Sunday, August 17, 2014

Gardens and Statues

Aldste Moe in Stockholm gardens
Statue of St. George

Lion Statue outside the Royal Palace

Horse Statue at Blasieholmstorg

Bear Statue outside the Natural History Museum



Late Summer Crawdad Party

Sodermalm
Crawdad
Crawdad Party
Stockholm's Grand Hotel


This last week was a super good week, we saw a lot of miracles come from it.  So an appropriate week for a missionary.  I am still loving Stockholm, it is a pretty sick city.  Especially now towards the end of summer.  So basically its not as hot and sweaty but its still sunny and bright.  It actually is getting dark around 10 now every day.  Soon we will only have the light for a couple hours out of every day, so were grateful for the sun while its around.  It also has been raining a ton these last couple days.
   Around five weeks ago, I spoke to a man on the subway and didn't have time to get his number but gave him a book of Mormon and a contact card and barely was able to jump off of the train when the doors were closing.  He said he would come to church the next week but never did.  This week when we were going to open up the church building during open church times he drove up and began talking to us.  We taught him about Joseph Smith and the Restoration and it was a very powerful moment when we spoke about Joseph Smith.  He shared that he had always wondered who was carrying on the work the apostles had started.  We challenged him to read and pray to know if it was true.  He had already read through the beginning of the Book of Mormon and came to the promise in the introduction and had already read to know it was true and received the answer that it was true.  We committed him to baptism.
  During the month of August in Sweden there are kräft-skivor, or crawdad platter parties.  We were invited out to a picnic/crawdad party this last week so that was cool.  Crawdads have always kind of been a southern thing in my mind but every august in Sweden people go crazy for them.
   We were doing personal family history this last week and I had been struggling recently to get any progress with my own family history.  After praying and really searching for guidance I was able to find some of my Norwegian sides names in old census records.  I found their parents names and their family.  It doesn't matter what aspect of the work it is the Lord blesses our efforts and helps us be of great benefit to our fellow man.
   It crazy we are in August already.  I am still loving it, Mott and I are doing way good.  His Swedish is getting very good and he is definitely eager to get the work done which is whats important.  
Love ya all,
   Äldste Jon Moe

Monday, August 11, 2014

My time here is flying by.


 This week we had another transfer here in Stockholm.  I received Elder Mott as a new companion. He is coming straight from the MTC in Utah.  So I will likely finish my mission with him as my companion.  I am very happy with that as well.  He is a very good missionary and is very eager to do the work.  There isn't much more you can ask for in a companion.  Also we had Elder Hitch move into Stockholm.  He was my MTC companion, and he goes home in just five weeks which is pretty crazy.  So we started our missions together and now well end it together.  I wish my other MTC comp was nearby but that would just be too good.
   Last week Elder NIeminen also went home.  It was super weird.  It a;most felt like it was my time to go home but it wasn't...yet.  We were only together for three weeks but they were a very good and very effective three weeks.
     Right now is vacation time in Sweden which means Stockholm is filled with tourists.  And  all the rest of the Swedes leave on vacations.  The Stockholm ward has not had many people there on a weekly basis thanks to that.  Many of the people we had been teaching also have left on vacations but they should be back soon and then everything will pick up again.     This last week, we met with someone who had referred themselves and it ended up being a prank, that happens every once in a while but he said it was a prank but was still interested in learning what we had to say.  We were able to talk with him and he was actually super cool.  We taught the restoration and when we shared the story of the first vision we could feel the spirit super strong testifying of the truth there.  
   We also heard from Fransesca who is in Spain now and will be going to the Temple there soon, she is super excited to be a member down there.  She's doing good.
   I am really loving Stockholm.  It's just as good as I had always imagined. It's beautiful during the summer all though it's still super hot.  We sweat everywhere we go.  But it's still better than the winter.

Love,

   Äldste Jonathan Moe
Aldste Moe with the senior couple Coombs over the center.
Me and my companion and some other missionaries with Laleh a friend of ours.