Christian jamming on an accordion
Hey family!
So, last week I was thinking that it was Thanksgiving. But, on Thursday I realized that it WASN'T Thanksgiving that week. This week is Thanksgiving. But, still, you can be thankful for things 2 weeks in a row ;) I can say that I am definitely thankful for you, my family, much more this year than I have been in the past. Not that I wasn't ever thankful, because I was. Just, its a little bit more now. So, I am thankful for my family. And I am thankful for my mission that I am on right now. This past week was another terrible week, but I am still thankful for it. Without bad weeks, we wouldn't know what a good week was like! I am thankful for trials and hard times. I am thankful that we have a loving heavenly father that loves us, no matter if we deserve it or not. I have felt his love countless times and I am truly thankful for that. And of course I am thankful that I have a pilots license. Corny? Yeah. But I love it.
So, instead of talking about the awful parts of the week (and there were many), I will just write some good things that happened. No one wants to hear the bad stuff anyway.
On Tuesday this past week, we were in Vänersborg (or something like that. I am still learning the area) visiting a ward member with the sisters. The sisters told us to get off at a certain bus stop and they would be waiting for us when we got off. Well, we got off and they were not there. So we called them and asked where they were. They said they were waiting at the bus stop. Turns out, they told us the wrong bus stop. So we were scrambling around for like 20 minutes trying to find where we had to get to. There was this older gentlemen not too far from where we were walking. I turned to Elder Peterson and said "Lets ask this guy if he knows where our bus stop is." So we walked over to him. Right was we started asking our question, we could tell something wasn't right with him. I don't even know what wasn't right though. We tapped him on the shoulder, asked the question, and he didn't respond. In fact, I don't think he even knew we were talking to him. Finally he realized it, and just kinda waved his hand in a direction. It was really odd. So we just said "Ha det så bra!" and went on our way. Well, we had walked about 50 feet maybe and I hear keys hitting the pavement and a loud groan. I turn around and this old guy just smacked the pavement face first with on coming traffic. I started booking it! Behind me I hear Elder Peterson say "should we help him?" haha I was like "yeah!" and I was running. So as we run over to this guy the cars start stopping and we start picking him up. He is completely dazed and has no idea what is happening. We get him up to his knees and some police officers start running over towards us. The police and my companion and I get him up on his feet and he is still just dazed. After we picked him up we just left the scene. The police thanked us for the help and we were on our way. I don't even know what happened to him. He could have had a stroke or something. But in any case, it was a miracle. I truly believe we were met to get off at the wrong stop to be there to help that guy. It could have gotten really bad if we weren't there to run out into the road and stop the cars. I have thought about this experience many times over the past few days. I am come to the conclusion that we really are instruments in the lords hands. We are not just here to save lives spiritually, but as well as physically if it need be. The Lord knew we would respond when we were needed. The Lord has his hand in everything, we just need to trust in it. Even if it causes a lot of stress sometimes.
There is this guy in our ward who lives like 2 hours away by bus. He is active and comes every single Sunday. Its quite impressive really. He is actually from Germany. I cant remember his name right now either. But, he makes instruments. He makes Guitars, Violins, Cellos, Xylophones, and just all kinds of stuff. On Thursday we took the day and went out and visited him. Guess what!? I played a VIOLIN! It was the first time I have picked one up since I graduated high school. Do you know what the strange part was? I picked it right up as if I played it yesterday. I started rockin out to some Orange Blossom Special and such. It was super cool. The guy was really impressed. Elder Peterson is good at the guitar and this German guy made his own instrument similar to a viola but played like cello. So for the Christmas Party in a few weeks he wants the 3 of us to do a trio. Pretty neat huh? I can still read the music and everything. Felt just the same. So then, after we spend a few hours playing on all his instruments, he takes us to a music studio in town. When we got there, we discovered there were like 6 old people there. 2 of them had accordions (drawspel in swedish!) and the rest had violins. They were a band! Kind of. Mostly they just got together and played around. Well, the main guy asked if I played violin. I was like "heck yes I do!" and he had an extra one there! So they gave me the violin and music and I jammed out with them. While they were having fika, I started playing that one Swedish Folk Song that Dad taught his group years ago. They were like "Hey! Thats a Swedish tune!" And I was like "Yes, it is!" So then they all started playing it! And no one even had the music to it and we were just playing! IT WAS SO FUN! With accordions and 4 SWEDISH violinist, it was SUPER fun! I only wished dad could have been there with me. It was a lot of fun. I might be going back next week and doing it again :)
So our investigator Hjalmar. He is trying to quit using snus (chewing tobacco) right now. We did have the baptismal date set for this Saturday, but they have to have quit for 1 week before they can be baptized. And he didn't yet. So we pushed it back one week. He really really wants to quit. He has such a strong testimony and knows the Book of Mormon is true. But, he was in church on Sunday! He has been 2 times now int he past 3 weeks. If we can get him to go again this following week, he'll be all set. Just gotta get him off that nasty stuff. I look forward to hopefully writing about his Baptism in a few weeks! :) but for now, we meet with him 3 times a week.
I have had several dinner appointments this past week. Being in the Göteborg Stake, everyone knows Sol Tageson. And I have heard Marlene mentioned a few times. So, its pretty cool to just be like "yep, thats my family." you'd think I would get used to it by now, but nope. Oh and since I have been here, I have picked up an unusual hobby. One that I never thought I would do in my life. And before you judge too much, just know I am quite good at it. I made my own tie. How? Knitting. Yep. Knitting. Ask me if I feel like an old lady. I dare you. Because the answer will be yes. But at the same time, I will have an awesome tie that I made. So ha! When we go to District Meeting in Skövde (mom, 4 of us in trollhättan, 2 in Skövde makes our district), its a 2 hour bus ride. So, I get plenty of time to knit. Hahaha. Thats 4 hours I just sit there anyway.
Okay, and I gotta share this ridiculously funny story. So, me and my companion decided we wanted a Christmas tree. Surprise, there is a forest right behind our apartment. After we get home from tracking and such on Wednesday, we go to the forest behind our apartment and chopped down a small christmas tree! We get it down and get it into the apartment and get it standing up against the wall. Suddenly we realized that it wasn't your regular Christmas tree. AKA: pine tree. It was a bush that stinkin looked like a pine tree. It was BUSH! Not a TREE! But it smells nice so we just keep it there. And I have the ornament grandma send me so I hung that up at the top. And that will do until we decide if we will actually go get a christmas tree. So, there is your "average missionary desperate for a christmas tree" story. Haha.
Well, that will do it for today. I am looking forward to a good week and well, maybe a thanksgiving. HAHA. Love you all lots!
Kram,
Äldste Tanner
Christian with his 3 companions he has had in Sweden
The knitted tie he made
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