SO SARAH!

June 2010 Zone Conference

7 June: "Mr. Collins"

This week has been a long one. Everything exciting always seems to happen on Tuesdays. I always want to tell y'all right away but then the week goes by and the excitment or whatever it is dies away. I have been determined to remember this experience though.

So, there is a youngish man (like 29?) who was baptized in early February. He will be named Marcus for the purpose of the story. (Now you know its going to be good because I chose to use a fake name!). Anyway, he is a bit funny. He is very preoccupied with the idea of marriage and then he just is not very tactful in most of the social situations that I have seen him in. He kind of says funny stuff sometimes but he is a good person and the members are really really patient with his never-ending questions and concerns. So, he has been in the country staying with his adopted parents. We usually teach Marcus a new-member lesson every week. This time we were going to go teach him and his parents (not members)! We knew it could potentially be an uncomfortable experience for us but we were excited about teaching them. We tried with all our might to make it clear to him that this would not be turning into a meet-the-parents thing (he had said some things that made us wonder). We have told him many times that sisters do not talk about dating, think about that stuff, or anything of the sort. The lesson went well. I ate sill (I think it is herring? in a can... I am not sure. raw fish anyway. It was pretty okay.) We were on our way out but Marcus wanted to show us around so we went with the mom and Marcus to see some animals and whatever. Unfortunately at one point-- I have no idea how this happened-- Marcus made some comment about how he would look better if he shaved and then said the Swedish equivalent of "isn't that right, Syster Page?" I acknowledged that he said something with a laugh I think but that was just one of those uncomfortable things he says and I was hoping that the moment would pass. It didn't. I think it must have been that the mom was talking to Syster Robinson for like 3 seconds and that was enough time for this to happen: "I have been thinking, Syster Page, I would like to marry you." Oh snap. I did a lot of looking around at a lot of things that were not in the direction of him and just kept shaking my head and said "Nej. Det går inte (That doesn't go (work)). Nej." Oh dear. Oh dear oh dear. and after that it just came out. I said "inte just nu (not right now)" and I was meaning that missionaries do not talk about that or think about anything like that and convey to him that what he had said was highly inappropriate but he repeated that (inte just nu) too but in a way that makes me think he interpreted it to mean something entirely different. I write this so small to hide my shame. That whole thing wooshed by in about 3 seconds and then his mom and Syster Robinson were back into the conversation like nothing happened! That was the experience. I was very very happy to go. The lesson was good. I couldn't tell Syster Robinson until that night. Oh my goodness. ANYWAY that was what I thought might be interesting for y'all.

Prisla came to church yesterday! All the way from a town that is an hour away! She is 13 and her mom let her take the bus by herself if we would pick her up at the station and take good care of her. We did! We made her breakfast and lunch! (she only ate the apple... ha). It was really fun to be in Young Women's with her. Once those girls started talkign about Zac Efron and Twilight and such, she was totally comfortable. Her parents and her moved from Pakistan to Sweden about 10 years ago. They love Jesus Christ. Prisla accepted the Book of Mormon to be the word of God the first lesson and loves to read in it ("I already do feel like its true actually!") She is a miracle. Her mom loves that she is excited about the church. She thinks we are good examples for her daughter. She reads and learns right along with her, although she has never been to church yet. She reads in Urdu and she really likes what she reads.

I love The Book of Mormon. I really do! It feels so good to read it. It feels really good to trust something so much. It is pure truth and knowledge. I feel the same thing when I read or listen to General Conference talks. I feel like I soak everything in and it feels good. It is so good to me. I know that The Book of Mormon is the word of God. I know that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God. I know that this is Jesus Christ's Church. He leads it and the words that we hear from our leaders are even His words and therefore the words of our Father in Heaven and of the Holy Ghost because They are one. Wow. I can't express my gratitude or what I feel when I contemplate these things. I only hope I am doing enough. I definitley need help. That's what the Lord has promised me.

Thank you for your prayers and thoughts. I love you. I am so grateful to know that I have such a supportive, strong family. Until next week! We are working on getting Sumith baptized this week. He doesn't know it yet (unless the Holy Ghost has told him). He is really humble. We are talkign to him tonight! Just thought I'd let y'all know. Kind of big.

Love,

Syster Sarah Page

Pictures!

"it POURED last week on our way home from our last teach of the day with awesome Sumith. It was like heaven (AKA Houston). It was even warm."

"we made like a hundred cookies and then the thing we were going to take them to got canceled so we didn't know what to do with them all. Luckily, there was a baptism that weekend in our District so we took them there. It was actually really cool. They loved them."

These are "the first day with my companion at the church in Stockholm before we left for Örebro."

26 May 2010

Dear Family,

I thank you all for your letters! Well done! Courtney thank you for your letter and especially the picture. I almost fell out of my chair. I recognize you, Jeff, Hinckley and Leah, but then there was another child... who is that!? I just cannot recognize him at all! I don't know why that was so crazy. When was the last time I saw Ben? Okay, I guess like a year. That blew my mind. How exciting! I'm only four months on the mission and I already don't recognize my family!

The reason my letter this week is late is because it is transfer week (our P-days are on Wednesdays on transfer week). We have transfers every 9 weeks where the President calls and tells you where you will be for the next transfer. So this was my very first real transfer call day on Tuesday. President called and told Syster Robinson and I... that we are staying in Örebro! We are jätte (literally: giant) excited for that! We get to see Eddie's baptism on Saturday and continue to work with our steadily progressing investigators! Eddie had his baptismal intervju yesterday and he is worthy and ready! He is so awesome. That reminds me of a miracle that happened Monday night...

So, Monday night there is Hemafton for the young adults. This week we invited our investigator Sumith (we are not certain if he is a young adult, but we thought it would be good either way) and he actually wanted to come! We also invited Eddie about it but he had said that it might not work this week because he works nights and he would have had his daughter all weekend and his sleep schedule was all off so it would have been like 2 days without sleep if he came. We invited him anyway (of course) and hoped he would come. It's really cool because Sumith works at the gym that Eddie goes to! Who knew!? We found out the first time Sumith came to church and Eddie hälsad him all friendly. It was a MIRACLE: we rode up on our bikes to see Eddie standing there outside the bishops house at 6 o'clock, ready for hemafton! Then Sumith came. Honestly, for me, those yound adult things are kind of hard and weird and just weird but this one was... even worse. The topis was dating so... And the bishop kept looking to me (I was closest to him) and then sometimes Syster Robinson for input! Uncomfortable. All these young adults. It was because we had lived in America so we understood the talk a little better (Elder Oaks to BYU I think about not hanging out) The bishop asked me to define hanging out. In Swedish of course. Just an uncomfortable situation for me. Really funny though. We left early. Our investigators had a good time though! Eddie and Sumith gave input. Nice. All those people are so awesome. If you didn't get it, the miracle was that Eddie could come and that Sumith came and they could help each other and it was awesome.

We had a very sad teach last Tuesday. Oh dear. We went to teach a man named Aziz. He had said that he wanted to know and that it wasn't wrong to know and to learn. We had taught him about 3 times before. We taught this time on the Plan of Salvation. I had read in Preach My Gospel (Recognizing the Spirit chapter) about my job in the conversion process of others. I need to create a climate where the Spirit can teach. I do that by teaching and testifying of the Restoration. That is what I did during that lesson. Yes I did. We would teach about pre-earth life and our purpose and every time I would testify and teach that we know these simple truths because of the Restoration. We have the Book of Mormon and more revelation that has been revealed to prophets in our day. At one point in the lesson, that hit him I think. It was kind of scary and just disturbing to me. I think I feel things really deeply. He laughed and tried to catch us saying something wrong or something and he finally said, "Are y'all saying that the Bible isn't enough??" Yeah that is exactly what we are saying! We answered honestly, "Yes." He asked again to make sure he understood. I think he tried to show us how horrible and evil we were by giving us back his Book of Mormon and then condemning to in the closing prayer. Wow. BUT the Lord really was watching out for us. It was like I felt bad, but at the bottom, I was grounded on a stable sense of peace. That is the peace that knowing the truth brings. I know that I know the truth so my sorrow can only go so far. I had read that very morning about the Restoration in 1 and 2 Nephi. Ireally love reading that now. Love. 2 Ne 28:28 gave me a lot of comfort. Some will not accept the message. It has been prophesied. But some will. I am glad that he understood what we were saying and then rejected it because if he had not understood, then we (missionaries) would be in trouble. It is still of course not good for him, but maybe one day he will change. There is another verse (1 Ne 14:7) in those prophesies that says that the marvelous work will reveal how wonderful people are or it will reveal how not. That may seem weird, but that realyl gave me comfort. It has been prophesied. I am just doing the work. 1 Ne 13:37 says that those who will try to do the Lord's work in these days will be blessed with the Holy Ghost and everything else wonderful (even good looks. read it). I love the scriptures. The Bible is not enough. The Lord is still talking to us. When we pray He answers us. He talks to prohets and apostles and other leaders. He talks through the Book of Mormon. I have a testimony of the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. What a marvelous message to share.

