Another six weeks has come and gone, and this Wednesday will
be transfer day once again. Before I get into the updates, I will take you
through the week.
Our investigator Henrik, who we have been meeting with
regularly has moved to Umeå now to continue his college education and get more
training in his field of work. On Monday, we lended our hands and helped him
with moving his furniture and some other assorted things into a trailer to be
set up to Umeå. We had some fun playing Tetris with his three piece couch as we
hauled it down the stairway of the building, but eventually we got the required
items down. Nothing else other than normal P-Day duties to report there, except
that President Beckstrand gave us a call and said that I have been called to be
a trainer next transfer!!! (More on that soon...)
On Tuesday, we helped Henrik again with his second trailer
haul up to Umeå and finished loading up all his furniture. After helping him,
we had lunch with the Delgados to celebrate my trainer's call. Later, we went
over to the Bustamantes and had a good visit with them, shared a few scriptures
and such.
We had planned to go to Kliti's on Wednesday, but it turned
out to be his birthday, so we let him have the day to himself and his family.
The Delgados were having a bit of a rough week, so we thought we'd helped them
out a bit and got the car washed and vacuumed it out for them. That night, we
went out to a neighborhood called "Ås" that we had scouted out last
week, and did some tracting over there. Not a noticeable amount of success, but
we did get a few people who were busy at the time to invite us to swing-by
again, so a few potentials there.
And then came Thursday...
So when new trainers are called, they receive a trainers'
meeting the week before transfers. President Beckstrand had told me when he
called Monday that I would be coming down to the Mission Home on Friday to
attend the meeting, so Elder Workman and I had kept that in the back of our
minds this week. The beginning of Thursday started off like most others; we had
district meeting in Ö-vik at 10:30, then we went out to lunch after. We had
rescheduled to meet with Kliti on Thursday at 3, but due to some things with
the Delgados we were running a little late and didn't begin heading out to
Kramfors until 3. Everything is fine though, and we are merrily driving
on our way. As we are going, we get a text from the Office Elders saying for
the trainers to check their e-mails for travel arrangements for the meeting on
Friday. Elder Workman turns to me and asks, "Should we check your e-mail
on the Delgados' phone?" I think for a minute, prone to say Nah, but then
shruggingly say, "Okay, sure." And it was a good thing we did check,
too; Elder Workman is an inspired man, no question. The Delgados give us their
phone, we check the e-mail, and we see that the Office Elders had sent out
travel arrangements on Tuesday, but had not texted anybody about it until
Thursday. We are looking at one of my train tickets and notice that it says
that Elder Workman and I are supposed to catch a train to Umeå at 4:15....On
Thursday!!! IT WAS A QUARTER AFTER 3!! The Delgados turn around, we regretably
had to cancel with Kliti, again, and race home, both of us grabbed a plastic
bag and filled it with essentials, then went to the church, printed out our
train tickets, and make it to the train station in time to catch our train. We
get to Umeå at 5:22, Elders Murri and Nelson were borrowing the Zone Leaders'
car for the day (blessing right there), so they picked us up, the four of us go
to a member's house for dinner at a little after 5:30 (another blessing), then
we race out of there to drop me off at the Umeå airport at 6:40 so I could
catch my plane to Stockholm that night which departed at 7:10. I eventually
made it to the Mission office where I spent the night after arriving in
Stockholm and taking a tunnelbana and getting picked up by the Office
Elders.
Then Friday came...
Stayed at the office in the morning, then bummed along with
the Office Elders as they picked up other incoming trainers for the meeting. We
all get to the mission home and have a wonderful sloppy joe lunch, and have a
great, spiritually uplifting meeting. Elder Johanson, who I haven't seen since
arriving in Sweden, will be training, so it was great to see each other, along
with Elder Richard, who will also be training. At the end of the meeting
however, President Beckstrand stands up and says, "Well, Satan has gained
a small victory here..." He then goes on to tell us that the incoming
missionaries have been delayed due to visa problems; this news was startling to
all, and came unexpectedly on Wednesday to President's attention. So, all
twelve of us will still be training, we just have to wait for our greenies for most
likely another transfer. With that news, the mission has a shortage of
missionaries right now and will be closing down a few areas temporarily for
this next transfer.
Despite the hard news, I still came away eager to train from
the great meeting we had. The rest of Friday I spent in Stockholm, and got the
chance to attend the Stockholm/Täby wards Halloween fest that night, where I
saw lots of old familiar faces, to beloved members and missionary friends, and
even Karim!! Super fun night! I went home with the Stockholm Elders after the
festivites, none other than Elder Aabo and his greenie Elder Cox, then took two
trains back up Saturday morning and reunited with Elder Workman in Ö-vik that
afternoon, who had been in Umeå this whole time with the other guys.
The Delgados and Elder Workman and I had lunch with Carlos
at his new house, then later went to the church for the weekly youth activity.
Yesterday marked my last Sunday in the Ö-vik branch. We got
transfer calls Saturday morning while I was on the train, and I will be moving
to Umeå to be companions with Elder Murri, who has just completed his training.
Going to be an odd transition, since I will still be District leader and see
Elder Workman and the Delgados regularly. Anyway, Church on Sunday was very
good, most of the seats were filled in the chapel and I gave a talk and vocal
musical number in sacrament meeting. Elder Workman and I did a few swing-bys in
the afternoon, and then had dinner at the Delgados with Ole again!
It has been an interesting time here in Ö-vik, filled with
strange happenings and special spiritual experiences as well. It isn't a true
goodbye yet, since I will only be a hop, skip, and a jump away. This weekend I
learned that the Lord gives us uncomfortable situations so that we can grow and
learn more than we would have otherwise. I know he truly loves us and trusts us
more than we trust ourselves. I am very excited to be working in Umeå with
Elder Murri and look forward to what lies in store.
Until then...
--
Äldste Stefan Reed
Varma hälsningar från
Sverige
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Mailing Information
Elder Stefan Reed
Enebybergsvägen 38
182 46, Enebyberg
Sweden
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