Training pt.2

Email written: 7/30/18

Hej!!

Well, transfer calls came last night, and Äldste Thompson and I will be staying together for another 6 weeks as we finish off the 12-week training period. It's been quite the transfer and I look forward to seeing even more miracles with my son :)

In random news, it costs 400kr to dry clean a suit here. Looks like I'll have to find another way to keep my suits in better condition. Also, I've learned the key to making Swedes laugh-random sarcastic comments. It's been a week full of laughing! 

Yesterday, Äldste Thompson and I went out to this one area called Järved and decided we would knock on a few doors and see if we found anyone interested in the message. We had planned that morning that we would be in a certain area, and so we were driving around trying to find the street that we had picked out. As we were driving, we got onto this one road that led up to a gate and then this huge mansion on top of a hill. The gate was wide open, and I knew that we needed to walk all the way to the top of the hill and see who lived there. I had heard from a lot of people, that a couple of famous hockey players that played for the Vancouver Canucks come from Järved, and so I thought at first it was one of their houses. We walk all the way up the hill, and the house is just remarkable, and like a 7 car garage to top it all off. I was in complete shock, just because people don't really have big houses here in Sweden. We get all the way to the door, which is about 20 feet high, and then I give a nice little knock on it. At this point, I don't really know what to expect, kind of hoping it was an NHL player, but more hoping it was someone who wanted to hear the gospel. 

Well, finally, someone comes to the door, and it's these two young swedish girls about our age just chilling in their pajamas, with about 4 or 5 other girls that are just walking around the house, and I'm just like what in the world is going on here, what did we just knock into haha. But then, we just start talking with them, and it turned into a really great conversation about life's meaning and they wanted us to come back and teach them when their parents are home! (their parents were on their island that they own :O) And to make things even better, we found 2 more big swedish families in that same neighborhood right after that. So many blessings! 

I've been studying a lot about the 'armor of God' (Ephesians 6) recently, as it feels sometimes we are going into battle here in Övik, a battle against good and evil, and Äldste Thompson and I are on the front lines. Disbelief is becoming the common belief and our hearts break as we see our dear friends trying their hardest to become free of addiction, yet falling into the same patterns they've been stuck in for their whole lives. We come home exhausted every night, knowing that we did all we could for goodness, all we could for the people, and all we did for God. But, we know, if we continue doing those small and simple things we know to be true, we will be able to bring many people the happiness they are searching for. 

Ha det fint! Jag älskar er alla

Pictures:

1/2) Mini golf with the squad

3) elevator pic after getting drenched in the rain

4) just messing around one night

5) last district picture (sys. cook is going to Malmö and äldste wilson is going back to America)

-- Äldste Steele

1/2) Mini golf with the squad

1/2) Mini golf with the squad

3) elevator pic after getting drenched in the rain

4) just messing around one night

5) last district picture (sys. cook is going to Malmö and äldste wilson is going back to America)

Gotta Blast

Email written: 7/23/18

Hej!

I really don't have much time this week, been another crazy p-day visiting some of our friends here in Övik and going to a birthday party for dinner, but it's really been a great week here! 

Some of the weeks highlights:

• Teaching a lesson in a small little cabin in the middle of nowhere, right by the lake. Probably was the most amazing place I've ever had a lesson.
• We had dinner in stan with Sis. Karlsson and Nadja, and we hear that Nadja is making great progress with the sister missionaries in Germany and will start meeting with them in person when she moves back this week. 
• We've started teaching some of our neighbors that live in just the floor below us! In the great words of President Youngberg 'You're neighbors for a reason'

We've done so much, it's hard to keep everything straight, but we continue to teach the gospel and be an examples to others around us. When we were invited to an event this past week, we were asked not to proselyte there, and so we gladly agreed, but we prayed mightly that others would be able to see the light that we have and be able to know who we are just by our examples, and it turns out, one of our old investigators was there, and we set up a lesson for this week just like that! The gospel of Jesus Christ has changed me. It's brought a light into my life that shines brighter than the blistering sun here in övik. I couldn't be happier. 

Ta hand om er, och ha det bra!

