an inspirational example to me.  I am so happy for him.  We talked about the tree of Life and quite a bit about 1 Nephi 8 and Lehi's vision of said tree.  He talked about how the gospel does help motivate him to continue.  We then realized that the house he moved to is in a different wards area but that is better for him anyway as it will be easier to go to church as the building is a lot closer.  

   On Friday we had Zone Conference which was so uplifting and inspiring.  It was all about member missionary relations and how we can work with members and help them be effective missionaries.  President and Syster Newell have a son who just returned from his mission in the Paris, France mission.  He bore his testimony and it really is crazy to see missionaries who just came home and to talk to them.  It reminds us that the mission does have an end.  And with that comes some happiness but also some dread for its end.  At zone conference, elders Geddes, Judd, Nightingale and I were there so we got an awesome family picture.

Stockholm Sweden South Zone

Elder's Nightingale, Moe and Judd

Elder Nightingale and I

   This weekend we had the opportunity to find a few more people to teach who hopefully we will be able to meet with sometime.  This next week is looking very good and it looks like some exciting things should be happening here in Vendelsö!  I'll keep you posted!

I do love my mission and the area I'm in.  It's a hard mission but I'm learning and growing a lot.  I'm immersed in the work and it's rolling forward and I'm happy to be a part of it.  

Love,

  Äldste Jonathan Moe

Enjoying Summer

 Hej all,

All is well here in Sweden, it has been extremely hot here in Sweden, but its not bad compared to summers back home in the City.  Its similar though especially because of the humidity.  We have been enjoying the summer though.  One of the really cool parts about summer here is the fruit.  In Sweden there is a law saying that things which grow from the ground and aren't fenced in on someone's property can be used by anyone.  In Sweden berries grow all throughout the cities and forests.  So while walking around doing work you can just pick berries and snack a little.  The most common berries around are raspberries, blueberries, red and black vine berries.  They are all really good and its cool just having them growing everywhere.  It does seem as though summer is on the recline.  It is raining today and someone said there might only be two weeks left.  I hope we have longer.  I am not ready to bust out the rain jacket and winter coat out just now.  

   This last week, we were walking on the way to a neighborhood and on the way in stopped and talked to two ladies, we didn't talk much and they kept walking.  On our way out of the neighborhood they were just sitting on a bench waiting.  I had the feeling to talk to them again and they were looking at us.  So we went over and after a bit of talking they said they had actually been looking for a church to go to here in Sweden.  They agreed to come to church and meet sometime this next week.  Every time any promise is shown I am so grateful.  It is the best meeting new people who are willing to hear the message.  

   I realized this last week that I have been doing the training program since I began my mission and I have been in field for quite a time now.  I have seen how it has blessed my mission and will bless my life.  elder Nightingale are working here in Vedenlsö and doing our best to get things moving.  

love,

  Äldste Moe

 Streets of Stockholm

 

 

Swedish Royal Guard

Train tracks