This week I have been pondering deeply on the topic of repentance and the Atonement.  I thought about what we talked about in class found in Romans 3:12 how everyone falls short in life. No one is perfect! In fact, this verse clarifies that there are non that do good because in one aspect or another, we have all been corrupted. It reads, "They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one"(Romans 3:12). We all have things to work on, so we ought to be patient with ourselves and others.
Following this topic, I read a talk by Elder Dale G. Renlund entitled, "Latter-day Saints Keep on Trying". It talks about how God doesn't expect us to be perfect - he actually knows that we are so far from perfect. That is why he provided us a Savior to save us from our sins and to help us improve. My favorite quote from this talk is actually based from something Nelson Mandela once said. "Saints are sinners that keep on trying."
We all ought to have the attitude that we can become better. There is no use in giving up and quitting. We must keep trying. As long as we are trying, the Lord will have our back and we will make it.

This week I have been reading and studying about trust. I was able to watch several Mormon Messages pertaining to trusting in the Lord and His timing.
I found several scriptures pertaining to trusting in God. "Trust in the Lord, and do good..."(Psalm 37:3). I really like how simple the phrase is to "trust" and "do good". The best way that we can align our will with the will of God is to trust in his timing and plans for each and every one of us. Until then, we can only do good. We can and should keep the commandments, attend our weekly worship services, pray and study the scriptures daily, and always give service to others.
"O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever. I will not put my trust in the arm of flesh; for I know that cursed is he that putteth his trust in the arm of flesh. Yea, cursed is he that putteth his trust in man or maketh flesh his arm"(2 Nephi 4:34).
The purpose of this life is submitting our will to God's will. Sometimes we get an idea and expectations for the way our lives should go. They aren't necessarily wrong, but they kind of are. There are many variables in this life. If you are living the commandments and living righteously, you will be guided to what is correct over time and in God's timing.
Trusting in the Lord means that if things aren't perfect right now things aren't over yet. There are better things ahead and we must trust the Lord to guide us. We must find the lessons to be learned if things are not currently okay.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3n-DOKBffuU

This week, one of my close friends was having a couple of rough days. It seemed as if nothing was going his way and that everything that could have been going wrong, was. He was getting really hard on himself and I tried to help him out but it seemed as if my efforts were pointless. Suddenly, I had the thought to show him the Mormon Message called "You Never Know". In the Mormon Message, it shows the life of a busy mom who is trying to help everybody out. She is constantly serving others and lifting others up. At the end of the video she tries to go and do something for herself and it falls through. She had spent so much time and effort doing things for other people that she didn't have time for herself. She starting thinking back on the day and soon realized that maybe she hadn't done everything that SHE needed to do that day, but that she had accomplished all the things that He needed her to do. The video shows various instances where she tried to help someone else and how much those individuals benefited from her help and service. Though she may not have seen the impact she had, she greatly affected these people. 

Our efforts are never wasted. Sometimes we feel as if we are not enough. That we aren't fulfilling our potential or living up to the expectations that others have set for us. But it is important to take a step back and try to see the bigger picture. Seeing our lives through the eyes of God can change our attitude on a bad day and strengthen us in times of need. We can't do it all on our own.

In 2 Nephi 25 it reads, "...for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do" (2 Nephi 25:23).

We put forth all the effort we need to in order to help others come unto Christ. At times, it may seem that our efforts are wasted, but know that no effort is wasted. Our good intentions can help many and strengthen them in their faith. Christ has made the ultimate sacrifice for each one of us. As we keep our life centered on Him and His Atonement, we can better come to know the sacrifice He made for us as we sacrifice and serve others.

I had the amazing opportunity to go to the MTC and volunteer with TRC.  Returning to the MTC after two years definitely brought it's own spiritual experiences and lots of memories and feelings. I was taught by several missionaries and received a lot of inspiration and revelation that I need in my life.
Something particular stuck out to me in a lesson we had with the elders. As I read and pondered this verse, my mind was enlightened. The verse read,
"Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves - It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me" (Alma 32:28).
This is a classic scripture that I have read dozens of times if not hundreds. However, something was different about reading it this time. I realized that not only do we have to exercise faith in God and believe in Him, but we can apply this principle to other things. If something feels right, and if it begins to enlighten our understanding and enlarge our minds, it is from God and is a good "seed" or thing. As it seems in every aspect of our lives, we can apply this principle. God will help us to know if something is the right thing to do. Even if it's wrong, He will tell us and notify us in some way. That's the great part about the Plan of Happiness is that we have agency to choose between right and wrong. Our conscience helps us to know what is right and wrong, and then it is up to us to choose the right or the wrong.
As we put our faith in God and Jesus Christ throughout everything we do in life, we will be able to feel the true joy that the light of the gospel brings. When we live righteously we can be more in tune with the Spirit and can distinguish between our thoughts and the quiet whisperings of the Spirit.

