"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