Pictures:

1) lake the lesson was taught at

2) sweden's longest pier 

3) Ulvön

4) grattis på din födelsedag tea! 

5) övik kust

-- Äldste Steele

2) Sweden's longest pier

1) lake the lesson was taught at

3) Ulvön

4) grattis på din födelsedag tea! 

5) övik kust

We're Halfway There

Email written: 7/16/18

Hej hej!

What a week it has been! It feels like I just came to Övik and now I'm already a month into training Elder Thompson. Each week continues to help me learn and grow as I fail, succeed, laugh, cry, etc.

We had zone conference this past week and it was such a great time! We talked a lot about planning for people instead of filling time, finding people to teach, and asking inspired questions. I was really feeling the spirit strongly and it got me pumped for the next 6 weeks until next zone conference.

Chris Steele, Elder Richards, Äldste Lance, & Petrina Steele
lunch at Subway in Herriman, Utah

Syster Youngberg shared a few closing remarks at the end, reflecting about the things that she has learned the past year since the Youngbergs have now been in Sweden for a full year. One of the things that she has come to know 100% is that the Lord watches over our families as we are here in Sweden serving. Then to my surprise, she displayed a picture of my parents in Subway with Äldste Lance, an elder who is visa waiting before he comes to Sweden. She told the whole story of how my family ran into him, and as she did so, I just started crying uncontrollably. I tried to hold it back and be a man, but it didn't really go so well haha. It's been a solid year since I've had a good cry like that, the last time being when I had to say goodbye at the airport, but it just reminded to me how special my family is to me and how much I care for them as I perform the Lord's work in Sweden. I really needed that, as I felt I was getting into a routine telling people on the street this has blessed my family. The spirit was able to confirm to me in a time of need that the gospel truly has blessed my family! 

I left zone conference so energized and ready to just get to work. As we were halfway into the drive back home, I got an impression that we needed to stop by a specific member. We had talked about visiting that member on Saturday but I felt really strongly we needed to go by that night. So once we got back to övik, we set down our belongings. Before we were going to visit that member, I wanted to pick up a package that had just recently come in. So, as we walked to the store to pick it up, we ran into one of our neighbors, who usually isn't even close to being sober, but we had a quick conversation and had a chance to testify powerfully of the Book of Mormon... But the rest of that story comes later.

On our way to visit the member we came across a man who was staggering back and forth on the road, having difficulty walking. We immediately thought we need to help this man and so I got out of the car and asked if everything was okay. The man clearly was not okay as he had one too many drinks that day. But we knew he was on his way home and we offered to walk him there. As we walked home he began to open up and told us all about his life. He talked about how hard his life has been and how we just recently got out of prison. We then begin to talk more about God and I thought to pull up my phone and start playing the song 'blott en dag' for him. Thankfully I had the song downloaded and so I just started playing for him and he recognized the song immediately and started singing along. We all just stood there in the middle of the road singing and it was a touching experience. I'm no singer, and neither was this man, but the spirit was definitely felt as we sung. We got him home safely and he had was appreciative that we were there to help him. We're not sure how much he remembers about event but we were glad to have been put in his path to help him out. Immediately after that, we visited the member who had just come home, and if we had come any earlier or later, we would have missed him, so the timing was all so perfect and we had a great visit with him that was much needed.

But then, back to the other lady that we met on the way to Stan. The conversation hadn't necessarily ended that well as she doesn't really like the Book of Mormon but it was okay because she has her belief and we have ours. We'll, the next morning, as we are about to go out to a nearby city, we hear a voice calling from the courtyard saying 'HALLÅ' and so I quickly peak out and I see it's our neighbor just standing there trying to get our attention. And I'm just like oh no, now what? But she kept saying hallå and the she said 'HALLÅ JESU KRISTI KYRKA JAG VILL PRATA MED ER' so I just stick my head out the window and start talking to her and she wanted us to visit her and her husband and so we threw on our shoes and walked right down to visit them and gave both of them the Book of Mormon and they look forward to coming to church in the future! You never know what can happen, especially with your neighbors!