Summer is coming! And we will be able to spend "mid-summer" here! (I don't know what that means, but everyone seems exciting about it..). I think I will put some pictures on here now. I love you all very much!

Love,

Syster Sarah

Letter: 16 May 2010

I love my family so much. Y'all are just so incredibly...incredible! I am so happy to know that you are happy and well and that-- even when things aren't so good-- you know where to turn. I am totally at peace about y'all and that is a big blessing.

It seems like a lot of things are changing "on the home front." I am more than excited to hear anything and everything about the house.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO WILL!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO TRUMAN!

You two are getting old! Seriously. Those pictures of them in my calendar are so super cute: Will bashfully smiling over the kitchen table and then Truman playing baseball I think.

Life is really good here. Some days have been really sunny and warm and then other days have been rainy. But you know what? The rainy days are okej too because I discovered a most wonderful little trench coaty sort of thing in the apartment. It is a little big, but it has a waist tie and then I just rolled up the sleeves a little above the wrists and it is just perfect! I have everything I need! The Lord has provided a back and a light, water-resistent jacket for me! I don't think life could get better. Tulips are popping up like daisies around here! haha No but there are a lot of tulips in little garden bunches and then daffodils and such. Very lovely. And sometimes the air is so full of the smell of flowers that it is overwhelming! I start coughing and such. That has only happened a few times. Its pretty wonderful though. And it is sunny as long as we are up and out (and probably more than that too) 6 30 AM-9 PM. It is kind of like a fairytale land.

Our investigators are doing well. Eddie is just really amazing. We stopped by to see him with the bishops wife on Saturday afternoon. We had been talking about trying to have his daughter be able to come to the baptism too, but that could mean switching to the day. We really felt like it would be very bad to move it back, even one week so we told him that. This just made it hard with his daughter because he doesn't have her the weekend he had picked to get baptised (before he had thought it would be better if she didn't come because he was sure she would try to jump in the font after him). We were afraid when we told him that he would be a little upset or something or maybe offended like we didn't trust his resolve enough to move the date back one weekend. But he just listened. And after we said that we had prayed and thought a lot about it he just totally understood. We said that it would be really awesome for Leona (daughter) to be there though and asked him if he would think about some options like switching weekends with the mom or asking the mom and Leona to come on her weekend. He just really does not like to be around the mom so it had been tough, but now he is considering options. He got really sick on the way to church yesterday so he went back home. We called to see what was up and then we asked him if he would like to get a priesthood blessing and kind of explained what that would be. He said sure. So, the ward mission leader and we went to his apartment that night. I think he was kind of nervous about it (of course). He was way willing though and it was really great. I was just praying the whole time that the Spirit would touch his heart so that he would feel it was right and good and real. I think that this will be a great blessing for him in building his testimony.

We also taught Prisla (13) and her mom who live an hour away. The Young Women leader gave us a ride in her car and helped us teach! She is really awesome. It was perfect because she was baptized after her teenage daughter had been baptized. She had all sorts of experience with things like they are facing. The Spirit was there when we taught and it helped us teach really simply. Our entire lesson last week had been on authority and they didn't really understand, but this week it was different. We were teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ and we talked about authority again just briefly and simply. After we were done, Prisla said, "Yeah, I really want to be baptized by someone who has Christ's authority and power, not someone else." Prisla said that she wants to get baptized in October when she turns 14 and her Mom was okay with that. We think that as she continues to come to church, she will feel like she wants to get baptized sooner and if he mom comes, her mom will feel that it is good too. It is just so tough! It CAN happen. I am excited. The Lord has really blessed them and us. I am grateful I get to witness conversion. It is really amazing. The Spirit does it! It doesn't matter what we say. Well, it does because that can influence whether or not the Spirit can be there, but the Spirit does the changing in them. It is really amazing. What a dream I am living here!

I wish I had some funny stories. Oh! Last week haha we went to Family Home Evening (Hemafton) for the Young Adults (Unga Vuxna) and they were playing sports at the park... We weren't sure if we would play or what. We decided to and it was funny. So, we played "brenboll" (burn ball). It is baseball but you toss the ball (tennis ball) to yourself. Like baseball for Sewdish people haha just kidding. They are athletic too. Just not. at baseball... ha Anyway. There was just 6 of us for most of the time and we stayed because one of the new converts was there. That is pretty much the story... ha It is hard to play sports in Swedish. I kept saying things like "Oh man" or "snap" or "nice" ha. And then sports phrases just don't translate I am sure. Like "you can do it" "you got this." It is funny. It was funny that way though so that was good. It was extra funny because we were sore/stiff the next day. Sore from weak-mans baseball...

That is it family! I love you all. I hope you have wonderful weeks, and Maegan that you just love Houston and then Russia! And Baldwins that you just love Louiser and Maegan! I love you all.

Love,

Syster Sarah

10 May- Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all! and to all a good night!

Just kidding. But actually, I should be wishing most of you a good night at this point, as the sun is going down on your corner of the planet.

Life is good here in Örebro. I told Mom and Dad how to say that, so now they can teach everyone else. I remember that "Osorno" was a task for about 18 months until Libbi came home. That is funny. "Stockholm" is easy enough to say, right? "Örebro" means "Penny Bridge" (well, their equivalent of a penny). Kind of a nice little name.

It sure is nice to be home. We have had some crazy traveling this last week. We went to Stockholm (2 hour train) on Wednesday night for a Mission Tour with Europe Area President President Teixeira and then we came back that evening. And then we had Stake Conference in Stockhom again and we went up Saturday night and left Sunday evening. Tedious travel. And especially because yesterday we didn't have a lunch, so we had a bowl of cereal at 6 45 and then had conference and then got on a train and then got home at about 5 15 and were starving and worn out and irritable. But, I got to call my Mom and Dad and Rachel! I was really grateful that the phone and the card worked well. The Lord blessed me a lot. At one point, the phone cut off so I had to try to call again. When I was waiting for like probably 30 seconds for it to connect and ring, I was praying. I was just telling my Heavenly Father thank you that I was able to talk to them for the 20 minutes before. Even if the connection didn't make it again, I would still love Him just the same and obey Him, but if He was willing that would be very very very wonderful to me if I could talk to them more. And then the phone started ringing. It probably sounds more dramatic written out than it really was. I have a testimony though that the Lord hears the prayers of our hearts. I also know that He blesses us when we exercise faith in Him and express faith in Him. Even if He hadn't let me continue to talk to them, it was comforting for me to know and to think through the fact that I had faith enough to get a "no" answer. I hope that makes sense. Pray and have faith and you can be confident in the fact that whatever happens is what is best and that He is with you. He can't be with us if we do not pray. Anyway, I am SO grateful that I got to talk to my family. I love you all so much.

