Having small successes every day!

Hej allihopa,

  This last week has been pretty cool.  We had another person join the ward through baptism here in Södertälje.  Someone who the sister missionaries had been working with. The ward is rapidly growing.  We are seeing missionaries in the members.  That's how it should be, the gospel should seep through every bone and bit of our body until sharing it becomes just as natural as opening the door for someone with their hands full. 

   At the baptism on Friday we had one of our investigators there.  He happens to be a friend of the woman who was being baptized.  So we started talking to him about baptism and he said, "you know what, your right".  He then went up to the bishop and asked to have a meeting with him, they came out of the meeting with the plan for him to be baptized on the twelfth of October.   It is a good goal that they set and we hope to help him make it.

   Probably my biggest inspiration of the week came from Preach my Gospel. I was studying again about patience and really learned about problems we face in life. When everything is storming against us and we seem to have these giant obstacles in life and we get frustrated and feel defeated it is not these obstacles or the storm that is our problem. Instead it is our short-sightedness, it is our desire for a quick painless solution that is our problem. That is where the pain is derived. With patience our quote on quote "problems" are not even problems, they are just experiences which might have been hard but we learned from. I love the perspective the gospel puts on our lives and the peace we can find in it.

   Sometimes it does not feel as if we, as missionaries, see the results of the work we do, but every time we do, its worth it.  We had a member who hadn't been to the ward since they moved in a while before.  We were praying over who to go by one time and felt as if it would be good to try and find that person.  After hunting them down (there was a wrong number and address on the list) they said they would come to church.  Since then they've come every Sunday and been very helpful to us as missionaries.  Just yesterday they told us, "Thank you, thanks for seeing my name on the list".  The person was extremely grateful for the love we extended.  That is what we do as missionaries we only extend Gods love he has for everyone.

Hej då Kött och Blåbär,

Äldste Jon Moe

BLOG,

Hej family, I love all of you so much.  I hope everything is going really well.

love,

  Jonathan Moe

My life isn't complicated by trivial things!

 Early morning fog on the tracks in Södertälje

A dock near Hovsjö

This last week was AMAZING!  We saw some real miracles happen.  Not only in our area but in the entire mission.  Yesterday, in Church the Chapel was almost filled.  We thought we were going to have to stand but there was barely enough room.  So many people who we have been visiting are now starting to come to church regularly.  We have also made plans for Hawas daughter to be baptized soon.  Hopefully it won't be long. I'm really excited for her and her entire family. 

    Personally, the thing I have been working on is diligence.  Already I work hard and come home tired.  But even when home there is more to be done then sitting on the couch and relaxing/reflecting on the day.  There is always something to be done and I just need to make sure I am trying really hard to always do something productive. My life isn't complicated by trivial things.  I have one purpose and I'm trying very diligently to do that one thing and that is to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ.  To do as Jesus would do.

    The church is growing here in Sweden.  Things are moving and soon we will likely have stakes covering all of Sweden.  That will be a major prophecy fulfilled for this country.  Not only is Sweden seeing a lot of people converted to the Church but a lot of people coming back to activity.  I am so grateful for the opportunity to be here during this time and have the blessing to help the church in this country grow.  Right now there are close to 170 missionaries in Sweden.  God wouldn't send so many if there wasn't something big to be done. The church has a debt to Sweden in a way, since so many of the early converts to the church originated in Sweden and sacrificed so much for the early church. 

   The area I'm currently in, I feel as if I speak more English with Investigators then Swedish right now.  The area has a large African and Middle Eastern population.  Because Sweden accepts so many refugees I really do meet people from all over the World.  It is a unique experience.  It is also very humbling seeing these people who come from their homes and do their best to build a life here in a country a lot colder then their's and a language quite foreign to their own.  My companion and I speak Swedish to each other and throughout the rest of the day though.  

    This last week we had a member come with us to an Investigators house to help talk about the Book of Mormon.  This Investigator in the past has never seen the real importance of the Book of Mormon.  We taught him and we testified of the power the Book of Mormon has but also of the reason we have it.  We have it for a few reasons and we talked about all of them.  He began to connect the dots and as the member testified and they shared why the Book of Mormon is so important to him the spirit came in and testified of all that had been said.  Afterwards the man said, yes I see why it is important, but I have to find out for myself if it is true.  He is reading furiously to try and receive his answer.  I know God well enough to know that he will answer.  I've learned to trust in God in all things.

Love,

   Äldste Moe

 Me on a horribly rusted car.

Beautiful Sweden!

It's been an amazing week!

View from a hill near Sodertalje.

Planning our schedules

Hawa from Liberia got baptized!

Hej alla,

   This last week has been quite amazing.  Someone we've been working with for a while was baptized.  We had Elder Lowry the senior couple Elder in our ward baptize her.  The Sodertalje font hasn't really been working so we only had cold water.  We were really trying to make it warmer but the cold water just had to do. 

    Another really cool part of the story is when we were over at our investigators house for the Baptismal interview.  Her husband has been studying with another church group and is okay with her being baptized but hasn't ever given us attention.  While the interview was going he asked a little about baptism and about the church.  Just yesterday we were talking with our bishop and he asked about the whole family and we said that we haven't had an opportunity to talk with the entire family.  The Bishop said that he wanted to come to their house next time so that he could help make sure the entire family is taught.

     We are working really close with our Bishop right now and he really is a blessing from God.  We are working with him and the ward mission leaders to really create good relations all throughout the ward, between members, missionaries, and non-members in our area, that includes just about everyone.  President Hinckley said, one time that anyone associated with missionary work knows there is a better way then knocking doors, and that is through the members.  I  know his prophetic advice to be true.  It is only when members and missionaries come together that we see miracles in the work. 

   The baptism was the perfect example of members and missionaries coming together and bringing to pass great things.  I'm so happy for her and her family.

 MVH,

     Äldste Moe

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