Last Email! (Wed., Sept. 29)

Dear Family and Friends,

I can't believe this is my last email to all of you. I have had a crazy, wonderful...full of up and downs kind of week. It is bitter sweet to be completing the mission and going to be heading home next weekend. I know that I have served the Lord to the best of my ability and that I would not trade this 18 months for anything in the world. I have learned so much, and my testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ has truly become stronger. I know that I could not have done the work without the support from all of you...nor without constant help from Heavenly Father.

I can update you on details from the last few days...when I see you...or talk to you on the phone...but I will leave you with one story.

Last Saturday, we were doing finding work in Lund with the Zone Leaders and all of our bags got stolen out of the car. It was totally devastating! we talked to the Police, and then had a very long night...no longer having our cell phone, or keys to our apt. We were able to get home at about 11:30pm and get to bed. On Sunday, I gave a talk in Sacrament Meeting. I had planned to talk about all the things I have learned on my mission. I had prepared what I felt like would be uplifting to the ward. Well, as I got ready on Sunday morning, some other thoughts came into my mind that I felt I needed to share.

Basically, the talk I gave was an opportunity for me to bear my testimony of the things that we can't lose if we take care of ourselves spiritually. I lost everything "valuable" to me in a material way on Saturday...but those things that nobody can take from me, are my faith in the Savior Jesus Christ, or my testimony of His gospel and how it can bless our lives. It was an incredible blessing for me to talk in church and to have the opportunity to bear my testimony of these things.

I hope all of you have a wonderful week. Mom, Dad, Grandma and Grandpa Morris...I'll see you on Saturday!!!! To the rest of you, I will see...or talk to you very soon. I know this is the Lord's work and I am so grateful for the chance I have had to serve!

Much Love,

Sister Suzanne Wood

Photos and a note from Sister Pettersson in Sweden

Hi!

I am enclosing a few photos I took last Wednesday (September 8th) when you daughter and her companion came to our house for lunch.

In some of the photos my two sons are also present. Robert the youngest came home from his mission last Friday (London south mission) and his older brother Fredrik came home a year ago from the Manchester mission.

We came to the conclusion that soon the five of us will have served our Lord for a total of 8years. How wonderful!

Thank for letting us have your wonderful daughter here in Sweden.

All the best to your family.
Sister Pettersson

Lots of New Pics!

Sister Sumner and Me at Zone Conference...in August.

The Zone at Conference....last week.

Sister Sumner and Me...at a bus stop.

Elder Carlisle, Elder Bloomfield and Me at our bowling Zone Activity

The entire Malmö Zone...we have a great time together!!!

Sister Sumner and Me in Södra Sandby.

The Copenhagen Temple

All of us in front of the temple

Us and the Zone Leaders in front of the temple sign

The Christus Statue in Copenhagen that all of the statues in the church are a replica of.

Sis. Sumner and Me in front of the Christus Statue.

Denzil's baptism with Sister Sumner and Fredrik Pettersson.

1 1/2 weeks to go!!

Dear Family and Friends,

I had a fantastic week last week! We worked hard, and had a couple of really cool experiences. I will share just a couple of them with you. :)

First of all, I had my last conference last Thursday. Our "Sharpening" conferences have become more like a 2nd Zone Conference every transfer. The conference was very good and motivating. One thing I had the opportunity to do was bear my testimony to the Zone. I am the only finishing missionary in the Zone...so I got plenty of time to say whatever I felt like saying. I'm sure you can all guess that I started out by shedding a few tears...and I bore my testimony of the gospel, and was able to share a couple of the things that I have learned on my mission. It was a wonderful opportunity, but was very difficult for me. I continue to bear a witness of the things I know are true every day...and I am so grateful for my testimony of the gospel. I know it is the thing that gives me the most strength in my trials. Our testimonies grow as we exercise faith in the Lord and try His promises. I have seen that many times on my mission and I know it's true.

We also had the opportunity to go to Copenhagen last Friday to the temple there. It was a wonderful experience. We went with the Zone Leaders and some of the other missionaries from our Zone. The session was wonderful and I am SO grateful I was able to attend the temple there before returning home.

Lastly, we had Stake Conference on Saturday evening and Sunday morning. Our investigator Anna came on Sat. and Sun. I had the wonderful opportunity to sing at the session on Saturday night...which was an incredible blessing and opportunity for me. I sang "Be Still, My Soul" with a violin, cello and piano. The Spirit was very strong during the meeting and I was so glad that I could be a part of it. As people came and thanked me after the meeting, all I could say was, "Tack" Va glad jag bli! (Rough translation: "Thank you! What pleased me be!")

I am really looking forward to this week. Sis. Sumner and I have some great goals and I am going to make this last week one of the best of my mission. I'm ending with a bang! I know that I can still make a difference with the days I have left. I am so grateful for my opportunity to serve. I know that church is true. I know that it brings us more joy than we can even begin to comprehend. I hope you all have a wonderful week!

