Teach Me to Walk in the Light

Dear Family and Friends,

Well....what can I say??? It's already August. I won't even get into how it feels to have already been out on my mission.....oh never mind. I am doing SO well! I love this work, I love the people here, I love my companion, and I love everything about my mission. It's so amazing to me that I am learning to love a culture, a part of the world, and so many people I might only meet once, so much that I can't even explain it. Stockholm is wonderful. The ward we work with here is awesome. They have already had 5 baptisms this year in the ward, and one scheduled on Friday. They are willing to come to teaches with us, feed us, let us practice our Swedish with them, and I feel very blessed to be here. I am more comfortable with my call as a Senior Companion all the time. I am not worried about the fact that there are many things I don't know...because I know the Lord knows and will help me as I ask and pray to know what we need to do. I am relying on the Lord all the time, and we are having success here.

There are many less-active members in the ward we are working with. Kathy, the woman from Thailand, is getting stronger in her faith all the time. We continue to meet with her, and although she had to work yesterday and couldn't come to church, she is really trying to gain her testimony back. I love teaching her. She is the very model of Mosiah 3:19...which talks about being as a child...meek, submissive, patient, etc. She is all of those things, and is so accepting of the commitments we are helping her to make. Her ultimate goal is to go to the temple. We are always thinking about how to help her get there.

We have many scheduled times with other less-active members for this week, and hope to strengthen them as well. There are so many, who just need some support, and someone to invite them to activities, to church, and to have the love and fellowship of someone in the church. I am learning very quickly that it is much more likely that they are not active because they don't feel like a part of things...than that they are not active because they do not have a testimony of the gospel. To me, these wonderful people I am helping to stay and become active again are some of the most important people to me...they have already entered into covenants with the Lord...how vital is it that they keep them??? Anyway, I am meeting and having the opportunity to strengthen many people here.

We have also been teaching Rong, and Baska....both newly baptized members of the church. They are so wonderful! Their desire to learn and understand everything better is amazing. We will continue to meet with them, and help them to become independent in their testimony of the gospel and confident to continue to learn and grow all the time.

I am very glad to say that Janos...whose name I spelled wrong last week is doing very well. He came to church again yesterday and really enjoyed the testimonies that he heard. He stayed again for Sunday School and we will meet him again on Wednesday. He is so earnest to be better, and has questions, and I have to say that the lesson we taught him went really well. Sister Swenson is still working on her Swedish, and at the end of the lesson she was really straightforward with Janos and asked him if he found out that what we told him was true if he would become a member....he said, sure why not!!! Woohoo!!! He is awesome, and so prepared to accept the fulness of the gospel. I would have never thought that he would be one to be ready. It goes to show that it is out of my hands who is ready for the gospel, but that I need to give everybody the opportunity to accept it.

We also taught yesterday a young man named Nashwan for the first time and gave him a Book of Mormon...as we testified of the truthfulness of it, and how he can pray to know that it is true, and how much it has helped me in my life, he said, "I'll read it, I want to read it." We will be meeting with him again this week as well.

I feel so blessed right now. My companion is wonderful. We try different ideas everyday. I am letting her take more responsibility all the time. She is confident, enthusiastic, and really is trying so hard to become the best missionary she can. We work hard together. Other than that, I am doing well. I am healthy and happy. I don't think I've been so happy ever before...and I think it's mostly because I've never been less worried about myself. I know the Lord will provide for me...so I am trying to provide for those people here whom I have been sent to serve.

I love you all. I really hope you know that I pray for you often. I hope you have a wonderful week, and that you remember to stay close to the Savior. Let Him direct your paths and you will be blessed beyond what you can imagine. Have a great week!!

Love,

Sister Suzanne Wood

P. S. Swedish word for the week is going to have to be.....VALTHORN....now this may seem crazy, but you all know I play the FRENCH HORN....well I found out what it is in Swedish....pretty exciting if I do say so myself...ok...maybe not as exciting to all of you...but none the less I'm glad I know now.