I was happy to hear about the house. more than happy-- more like ecstatic. I love that stuff. I love new beginnings. There is just so much potential! It will be awesome. And I can't wait for my loafers. I also was very glad to hear a hello from Abby and then a hello for Emily too. The rest of you... just kidding. ha I know you care too. There are a few Swedish phrases that can't be translated in my head. Well, that is because I don't like looking things up in the dictionary-- I like to learn things from context. It's way cooler. Am I right? Of course. haha I listen to a talk and learn like 20 new words without a dictionary or anything and then know how to use them! I think that is a huge blessing from the Lord. Anyway, so then I can't really translate directly to English because I just use the word. One of them is "att hälsa." I don't even know how to spell it. It is like to greet someone. If someone says "Oh and tell them hi for me" they just say to hälsa them for them. It is cool. You say it like "hellsa". And when you walk into someone, you don't really start talking to people until you have "hälsa"d them. That means saying "hej" and shaking their hand. Everyone shakes hands here. It is kind of crazy. Even like these gangster-looking kids once. I saw there was like these 6 kids on bikes and they have all these peircings and tatoos and just thinking they are really cool and then another kid that they knew came up to them and they just shook his had to hälsa him. I was like woah. It looked so civilized. It was a real hand shake. That makes it nice at church for investigators. LDS people shake hands, and they already know how.

I taught my companion how to "stand up" on her bike. It was so funny. Not actually standing up, but you know like you stand on the pedals up off the seat with your legs straight? Yeah, she was just like, "how do you do that?" Cause I had been doing that and I was really confused about how she could be confused. She was like, "when you do it, you look so tall. But look at me." She did it and her rumpa (like "roompa" (bottom/behind/bahonkatail in Swedish)) was still practically on the seat and she just looked ridiculous haha. Her head was all high trying to be tall. And then I looked and saw that the pedals were not level and told her to stand on them at the same level and then it worked. It was so funny. She kept being like, "wow you will teach me all the bike tricks!" and I was just like "tricks?" haha so funny. She also thinks it is really cool when I throw my leg over the bike to get off before the bike actually stops moving and then get off when it does. So funny.

The people here are doing good. Tonight we have a teach with Aziz from Egypt. We met him because we gave this other guy a pass-along card and then he must have taken it and then followed after it and asked who we were. He had apparently met with some missionaries before. So, we taught him Friday at the library. He keeps saying how he feels like it is important to search and find the truth and be willing to search because you can't know until you've really searched everything. That is good but that is bad. I hope that he is willing to make a decision to do something about what he learns. But, this could be it! I think it was definitley the Lord who helped him find us again.

I see miracles everyday. Undeniable ones too. It is really amazing. I love my Heavenly Father. Remeber the day I fasted for my contract to sell, Emily and then I magically saw you after your final and you came with me home to get the thing that I had magically forgotten at my apartment that and then you had e-mailed everyone and people were responding and things that hadn't happened before magically started happening with the contract even on like the last day of the semester? That was amazing. And I never would have seen you, Emily, if I hadn't grabbed the wrong binder-- which I never do. So cool. I jsut read about that in my jourmal.

I love you all. I am so grateful for you all, for all you mothers who have taught me so much by just who you are and who you try to be. I love you.

Love,

Syster Sarah Bear Page

4 May- Hi On You!

Hej på er, familjen! That literally translates to "Hi on you (y'all), family!" I guess it is kind of like saying "Hey there" in English. I think mostly middle-aged or older people say it.

It has been a fun week! Spring has finally sprung here in Örebro and I haven't heard any complaints on the subject. The grass is amazingly, brilliantly green. Oh, that reminds me of something kind of funny. We were cleaning the church building with the ward on Saturnday morning and when we were done with the inside, we moved on to the grounds. Swedish people love to work in the dirt I think. So this is the work we did: Vedel, our really funny (he talks really deliberately and says "Hej" and nods again and again until he is satisfied with the greeting) and AMAZING ward Mission Leader would wheelburrow us over some dark, rich dirt. Then, he would dump it out into little piles. Our job was to redistribute this onto parts of the grass around the church that was not growing so well. It felt very funny. So, we'd take some up with our shovel and then place it in random spots...and hope we were doing it well... ha. We kind of would look around awkwardly to see how they were all doing it. Delicate work. So, now there are patches of dirt on the lawn. We must have done okay because Vedel kept saying, "Duktig, Syster Page! Very good! Ni är dukitga, systrar!" (duktig= clever/smart/good at something).

We had dinner with the Kodia's. They are from Congo and have lived here for about 15 years. They speak French and Swedish. They had a guest staying with them for like a school thing from France. He was funny and I was trying to imagine what it would be like to be around people like him for an entire mission. He was a bit cuckoo-- like the sounds he would make or something about his mouth and when he was playing with the little kids he'd just be goofy/weird. It was funnny. haha I was thinking that Swedes are probably weird too, but I don't know. Anyway, I could understand a lot of their French (well, when the African's were speaking) but then I could not respond. It comes out Swedish. That's okay. It was just blowing my mind a little bit.

We taught this young man yesterday, Norov. He is from Mongolia but grew up here and speaks perfect Swedish and English (and Mongolian. That goes without saying, Tracey). He met us at the Church for the first time. He had met with other sisters, but it had been almost two months since he was taught. He is really busy with school and work. So, we talked to him. He said he had always been atheist, but he just wants to learn about Christianity. We talked about some of the blessings we have in our lives because of our knowledge of God. Then he said something really cool. He said that he wasn't trying to see if there was a God so that he can get something in return, or that he can kind of grant his wishes or something. He said, "I just want to know the truth." I was impressed with him. He thinks about things, and he isn't quick to be disbelieving, even when it is hard to imagine or understand. We watched the Restoration video. We emphasized the Book of Mormon and how answers and knowledge of the truth will some by reading that book. He even prayed at the end of the lesson. It was awesome. He is really sincerely trying to figure it out. The truth is powerful. I am so glad that I can say with confidence and conviction that what I have to offer him is, in very fact, the truth-- pure and simple and from the Source of truth. Whenever I start thinking about, "How can I explain this so that they will understand?" Or I start thinking about trying to make something logical I just stop and smile and realize that I do not have to convince anyone or make anything appealing. What I am saying is the truth. The Spirit is there when I testify of truth. Oh I love that part of missionary work so much. I have always loved bearing my testimony.

Yesterday, our 13 year old investigator, Prisla, from the town far away (Degerfors) came to church with the wonderful member who lives out there too. He gives other people rides too. Anyway, she was nervous and excited and nervous. I tried to make it comfortable for her. Testimony meeting started and it was great. A few people bore wonderful testimonies. Leave it to Örebro församlingen. They are so incredible. But after about 3 people, there was a little break. I had already decided that if there was break that lasted longer than about 3 seconds before I heard someone else getting up, I would run up there. So, I did! I hadn't really wanted to when we walked in. I just didn't know what to say and the language is intimidating sometimes. So I got up there and started to just say truth. I said that I knew that Jesus Christ was my Savior and that this was Jesus Christ's Church and that I was so grateful to be a member of it. I said how grateful I was for the knowledge I have and then I just simply said, "The knowledge I have is: I have a loving Heavely Father, who is God, who loves me. I know that The Book of Mormon is the word of God. I know that we have a prophet today and his name is Thomas S. Monson. I know that Jesus Christ leads this church through him. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen." Something very close to that. Correct Swedish just came out of my mouth and I don't remember thinking about it. I remember looking out at the people in församlingen that I love and then just feeling the Spirit testify through me. It wasn't for me, it was for Prisla and for them. I find myself when I lose myself. Being a missionary helps me do that. I love it.

I think that I'll just be calling you. I think it will be at about 7 15 my time (we are teaching Norov that night from about 6-7). We also have Stake Conference next weekend! And we have a "mission tour" where a General Authority comes and a buch of missionaries go and listen to him. I get to see some of my district (MTC people)! I am excited. Eddie is doing great too. So great. He was in another city DJ-ing this weekend and he went to church in that city! On an hour of sleep! The sisters there helped him out with how to get there, but he went. He is so great. And a DJ. (ha just a little humor there)

Have a great week my little ninos. I wish you all a happy mother's day. All of you!! ha okay, just the Mothers. And the other women a half happy mothers day. I wish you an okay mothers day. ha Anyway! I love you all. No one guessed the song from the last e-mial. hm. ha Have a great week. Tell me about all your adventures (School over, Louiser, Maegan in Russia, the house, everything!). Thank you for your testimonies and for sharing them. I love love love you.

