February 23, 2015

Hey all y'all! It been a pretty crazy week, so I hope I'll be able to tell you all about it. Most of it wasn't planned for, so it's not in my planner, which is what I base my letters off. We'll see how it goes, eller hur?
   So Monday, we went to Visingsö and Marcus jumped in with, which was cool, because I wouldn't have been able to see him again if he hadn't. Also, he had a car, so we were able to see the entire island, not just the part where the ferry gets in. A couple more castles and the eight inhabitants of the little town on the island, it was really cool. I had a good time.  After that, we went to a sushi bar, and to my great surprise, I hated it. Still. It actually wasn't too surprising. At all. But it was fun anyway.
   Tuesday was packed with member lessons because for some reason, they wanted to say bye to me. I wasn't expecting it, but it happened, so that was super cool. It also turned out to be Fat Tuesday, so we had four semlor. One is a lot. But you can't say no when a member is giving you one of these things. They're the size of half my head, I kid you not. But it was really cool. I'm going to miss them, but I'm definitely going to have to go back to visit.
   Wednesday was travel. Got up in the morning and got onto a train. And then another train. Then I hung out with a bunch of missionaries at “The Ring” in Stockholm for about an hour, then I got onto a train. Then I got onto another train. Then I got off the train in Sundsvall since this is where I am not living. I met up with Elder Steen and now we're together 24/7. That was the day. It was really long, but you basically got all the details.
   After Wednesday, I don't really have anything too specific that happened, so I'll just give the general situation up here. Steen and I doubled in, so we don't really know what's going on. The other elders doubled in too, so they don't know what's going on either. There is a brand new syster and the other syster barely got here, so we don't really know what's going on between the six of us. It's fine, we'll figure it out.  We had a pretty great week. Distrikt meeting went well, learned who everyone was. It's going to be a lot of fun. We have a fantastic distrikt.   I'm all settled, all unpacked, and working hard. Our apartment is awesome. A nice balcony view. Heated bathroom floors. And my personal favorite, WE HAVE A FREAKING DISH WASHER! It's been great.
   So yeah, hopefully I'll know what's going on soon. I will have gone to Stockholm and back by that time. Yay! Meetings! More travel! Anyway, I hope you all are having a good time. I guess I'll write some thank you notes, because if you're not thankful, you get super sad.

Thank you Proselyting Office Elders for booking me a train ride with four switches. It's not like I'm going to have to carry three bags all weighing more than 50 pounds each or anything.

Thank you Elders who doubled out of the apartment I'm living in now for leaving us food. No really thanks. We don't have any money left for the rest of the week.

Anyway, that's it for me! Have a great week!
Äldste Heiner

My Distrikt people.

Fun things we found in the apartment.

Great find.

This thing drives around and melts ice.  I want one.

A cool picture we took.

Lego R2D2

"The Abridged Guide to Dealing with Women"
Volume 1 of 25.
We have learned that "Nothing means Everything!"

February 16, 2015

Hello everyone! I hope you weren't expecting a long email (but if you'e my mother, I know you were), because we are heading out to the island today for my LAST PDAY IN JÖNKÖPING. I got a transfer call! I'll be heading up to Sundsvall, Norrland. Colder. So yeah. I’ll give you a few highlights of the week, if you really want.

   I went to another hockey game on Tuesday! It was super fun. I had a great time.

   Huba is progressing really well, and I'm super excited for him.

   We went to a brunch with the Hegyessy's at Ikea. It was pretty good for a furniture store breakfast buffet.

   The Skövde elders made tacos for the distrikt after distrikt meeting. They're really good at making tacos.

   We had a really good activity with the Schelin's. People showed up to their place to play games and eat semlor.

   Juan had us over. I love that guy. He gave Elder Jones a really nice copy of the Beatles White Album. It's pretty cool. I prefer my bomber jacket, but Elder Jones it super psyched about these records.

   Friday the 13th. No one met with us. Fun fact.

  Anyway, I better do my thank you notes now too. I won't be able to do them later.

Thank you Semlor for having your own holiday. "Fat Tuesday" just shot to the top 5 of my favorite holiday list.

Thank you Ikea scrambled eggs, for being the EXACT same color as those dressers we looked at.

That's all for me! Have a good week you all!  Äldste Heiner

Swedish Candy is Fun!

Cooking!  Hot Dogs wrapped in cheese and fried.

This is a fountain in the park.

At the hockey game.

A district selfie during tacos.

February 9, 2015

I just emailed yesterday, so you all should know what's going on in my.... oh wait, time is cruel, and there were six days hidden between the hours of yesterday and today. My life. Those six days were good though, if they were real, I guess I'll tell you about them.

   Måndag. After I finished telling you all about my most crazy exciting life last week, we went grocery shopping! Yay! Groceries! And then we went bowling again. I did find an extra medium ball, so that was fun. Brian Regan, I know you thought it was a joke, but it happened! Then in the evening, after some thrift shopping, we went to visit Tommy.

   Tuesday had a little less action than usual, but we received the order from president to henceforth cease church watch! I was really excited about that one. It's such unproductive time, and I can do so many other things with it. So we actually got out and visited people instead of watching the same Mormon messages over and over and over............. I've memorized them. Yeah, they're good, but after the 80th time.... We also went out to Forserum to swing by a less active. He set up a different time to meet, so we were stuck there for an hour. We toured the whole town. Saw the sight. It was a nice water tower.

