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Julbord ×2

 Tjena! 


Happy holidays, everyone!
It's weird to think that everyone is on Christmas vacation right now. I suppose, in a way, I'm on vacation too! Just an extra long extended one where I am also in the work of the Lord. (So, the best kind.)

This week, we had a lot of lessons planned, and most of them fell through. It's tough for people to keep commitments so close to the holidays. But everything is still good here in Lund. And things will pick up again after the new year. I have faith.

Some events from this past week: 
-We figured if there was ever a time to do missionary work in the form of delivering cookies, it was probably this past week. We tried to make Swedish-style pepperkaka and they did not turn out well at all...so we had to make different, edible cookies to use. You can't win them all! 
- One of the houses that our cookies got us into was a woman who we had delivered a Book of Mormon to many weeks ago, and then could never get in touch with again. We didn't know how we would be received, but she was very happy to see us! 
However, in the middle of teaching her more about the Book of Mormon, something immediately changed...she started yelling at us and telling us that we don't have the right to judge her and tell her how to live her life. (Which we had said nothing about!) I tried to explain that we do not judge anyone, and that one of God's greatest commandments is just to love one another! But she somehow interpreted what I said as that we need to love people before we sleep with them (?) and proceeded again to yell before kicking us out of her house and asking us to never come back. 
But then as we were quickly putting our shoes on, she said that she really likes us and didn't know why we were leaving.
We're about 96% sure that there were some pretty serious mental issues at play here. But what's important is that we survived, she still has a Book of Mormon if she ever becomes interested again, and that "all these things shall give [us] experience, and shall be for [our] good" ! (Shout-out D&C 122)
- We had a great lesson with our friend Andy* about the Restoration of the gospel, and he's very interested and willing to read the Book of Mormon! 
- We started teaching a free English class every Thursday evening, and we've met some super nice people from it! 
- We had not one but TWO Swedish Julbords this past weekend. One on Saturday afternoon, and one after church on Sunday. Believe it or not, the sill (pickled herring) grows on me every time I eat it. And Julmust has grown a little on me, too.
- There's a tradition where at 3 PM on the 24th of December, every Swede tunes in to watch Donald Duck (Kalle anka). The missionaries got permission from President to watch it this year, and we did! The Swedish dubbing was pretty hilarious, I must say. 

All in all, Sweden is a good place, with silly traditions, ridiculous food, and people who celebrate Christmas without thinking of Christ. Good thing we're here to spread the word, haha! 

Love you all. And Happy New Year! I'll be back before the next one😳
Syster Naatjes

This Lund sign is new, and we obviously needed a photo by it. Also, why is there no snow? In Sweden? In December? 

The train ride to our first Julbord of the weekend! 

The aforementioned Julbord. Peep the absurd amount of julmust. 

 Little stop in Jakriborg for p-day! 

Syster Kearns' first time in Domkyrkan. Legendary.



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