Love,

Syster Sarah

26 April

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO LOUISE BALDWIN! That is the cutest name ever. So the other names that I love and cherish with all my heart are Harriet, Marianne, Josephine, and a few others. Ha I'm kidding. I mean I love the name Louise and I was even the one to suggest that! She looks adorble. Thanks for the pictures too. I hope you are doing good, Kath. and I hope your family is getting better, Jeff. Thank you Libbi for the communication. Ususally, Both of us have nothing to tell. I because I conceal nothing and you because you communicate nothing.

Whoever can guess where I derived this from gets 1,000 Swedish Crowns!

"If you give a little more than you're asking for, your love will turn the key"

Hint: and then it goes on a little something like this (at least in my head) "ooO-Oo III (Ah-yyy) just want to be your EVerything..." in like a falcetto

I thought of that randomly and I was like, "How true that is!" Inspiration comes in various forms. But I really did like that message. I have been trying to let go a little more and love people better. I just have this thing with being on my own. I like it a lot. Any advice? Other than the line from the song? You married people or you people who have served missions with a 24 hour companion. And what does it mean to "compromise." I don't think I know how to do that at all. I think I have just learned to do things my way and not to step on anyone else's toes doing it. I am thinking that that won't really work. I want to do things WITH my companion, but I don't know how. So, about 90% of the time I just let her take it the way she is thinking even when I have different ideas, because she has specific things she wants to do.That kind of wares on me after a while. I just really want to be equal partners and feel like I get to contribute. So, any ideas? It's not so dramatic or anything, I just thought I'd ask.

This week was really good. We had a really miraculous teach with a woman, Nomi, and her thirteen year old daughter, Prisla. They live in Degerfors (an hour and a half busride out of Örebro). We met Nomi at the immigration office when my companion was renewing her visa. We had given her a pass-along card on the bus before we came into the office and then in the office she came up and asked how she could get the Book that was on the card. We were happy to help. She was able to hear a quick first lesson before she got on the bus to leave. When we taught them in their home, they were so receptive. We talked about the Holy Ghost and Prisla was telling us that she feels that when she prays. She said it is this strong feeling that she just can't deny that Someone is listening when she prays. She said it also makes her so happy and she doesn't feel like doing anything bad again. We had decided to teach the Restoration lesson just using the Book of Mormon and it was so powerful that way. They started loving the Book already. Nomi had hers in Urdu (she and her husband came from Pakistan when Prisla was 4). Prisla wanted her own book and she can't read Urdu so Syster Robinson let her borrow her Triple until we come back on Tuesday! Tomorrow! It will just be hard for them to get to church. There are members in a neighboring city (Karlskoga) who said they would be willing to give them a ride. Degerfors is only about 20 minutes from Karlskoga (so about an hour from Örebro). That was one of the biggest miracles of the week.

Before I forget: I am thinking that I will get to call at about 6ish in the evening my time. It will be in the evening for sure. Mother's Day evening. It will be just like my old Sunday evening calls. Maybe you will even be just sitting down to eat! I am going to "read it back to you" (remember? that awesome thing I made up in the Cannon Center?)-- the numbers that I might call, just so that you can confirm that they are right.

Dad's Cell: 011-7-916-202-7212

House: 011-7-495-956-7128

Magic Jack: 801-693-8616 (I will try not to use this one, because it might be more expensive. I don't really know)

Eddie is doing great. He came to church yesterday with his little daughter. The young women in the ward love her and take good care of her. I think that that really impresses Eddie. His baptism date is the 29 Maj so he's got a lot of time. He picked that day, but we think he would be ready earlier. I hope he is baptized earlier. Then I would for sure be able to see it. And he would get baptized sooner.

Nothing really funny happened this week. Sorry. Thank you so much for the e-mails! I was so happy to get them. I was just about to sit right down and write myself a letter and make believe it came from you! Okay, not really. Oh man that reminds me. Okay, something kind of funny happened. Well, I thought it was hilarious. We were on the bus and I do not know what it is with Swedish radio playing these kind of random songs that I happen to love. So the bus stops at the light and I start to make out (because it is quiet) what the song is. Oh dear. That was one of the toughest two minutes I have yet experienced. They were playing "Billy Jean". I had to seriously make myself not dance. No tapping the foot, no shoulders, no head movement. I was just cracking up (well grinning like a weirdo from ear to ear) at how much of a struggle it was. Anyway, that was funny to me.

We baked so many cookies to bring to a service thing we do at the Red Cross in stan but they canceled because they were sick so we had like 50 chocolate chip cookies, in small Swedish bite size. We brought them to the baptism we went to in Västerås the next day (Sat). It was actually really awesome because the young man who was baptized had been begging his Elders (our distrikt leader and companion) to have them there but they had not watned to ask us in case we were busy. Miracle. So he loved them. He calls them "Latter-day Cookies." I think that is so funny. They were so small so they were kind of hard. He said to the elders, "Your's were soft. These are like hard!" haha apparently that was a good quality. That was a really great baptism. He (Robar,20) and his girlfriend (Sofia, 19) were baptized togetehr. When Robar came up out of the water, he grabbed his chest and had this astonished look on his face. He couldn't speak but he just smiled and looked at Elder Hanes and just gave him a big wet hug. It was one of the best things I have ever seen. He was glowing the whole night and hugging everyone no matter how old or young they were except the sisters, he gave a good hand shake) and he's this big bear of a guy. Miracles are happening.

Thank you for your prayers. I love you all. I am excited to call you soon. I don't even know when that is exactly... two weeks? I'll know when it comes! It's in my awesome calendar. I write what I did in every day of that cool calendar. It's awesome. Awseome and cool (I just read over this paragraph ha).

I am excited to be in Sweden. I am excited to be a missionary. I don't know how to send pictures... I don't think I came with all my camera hook up things, like I said before. I'll look into that this week.

About 3 Letters Late...

Sorry folks- I haven't been very good at posting her letters right when they get to me, so this letter is from the middle of April. I'll try to catch you all up.

Hej Hej Familjen igen!

It has been a very interesting week I think.

Kind of a funny story. First: our District leader and his companion told us that we should have a code word for when they call and we are in danger and we can't tell them out loud. They decided (surprisingly quickly) that the code word would be a Pokemon character. They are really weird. But funny and really cool. Story: We were having companionship study in our little apartment and then all of the sudden we hear someone fidgeting with our door handle as if to come in! We were very alarmed. But then, the person on the other side decided to try knocking instead. My companion got up to go answer it and I hurried to follow (you know, so I could protect her) and she cracks open the door to find an old lady with cookies, a cake and, as she explains for us, vanilla cream for the cake. I recognized her from the ward (my companion didn't but she still took it and thanked her a lot). That was really random. I still don't know why she was trying to turn the door handle... (I am singing that one scary song right now in my head that I always sing when something is kind of creepy-- I think my sisters will know. I made it up. Libbi always tells me to stop singing it because its not even scary (she's just telling me to stop because it IS scary...) It's the one that I kind of pair with "A-rooo-RA!aaa Arora Arora A-ro-RA!aa"). And then after when we were talking about what just happened by companion was like, "the first thing that came to my mind was 'Pikachu!'" Oh so funny. And then it was just a nice old lady with cake. Pika Pika!

We also saw a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle in stan (like down town, the center area of town) running around while we were waiting for our bus. He even ran after a convertible and almost caught up to it. He was actually just some kid and I think he and his friends were filming a movie... but he got carried away and was just running around like a crazy peron. It was kind of entertaining.

That same day, we were walking home from tracting in some apartments by where we live and we just happened to be walking at the same time and in the same direction of a youngish man who spoke some English and was very drunk. He was Polish so he sounded very funny. So, we asked him if he believed in God. He told us that he recognised us from the bus station. He had seen us there and I guess he had read our tags. He said he was Catholic. He asked us what was different about our churches and my companion said, "We have a prophet today!" He laughed and said, "No, I mean what is different about our churches." "We have a prophet today!" He started cracking up and said in a really funny Polish accent, "I DON'T believe you!" and the "don't" was like higher than the rest so it was like when Panic says "I DO NOT know" in Hercules. We were glad that he went home after that.

