For the Beauty of the Earth

Kära Familj och vänner,

This week in Stockholm has been wonderful. I love this area. It is beautiful. I will for sure send pictures next week of the city. There is water all around us, the people are all busy, and there is so much to do here! We have had much success this week as two new sisters in this area. We found many people to teach...most of which didn't show up to the scheduled time we made, but we will keep trying to find those who are truly prepared to listen and receive the Gospel in their lives. I am grateful for the emails and updates from all of you. I hope you all know how much I appreciate the support as I am here serving the Lord. I hope this note finds all of you healthy and happy!

I can't believe that July is just about over. It seems that time just disappears before my eyes. I am grateful for the nice weather we have been having here. For those of you who are not so familiar...and maybe I have said this before, but Stockholm is built on many little islands. So, we see water everywhere. The architecture is beautiful, and everyday we take the very effective subway system to go wherever we need to go. My favorite thing about Stockholm thus far is the architecture in Gamla Stan...which is the old original city of Stockholm before it became so huge. I will definitely take some pictures of it this week and send them.

Sister Swenson is awesome. She is very willing to do whatever I ask her too. We have had some really great experiences so far together, and we are continuing to get to know each other better and work well together to help people come unto Christ. She is ambitious, and happy to be here doing the work of the Lord. That has really helped me to continue with a positive attitude. It really does make a huge difference that we are both positive and trying to always be better missionaries. Sister Swenson's Swedish is also good. I'm impressed with her all the time, and it is not by coincidence that we are companions together right now. I'm excited for this transfer and the success we will have here as we continue to show our faith to the Lord and work hard.

As for what happened in the work this last week. We had a couple of really cool things happen...most of which was yesterday. There were many appts. that fell through earlier in the week which was too bad, but everytime that happened, we sincerely tried to figure out what we needed to do instead, and we have had success and found joy in the work, even when things haven't gone according to our plans. I'm just glad to know and remember that the Lord has a plan and is just needing us to figure out what it is. I will never question that His plan is the one to follow.

So the events that led to yesterday being such an awesome day. Well, on Tuesday, we taught Kathy again. She is improving, and her faith is growing. She still has many steps to take to become fully active in the church, but she has a desire, and I pray that we can continue to help her improve and come closer to the Savior all the time. On Tuesday after we had talked about the Gospel...Faith, Repentance, Baptism, Gift of the Holy Ghost, and Enduring to the End, we invited her to come to church. She hasn't come in 30 years, so it was a big step to take. Well, yesterday, Kathy came to Sacrament Meeting. Wahoo!!! We introduced her to another woman who speaks Chinese and I think she had a really good experience. We will be teaching her again tomorrow. It was also the perfect sacrament meeting for her to come to. I'm so grateful that she took the step to come, and showed her faith to the Lord.

The next event leading to a really awesome Sabbath Day yesterday was a man named Ganos. Ganos is a man that we met on Wednesday on our way to our utställning at Odenplan in the city. We got on the bus, and at first, he was kind of flirting with us...in an old man kind of way. He joked about being 103 years old, and being sinful....etc. He is super funny. Well, as we visited with him on the bus, we gave him a brochure before we got off the bus, like we give everybody we talk to. He said he would read it. Maybe an hour later, he came to Odenplan where we were doing the utställning, and talked with us again. We tried to give him a Book of Mormon, but he said the brochure was enough. We kind of forgot about the whole experience until Saturday afternoon, when we had been calling many people to make appts. for this week without much success and guess who called us??? You're right...it was Ganos. He told us on the phone that he wanted to come to church and listen. He asked if we would be there, and we of course were like, "Ja...vi ska vara på Kammakargatan 5, klockan 10." Even then, we were wondering if he would really come. Sure enough, a couple minutes before ten, Ganos came in the door. He got to hear a wonderful sacrament meeting about Repentance, and then he stayed and we were able to teach him about the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He had many questions about hoe we got the Book of Mormon, and he wanted to understand what we believed, and it was awesome. We will be teaching him on Thursday afternoon. He is our first investigator in this area.

Sister Swenson and myself both had the opportunity to introduce ourselves in the ward yesterday. It was awesome! As I bore my testimony of the truthfulness of this church, and the principles we are taught to live by, the Spirit was so strong. I have no doubt about it. I am enjoying this work because I know it's true. I wouldn't be here if I doubted that. I know this is the Savior Jesus Christ's Church. I know that He runs this church, and that He is aware of all of us. I am only beginning to see and feel the love God has for all of His children as I get to know people and help them realize that love. I get the opportunity to love them as well - as a representative of the Savior. What an honor.

