June 8, 2015

   Hey everybody! Hope you're all have a grand old time today, I know I'm having a pretty fantabulous time out here in Sweden. Everything is bright (the sun doesn't go down), everything is green (or so I'm told), and everyone is happy. But let's talk about my week because we all know you just love hearing about me. Actually, I'm super surprised you want to read this, but alright, here you are.
   First of all, highlights from last week... We found a new Egyptian investigator that we're super excited about!  Been here five months and super happy to have found some nice people. It was pretty funny. We were in Karlstad for workovers that week too. We were planning on being there for a day and a half, but due to bus delays, train tickets not coming in, train delays, train cancellations, being stuck in Katrineholm for a few hours, we were out of our area for three days. It was pretty crazy.
   Anyway, this week! On Monday we went to this old Swedish town that was pretty cool. It's called an open air museum, they keep animals there and stuff. It was fun. In the evening we started up a YSA family home evening. We played ultimate Frisbee and had floats using Fanta Exotic (a flavor not in the US, which sucks). The floats we really good, much to the Swedes surprise. They had never even had the idea of floats cross their minds before.
   Tuesday was a tad bit hectic. We started the morning by going by an elderly couples home to spend some time with them. It went really well, they really like us now. It just takes a visit to make some people happy. I like those people. We then went out to help a member with a flagpole he was trying to put up in his yard, and wanted our help over his 13 year old daughters help. Weird, eh? He was only welding and carrying this half ton chunk of metal across the world. Then Elder George and I were going to sing a special musical number for combined zone conference the next day, so we decided to practice the piece instead of going in blind.
   Wednesday had a zone conference in it, so we went to Stockholm for that. It was pretty fun. I enjoyed it. The song went really well, people liked it. That pretty much took up the entire day.
   Thursday was pretty crazy. We went up to Sala, then from Sala to the middle of nowhere, Sweden, and had a meeting with a less active woman. She was super cool. I really like meeting with her. Came come from nowhere, and went to teach English to a couple older women. It's fun. We went to Valby to work for a bit, but came back to the church pretty quick to have a lesson with a recent convert. That evening, we met with a less active family and they want to work on coming back to church! So that will be good.
   On Friday I went on splits with Elder Erikson. Dude's super cool and fun to be around. We got out and went to work. We had a great time together. Then we swung by a less active woman and got stuck in the middle of somewhere for a while before another bus came around. But it's fine because we found a hedgehog and played with it. Those things are freakin' cute.
   Saturday was a really good day for finding. We didn't think it would be, but God decided we would have success, so that was super cool. We started by playing soccer with some people in the ward, and we had a couple investigators come! Investigators love soccer. Then we helped an older woman plant flowers, but there wasn't enough room on the balcony for four elders, so I made Swedish pancakes with her. So now I know how to make Swedish pancakes. Ladies...... höhöhö... that was a joke. I have more than a year left. Back off. We had a good stund to tract, but nothing was happening. It was a holiday, so few people were home, we were gonna knock one more and call it a day to go home for weekly planning. And then there was this super humble family that lived in the last door. So we taught them about the Book of Mormon. I love it when things like that happen.
   Yesterday we were supposed to go to Örebro for a broadcast from Scotland but there weren't any trains that went there Sunday morning. So we just decided that we would go to Stockholm instead. That was an interesting morning. But the conference was super good. Elder Holland spoke and it was amazing.
   Anyway, nu har vi idag. I don't know what we're going to do. We'll see.

Thank you "vanilla flavored ice desert" for being honest enough to not call yourself ice cream.

Have a great week everyone!

Äldste Heiner

The Friluftsmuseum.

These are binkies they tie in the tree to signify growing up.

We saw the Stockholm Temple!
It was closed for cleaning...

These three girls (the other one is hiding) tracted with us for
a good hour and a half.  It was super funny.

Double Rainbow.

Held a hedgehog!!!!!

June 1, 2015

I gauged my time really really badly and I have to get off in about twenty seconds. Pictures!!!!!!!!!!

They're super pretty so I hope you find that satisfactory. 

May 25, 2015

   Hejsan allihoppa! How are all you doing? Having a great time? I hope so.
My week was good. The usual really freaking fast, but it’s fine. I'm used to it now. But now... the week!
   Monday was full of chillin' out. After we emailed, we went to the store for food and then just... hung out, I think. That was nice. Once the other Elders were done with their junk, we went to Myrorna together.  That was fun. Poppin' tags! After that, we were in the church with a new convert for the evening. It went really well.
Next day! We had to get some forms ready for the branch council about the new converts in the branch.  They want to make sure that the new converts are being taken care of, so we met with a few of them to get the information that they needed. Bam. Check that off the list. Anyway, we went out to Bäckby for some area work after that, so it went well. That evening I was introduced to AWESOME TUESDAY. There is a member in the ward who is married to an investigator and they have the missionaries over every Tuesday evening for dinner. Pretty much the best thing ever. It was a lot of fun.
   Wednesday, Wednesday.... we went to Eskilstuna! It was zone training, but they called it Jedi Council, so we had Jedi names. Mine was Jedi Elder Heinifus. I bet they would have given me a pink light saber with that name.  It was super fun to see all those people and Syster Johanson was there. Hadn't seen her in eight days.  That evening we had branch council.
   Thursday. In the morning we remembered that we had agreed to do a special musical number for Sunday, so Elder George and I prepped for that in the morning. Then we walked around a bunch. We taught English class again. That was fun. In the evening we hopped on a train to Örebro, where we switched companions. I went with Elder Williams in Örebro and Elder Smith went to Västerås with Elder Backman.
   The next day we got to work. We went to a ton of people and taught a bunch and found a couple more people while we were at it. Missionary Work!  We switched back that evening. Yeah. Train rides.
   Saturday we went to the church early to practice our song, then we helped set up for a ward party, then we went to the ward party, then we cleaned up the ward party, then we set up for a baptism, then we went to the baptism, the we cleaned up the baptism, then we went home.
   We were super busy taking care of things in church. I blessed, then spoke, then sang a song. Then taught Sunday School, then translated for an American. Yeah! Then we had a meeting, went home and weekly planned. Life.
And now I'm out of time. I really like Västerås. I'm having a good time. We're working hard. Just doing the work, ya know?
Hope you all have a great week! Have it good!
Mvh, Äldste Heiner

