Syster Brink in Sweden: busy as a bee

I am so happy to see all the pictures and videos from grandpa's birthday! I'm so happy that it went so well and everybody was able to have a good 4th of July! Sounds like it's been crazy hot back home! It's been pretty hot here too. I guess I can't complain when you guys are in triple digits, but I have not sweat so much before.

On monday we went to Dumme Mosse and hiked through the swamp for a while. I got eaten alive by every mosquito in that swamp and my shoes got covered in muddy water. But we had a campfire and made s'mores and then went to a dinner at the 2nd councilor's house with the elders. We tried to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ lesson with the egg in a bottle thing (I'll have to explain it when I'm home). It has always worked for sister Demille, but this time it wouldn't go into the bottle. I just kept thinking of mom and her webelos and I have a feeling that the bad luck runs in the family. The eggs never go into the bottle...

Tuesday we were all over the place. We taught Dudas and he said he hadn't had beer in 3 days but he also hadn't eaten in 3 days either. I was worried he'd taken our fasting lesson a little too seriously. So we encouraged him to eat something. We did a lot of contacting. Almost all of our investigators are on semester (vacation) right now so we're in the business of finding new people to teach. On the way to teach one of our other investigators she calls us up and tells us she never wants us to come by again and wouldn't explain. So we just sat on the grass and called a whole bunch of people and then went to dinner at the 1st councilor's house with the elders. We had a super good dinner with the tastiest sourdough bread I have had since coming out here. I'm not sure if they made it themselves or not, but I need to find it or make it or something.

Wednesday was a day full of member visits. We had lunch with the Robayos and they barbecued for us and I was so full of that amazing food. Then we went to visit this super sweet woman who is the relief society greeter. Her name is Ingalill and we watched "Together Forever" with her and had a really good time sitting together and sharing our testimonies. After that we went to the De Lima's and tried the egg thing again. IT WORKED THIS TIME! The kids were so surprised and excited by it! What a hit :) Then we all had fun and got to know each other. I've never met children with so much energy, it was a lot of fun playing with them.

On Thursday we taught Dudas and he told me that he loved me.... And then he also said he wouldn't stop drinking beer. But then he said he would. And then he gave us flowers and lottery tickets and strawberries. I think he might have been drunk during the lesson. After that we taught Rikki and talked about the temple and asked him to make it a goal to get there. We're excited for him. It's fun teaching Rikki because we can have complete open conversation and trust each other. It's super good that he has that relationship with the missionaries. That night we had dinner with the Bishop and his wife. We got around to the entire bishopric this week! Right after dinner we got on a bus to Borås and stayed the night with Sister Giles and Sister Lund for our Zone Training the next day. We had some interesting sleeping arrangements because the Borås apartment is so small, but we made it work :)

Friday was zone training! It was all focused on the Book of Mormon and I learned a lot about how I use it and how I can use it more. I was asked to share a testimony of how the Book of Mormon has brought me closer to God. We've been challenged to read 2 Nephi 9 or Enos every single day this transfer so I'm already off to a good start! After zone training we came home and just before going to our YSA activity Sister Demille and I went to the international street fair and bought some burgers from the Australian booth. I ate both crocodile and kangaroo burgers. Yes. And they were delicious. Sister Demille got this giant puncture wound in her leg from the bus so we went to the instacare and she probably should have gotten stitches but the woman there was just a volunteer so she got some steristrips and a bandaid instead.

Saturday we celebrated the 4th of July with and American family (the Hegyessy's) and a British family (the Strömberg's) and a bunch of friends from the ward. We had barbecue and american potato salad and a couple of different american cakes. We sang the national anthem and had some US history trivia. It was so much fun to celebrate the 4th of July all the way out here on the other side of the world!

Yesterday was pretty relaxed. Both Dudas and Lasse came to church and we had a testimony meeting. We went and contacted and then did some weekly planning.

This week has been a LOT of member work because all of our investigators are gone. But it's been so much fun! I love having the opportunity to get to know all the members here and they've all opened up so much in the last two weeks!

Sorry this email is kind of short! Gotta go pick some strawberries!

love you all!!!

-syster janessa brink