I am happy! I am healthy. We walk a lot, we eat well, and I am trying to take good care of myself. The Lord is taking care of my back. I know I am being blessed while I am in His service.

OK...now a few of the wonderful things I love about Sweden:

Lingonberries are rockin' berries in jam. They have a little tart taste to them, but they are SO good.

ALL the fresh fruit they have here. It's so good, and fresh. Sometimes we find cherry trees on the side of the road we can just eat cheeries right off of.

The water everywhere. There are beautiful bridges, and buildings, and it's just beautiful! I love it here. I love how green it is also. We get rain here all the time...which keeps it wonderfully green. I just think this land is becoming one of my favorites!!!

Anyway, I hope you all have a wonderful week. I look forward to hearing from all of you. I love to hear news from home. I pray for you all. Always remember how much The Savior loves you, and wants you to be happy!

Love,

Sister Suzanne Wood

P. S. Svensk ord av dagen är....SKÖNT.....meaning AWESOME. I just like that word, and I use it a lot. Jag hoppas er har en skönt vecka!

Be Thou Humble... (Monday, July 20)

Dear Family,

All I can say is that this has been an incredibly crazy, stressful week. I am hanging in there. I sometimes want to just sit down and cry, and then I instead say a prayer in the hopes that I don't freak out my NEW GREENIE becuase her TRAINER is having a melt down. I know the Lord has prepared me for this call. I know that all will be well. I know that I can rely on the Savior because he knows the stress, the anxiety, and everything else I am feeling right now. But I can't help but feel a little of the "natural man" in me giving me the little bit of anxiousness I have.

The rest of the week after Wednesday has been a whirlwind. Sister Väätti and I got everything packed up and cleaned in the apt. on Wednesday and then had dinner with a member. As it turns out, there are no missionaries now in Norrköping. It's too bad, and it was a little hard for me to accept at first because we had begun to have such success there, but I accept it better now that I need to be here for very specific purposes.

Thursday morning we were up early to catch the train to Stockholm. It was sad to spend the last time with Sister Väätti. I really do miss her. She was a good example to me, and taught me so much, and we truly became great friends. She is home safe now and living her own life again. In Stockholm, I went to a training meeting for trainers and then picked up my greenie....and now I will tell you all a little bit about her.

My new companions name is Sister Swenson. She is from Logan, UT, comes from a family of 7 kids. She went to BYU for 3 years before her mission studying Physiology and Dance. She is super awesome, her Swedish is good for a new missionary, she is brave and talks to everybody. We have a lot of fun together! I am so excited to get to spend this time with her. We are getting to know Stockholm, and relying completely on the Lord to help us in this new area with only our little bit of experience. My language continues to improve as Sis. Swenson asks me many questions I don't know the answer to. We look a lot of words up everyday and it is helping me to increase my vocab. all the time! Anyway, Sis. Swenson is very ambitious and has many ideas and we will try everything we can to invite people to come unto Christ which we know is what brings true joy and happiness in this life and in the life to come.

After we got into our apt. on Thursday, we had a teach that evening with a woman named Kathey, who is a member of the church who hasn't been active for 30 years. She served a mission in Taiwan in the 1970's, then moved to Sweden and completely lost contact with the church. We are helping to realize her faith again, and helping her to remember the blessings of the Gospel in her life. We are meeting her again tomorrow. She is humble, and so kind, and I truly hope that we can help her come back to church and receive the blessings that are in store for her.

Friday, we did planning, and unpacked our bags, and got to know eachother a little better. Our awesome Zone Leaders also came into Stockholm from their area to help us get acquainted with the area a little bit, and to show us how to get to church etc. We contacted, tracted, and had some success on the streets of this HUGE city!

Saturday, we went and did and utställning...in English I think it's like a table...or display and we set out posters on a table and then there were 6 of us missionaries contacting in the area and we got several numbers from that. Not to mention...Sis. Swenson is very musical. She brought her viola with her to Sweden. It's awesome. She played her Viola and I sang while we were contacting, and it was interesting that it really did attract a few more people to the table. I know it's true that good music invites the Spirit and softens the hearts of those we will meet and teach. Other than that, we were out contacting, and calling many people in the Area Book to try and make appts. for this week.

