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. :)