Eddie is great! He chose May 29 as his baptismal date and came to church yesterday and then we had a Young Adults meeting to plan hemaftons (family home evenings) and activities and he was excited about it. We had dinner at a member's house. She is Hungarian so she fed us some great Hungarian soup. We are going to try to suggest May 15 because he is so close to being ready and we don't want to have it drag on too long. But, we mostly want him to like the day and feel like it was what he wants and chooses.

We met Sumith. I think that he was drunk when we met him too, but he was so sad. Oh my goodness. He was an old investigator that we had never met. He called and told us how sad he was and that he really wanted to hear about Jesus Christ. We met him at the Church and he was so sad. He told us how miserable and empty his life is. He told us that none of his friends know this, but he is an alcoholic. His dad was an alcoholic. He told us how much he wants to change. We were able to teach him about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and that Jesus Christ is there for that very purpose. So we can change! We asked him if he would be willing to do what it takes to change. He said yes yes yes yes. He cried. He smiled when we said goodbye. He had said he wanted to be baptized. June 5. We thought he was a little drunk so we weren't sure what to think of the commitments we had extended or how sincere he was. He had told us he would come to church. We said we'd call to wake him up. He thanked us a million times.

Sumith wasn't at church. We called him. He said he had been trying to go to the hospital. He was feeling really sick. He said he wasn't sure if he could drive though. My companion was on the phone with him. She told him to just come to church. He came! Because he "had promised." He remembered! We could tell he wasn't feeling well. It was Elder's Quorum at this time. That was fun! We came with him and Eddie was in there and he came up to him and shook his hand all friendlily (word?). They knew each other from the gym! Sumith taught his class or something! Wow. Sumith could not stay long. He was goind to try to get to the hospital. Wow. He said that he would like to come to institute. This is for real, we think. If he keeps his commitments... wow. He can be a new man! The Lord is really blessing me. I could feel that the Atonement is for Sumith. Jesus Christ tells us to come to Him. He is there to heal the sick, not the whole. Sumith just needs to keep taking steps and he can change! The Atonement can do it. I love Jesus Christ. I know He lives. I know that He loves us and is inviting us and inviting us to invite others to Him everyday. I loved reading in 2 Nephi 26 this week. 23-25 and then he tells us later that he commands us to go out and persuade others to come to Him. Then he says how we can't do it for other people or to puff up ourselves, but He tells us to have charity! The Gospel is for every one (33).

Mom, you can definitely send pictures through e-mail. Please do! I love you all.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HINCKLEY!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JEFF! We are teaching a French speaker but I CANNOT speak any French. I am serious. It is very weird and it seems like I can't help it. The Lord has put my mind in Swedish and English only. Thank you, Jeff, for your amazing example. I think about when we went to pick you up. I think about visiting that little branch and how that older lady loved you and gave you bises and some gift and you said "C'est si gentil" and then how that family was baptized and how patient you were. I look for advice from you. I love you!

I love you all. Have a great week.

Love,

Syster Sarah Page

The song went okay. It was Abide with Me. The Spirit was very strong when we sang. That was great. My companion, Dad, has a poppy-ish kind of voice. Our voices kind of don't fit, but! That's okay. Zone conference was great though.

Mothert's Day call...

We had a great chat with Syster Page last night. She sounded happy and content. She is working hard and looking forward to Eddies baptism in a couple of weeks. She loves teaching the gospel and is doing well in the language. She said she understood church and most everything but the teenager lingo. She love the ward they are assigned too. They are good friendly saints that have put their arms around the investigators. She rides a bike and had some funny tales about skirts flying over her head and such. It was so comforting to hear her laugh! Rachel asked her what she was seeing artound her as we were on the phone with her and she said "...me, I am looking in a mirror that is right in front of me." That is also a familar image (no pun intended). She said her day was 6:30 up and running for 20 minutes, shower dress. Then 1 hour personal study, 1 hour companion study, then lunch bvefore they head out the door at 12:00 returning home at 8 pm for dinner etc and in bed at 10:30. Of coursr sometimes the teaching goes later than 8 but that is about the schedule. She just had Zone Conference which is a 2 hour train ride to Stockholm from Orebro. She sang a couple of hymns in Swedish for us and it was nice to hear the language as well as her voice. We are so grateful for her wonderful opportunity to be a missionary and for her love and joy in the work.

Check out the blog that Sarah's mission has. It is linked here on the right called Sweden Mission. Sarah is in at least 3 of the pictures we found.

"I was meant for Sweden or Sweden was meant for me"

This is Sarah's first letter from Sweden- she already feels like "these are my people!"

Hejsan familjen!

So... I am Sweden! It has been an amazing adventure so far! My Heavenly Father loves me very much and He wants me to be happy. Oh my goodness: life at the Mission home was like paradise. I got to be with all my best friends and then with parent-like figures, in a home that was a mix between our home in Russia and an American home. The food was perfect and everything was perfect. But, I was excited to go out to where I belong.

On Thursday last, we all went out the the chapel in Täby (by the office and home) and had people talk to us for a long time about little detailed things we probably will not remember and we'll have to ask about again if we need it. Then our trainers came in to the room, but they didn't have their nametags on. Ooooo tricky! I thought I would never figure out who they were!! Are they even missionaries? I don't know! Anyway, then the President gave us letters and we read them outloud. I was called to serve in the area of Örebro (a couple hours west of Stockholm) with Syster Robinson. Cool, huh? So, then we had to talk to the Systrar and figure out which was our companion by having a Swedish conversation. I was confused. They told us we couldn't ask their name or what area they were serving in, but then I did not know how you would ever figure anything out... I even asked them how but they were just like, "I don't know." Apparently, we were supposed to ask the question, "Are you my companion?" Who knew? Apparently everyone else... ha So, at first she seemed a little grumpy, but she is way cool and way more positive than things I have seen before. It is great! I think her Swedish sounds really good too. She even does the Swedish Yoda/Gullom in-your-throat talk that Swedes do. Preceeeeeees (Presis) with their tongue all up in their throat and a wide spread eeeeee with the lips. It is funny. I am going to master it slowly. She was stressed out because we (well actually our whole district) is "white washing" which I guess means moving into a new area that neither of the missionaries had ever been in. She has never trained either and the District leader has never trained and of course then never been a trainer and has never been in his area and his companion is Äldste Dean from my MTC distrikt. Exciting! We had to lug around all this luggage from train to bus to apartment! It was pretty crazy. And one of her suitcases' wheels are broken. We dragged it around. Whew. We were worn out. Especially when we went the wrong way for about 5-10 minutes on a slight up-hill. It was kind of fun though. Don't ask me why. I do not think she thought it was fun but she was good about not being negative at all. She is really trying to be a good trainer I think. It is so nice to have someone in charge in the companionship. That doesn't mean she has to do everything but it just makes it so yoú are not always worried about stepping on toes all the time.

I was meant for Sweden or Sweden was meant for me. Seriously, if you saw the way people dressed and the general way they carry themselves, you would be like, "Hey! That is the exact way Sarah always wanted to dress and the way she always wanted to carry herself!" haha No, but every every every single girl wears like tights (I guess I couldn't wear this because it wouldn't be the standard of modesty I'd want to have... but I would want to because ... well just because) or just like leggings but thicker so more like pants and then they wear long shirts over them, casual but nice. And if they aren't wearing those and they want to be more casual, they were like straight sweat pants (meaning not super baggy) that gather at the ankles. And then the best part is their shoes. Everyone wears sneakers here! And they are like high-topping so they go over their little leggings or sweats and their ankles look so cute. haha bUT SERISOULY. haha oops that was an accidental caps lock. But that is funny so I will leave it. And everyone wears like casual hair, little clips or bobbypins, lots of pony tails. And they don't look sloppy. They look put-togehter. Anyway super cool. And here I am. haha no that's cool though.

So my first day here we found our way to röda korset (the red cross) where we taught two ladies that were from Syrian and Iraq Swedish. Ironic. I was taking lessons. ha No, but they couldn't really speak at all, so I think I helped a little. We taught grammar principles so that is what I learned more of. It was funny. I wasn't afraid to speak and the Swedish ladies were like "tre dagar! tre dagar!" (three days) all impressed and I was like, "oh!" all happy that people thought I was "duktig!" (smart or clever or bright... or beautiful. haha just kidding).