There was not a whole lot to start with here in the area for right now. We only have one or two investigators, and not very much else going on. We know we need to find those people who have been searching for the gospel, and we have met some very sincere people in our travels.

Yesterday, we went to church, and met the ward. We met the Mission Leader of the ward who is actually American. He's from Colorado, but served his mission here and is now working for the Dept. of State in the Embassy here in Sweden for the next 2 yrs. He is awesome, and I think he really does want to help us have success in this area. The members are super cool, and it will be really nice to get to know them better and there are many young single adults who are willing to help us with teaches, so that is a very nice thing. We then went out to Lidingö, one of the islands of the main land where one of our investigators lives. Her name is Meeri, and we wanted to stop by there and meet her. She doesn't have a phone which makes it really hard to set up appts. and such. She is a very kind lady from Finland. We had a very nice visit, but didn't really get anywhere with why she won't get baptized. She has had all the lessons and accepts the Book of Mormon as Gods word. We continue to try a little longer to help her realize the importance and necessity of being baptized in this church. It goes back to authority from God. What a blessing the Priesthood is!

I probably sound really scattered right now. I am really scattered right now. My thoughts go in every directions imaginable...from how do we get there, to how can we best use our time, to who do we NEED to talk to, to how can we help them...to how can I help Sis. Swenson in her first transfer...etc. As you call can see, I am a little crazy at the moment. I know the Lord will help me, and that is why I can keep going. I am grateful for the knowledge I have that I don't need to do this work alone. I would already be home if I was not being supported every step of the way by my Savior. I know we will have success here as we put all of our trust in Him, and listen to the promptings we receive as we talk to the people in this wonderful country.

I hope you have all had a great week. I hope this didn't come across as a negative email. I am still happy I am serving, and glad that I am here. I know this is the place I need to be. I know there are people I will meet that needed to meet ME. I am grateful for the prayers and thoughts in my behalf. I need them. :) Know that I pray for all of you, and your happiness. I hope that this week is a good one. I always look forward to hearing from all of you.

Love,

Sister Suzanne Wood

P.S. Swedish word for the week will be...TROENDE....that being in English...FAITHFUL. I hope we can all strive to be more faithful today than we were yesterday, and more faithful than we were today. I was reading in Matthew this morning, and Christ says if we have only as much faith as a mustard seed, that we can remove a mountain or do whatever other thing we need to do. I pray I can continue to show my faith. We show our faith to Him by our actions. I hope we never forget that!

We Are All Enlisted...

Dear Family and Friends,

Well let me just say that this letter is coming from a very humbled, and a little bit nervous Sister Wood. I am not emailing until today because our P-Day was switched due to Transfers being tomorrow. I was pretty certain that I would stay here in Norrköping for at least one more transfer and was given word by President Anderson at my interview with him last Friday that I would be Senior Companion to another missionary in the mission. That I was ok with. It is customary in this mission to get a phone call on the Tuesday morning before transfers with all the transfer information. So, during our Companion Study yesterday we got the phone call from President Anderson.

To my surprise, things have become very interesting for me this next transfer.....

I am sure you all want to know what is happening...but I can't help but provide a little suspense....

Ok...enough is enough. I will be transferring to work in the Stockholm Outreach Center for Young Adults and will be Training a Greenie there in Stockholm. The Outreach Center is the Institute Building for those of you familiar with that. It is a place where young single adults can come and have activities and take gospel classes and so forth. The work I will do is in inner-city Stockholm. I will still be tracting, contacting and doing the exciting missionary work like normal, but with the addition of working with the young single adults in the Stockholm area. Yesterday was crazy!! I am still trying to wrap my head around the fact that I have only been in Sweden for two months and I will already be training somebody else how to be a missionary. I have found peace in the fact that I know that "Whom the Lord calls, He also qualifies." I can see now so many things I have been blessed with and prepared with to do this next task at hand. It will be hard. I will be stretched, but I know that as I call on the Lord for support and strength that I will be successful.

Well, the rest of my last week doesn't seem like such a big deal after all of that. There is sadness for me also to be leaving Norrköping. This city has become a wonderful home to me for this last little while, and both Sis. Väätti and I were just starting to feel like we had a good start to the work here. Just a few days ago we found an incredible tracting area, and we have lots of inactive people that have been willing to meet with us, and now we will both leave here. There will not even be other missionaries who serve in Norrköping because of the shortage of missionaries throughout the mission. I know that all things are done in the knowledge of the Lord and there is a specific purpose for me to be in Stockholm and for even missionaries to be taken out of this area for a while. It's like 2 Nephi 2:24. "But behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things." I am accepting of the call and know that I will grow so much from this experience...that I have no idea.