Love,

Sister Suzanne Wood

Wonderful Work! (Monday, Sept. 13)

Dear Family and Friends,

It's amazing...there has been so much that has continued to happen during the course of my mission, and I have told all of you about the ins and outs of missionary work here in Sweden. I feel as though there isn't anything that I can say...that you all haven't heard. However, I continue to teach the wonderful children of our Heavenly Father and I am honored to have a little bit of time left to help as many as possible.

I don't have many thoughts this week. But, one thing I would like to say is that I know that conversion takes place through the Spirit of our Heavenly Father. I have seen a miraculous change in our friend Anna who we have been teaching the gospel and she has taken it upon herself to make changes in her life to live in accordance with the commandments of God. It has been amazing. Her heart has changed, and with her change of heart has started to take place a change in her behavior and attitude.

I am just incredibly grateful for the blessing it has been for me to help some of God's children begin the path back to Him. I love the gospel. I love the Lord. I am grateful to be a part it. Even though I have not seen all of the fruits of the labor I have performed, I know that the Lord is pleased with us when we serve Him.

I hope all of you are well. I hope this week goes well, and I hope that you all continue to live in accordance with the gospel. It will bless your lives!

Much Love,

Sister Suzanne Wood

Hey Family! (Monday, Sept. 6)

Dear Family,

I am so grateful for this last week we have had in Lund. It has been a wonderful week! I don't have a whole lot of time to email today, so I will keep this email short, but I wanted to share a couple of our success stories from last week.

A couple of weeks ago, we were walking to the bus station from the church, and we met three Chinese students at the bus stop. We started chatting with them and as we got on the bus...Lynch (one of the guys we met) came and sat by us. We started talking about Chinese food and he told us we could come over and eat dinner with him and his friends sometime. We called him a few days later and set up an appt. to go and eat a meal with him. Well, last Friday we went to the student housing where Lynch lives, and we ate a wonderful Chinese dinner with Lynch and 5 of his friends. As we were visiting with them, we were able to talk to them about Heavenly Father and the Savior. We got all 6 of their phone numbers and they all said they would like to get together sometime and talk some more about God. AWESOME!!! It was a wonderful experience for us. Not to mention it was really fun to get to know them and share the gospel with them.

We were also able to go to a baptism in Malmö last saturday. It was a man named Ali from Iran and he is one of the most prepared people I have ever met on the mission. He knew exactly what kind of commitment he was making to God when he was baptized. One thing that was really awesome about the baptism is that Anna (our amazing, wonderful, golden investigator) was able to come to the baptism with one of the members of our ward. It was perfect! She had a wonderful experience at the baptism and came to church yesterday. We are going to invite her to be baptized this week. We really feel strongly that she is prepared for the gospel. :)

Other than that, we have been doing a lot of finding, visiting our members, and teaching some new investigators. There is so much I'm grateful for as I reflect on my time as a missionary. I have been a little more emotional the last few days as I have born my testimony to the investigators of the truthfulness of the gospel. I know that it's because I receive such a strong witness from the Spirit that what I am teaching is true. Every time I teach about Joseph Smith's vision in the Sacred Grove, I am so touched by the Spirit that I am moved to tears. I know that the gospel of Jesus Christ was restored through Joseph Smith. I know that this is the Lord's church on the earth and that as we live the principles of the gospel, we are blessed.

I am continuing to learn every day from the scriptures. They give me the spiritual boost I need to face every new day and I am grateful for the opportunity I have to study the words of the prophets. I am grateful for all of you...for your support and love. Thank you! I hope you all have a wonderful week. I am looking forward to the adventures I will have this week in Lund. :) Take care!

Love,
Sister Suzanne Wood

Four New Pics

A beautiful building on Lund University Campus

Elder Humphries, Elder Winegar and Elder Bloomfield on P-Day

Dom Kyrkan in Lund...super ominous...and huge!!

Sister Sumner and me with Nasrin and her husband who will be getting baptized in Stockholm. :)

It's fall! (Monday, August 30)

Kära Familj och Vänner,

It has been a little chilly this week here in Lund. The fall winds are starting to blow...and I'm pulling out the long sleeve shirts...and next.....tights!!! I am so grateful for the opportunity I have had to serve the Lord this last week. We have had challenges, we have had wonderful times, and through everything, I have felt the Spirit testify to me on a regular basis that this work is the work of the Lord Jesus Christ, and that He is continually supporting me to find those who are searching for Him. Searching for the truth.

I am doing well in every aspect of me....my health is good...we are running every day...my Spirit is strong...and I know that as I put forth every bit of effort that I have...that I will continue to make a difference in people's lives.

During the week, both of our baptismal dates moved to different areas of Sweden. In one way it was kind of sad for us, because we would love to continue teaching them...and see them be baptized. On the other hand, I know that it doesn't matter one bit where they are baptized, as long as they are willing to make that covenant with the Lord. I'm grateful that I could be a part of their conversion process.

We had two wonderful teaches with our investigator Anna this week. She invited us to eat dinner with her, and as we shared our message about God's Love with her, we were all touched greatly by the Spirit and as it says in D&C...that we rejoiced together. :) She is so prepared. She has admitted herself that she is a skeptical person...and we can see that she has some bumps in the road that she will need to overcome. However, she has also expressed feelings of knowing that the words that the Prophet spoke last conference are true, and that all the other talks that she has read are true. So, she is definitely making progress. I know that she will make the decision to be baptized, and hope to be a part of that wonderful experience with her.