So in the city we heard a Michael Jackson song and I was like "yes! these are my people! that is what I am TALKing about!" It was like one of my favorites so it was either "Don't Stop til you get enough..." or "Rock with you". I really can't remember. I also heard my favorite ABBA song! " lay all your love on me" and I really haven't heard very much musik at all. It is cool.

The Lord has really blessed us! TWO investigators came to Church and we have never met them! One came with a member (speaks African French so that was cool to here him translate Swedish to French. My brain was about to blow up "Overload! Overload!"). The other we had called to set up and appointment with and then told invited him to Church but he was iffy and then we texted him the night before and then he came! Middle aged syrian man Schafik. Super coolt.

Oh my goodness gracious. This ward is ridiculous! 1) It is a ward (about 100 people) 2) they are just ridiculous! Every person came up to us and shook our hands (a little stressful because they all also talked to me so...) and they all love the new members that were recently baptized. The mission leader is so amazing! He taught so simply and such important basic things in the class and he is SO willing to do things. We usually teach people at the library so we were telling him that and then he was like, "wouldn't it be better if you taught in members' homes? I think that would be the best thing." Uuuh YA! Hello! Allå! It was like nothing to find members to go with us to our appointments this week. My companion is super surprised and really excited so I think that this is out of the ordinary. I know that is not really how our ward in Houston went. Well I don't really have any idea. They never asked me to do anything and I never knew the missionaries. They also had us bear our testimonies in testimony meeting. Oh dearie. I was nervous. An entire ward of Swedes. I was apraying. And I walked up there all "confidently" and bore my testimony relying upon the Holy Ghost and the mercy of the Lord. I actually said what I wanted to. I said that I felt like the Lord had many blessings he wanted to give Örebro and miracles in store. I expressed how excited I was to be there with them and in Sweden and on a mission. And I bore my testimony, especially of Jesus Christ and His church. I was just hoping they understood. The night before we were trackting and a lady could not understand me. Well, she couldn't understand my companion either... hmm maybe she as drunk...hm I do not know. Anyway that made me all nervous. People can't understand me?? Oh dearie.

But after the meeting people came up to me and they said I was "fantastis!" and they even said I have no accent! haha That one was probably a lie but they said "Americans usually have an accent. Who was your teacher? Do you do something with musik? That means you have a good ear." Then my head was like floating above my body so... I have to remember I don't speak Swedish. That's not really that easy to forget actually so that's good. I can understand about 50-60% at Church and about 80% with context and just guessing and then out of Gospel talk I can understand like 20-30%. 30 with hand motions and facial expressions. The ward is awesome. They will take really good care of us.

So funny stuff. In conversation tehre are a few things that are a little disconcerting. Sudden short gasps or intakes of breath during a conversation mean that the person in understanding, like "uh huh uh huh uh huh" with the head nod that Americans do. I hope that I won't have to translate it soon because I am always immediately like "wHAT?! are you okay!?" In my head and then I remember that actually means that everything is okay. They also say "Ah" that kind of goes up at the end, in tone. It sounds very condescending to me. They say that during a conversation instead of like "okay. okay" or like "ya. ya. I am starting to get it." It just sounds like "Uh yeah. I know... you stupid person." It doesn't mean that at all. haha well... I hope not... Anyway, just funny stuff. And then the yoda thing. haha I am going to be weirdo when I come back.

We have miracles ahead of us hear. We have met some promising people and the missionaries left a few promising people for us! This is exciting. Thanks for listening. It did put me in a better mood. I am just so tired... and it is the beginning... haha I can do it! And Spring is coming! It is not going to be exactly like this forever. Things change. Things progress! That is what I love about the Gospel. One of the things.

D&C 78:18-19 I think. That is my philosophy! I am not expected to know and be able to do everything now. The Lord will prepare me for things I need to be able to do in the future if I keep doing the best I know and living the commandments as best as I understand them. Life is great. Thanks for listening. I feel much better now! I love you all. I pray for you!

Love,
Sarah

In Sweden

Syster Page has been in Sweden for almost three weeks now and she seems to be loving it. This is a letter from about a week ago or so, and she seems to be having a wonderful time. It reminds me of something she once told me when she was probably 15- "no matter where you are or what you're doing, it's YOU who decide whether or not you are happy". I can tell that she is working hard and having some difficult times, but she always chooses to be happy through the trials.

Hej Hej Familjen!

I am so glad to be able to talk to you today. I cannot believe that I have only been in Örebro for less than two weeks! So much has happened! How much I will have to tell! (So much I will have conceal...) hahaha. I just shared that with Sys. Robinson. She didn't get it. I hope you do! ha Anyway...

We have had some great times. I thought today that I would tell you about some more detail-y, interesting intricacies of my missionary life. We travel primarily by bus here and by foot. I love the buses! It's so nice. No car to take car of and find a parking spot and fill up. BUT there is always a ride waiting for you at a pretty convenient time. So we wait at bus stops a lot and ride buses and talk to people there. My first day was funny. I was all pumped to talk to someone on the bus and this cool family gets on. The dad was pretty scary-looking (hairy and big) but the mom had a stroller and a baby and was talking to some other lady. I was sitting by the window. The man then turns and looks at me (weak smile from me) and then decides to sit down with his huge back to me so that he could face his family. I was pressed up against the window now. Oh it was funny. And stressful! They were all talking to each other and I was up against the wall and I wanted to talk to them but I didn't know how and I wanted to talk to someone but now I couldn't cause I was up against the wall. There is not really a cool ending to that particular story. They got off the bus.

We also contact a lot while walking. Oh boy that is crazy! All internally crazy. ("Do I talk to them? Should I talk to them? What about them? Oh I don't know what to say! Maybe my companion will talk to them. No. I should just talk to them. Don't I have any faith!?") "Hej, ursäkta!!" I usually try not to yell. I usually try to just say something at all. It is getting better. It is just hard to know who to talk to when there are dozens in front of you. Just open your mouth to someone! That's what I say. Anyway.

We had a few crazy men this week. They are old men that are a little crazy in the head. We met one that just came up to us while we were sitting in the library waiting for our investigator. I could not understand roughly 99% of what he said and it was very confusing because at one point he got very close to me and was smiling and patted my shoulder and I was like "Oh dearie..." and I was trying to have enough of a smile to be nice and not enough to be too nice. But oh man. And then at one point he stood up and started like jumping and dancing a little bit and then all of the sudden the most miserable look of despair came on his face and his whole person and he walked away with his eyes down and walked away muttering so sad. It was very sad. But then very funny. But then sad. My companion was by my side and all of the people in the library who were trying not to watch, so we were good. The other crazy man was just asking us for "Tia kronor! Tia kronor!" (ten crowns) Blowing cigarette smoke in our faces but he left as soon as I said "Jag har ingen pengar" (I have no money-- probably wrong.) He quickly moved on. Whew. That was at the train station on our way to Distrikt Meeting (Distrikts Mötet) in Västerås. (By the way: 'å' is my favorite Swedish letter. It is very pretty looking and cool sounding. It is like 'oh' but then with a tiny subtle 'a' at the end. The word for Easter på Svenska (in Swedish) is Påsk. It is kind of like a Brooklyn accent. Ho-at Do-ag for Hot Dog. Yeah... I don't know. Think about that one.)