We were able to meet with our investigator Samson one more time who has a baptismal date set for August 29th. I will include a pic. of us with him and Henni (the 70 year old Danish woman who has been helping him). He is really awesome and willing to change his life to live in accordance with the commandments of the Gospel. We talked about the Word of Wisdom with them yesterday. It was really interesting to talk to them about how we don't drink alcohol, tea coffee, smoke, etc., and that as we talked about those things that I have realized in my life how I have been blessed to not be dependent on anything like that. We asked Samson if he had any concerns and does have things he needs to work out in his life. The thing is, that I was able to promise him, with my whole heart that as he shows faith in Christ and acts in accordance with the commandments, and tries his best to stop, that the Lord will help him and that he can do it. WOW!! What an awesome promise that is given to those who live the commandments. The Lords love and help for all of us are never ending and so worth our little bit of effort!

Segen is another investigator that we had a chance to visit with one more time. There is a pic. with her also. I have met so many wonderful people here. The opportunity I have had to meet the ward members here and get to know them and all of the people I have had the opportunity to get to know and teach about the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been amazing. I am so glad that I get to continue to serve in Stockholm and get to know and help many other people come closer to their Savior and Redeemer.

Just a little side note, I finished the Book of Mormon today. I started it when I got to Sweden, and I have so much enjoyed the opportunity to study it and read it everyday. It has strengthened my faith in Christ even more, and it has given me even more resolve to be better, and try to be more like him. I hope that all of you take the opportunity to read the words of the prophets in the Book of Mormon. If it's been a while, or you never have read it...I can promise from my experiences that it is God's Word and that we can come closer to Christ by reading it's words.

I want you all to know that I know that God answers our prayers. He will help us in whatever need we may have. I know that He wants us to be happy and that He shows us the way to happiness. Know that I love you all. I pray for you all often and hope that you are all healthy and happy. I am doing well here. I still have back problems, I still have hard times...by no means has this all been a walk in the park thus far, but I love the work and I know that there is nothing I would rather be doing than helping people here come to the knowledge of God's love for them and the Savior's love and sacrifice for them. Take care of yourselves and have a great week!

Love,

Sister Suzanne Wood

P.S. I have to have a Swedish word of the week. I have been thinking about it...and I think the word that best describes what I have been saying since yesterday morning is OTROLIGT!!! That being UNBELIEVABLE! It is a good thing I know the Lord knows better what I need, and where I am needed than I do. :)

A few pics from this week

Suz took these in the forest right across the street from where she lives. Super beautiful nature everwhere!

A view from a member's patio...it's way up in the hills, and gorgeous.

A traditional Svensk Tårta with jordgubbar (strawberries)

Elias and I with the Svensk Tårta we baked!

There is Sunshine in My Soul Today!!

Kära Familj och Vänner,

This week on the mission has been great! Everyday we had something to do, and somebody to teach. We did service last Monday, had our P-Day last Tuesday and I can't believe it's already Monday again. I am amazed at how quickly the time is going and I'm trying to make every day count because I know this 18 months will fly by. Can't believe I've already been gone for 4 months. CRAZY!!!

My companion Sister Väätti will go home on the 17th of July. So, next Thursday I will have a new companion to get to know and do this marvelous work with. I have really enjoyed getting to know Sis. V and we have gotten along really well. I know that all the people we meet and get to know in our lives...no matter the circumstances are provided for us to learn from, and have support from...and to support. I think of all of you back home, and really all over the place...and I just want you all to know that you have had an impact on my life for good. I appreciate the support, example and love all of you have shown to me. Please know that I will always be appreciative of all of you!!!

Ok, so for this last week, I have a couple of stories to share that were spiritual highlights.