We have not had many other teaches with investigators this last week, except that we were able to go yesterday to the home of one of the member families in our ward. They have 3 foster kids living with them that are all interested in the gospel. We were able to teach them, and help them understand Joseph Smith's experience, and what that can mean for each of us. They are wonderful kids and we are looking forward to teaching them, and helping them prepare to be baptized.

Otherwise, we are doing a lot of things to find new people to teach. We are starting a Swedish Class on Wednesday evening...and spending a lot of time around the university contacting people and finding those who are interested in the gospel. I hope that each of you has a wonderful week! I hope that school, work, and everything else is going well. I know the church is true. I also know that we will be eternally blessed for our obedience to the Lord. Love you all!

Love,

Sister Suzanne Wood

Hejsan, hejsan! (Monday, August 23)

Dear Family and Friends,

It has been a great week here in Lund. I will start by saying I don't have a lot of time to write today. So...this will be a short, and sweet email to let all of you know that the work is going very well here in Lund, and that I am in good health.

We were able to commit two of our investigators to baptism. One of them is a woman named Nashrin. She is the referral we received last week. She will be moving to Stockholm on Wednesday...so the Jakobsberg Sisters will be teaching her the rest of the lessons to her and be able to help her be baptized. The other is a man named Jian...from China. He is awesome! He's been studying here...and has come to have a faith in God and Jesus Christ. He will be in Lund until the end of Sept...so we will have the opportunity to teach him to baptism. :)

Otherwise, the work has been great. Our investigator Anna came to church yesterday for the first time!!!! It was AMAZING!!!! We have been inviting her for weeks...and it meant a lot to us that she came yesterday. She stayed for all three meetings and enjoyed herself! It's awesome! We also have three kids in our ward that we will start teaching. They are foster kids from Africa. We will start teaching them the lessons this week.

The University in Lund will be starting soon. So, we have 40,000 new potential "seekers of truth" that we will be talking to over the next several weeks. We will also be starting Swedish class next week, and there will be more activities going on at the Young Adult Center as well. I'm loving the work here. I hope to get some pics. sent soon...and I hope that all of you know that I am so grateful for all of the support you have all given me. I still have time...as I keep telling myself. I'll keep working hard to the end. That's the message of the gospel. :) Love you all...have a great week!

Love,
Sister Suzanne Wood

Anybody got some extra time??? (Monday, August 16)

Dear Family and Friends,

This week has been wonderful in Lund. We have found 3 new investigators and have been working with our other investigators to help them to prepare for baptism. I am amazed at the changes that I can see in the lives of those we are teaching. It's amazing. I am just going to share a couple of highlights from last week...I figure over the last 16 months that all of you pretty much have a gist of what the work is like here in Sweden...I'll spare you from the generics. :)

We taught one of our investigators Anna last week. We decided to focus on faith in Christ and why it is so important to understand what Christ did for us and what it means to us today. We watched Finding Faith in Christ which went really well. Then, we ended the lesson and everything and Anna said, "Do you guys have like 5 minutes?" Of course we replied that we had the time and she then asked us a couple of profound questions about prayer. She asked us of our opinions and what she can do about how she is feeling when she prays...and it was an amazing teaching opportunity for us. Not to mention that it was our investigator who wanted to know how to improve her prayers. After we visited a few minutes, the member that we had invited to come on the teach with us said,"She really trusts you Sisters. That's awesome!" It was just a testimony building experience to me of the fact that it's the Spirit that teaches those who have a desire to learn about the gospel. I'm so grateful for the burden the Spirit lifts off of my shoulders to convince people of the truthfulness of the gospel.

We also had an awesome teach with a new investigator who now has a baptismal date in Sept. We were given a referral from the office to go by Nasarin last week. We went by on Saturday and she was home and let us in...with a smile on her face. As we visited with her, we found out that she has many siblings that are living in California and are all members of the church. She said she really liked the things that she knows about the church and wants to know more and how she can be in the "group". We were able to teach her the Restoration of the Gospel and then commit her to learn of the commandments that we live by over the next couple of weeks and then to be baptized into the church. The teach was amazing! She agreed to learn all the lessons, and we will be returning again on Wednesday to teach her again. :) There really are miracles...and there are people being prepared all the time...in every part of the world.

I am enjoying the work here in Sweden. I have my last Zone Conference on Wednesday...where I will bear my testimony...what we like to call our "dying testimony" on the mission. It is so serile that my days as a full-time missionary are going to come to a close. I am trying my best to make the most of these last weeks, and plan to see at least a couple more baptisms of the prepared into the Lord's church. I hope all is well for all of you. I know that school is starting for some...good luck! I know that some of you contitnue to work hard...hope you have had a little bit of a break during the summer. I know this is the Lord's church. I know that the gospel brings happiness, understanding and knowledge into our lives. Hope you have a great week!

Love,

Sister Suzanne Wood