1 Month Down, 23 To Go!

Email written: 8/17/17

Hejsan!! Hur är det?? 

1. District after the Temple last week

It's crazy to think that I've been in the MTC for a whole month now. The time is just flying by and I am going to be so sad when our district has to go separate ways all throughout Sweden. We leave the MTC a week from Monday and are supposed to get our flight plans imorgon (tomorrow)!!! I feel super excited to go out and serve in Sweden, but at the same time I'm so nervous to be speaking a whole new language, adopting a new culture, and trying to survive the sun-less winters. 

This week has been absolutely crazy. We heard from two apostles this week, M. Russell Ballard on Sunday and Neil L. Anderson on Tuesday. They spoke with so much power and it was awesome! M. Russell Ballard spoke on "locking our hearts" for the next two years because a lot of wild kids out on their missions are flirting and what not. He added that if we had someone back home we could lock them up in our heart...(hej hej lanna lol) Neil L. Anderson spoke on our flame of faith and how amidst rejection and what other people say, we must never let our flame of faith diminish. There are people out there in Sweden who are just waiting to hear the message of the Gospel!!!

Yesterday, we had a Skype TRC, where we had a lesson over Skype with a member in Sverige. We taught Mattias, a college student in Stockholm. He grew up in Sweden and served a mission in South Africa. I really hope I run into him in Sweden because he is such a cool guy. He likes camping, and rock climbing and skiing. We were able to understand pretty much everything he said to us and we communicated to the best of our ability! He asked us "How long have you been learning Swedish? Us: Fyra Veckor Him: OH MY GOODNESS YOUR SWEDISH IS GREAT) So yeah, I loved every minute of it. 

On a sad note, Syster Eborn left the MTC to start her real teaching job and we were all super bummed to say goodbye to her. We sang God Be With you Till We Meet Again and I held back the tears. 

Other than that, the Swedish is coming along nicely. I have several scriptures and the first vision memorized, and can comfortably teach lessons without any notes. We have so many teaching opportunities and so we learn very quickly. I love speaking Swedish. I feel really confident that I won't have a problem talking to people in Sweden. It is going to be AWESOME!

Jag älskar och saknar er, men jag ska se ni på tjugotre månader!

-- 

Äldste Steele

Pictures:

1. District after the temple last week

2. Our zone after kickball. The picture has about half Danes half Swedes

3. Äldste Steele and Äldste Bird

4. Äldste Cummings, Äldste Steele, and Äldste Wayment

2. Our zone after kickball. The picture has about half Danes and half Swedes

Back Row L-R: Elder Cribbs (violin player going to Norway), Elder Bird, Elder Butler, Elder Steele Elder Bailey (my favorite non-Swede at MTC, his grandparents are serving in Sweden in December, he is going to Denmark), Elder Cummings, and Elder Wayment

Front Row L-R: Elder Francis, Elder Lichtenberg (the lone MONGOL also named Kyle), Elder Welch (Norway), Elder Bailey (Texas cowboy going to Denmark), Elder Egan (Norway), Elder and Elder (sorry can't remember names)

3. Äldste Steele and Äldste Bird

4. Äldste Cummings, Äldste Steele, and Äldste Wayment