But yeah, one year. It's been one great year and I can't wait to see what the next one has in store for me. I don't have any plans of slowing down or giving up, in fact I have plans to try even harder, talk to more people, learn more Swedish, and most of all, grow my love for the people. These people that I get to serve are my family, and I'll do anything for them, including teach them the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.

Until next Monday, ha det fint!

Pictures:

1) Elder Thompson and I are obsessed with Opels...so far we have seen 35 on the road this past week

2) Another ostrich picture

3/4) just me and my son 

-- Äldste Steele

1) Elder Thompson and I are obsessed with Opels...so far we have seen 35 on the road this past week

2) Another ostrich picture

3/4) just me and my son

3/4) just me and my son

When You Try Your Best, But You Don't Succeed

Email written: 7/9/18

Hallå! Well as of this past Saturday, I now have a sister in my family. Congrats Austin and Morgan!

Wow, it's hard to believe that yet another week has gone by! It's been such a good week, with lots of opportunities to teach, testify, and serve! 

We also got permission from the world's greatest mission president to watch the world cup match between Sweden and England. It honestly felt kind of weird just chilling out, eating chips on a couch, and watching fotboll with a couple that we are currently teaching, but in the end, it would've been better than walking around trying to find people to talk to...all of Sweden pretty much shut down to watch the match because it was the farthest Sweden had gone in the world cup since I believe 1994. Well, most of you, if not all, know that Sweden unfortunately lost 2-0 to England.....VAD HEMSKT!!! But what was most interesting of all, was when we would ask people if they were sad that Sweden had lost the match and every single person that we talked to about it said no they weren't really sad, it was totally expected that Sweden would lose. Life goes on. I think it was really cool that Sweden fans were able to be happy with how far they had come, and even though they had lost a pretty big match, they could look back on how they had come together as a country to support their team. So while the team might've in essence 'failed', the attempts of Sweden's national team, were still a success!

That reminds me a lot of my experiences on the mission. We try as hard as we can every day from sun up to well...sun still up #midnightsun trying to help others learn of the great blessings in store for those that accept the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. We might not see a lot of initial success. We get ignored, mocked, questioned, you name it, and then we still might not even have people to teach. But, it's important we look at the bigger picture! While we might be 'failing' in these small little battles, we can look at ALL the many successes that we do experience on the mission! 

One of those successes is the strengthening of my testimony and I have seen that through the strengthening of my own personal testimony, people that I teach have then felt the spirit testify to them of the truthfulness of my own living witness of Jesus Christ...how cool is that! This past week, we taught Sanna, the woman we gave the blessing to the previous week. The spirit was just as strong this go around and she accepted an invitation to be baptized next month, and she's already received her testimony of the Book of Mormon and the gospel, and wrote it down in her own personal notepad! 

Currently, we are seeing a lot of outward displays of success, with a lot of true seekers of truth and knowledge, but we are also experiencing lots of personal success as we continue to develop as people and as missionaries. Elder Thompson continues to impress me as he gives it his all, despite his lack of Swedish vocabulary...I couldn't be a more proud pappa! 

Well, friends and family, have a fantastic week! Vi hörs nästa vecka! 

Pictures:

1) what a blessing to be district leader to this district!

2) Awesome family we are teaching! Max is the one holding the mountain dew bottle

3) we straight up went to an ostrich farm today...best 20kr I have ever spent

4) in Umeå after a morning run on splits! 

5/6) Skuleskogen

-- Äldste Steele

1) what a blessing to be district leader to this district!

2) Awesome family we are teaching! Max is the one holding the mountain dew bottle

3) we straight up went to an ostrich farm today...best 20kr I have ever spent

4) in Umeå after a morning run on splits! 

5/6) Skuleskogen

5/6) Skuleskogen

Hay is for Horses

Email written: 7/2/18

Hejsan! Wow, another great week has gone by here in Sweden and I am just loving life. It's crazy to think that it's already July, when it feels like June just started, but it is what it is! (så är det)

We continue to see miracles all the time here in Örnsköldsvik and I am loving every minute of training my new missionary, Äldste Thompson. We get along super well and teach and work in unity and it in turn blesses all the people that we meet and teach. 