This week I was reading in 2 Nephi chapter 2 which talks a lot about the Fall and the consequences thereof. I've been pondering a lot about the decisions we make in this life and how they affect us in the life to come. I believe that there are many decisions that affect our time here on earth, but there are also many that affect us after this life. There are also a handful that are key to both this life and the next. 

After a long week of projects, midterms, quizzes, and papers, my brain is fried. I made the mistake of thinking that an accounting project was due at midnight tonight - when in reality it was due at 5 pm. I had allotted time later in the evening to work on and finish the project as I had previous engagements. In fact, my brother was scheduled to go to the temple for the first time to receive his endowment at 4 pm. When I realized that the project was due at 5 and not later in the evening, I had a minor "freak out". Not knowing what to do, yet knowing exactly where I was needed, I called my mom and explained the situation. She encouraged me to try my best to finish the assignment ahead of time. No condemnation for my mistake was shown, but instead, understanding. I called my strict professor and nearly begged for some way to have an extension on the project as a voice mail message. I chose to forgo the project and take a 0 because I knew that my mistake was no excuse to miss a pivotal moment in my only brother's spiritual growth as he prepares for his mission. I made it to the temple and said a little prayer just outside the car, asking for help to focus, learn, and serve while there in the temple. My thoughts and concerns vanished and I was able to get a lot out of the session.
After exiting the temple and heading to dinner, I checked my email only to find an email from my merciful professor. Though he had been very clear and had reminded us many times about the assignment, he recognized my tricky situation. The email read:

"...I received your phone message. Not to worry. Sometimes things conspire against us. So it is now for you. Get the project done when you can and then take the quiz. Don't worry about this now. You have more important things to think about - like your brother. 
Take care."

What a tender mercy. The decision to forgo the project to focus on eternal matters had led to one of the sweetest tender mercies I have ever seen. Though it seems little, it meant the world to me. We make our own choices in this life - some good, some bad. I make mistakes daily, but I am grateful to have a testimony that it is from these mistakes that we learn. As we learn to understand and grasp the Grand Creator and His purposes, we come to the knowledge of a merciful God. I know that if we have an eternal perspective in our daily lives, then we can make decisions that will affect us positively in both this life and the next.

This week I was struggling with some major decisions in my life. I thought that I had my life in order and everything was going according to my plan. Within a week, everything changed and I was suddenly questioning my purpose behind each decision I had already made. I started thinking about my future and my outlook on life and my perspective had changed based on recent happenings. I realized that I had been living my life (since being home from my mission) according to my desires and wants. I had to take a step back and realize that I needed to realign my will with the will of the Lord.

When Jesus is suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane, he begs the father to remove the bitter cup but then takes a step back adding, "Nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done" (Luke 22:42).

As we all go through life it is very important to align our will with the will of the Lord. Though sometimes hard to grasp and understand, God has a plan for each and every one of us in this life. In fact, His plan extends past this life and into eternity. I know that had I not trusted in the Lord and His plan throughout my life, I would not be where I am today. Sometimes we just need a small reminder of the love that God has for each and every one of us and how he only wants the best for us.

Lately, one of my favorite things to do is to separate the various doctrines and principles of the gospel and sort them by subject. From there, I'll pick one particular principle or doctrine and ponder back to the time when I first gained my testimony of that thing. 

On my mission I did this several times and kept noticing that the experiences I had with each subject kept increasing and I was creating a repertoire within parts of my testimony. Not only did it help me to continue and grow this week, but it is something that will continually help me. 

The more I study the scriptures, serve, and continually try to progress, I know that the Lord will bless me with chances to grow spiritually. Though we are far away from our Heavenly Father's presence, we can never be that far away. 

After this self-reflection, I knelt down on my knees and asked God to confirm the points of my testimony that I considered well-developed. I also asked Him to help me to realize any points that I could improve in my testimony. It was such a great opportunity to openly communicate with my Heavenly Father and speak to him like He was sitting right next to me.

This week in particular I have been pondering the Atonement and what it means to me. I thought back to how I was growing up, not really knowing for sure if the Atonement was real, but still bearing testimony of it. For me to truly gain a testimony of the Atonement I had to hit closer to rock bottom. I had to be able to truly experience the pain, just a small fraction, of what Christ felt in Gethsemane. 