Oh man. Funny story. And good story. We were going to go teach Henri (a new convert that we had never met in person) at Hans's house (a member who we had never met in person). Cool. We knock on Hans's door and he is like 22 and I was expecting 50. Okay. And then we are like "Hej hej" and he's all like "Henri is not here yet, right?" and Syster Robinson is like "Oh yeah no he said he'd be late." ... and then my companion realizes what he means (that that means we can't go in yet) so we are like "Uh well we should just go wait for Henri downstairs." haha Awkward #2 was waiting for mystery Henri. We say a few people come in but then this one guy was like "Hej hej" I was like "Hej hej...?" And then he must have realized and was like "Jag är Henri." ha funny. Then the lesson. Oh man. Nothing was too funny in there but then so many things afterward were funny because of Syster Robinson. I don't know if I'll ever be quite as uncomfortable with situations as she is. Oh man so hilarious. We were walking out of the building toward the bus stop and she is just like "Oh my goodness! Could it have been any more awkward!?" I was confused. haha She was saying how she had had to sit "on a bed next to a guy!" (on the end of a couch that was made into a bed and she was not next to him (Henri) at all, she was as close to the wall and as far from him as humanly possible). Oh so funny. She was freaking out. It was so funny. She was just talking about how she just couldn't speak and how she was like a robot and so boring. Oh so funny. Hans asked if we wanted to ficka afterward (which just means like drink something and eat something and just hang out/talk) and I wasn't sure what he had said so I couldn't respond and then Syster Robinson was apparently stunned from discomfort that she could not respond and it was just very uncomfortable for all present. Luckily she got out that "we have...bus...yeah" oh so funny. I hope that made you laugh because I was almost going the bathroom in my pants walking to the bus stop from the way Syster Robinson was reviewing the evening.

The lesson was really good though! I actually felt like I could express myself well. It was because I was bearing my testimony of the Savior. Henri had expressed to the previous sisters there that he did not feel worthy enough to go to church and take the Sacrament when he had not read the scriptures that week or something like that. He felt like he had to be perfect. We talked about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and how it is an ongoing process. I bore my testimony of the Atonement and of Jesus Christ. I said that I am weak. Since I have become a missionary I have really seen that I am not perfect. I said that I cannot speak Swedish and I am not brave enough or good enough to be able to do all the things that the Lord has commanded me to do, BUT that is why Jesus Christ came to earth. I testified that without Jesus Christ I am nothing. And with Him I can do anything. I need to use the Atonement in my life because I am not perfect.

I also had a very special experience bearing testimony to a lady on the sidewalk while we were walking to the Church for a child's baptism in the ward. She was out with her daughter and maybe husband. I was able to bare my testimony of how the Gospel of Jesus Christ blesses families. I explained how it had blessed my family by helping us love each other and serve each other better and helped us grow closer. I saw a physical change come over her. She was looking straight in my eyes and I knew that she knew that I was sincere. I love bearing testimony. That is when I feel the Spirit so strongly and my tongue is loosed. Much more is communicated in a testimony than words. The Spirit can carry our message of truth to there hearts. I saw that. She gave us her name-- Helen-- and pointed to where she lived and gave us the address! Miracles are happening here in Örebro.

We also went door tracting this week on Thursday evening before Påsk. No one was home for some reason. One door did open for us. This was exciting because we had a new little thing we wanted to try, especially for Påsk. We offered to sing a hymn about it. The man (about 30) stood at the door with his 3/4 year old son. He asked the son if he wanted to hear a song. The boy said no, all shy. We kept talking about Christ and how we celebrate Påsk by celebrating the reality of Jesus Christ. We offered him the "Finding Faith in Christ" DVD and asked him to watch it. He said sure. We asked if it would be okay if we came back sometime next week to see how it went. He hesitated and thought for like 5 full seconds and then was like, "Jah." Ja! He asked his son again if he was sure he didn't want to here a song. The boy said okej this time. We sang with all our hearts "Jag på Kristus Tror" ("I Believe in Chirst"). That was my testimony and I could feel that the spirit of testimony was reaching him. After the song, the boy ran to go get his Thomas the train and show us and then offered to sing us a song and then asked us to sing again. He even told us his mom could sing too. The dad (Johan) asked us wehere the church was and it just ended so well. We are going back on Thursday to see how the DVD went. The Lord has blessed us very much.

They only had Conference yesterday in Swedish... I was a little sad but it was a great blessing! I learned that I learn much more by the Spirit during Conference than through the words. Thoughts and impressions still came to me and the Spirit testified to me while Pres Monson was telling a story that I did not even understand that Jesus Christ lives and of how immense the Salvation that He offers us is! That confirmation to me by the Spirit and not by mere audible words gave me a great confidence that the Spirit really in my companion.

I have to go. I love you all very much. thank you for your prayers. One night, I really remember being impressed that you are praying for me and that I felt the strength from the prayers you give for me. Thank you. I love you. And thank you for the package! I love it all! I especially liked your note Abby. Those are definitely St Patricks Day socks... Easter green... hahaha. I love you! Have a great week and talk to you later! I wish I could share more!

Love,

Syster Page

Sarah calls home!

We just got off the phone with Syster Page. It was so good to hear her happy voice. She called us at 1:30 am our time from SLC airport but only had aboout 5 minutes until she had to get onto the plane. She said she would call us from Paris since she would have 6 hours inbetween flights there. Dad worked from home so he could be here when she called. She said she spoke French to the passport control and she tends to speak Swedish with a French accent.

There are 11 missionaries in her group traveling to Sweden. Sarah is very excited to get there. I asked what she was wearing today and it was this same shirt and skirt in this picture. I am sure the shirt is tucked in now. The flight was long and she did great without an ipod or the movies. Sarah sounds older and more mature Dad says. I asked what she wanted me to pass along to everyone and she said "tell them I love them and am excited. I am doing good."

Love for our Syster

Hello, friends and family of Syster Page! Sarah really appreciates all the letters and messages that she has been receiving from y'all, and would love to get some more! Please, please, please send Syster Page some love! Look at this girl- she needs all the love she can get!

You can use dearelder.com to send her a letter for free while she is at the MTC- here is her information:

MTC box #: 135

Mission Code: 0324

Estimated MTC departure date: March 22

So for the next few weeks send her some letters to the MTC, and after that I'm sure she'll appreciate letters from friends even more! Check her facebook information page to find her address for Sweden. Thanks for all the support, and even if she cannot send a personal message back to you we know she is thinking of you and is truly very grateful!

Last Letter of February

Here is another letter from Sarah I never posted...she's loving Swedish, the Gospel, Christ, and jokes. Not a whole lot has changed...

Hejsan igen familj!

I am happy to be able to talk to you again. Thank you for your prayers and thoughts and advice. I love them. I never get tired of them. Well, so far. I was a little sad this week because I didn't get very much this week mail wise, but then I realized that I was probably still getting about double what I will get after I leave the MTC so I got over it and was more grateful. All about perspective!

This week I celebrated one month on the mission! We called it Karleksfest (Share-leks-fest) which literally means "lovefest." We found that word in a hymn and thought it was funny (in the song (Come ye Disconsolate) it says 'the feast of love'). We didn't really do anything to celebrate... but it was still fun to recognize our progress so far.

I love Swedish! And this week I started to think that maybe I was meant for this language! It is super expressive, with tons of tones and ups and downs so much that it sounds like singing to people who hear it (like the Danes, Dutch, and Norwegians down the hall). I love speaking it and I think eventually I'll be able to really express myself.

I attended my first Branch Council meeting. I was called as the Music Coordinator for my Branch so that's why I was there. ? Ha but my companion is coordiating sister so I had to be around anyway. It was nice. I am really happy to have a responsibility in the Branch. Before I forget: My Branch President is President Ahlander and his wife is Sister Maxwell Ahlander, Martha Maxwell's Aunt. There son served under Mike Jensen as mission president. I am also curious if Sarah Doxey has received a mission call. That is all. They come with us to the Temple almost every week. That is really cool. They love us and take good care of us.

The role play philosophy has been very wonderful. The more we practice the situation, the more I learn! It is so beautiful. We had practiced a lot this week with the first lesson and teaching different people, so when it came time to go to the TRC and teach it (pa Svenska) it was smooth and the Spirit truly guided us!

I made the goal (I started on Karleksfest, tror jag) to read Mormons Bok entirely before I leave for Sverige. That will be a lot of reading! But I am excited. In the last 4/5 days I have read more than 100 pages so I think it will work! I love the scriptures.

