More pics!!

Surprisingly, a very intact-looking package from home.  I think this may be the paper Christmas tree and ornaments box.  Thanks all for your help!  She loved it!!

 



 

One last thing, I found Coke Mentos and Watermelon/Mango Mentos. Woot woot. 



 

Oh my gosh, Gekås was epic. Walmart times a million. I'll send you a pic last week of what I got. There are definitely good deals there- compared to the prices here in Sweden. :)

The latest news from our Swedish syster!

Happy Thanksgiving! Although I am disappointed that I won't be able to celebrate the traditional American holiday here in Halmstad, I have been thinking about gratitude this week. In the past couple of days, so many things have happened that make my heart full of thanks.

 

 

 

 

First, I was able to go to the Denmark Copenhagen Temple on Saturday. Senja Lindahl, the wife of the bishop, picked us up early and we drove to Helsingbörg, then took the ferry to Denmark. It took us about two hours to travel there, but the time was fun because we were able to talk and explore the ferry. I am so grateful that I was able to go to the Temple. There is an incredible peace that I always feel while there, and I was able to be reminded of all of the blessings I have because of this gospel. I felt the spirit incredibly strong and I was so happy that our mission president allowed us to go with our ward.

 

 

Second point of gratitude this week was Hossam. We have met with Hossam a couple times, but we couldn't get in contact with him for a week or so because his phone wasn't working. My companion and I were both upset because he was progressing and we were hopeful that we could continue to teach him and invite him to baptism. While at the store this week, we ran into his friend who gave us Hossam's new phone number! We then set up an appointment with him and we taught him and his friend that SAME DAY. There were so many tender mercies that made it possible to be in touch with Hossam, and we are continuing to teach him.

Third, I lost my glove. I know what you are thinking, 'Wait, this sounds very familiar, am I rereading a post?' No. I lost my glove. For the third time in Halmstad. But again, my prayers are answered and I found my missing mitten. I know that Heavenly Father has a huge amount of patience because I don't know of anyone who would help me find my glove after three times of losing it. No one. Except Sister Christensen, my companion, who helped me search for it. She is a fabulous companion. :) 

I am filled with such great love and gratitude this week of Thanksgiving. I have everything to be grateful for and I am blessed to be here in Sweden as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It is such an incredible calling- It is demanding work, but I have grown and developed in ways that I couldn't have without serving a mission. It has blessed me more than I could have ever thought. 

Prayers are answered. God hears us and is aware of us. He wants us back home. 

I love you, all. I am grateful for all of you this Thanksgiving.

Med Kärlek,

Syster Hosenfeld

 

 

Pics from Sweden!

 

 

 

 

Äldste Maness, Äldste James, Äldste Tanner, and I. The four of us were all "born" in Halmstad, which means that we all went to Halmstad fresh from the states. 

 

 

Äldste Williams, Äldste Held, Syster Fawcett, and I at Zone Conference. We were all in the MTC at the same time. It was great to see them! 

 

Me in my new winter coat. I am ready for the fierce winter! 

 

Cooking at the Bishop's house is always fun! Especially with the new elder in our district, Äldste James. He just barely got here in Sweden, so I no longer feel like the worst missionary here with Swedish. He is also really nice. 

The latest news from my girl! Pics posted later today, I hope.

Hej Ni!

This week has been a fabulous one. We went to Zone Conference and I was able to see many of my good friends from my MTC district- It was like home again. I am very lucky to work with such incredible missionaries. It is funny to see how excited people get to see other missionaries. It is a good reminder to me that I am not the only missionary in Sweden- there are others that work just as hard as I do and have the same challenges.

It is interesting how frequently we change investigators. We are no longer meeting with (many)  because they were uninterested or wouldn't answer our calls. It is sad to stop teaching people we grow to care about so much, but if they aren't willing to change, there is no point in spending any time with them. There are too many people who are ready and waiting to hear of our message to spend our time on investigators who aren't progressing at all. 

My favorite lesson was with (investigator). She is progressing well. She is from Syria and knows the Bible better than anyone I have ever met. She is really interested in learning about our church. We haven't given her the Book of Mormon yet because we don't have it in Serbisk, but we are going to get one to her as soon as we can. I enjoy seeing people become more open to our message when the spirit plays a big part in the lesson.

It is getting chilly here, but I am all geared up to go in my winter jacket that I just barely bought. I am praying that snow doesn't come until January, but I am just wishing away the inevitable. 

Life is great here in Sweden and I hope that your lives are great wherever you are in life. 

Much love!

-Syster Hosenfeld

 

 

  

Pics!!!