The Atonement has changed my life. I know that as we continue to repent daily and fear God more than man, we can lead happy lives full of progression, development, and joy.

Last Sunday I had the opportunity to attend a mission farewell of my friend's little sister who will soon be departing to the Thailand Bangkok mission next week. At her farewell, a beautiful combination of "If You Could Hie to Kolob" and "Come Thou Fount" was sung in a special musical number. The words stood out specifically to me especially from "If You Could Hie to Kolob" as that song was sung at our good family friend's funeral last month. I began to ponder the lyrics found in the last verse.
"There is no end to glory;
There is no end to glory;
There is no end to love;
There is no end to being;
There is no death above.
There is no end to glory;
There is no end to love;
There is no end to being;
There is no death above."

These lyrics touched me as I thought back to the great and divine Creator and the many blessings in our lives. Though it is so easy to get hung up on one thing that seems so big, it is better to see life through the eyes of our grand Creator. Life is just a small moment in the scheme of eternity.
I love how the lyrics in the song emphasize the fact that there really is no end. There is no end to glory, no end to being, and no death above. We all have the potential to return to live in our Heavenly Father's presence. We are all granted resurrection but we have to work a little harder for eternal life. With great opportunity comes great responsibility.
As we strive to live the gospel of Jesus Christ, we can grow and gain a better understanding of the plan that God has for each and every one of us. As I attend the temple each week, I am made more and more aware of how intricate and divine God's plan is and how it has been worked out from the very beginning. Heavenly Father created these wonderful blueprints for the creation. Christ performed the actual labor to make the Earth. We are the lucky ones that dwell on this beautiful planet and we have great responsibility to fulfill our purposes here and continue onward.

This week I was reading in the Book of Mormon in 1 Nephi 19 and stumbled upon a scripture that I loved and connected with my freshman year of high school. The scripture reads, "And I did read many things unto them which were written in the books of Moses but that I might more fully persuade them to believe in the Lord their Redeemer I did read unto them that which was written by the prophet Isaiah; for I did liken all scriptures unto us, that it might be for our profit and learning" (1 Nephi 19:23). 

In various points of my life I have received Priesthood blessings that have emphasized the importance of reading the scriptures and applying the principles into my life. Recently, I have tried to put added emphasis on the application of my scripture studies. It is one thing to read the scriptures, it's another thing to truly study them, and it's another thing to apply the principles learned into our lives. 

Life gets busy and we all get caught up in the day to day bustle of school, friends, activities etc that can distract us from other important things in our life. It is so key to have a balance in all things - including spiritual matters and habits. When we apply gospel principles and doctrines into our life, we can make our life more rich and meaningful. In doing so, we will find greater ability to balance life's challenges and face them with the courage the gospel brings.

This past week I had the opportunity to attend our weekly campus devotional. This week, Elder Cook came and talked about choices we make. Though the whole devotional was very uplifting, there was one line that caught be completely by surprise. He said something along the lines of (the text isn't out yet) how marriage is more important than education right now in our lives. 

I was taken back completely. While marriage is in my plans that I have for myself, I always put education first. It was almost as if Elder Cook was slapping me with a cold fish as a wake-up call. 

I pondered this thought throughout the rest of the day and I really struggled to agree completely with his point. I thought it was a tough thing to ask of us at such a young age and so inexperienced. Perhaps it's because my parents both graduated before they got married. Marriage was NOT a priority in my life. 

I inquired of the Lord and read the scripture 1 Nephi 14:3 which encouraged me further to continue asking God for understanding.

I read my scriptures that night and learned about how Laman and Lemuel complained and claimed that God asked hard things of them. I was started to feel guilty and then was finally called out entirely for my faults in a verse I read. It says, "If we were righteous and were willing to hearken to the truth, and give heed unto it, that ye might walk uprightly before God, then ye would not murmur because of the truth, and say: Thou speakest hard things against us"(1 Nephi 16:3)

What a true and everlasting principle that is. Being righteous enough to give heed unto direction once you hear it. Though it is important to ask God for clarification or further confirmation, it is important that we do not murmur against the Lord's servants. 

After this experience, I have come to know that if I have any questions or doubts, I need to take it to the Lord. Sooner than later, the Lord will reveal unto me the things that I need to know at that certain point in my life. This is something that we can all apply into our lives as we continue to seek to align our will with God's.

In my scripture study this week, I read in 1 Nephi and was able to relate to many of the chapters and verses. A passage that I really enjoyed is found in 1 Nephi 10:18-19.

