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.
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