The first happened on Tuesday evening. We went to teach Segen, who we have been teaching for a month...or maybe longer. We invited a member to join us to go to Segen's house and bake cookies and have a lesson. (Side note....my cookies are a hit around here....nobody bakes cookies...only cakes...) We started to teach Segen the lesson and we read with her from 3 Nephi 27. We wanted to focus on the authority the Priesthood has from God that makes us different from all other churches. At first as we read, she had a really hard time to understand what the scriptures were saying...the Book of Mormon doesn't exist in her native language...so we explained many things in simpler ways to help her understand. As we talked more, she said she understood, and that was really good. We had finished the chapter in the scriptures and we reviewed the Restoration of the Gospel through Joseph Smith. We were testifying to her how the gospel had blessed our lives, and the knowledge that all of the needed principles and ordinances of the Gospel that Jesus Christ taught on the earth are the principles we live by in the Church today. All of a sudden Segen started to talk about a feeling she had right in her heart. She didn't know what it was. She said it didn't hurt but was a warm feeling that she felt whenever we talked to her. Sis. Väätti and I looked at eachother and smiled. We then had the opportunity to explain to Segen that what she was feeling was the Holy Ghost. That we receive a witness of truth through the feelings the Holy Ghost gives to us. That warmth, peace, happiness we feel when something is uplifting and good comes from the Holy Ghost. She started to cry. She knew that we were truly messengers of God. It was so wonderful. We invited Segen to get baptized into the church and she said she needed some time to think about it because she has already been baptized twice...once as a baby and once in a Protestant church when she was 18. We explained to her with an analogy that without the proper authority and power from God that the baptism is only an action...that it doesn't have all the needed ingredients to cleanse away sin. We also taught about the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and that the Gift of the Holy Ghost can be a constant companion after baptism by the proper authority.

Anyway, it was an incredible experience and we are anxious to meet with Segen again this week and talk more about the possibility of baptism into the church!

The other thing that happened this week was a meeting we had on the 4th of July! By the way, I hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July. It was so weird to be in a different country where no fireworks, barbecues or other festivities took place. Our celebration was a member family in the ward who invited us to come bake a traditional Swedish Cake with them on the 4th. Totally fun...but not the same.

Anyway, back to my story. There was a referral we got from the Mission Office here in Sweden of a man named Samson some weeks ago. We tried the numbers they gave us and neither worked. All we had was an address in Rejmyre...and small town about an hour away from Norrköping. We had tried to go there 2 Saturdays but it didn't work out then. So, we made the trip to this little town to try and find a man from Sudan, who found refuge in Denmark and met the missionaries there, and has now moved to Sweden for hopefully a better life. There is A LOT more to his background, but for now that should suffice.

We went into Rejmyre and found the building where he lives. We found the right door and knocked on it. He was home. Hurray!!! That was the first thing we had prayed for. We came in and sat and visited about his visits with the missionaries in Denmark. He speaks English, so we spoke with him and he had explained that he had met with the missionaries several times and had committed to be baptized. We were pretty excited about that. We wanted to see where he was when he had met the missionaries last, so we reviewed the Restoration of the Gospel and Joseph Smith as a prophet and asked him what that meant to him, and what he thought of it. His response was one I never will forget. He said, "The Restoration of the Gospel through Joseph Smith is the way that God is trying to get all of His children back to the right foundation." I was like, "Exactly!!" I could sense the simplicity and the realness of his testimony. He has been through many trials and we talked about the comfort there is in knowing that God is aware of all of us and will provide the opportunities we need to return to him. I asked him how he felt that if he had stayed in Sudan...that the chances of the Gospel getting to him there were pretty slim. He replied with gratefulness that he had met the missionaries in Denmark and that we found him in a little, out of the way town in Sweden. Pretty incredible! Before we left he asked me how long it would take him to get baptized. That was pretty awesome as well!

Those were the two experiences that were very important to me this week to share. We met with many others, taught them, and consistently pray that they will read and pray and sincerely show the trust in God to let him answer. I know that as we all do those things, we can receive answers to prayers and that the Lord with provide for us. I hope you all have a wonderful week. I hope the weather is nice...wherever you are and that the Summer is bringing warmth and happiness to all of you. Know that I pray for you, and sincerely know that God loves each of you...as I do.

Love,

Sister Suzanne Wood

P.S. Ok, for the Swedish word of the day...we are going to go with CHAMPINJONER. This is the word for mushrooms. I want you all to know that this is the word that Sister Väätti wanted all of you to know. She says they are "special" mushrooms....we eat them often and she won't let me say the other word for mushrooms which is SVAMPAR. Anyway, I hope that you enjoyed this episode of "Swedish Word of the Week!"