   Wednesday had us hanging out in Borås for distrikt meeting. And boy, did we distrikt meet. We distrikt met about our areas and all that jazz. The meeting was delayed until 11 again, but we were very careful to get on the bus that took us to Jönköping this time, not an endless circle back to Borås. We met with Huba when we got home. We set him up with a really awesome member family, and now he has a ride to church every week. YAY!

   Our Thursday morning was super... blank. So we walked to Huskvarna. I think we're the first people to do that since the invention of the bus. Anyway we talked to a bunch of people, took some pretty great pictures and had lunch in the end. We found a place that sells 50:- pizzas. I was super skeptical and I really didn't want to have the digestive problems I assumed came with 50:- kebab. It turned out really good, and so far, no problems, so I'm happy. That evening, we held an activity at the church and ate with the institute peeps. Cool people, great food.

   Friday. We had to do weekly planning, so we did the first half of it after all of our planning things, but then we needed to get to Bankeryd (far away) for a member lunch, so we put planning on hold, and went to the house. They moved three months back, so then we had to get to Råslett (far away still) for this family, and it was really good. They were really nice and we had an awesome time. But then we had to get back to finish weekly planning. When we were done with that, we played volleyball at the church with the YSA's and had dinner.

   We played some hardcore basketball at the church Saturday morning. And by hardcore, I mean one of the guys knew how to play because this is Sweden. We still had a lot of fun. Juan took us out to eat at Munchies afterwards. It was a good burger. After we went home to shower, we went out and preached the word, you know, like we do. It was good and we had a good amount of success. 

   Sunday was really good. We had a good meeting about how things were going before church, and then we had church and HUBA WAS THERE FOR ALL THREE HOURS! He says the place feels like home already and all the members welcomed him really well. I was really excited about that. Also at church, we were invited over to the Ahlsröms for dinner, so we went out to Tokarp (a ways away) for dinner. It was really awesome.

   Anyway, I think that was my week... If I think of anything else to say, you probably won't hear it because I can't email every day. Sorry. But today is Monday, and that's the day I get caught up on all my personal things. I've washed my clothes, I've emailed my mother, and now all I need to do is write my thank you notes. I hope you don't mind if I just do those here.

Thank you sun, for feeling like an old middle school friend. I never see you anymore, I kind of want to, but every time I do, I just kind of hide.

Thank you whoever makes food for institute. You always make too much, which is just enough to feed the missionaries.

Anyway, I hope you all have a wonderful week!

Äldste Heiner

Working during sunset, AKA 4:00.

The Extra-Medium bowling ball.

Don't mind me, just on the beach outside my front door.

The new look.

Best graffiti ever.

My new hat.

Just doing our Pearl of Great Price studies.

You'll notice this guy is playing the baritone.
Without a mouthpiece.
This is a huge billboard.

February 2, 2015

   Okay, so I've kind of spent a lot of my time typing to one of my best friends Ben Mac, who just got his mission call to France (good work bro!).  Really, if you want to go on a mission, do it.

   Alrighty, I only have a few minutes... On Monday, didn't do anything too special, but we did go to family home evening with the YSA's. Gave a lesson and decorated space themed cupcakes. I think I won. I made a black hole. Tuesday, church watch.  Had a few member lessons afterwards. Wednesday, had four lessons fall through, but we still had three happen, so it was alright, just not as amazing like it was supposed to be. Met with a guy studying to be a pastor. That was interesting..... Thursday, walked around talking to a ton of people. Note: People are a lot less interested in things when it is snowing really hard. Had a few lessons in the evening.

   Friday, we went to Kungsbaka for a zone conference! I like those. Our phone set our travel for us, but it flipped out and had us arrive there a few hours before the thing started, so we built a snowman and shoveled the sidewalks. The training was good; President was there, and he had some really good things to say. And I saw some people I never get to see. It was good. Got home late.

   Saturday, spent the day doing less active swing bys and weekly planning. Sunday, had a great day at church and an awesome lesson with Tanui. Rönndahl's had us over for dinner, and we were able to see a less active we hadn't for a long time.

   That was my week. No! I don't have time to write my thank you notes! But it's fine, as a reward for getting his mission call, here is Ben MacArthur writing my thank you notes for me!

Thank you, Brother Henrie, for snorting constantly during the sacrament. I'm sure if it were up to you, we'd take the bread and the water with our nose.

Thank you, last-semester classmates, for getting on the elevator with me while obviously avoiding eye contact and not saying anything. You guys would only be able to make that scenario more awkward if...oh wait never mind. That IS the most awkward thing in existence.

That's it for me! Have a good week everyone!

Äldste Heiner

It's here.  The new Bibel 2000.
It will save your soul twice as fast.

My black hole cupcake.

Space themed FHE cupcakes.  Sorry for the blur.

A scenic Jönköping shot.

We had a good time playing with Joseph.
He's a funny kid.  In this picture he is doing a
really good impression of an Elder during
 morning personal study.
 "I'm studying Lehi's dream...It's fine..."

Our time in primary.

Snow!