 Senja Lindahl and her family are ward members, and they had a farewell dinner for Aldste (Elder) Tanner, who was leaving the area after serving there for about 5 months, since he had arrived in Sweden!  They are awesome support to our missionaries!!!

This week's letter

This week has been full of answered prayers! If you know me at all, you would know that although I am responsible, I lose everything. Last week, I lost my gloves and was able to run into someone that had them. Answered prayer #1. But this week, I lost one on the bus. AGAIN. I said a prayer, and I was able to find it, again. Although losing a pair of mittens isn't life or death, I am very grateful that Heavenly Father answered my prayer. I have had experience after experience with small and big things working out after praying for them. How grateful we are to have a Heavenly Father that hears and answers us! 

 

On Wednesday, I had my "half-way training conference call". I can't believe that I am half-way done with training. Time on a mission is crazy. I have grown and developed as a teacher, and I am looking forward to learning even more in the next six weeks.

 

My silly moment of the week was on Tuesday. Tuesday was an overall strange day. It was pouring ALL DAY LONG when we went to visit a less active who lives in an Elderly Home. We went to the main door, where a lady opened it for us. We were talking to her about Per, when the closed umbrella I was holding decided to spontaneously open, splashing rain water all over her. I apologized around a dozen times and she was still upset. I felt so badly! But after, Syster Christensen and I laughed for that silly moment and the awkward timing.

 

My favorite part of being in Halmstad is focusing on less-actives. There are many, many, many less-actives in this area, and we have been meeting with many of them. It is such an important work to strengthen the church and to bring members back to church and remind them of the testimony they once had. I feel very lucky to take part in such a rewarding work.

 

I love you, all! Happy late Halloween and have a great month of gratitude.

 

And the transfers are this week. I will be staying here in Halmstad.

 

 

 

 

This week's news, and pics, from our Syster!

 

 

This week has been perfect, absolutely perfect. We were running around constantly with a million things to do. I am grateful that our work is beginning to pick up and that we are busy on the Lord's errand.

 

Last Monday, Halmstad was affected by a Hurricane-Warning Storm. At first, I thought everyone was being dramatic, but it really was a bad storm. Syster Christensen and I were told to go home early and stay inside. The wind was crazy and knocked over thousands of trees in the Halland area. I am really glad that everyone was safe from this storm, which was the worst one Sweden has had in 25 years!

 

This week, we had a great experience. We were waiting for a bus when a man came up to us and asked us if we had met before. We told him that we weren't sure. Then he talked with us there and on the bus. We gave him a card when we got off the bus and he called us less than thirty minutes later, wanting to sent up an appointment to meet. When we met with him in the library, he wanted to know everything. He was asking great questions and he said that he is interested in learning more. Meeting him, I was reminded that there are people here in Sweden who are willing to hear our message and are waiting for us to share it with them. We have an appointment set up with him in a couple days! I have great hope that we can continue to meet with this great man.

 

Our Halloween was great! We bought godis (Swedish candies) and had a district meeting. Halloween isn't celebrated here in Sweden like it is in the U.S. It has only become common in the past couple years to go trick or treating, and most schools don't allow students to dress up in costumes.  

 

We also met up with a young man this week. He is the greatest kid- I cannot even describe him. Before our lesson, he took us on a little tour of Halmstad. Then he showed us this really cool hill that you can see the whole city from. He brought us fika and we taught him a little bit about the Restoration. He has high morals similar to the ones we have in our church. We are excited to meet with him again soon.

 

Funny story:

 

I am the chorister in my ward and I obviously wasn't paying attention when I thought a hymn was done. But when I sat down, everyone was staring at me and giggling. Then I realized that there was ANOTHER VERSE. So I stood up and continued leading. I was so embarrassed! But it was good- I haven't laughed at myself in a while. :)

 

The best part of the week was truly feeling looked over by the Lord. We have been led to specific places to help specific people. I have been able to talk to people who love God and want to learn more about him. I feel extremely blessed.

 

Also! I need stories to share with investigators. If you have any experiences on blessings that have come from paying tithing, keeping the sabbath day holy (by going to church), and obeying the Word of Wisdom. PLEASE let me know. Thank you! xoxo

 

Have a great week, all of you. Stay safe and warm!

 

 

 

Syster Christensen and I had fika with an investigator before a lesson. It was really fun and was in a gorgeous area we haven't been to yet. 

 

 The storm's damage on the trees. It is sad, but it shows how powerful the 3A Hurricane-Warning Storm was!
 

 

We went to a cemetery this Halloween with a less-active. She is very sweet, but as you can see, she does not smile. On Halloween, Swedes put candles on the graves of family members and it is beautiful.