I love my Savior. I have been taking note of when Jesus Christ invites men to come unto him. Many times he invites us to see for ourselves. Feel the prints of the nails in his hands, thrust our hands into his sides. He tells us that His hand is stretched out still. I have been thinking about what that really means. His Hand. The symbol of His Atonement and His Love. He stretches His Hand out to us to invite us to take hold of it. Use the Atonement. Apply the Atoning blood of the Savior to us. We should not suffer if we take His Holy Hand. We must take His Hand in order to be led into our Father's presence again. I love my Savior Jesus Christ. I know He lives. He weeps with me when I weep and rejoices when I rejoice! I know I will be safe and happy if I strive be led by His Holy Hand.

I would like to request a French testimony. It has just so happened that I can no longer access any French once I have started learning Swedish. I think we will be flying to Charle Du Gaulle so I would love the lingo to testify! Merci! Je sais que.... Evangile? Merci mes cheries!!Oh dear.

I am sooooo sorry that I literally have no time to write almost anything other than this on P-days! It is most frustrating. I have been working on the same letters for the last 3 weeks! I am so sorry. Y'all know that I would write you though, right? I have always been good at the keeping in contact thing. I love you all and I REALLY DO APPRECIATE WHAT YOU SEND ME and I am truly sorry I can't send personal things as often as I want to.

Quick: Yesterday in class we were talkin with Bro Killian about being rejected on the street or something or he was telling us a story abou it. He said thy'd be like "yeah whatever, you are not worth my time" or "yeah go to h---" (the --- is for you Carissa). Everyone in the district was just quite and a little embarrassed or confused. Then he was like "I just realized I shouldn't have said that." We all kind of laughed and then A. Dean was like, "We were all like '... (mouths open)' People actually SAY THAT!!? What have we gotten ourselves into!!?"

First Letter of March

Here is another letter from Syster Page. Her letters are getting more and more exciting- this one even has a suspenseful sequel to it!

Thank you for your letters! They really make my week. Thank you Katherine and Abby for the most recent letters I received (via DearElder) och thank you for the rest of the letters I got. Yes, I have received the letters you sent via DearElder, Jeff and Courtney-- and thank you for them! Really. I love hearing from you all.

This week was exciting. It's March! I just got the cookies you sent, Mom/"fam fans." I am excited to share them. Today we are having our second "English Fast" of our stay here at the MTC. The first one was Friday and we fasted (from food and drink) too, for the Svenska foklet (eller "Swedish people"). It was really great. Man, it really hit me this week how seriously easy Swedish is. People ask if it is hard. The only real answer to that has to be no. I mean it is harder than not learning a new language, but if you are going to learn a new one, this would be just about the easiest one ever! It has the same sentence structure as English! I was just remembering French. That is hard. With all the le and en and y and la and all switched order. I am very blessed to be able to learn this. It still sounds kind of hard! Nice. I hope you will forget this and be really impressed when you hear me speak later. I am still very blessed by the Lord in learning the language and I still really need his help.

To be continued....

I love you!

Okay here we go again!

Now, I am in the laundry room with all my best friends. Well, all my friends. That is literal. Anyway-- hey Elder Badoni (Lance) is on my floor for class! Interesting, eh? Ja. It's pretty cool to have that connection.

One of my biggest weaknesses is laughing. I mean, I just laugh when I am happy and being a missionary makes me happy so I like to laugh. I am working on it. Like this week in Districts Meeting, we were in this small room all in a circle around the room and then we had to stand up and sing. But, we didn't have books or anything so we all stood up to face eachother and sing and we didn't know where to look or what to do with our hands and it was just funny! So, I tried hard not to laugh, but then my face was turning all red and apparently no one else was really having a problem except one Elder who just always laughs when someone else is laughing even if he doesn't know why. It was funny. Anyway, there you go.

The TRC was good this week. We taught the first lesson again in Swedish. We are struggling to learn the second lesson now in Swedish. We have to teach Sara (our teacher) tomorrow. My teachers are so funny and SO different. Syster Ronndahl is literally funny and Broder Killian is funny in the not funny way. Funny. He is just very serious and very black and white and likes to be our boss. I don't like so many bosses who are not really my bosses. Well, he is pretty much the only one who is not my boss. I have many weaknesses as you can see.
I am wasting time trying to think of things to say! Thank you, Mom for telling me about Sarah Doxey. And I hadn't heard. That is exciting. Isn't that kind of where she wanted to go? Koolt.

Congratulations, Rachel, on your solo. That is way exciting! I do not know that song, I think. I sent a few things out this week; I hope that you got them or get them soon.

This week I learned more about the Atonement. That reminds me: Dad, I don't know if you realized it, but your testimony was in English and I think you meant to do it in French. I am not sure. I was wondering if someone could write a testimony to me in French.

I love my Savior. I love you! I have to go!

Syster Tryckster

Well I got a letter from Sarah today and she announced to me that she has performed some great "tricks" on her MTC district, which include stealing and switching all the Elder's name tags on their suit jackets and stealing peoples foods off of their plates while they aren't looking. She calls them "stress relieving irritatings". She has informed me that she is coming up with more tricks to play on people, so I'm sure we'll hear about more!

Sarah at the Finland Temple - almost Sweden. Dec 30, 2010

Another Letter...

Wow! Thank you, thank you, thank you for your letters and e-mails! I think it is hard for me to express how much I appreciate them all. I love your testimonies you share and your encouragement and even just the little things you mention about life. I just love hearing from you. I would also like to suggest sending me mail via DearElder.com. It's very simple-- like an e-mail-- but I am able to get it the day you send it so that I don't have to use my very limited computer time to read the awesome messages that I want to spend much more time on. I also love hearing from you and all the wonderful miracles that are happening because I feel like, in a small part, those are part of the blessings we will receive from my missionary time. Sister Hinckley said to the missionaries once, "It is a great thing you are doing. But, it is the least you could do." Anyway... So, dearelder.com and my departure date is March 22.

I would like to request, if I could, that Emily and Libbi go pick out a big sweatshirt for me, Maegan has those kicks at her house, and the more family pictures I get the better! Other than that I am doing pretty well.

I LOVE Swedish. I am telling you. The gift of tounges is taking miraculous effect in my life! I can pray pretty expressivley, bear my testimony, and teach basic principles relatively easily. And, when I wait for the word, it comes! And I can explain. I love it. The Gospel is beautiful in every language. I am really glad that I have been exposed to so many different languages. The Norwegians, the Danes, the Dutch are on my floor. At least the first two of those are VERY similar to Swedish, so that is exciting. We can talk together easily. Oh, and we all speak English pretty well too, just in case.

So, some funny embarrassing moments. I recognized my teacher Broder Killian because he used to work maintenance here and I was in the cafeteria. So, we recognized each other on the first day and that is a little embarrassing because I recognized him because I liked his face. BUT that was easily forgotten until the other night when I had a dream about him and then the next day was very uncomfortable for me in class. hahaha Then the systrar and I were talking in the hall before class and commenting on how he is way more laid back and nice that he was the first week and I said pretty loudly, "Brother Killian!" Like in a surprised and pleased way. Yeah, he was right down the hall. That was pretty funny. It is not that funny on a computer... try to imagine. And I am sure he is already nervous that we are weak, new sister missionaries that are in danger of falling in love with him. Anyway, I hope that comes off as a funny story... that was about a week ago.

Then, I can't tell you the other funny embarrassing story because the Elder is (right by me but his dad is the one who sings "I'll make a Man out of You" if you know what I mean). He is going to the Netherlands.

I had a great lesson with my companion yesterday! It was an answer to prayer! It was a confirmation of my faith that the Spirit will teach the lesson. The Spirit was there, it was impromptu so we literally did not know the words we should say BUT we taught with the best unity that we have ever taught with, we used the scriptures powerfully and effectively. We taught from Moroni 7 about Christ's love charity to our "investigator" and were able to teach him that it was the Spirit that was teaching him. I felt so grateful! I love the scriptures. I would write more Swedish but I don't know how to do the symbols and you won't get it without them.

Elder D-son just announced that he is on his fifth page.

I like how some of you think I have not been discouraged. I certainly have been, BUT the happiness I feel now comes from my testimony that the discouragement does not last! The Gospel is TRUE! And it had been restored through a prophet of God!

I love you all very much. I hope you all continue to have wonderful miracles. Get married and be blessed with children and houses and success and peace and happiness in all that you do!

Love,

Syster Page