Nearer, My God to Thee (Tuesday, June 30)

Kära Familj och Vänner,

This week in Sweden has been a good one. It has been super warm and humid all week, and I think I will end up sweating to death. We have been busy this week, and had success meeting with investigators, and meeting new people to teach. I guess I will highlight the couple of really major things that happened this week.

This last Wednesday we had the most busy schedule we have had since I have been here. We had 4 appts...and they all went through. We met with a less active member and 3 investigators throughout the day, which was totally awesome. We were able to teach them, and they all showed up, and it was awesome. It was so nice to have actual places to be and people to teach. We have spent much of the last 6 weeks finding people, so it was nice to have a chance to teach this last week.

On Friday, we also had many things to do, and one of them was to have waffles with two of the old men in the ward here in Norrköping. They were so friendly, and we could tell that they were thrilled to buy us a waffle. That same day we met with Harri. I know I have talked about him before, but normally, he has cancelled on us, so we hadn't met for the last 3 weeks. Well, we met with him on Friday evening. We taught him about the Plan of Salvation, and it went well. He said some very interesting things. We are not sure if he is prepared to keep commitments yet, but he knows that the things we tell him are the truth. He is a little nervous about praying about the prophet Joseph Smith, because he in a way thinks that believing in a prophet will take away from the faith and focus he has on God and Jesus Christ. I expressed to him that the reality of Joseph Smith as a prophet adds to our faith in Christ. It is a witness of Christ's love for His children that we can have guidance from a prophet, and that the Book of Mormon is NOT about Joseph Smith, but is a witness of Christ. I genuinely hope he reads in the Book of Mormon and prays about it's truthfulness. I know that the Book of Mormon brings us closer to Christ and teaches us how we can show our love and obedience to the Savior by following it and the Bibles teachings.

I would have to say that the craziest part of the week was Sunday. It was on Tuesday that things got interesting. We had a Ward Council meeting, and then went home and planned. Well about ten minutes after we got home, we got a phone call. It was a member of the Bishopric who wanted to speak to me. I talked to him, and he asked if I would give a talk in church this last Sunday. I said sure. He then preceded to tell me the talk would be on Prayer...that was fine by me. Then I asked how long I would be giving my first Swedish talk for....he told me 20 MINUTES....I started to panic a little. I asked him if he was sure, and that I thought that was quite a lot of time. He said he was sure, and I accepted the assignment.

I hung up the phone and totally freaked out! I was not scared about giving a talk in Swedish, but a 20 minute talk is quite a while, and I don't even know if I've given a 20 minute talk in English THAT many times...so anyway, I spent my Language Study the rest of the week preparing my talk for Sunday. All of you that know me, know that I am not really a very nervous person...well you should have all seen me sitting on the stand Sunday morning. We also had 2 investigators who came to church on Sunday.

To finish this story, I stood up and I gave my 20 minute talk and it went well. I know the Spirit was present to help me diliver that talk, and that the ward felt the Spirit. I felt unqualified, and unsure, but I did it, and it went really well. I know the Lord helps us as we prepare and turn to Him for help to do the things we are called to do.

I have had a good week. Yesterday we helped an inactive member move from one apt. to another, and we had a crazy time with that. This woman Carola lived on the 3rd floor of one building and moved to the 3rd floor of another. I will just say that we climbed up and down A LOT of stairs yesterday. It was great to help, and know that she appreciated so much that we made the trip to help her.

I know that this work is the work of God on the earth. I know that it has very little to do with me. As I follow the Spirit, I am led as to what to do and what to say. I am trying to keep myself worthy all the time to have the companionship of the Spirit because without it, I know I can not to anything to convince men and women of the Lord's love for them. I am becoming more and more bold with my testimony. I absolutely have no doubt about the fact that Christ's church exists today and that we all can come closer to him as we follow His example.

I hope you all know how much I love you, miss you, and pray for you. I know that the Lord blesses all of His children. I also know that we all have trials that are difficult and hard to go through. More than anything I know that the Lord is aware of us and as we pray sincerely and with meaning behind our words, and as we act in a way to show that we are willing to live and follow Christ, that our prayers will be answered and that we are God's children. I hope you all have a great week.

Med vänliga hälsningar,

Syster Suzanne Wood

P.S. For Swedish word of the week, I have chosen two Swedish words...they are POJKE and FLICKA. POJKE is boy...like a little boy and FLICKA is a little girl. I choose those two words because I found out today that I will be an aunt today. Min syster ska få en flicka. YAY!!! I am totally excited.