This past week, we got to go back out to the farm and help out the Karlssons. Apparently, it's haying season, and so our job was to take a pitch fork and shovel all the hay from off the truck into a giant sucking machine that then transported it into their big ol' hay barn. After the first load of hay came in, the sucking machine broke and so they had to call a repair man, so while we waited, we just milked some cows and heard a bunch of stories from Sis. Karlsson. It was such a crazy day and one thing after the other kept not going according to plan, but we all had a great time in the end. The Karlssons even have someone named Nadia that is working on the farm and Nadia is someone that Elder Hansen and I had the chance to meet when they came into town and took us out to eat some burgers at Max. Apparently when we went out to eat, Nadia really noticed how happy we were and how we were good examples and so it got her interested in going to church down in Dresden, Germany when she went back. She had a few weeks break to go back to Dresden before we helped out this past week, and she did end up going to church there and has started taking the missionary lessons from the missionaries in Germany over skype, and so we were able then at the end of a long day, give a great spiritual message about faith and miracles and what we can accomplish because of our faith. What a blessing it was to go out to the farm, help them out, but also teach Nadia as she continues to meet with other missionaries in Germany. In the own words of Sister Karlsson, "Who would've thought that you would help someone from Germany after getting your mission call to Sweden?" And she's exactly right, who would've thought!

A little bit later in the week, we decided to stop by one of our investigators that has been sick the past 2 weeks and couldn't meet with us. But, we felt like today was finally the day we could go back and see if they were feeling alright and hopefully have a lesson with them. Well, we traveled on out there and knocked on the door and first our investigator's boyfriend opened the door and we talk for just a little bit but he's just like sorry guys, but we're still sick, you're going to have to come back some other time. So, we were a little discouraged since it had been a few weeks and they still weren't getting better, but we decided we could just come back next week. Well, as we are pulling away and on the road to a different area to go tracting in, Elder Thompson just says 'I know what she needs...a priesthood blessing!' We hadn't even traveled 100m yet and I knew that was exactly what she needed to flipped the car right around and came right back up to the door and knocked again. The boyfriend came to the peephole and was just like 'oh it's THEM again...' but our investigator opened the door and we began telling her why we came back. We said that because of the restoration through Joseph Smith, we now had the priesthood, which makes it possible for those with faith to receive priesthood blessings. We knew that she had been sick for a solid 2 weeks and knew that a blessing would be something that would speed up the recovery. She was so grateful that we offered the blessing and wanted us to come in right at that moment and give it, but her boyfriend said the house was too messy and we would have to come back the next day, so we set up a time for the next day and went back out there after our interviews with our mission president. 

We came back the next day, and sat down and just chatted a bit before giving the blessing. As we talked, we thought to follow up on her book of Mormon reading and her prayers. She had read a few pages here and there, but then she said that she had been praying quite a bit since we last taught. Instead of just leaving it at the surface, we decided to have a deeper follow up to see how her prayers had been helping her come closer to Christ, instead of just treating it like a check list item. She then opened up to us as she shared an experience of just the previous night after we had traveled home. She said that after we left, and after her boyfriend had gone to bed, she was just by herself and she thought to pray. She said that she prayed to God, asking Him if this was the truth. As she prayed, she just began to feel something that was really hard to describe, but all she could say was it felt like a giant burden had been lifted off of her shoulders and that it was such a powerful feeling that it caused her to just start crying. We testified to her that she had felt the spirit confirming the truth to her and that she would even feel those same feelings as we gave her the blessing that day. We gave the blessing and the Spirit was stronger than ever as the words that God wanted her to hear just came flowing. 

This week just made me really thankful for the testimony I have of the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ in it's entirety, including the gift of the Holy Ghost, the priesthood of God, and temple ordinances (s/o to my older bro Austin that is getting married on Saturday!). I know all these things to be huge blessings in my life and that's why I'm out here...to share it with others and help others find that same joy that I, and all those that have gone before me, have felt. 

Hope you all have a great week! Until next time...ha det så bra! 

Pictures:

1) hay

2) the hay truck

3) the farm squad

4) me and the cows

5) old church in Själevad

6) övik country side

-- Äldste Steele

1) hay

2) the hay truck

3) the farm squad

4) me and the cows

5) old church in Själevad

6) övik country side