Cool Castle!

Some weird things we found in Eskilstuna.

Dop font selfie.

Don't ask, cause I don't know.

I found this place to preach from.

May 18, 2015

Well hello to all you people! If you don't know what's going on,  I can give you a little bit of a run down. I moved from Sundsvall with Elder Steen to Västerås with Elder Backman. Elder Steen and I were on a train together out of town, and we split ways after a train switch in Gävle and Uppsala. He went on to Stockholm for a plane home, and I hopped on a bus to Enköping and switched to a bus to Västerås where I met up with Elder Backman and we immediately set off to work missionarying. Elder Backman is super cool. He works really hard and he's a lot of fun to be around. He is from Ogden, Utah.  Västerås is super pretty. It is the closest town to Eugene I've had. It's super green, tons of trees, all that stuff. Less hills though.  We first dropped all of my stuff off at the apartment, which is freaking huge, by the way, and then went to the church to teach a few older ladies how to speak English. That was fun. Then we had home teaching with a few new converts. That went really well.

   On Thursday, we went out so I could kind of find my bearings here, and talked to people all the way. It was fun. After a bit of that, we went out to a pizza joint of a new member and he fed us pizza. That was super awesome, but even better was that his friend and workmate was pretty interested in hearing more. That made me pretty happy to talk to him. After we had to leave we went by another recent convert who fixed my bike. It was super annoying to have a bike that dropped its chain. Should be better now. The Stake President had us over to his house that evening for dinner, so that was super good. I love it when people feed me.

   Friday had us in Örebro for district meeting. We have a really good group of obedient and hard working missionaries just poised to tear it up. I'm excited. After that, we got Chinese together. It was the best Chinese I've had in Sweden. It made me happy. When we got back to Västerås, we went out to Valby to work the area. It went pretty well. Met some people, had a good time.

   Saturday had us doing swing bys that didn't answer and weekly planning. So nothing too crazy. You probably don't want to hear about all that stuff, actually.

   And yesterday we were at church, meeting people, having a good time. A member had us over for dinner and then we did more swing bys. Fun stuff!

   Anyway, I'm knocking on the door of going over time, so everyone have a great week!

   Shout out to Jacob the previous Elder Heiner for getting home safe and sound.

Love you all,

Äldste Heiner

Me and Elder Backman

Modern... art?  

Guess whose city has a golden calf on a pillar?

I live in a really pretty place.

May 12, 2015

It was great to see and talk to the family! I really enjoyed it.
As you all don't know, I'm transferring out of Sundsvall this week to Västerås. Basically, a lot has to be done in a very short period of time. AKA I don't have time to give you a full run down of what happened.  I’ve said goodbye to a lot of people... I taught people about the gospel...

Thank you notes!

Thank you travel office for getting me four trains in this next transfer. How did you know I loved to carry three fifty pound bags around with me from train to train?

Thank you having no time and six people needing to use two computers for not letting me write good thank you notes! I'm sorry!

Äldste Heiner

I hope you find something in the pictures that explain things to you.  We really are on limited time today.

May 4, 2015

I swear one of these times I'll get around to telling you what's going on in depth.  But there are six missionaries and not as many computers. So strap on your seat belts for the abbreviated version of the weekly rapport!
   Monday we hung out with the Grönblads, who are some of the chillest folk you ever did meet! Tuesday, we taught some of the systers people because the systers were stuck out of town. Wednesday we hung out with a less active YSA who is super chill. I love that kid. Torsdag we had distrikt meeting, went really well, and then I went on splits with a YSA while Steen went to Övick because he needed to help some people move. That sounds weird, but it was all godkänt. On Friday we gave a blessing to a lady to help her stop smoking. Then we went to Härnösand to be with some less active people up there. Then we had dinner on the top of the mountain. Grilled korv. Yeah. Saturday was Sports Saturday and David! So that was fun. Sunday had church and dinner with a super awesome young family. I love them.  And we're going shopping today!  Steen has his last pday here before he heads home.

   Anyway, that was a really fun week. Good stuff. If you have questions, let me know! Here’s a thank you note! I only have time for one.

Thank you sun for coming up and staying over way past your welcome. When was it suddenly cool to hang out with us?   It's still only like.... 6 degrees though. But I'm used to it. Shorts and a tshirt!

Have a good week!  Äldste Heiner