"For he is the same yesterday, today, and forever; and the way is perpared for all men from the foundation of the world, if it so be that they repent and come unto him. For he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the Holy Ghost, as well in these times as in times of old, and as well in times of old as in times to come; wherefore, the course of the Lord is one eternal round" (1 Nephi 10:18-19)

Now that the semester is starting to speed up and classes are starting to get more and more stressful, it is so important to keep an eternal perspective on things. For me I have be able to realize that everything happens for a reason and that the sooner I align my will with the will of God the better. I especially like how this verse refers to how the course of the Lord is one eternal round. It shows that God is the same forever, and that he is never-changing. His doctrine is going to be the same today, tomorrow, and forever. 

The 9th Article of Faith states, "We believe all that God has revealed, all that he does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the kingdom of God". 

God is forever the same. He understands and comprehends all the things that we can't understand in this point of our eternal progression. This is something that I can apply to my life everyday. As I remember the importance of the daily things, and execute them, I can draw closer to the Lord and understand His higher purposes. I can more easily recognize His hand in my life and I can grow in my testimony of the Plan of Salvation and the work in these latter-days.

"And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the thing which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them" (1 Nephi 3:7)

I had the opportunity to restart the Book of Mormon this week. And what a wonderful opportunity that truly is. As I read the verses that told of the story of Nephi retrieving the brass plates, I read several verses that could be applied to my life. This one in particular relates to all of the trials that we have in our lives. No matter how difficult the demands of life are, God doesn't give us any trials that we cannot handle. It's comforting to know that truth when hard times hit and it feels like we cannot overcome our hardships. God will not give us anything we cannot overcome with His help. That is just simply not part of His plan. He sent us here to have the agency to chose, yet at the same time is willing, able, and ready to assist us in our times of need.

I have noticed the Lord's hand in my life as I strive for excellence in all that I do. I know that the Lord is always looking out for me and is guiding my steps to help me return home. The best way to receive the strength to carry on is through daily scripture study and prayer. When we pray to God, we thank him for our many blessings and ask Him for things that we need. In return we receive answers through the scriptures. The motto I live by is "Pray like everything depends on God and work like everything depends on you".

This week I have been studying the doctrine of the Plan of Salvation, which was perfect for our discussion on Jesus Christ and the Creation yesterday in class. About a week and a half ago, one of my close family friends passed away from a 3 year battle with cancer. Following his passing, I found myself studying the Plan of Salvation and life after death as to better be able to help his children cope with the loss. I turned to 2 Nephi 9, a passage of scripture that I focused on a lot on my mission. I also referred back to a scripture that came to mind. 

This scripture is found in the Doctrine and Covenants chapter 42 verses 45-46. It reads " Thou shalt live together in love, insomuch that thou shalt weep for the loss of them that die, and more especially for those that have not hope of a glorious resurrection. And it shall come to pass that those that die in me shall not taste of death, for it shall be sweet unto them" (D&C42:45-46).

These verses opened up the horizon for me pertaining to doctrine of death. Though we all pass on, we are able to be resurrected. That is a gift that is given to all mankind thanks to the Atonement of Jesus Christ. A "glorious resurrection" as described in the verse above is something we all yearn for. This type of resurrection is for those who have lived the commandments faithfully to the end. They have fought the fight and their work has finished here on earth. It is a simple part of God's plan for us to pass through this life and into the next. Progression is the fundamental principle that governs the universe.

Though we get caught up in the various distractions found in everyday life, it is extremely important to keep an eternal perspective as we move forward in life. The sooner we realize that our life here on earth is limited yet important for our eternal progression the better. This week I will make a special effort to strive to keep an eternal perspective when the harder trials of life hit.

Syster Lund's LAST email. She arrives at the Santa Barbara Airport this Thursday at 5:40 PM. Her Homecoming Talk will be Sunday, July 10 at 9 AM at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Santa Barbara Building, 2107 Santa Barbara Street. All are welcome to attend.

 

July 4, 2016

Happy 4th of July!! 

Well, this is it, the last email! This week has been a good last week, but instead of reviewing the week I thought I would share 18 important lessons I have learned in the 18 months that I have spent serving the Lord (in no particular order).

1.) The Spirit is the ultimate guide and teacher

2.) Shake off any hurtful comments and get back out there (Matthew 10:14)

3.) Charity - the pure love of Jesus Christ - trumps all (Moroni 7:45)

4.) Always see others through God's eyes

5.) Laugh, all the time

6.) Consideration and communication are the keys to successful relationships

7.) Nothing works unless you do (Enos 1:12)

8.) Light will always overcome darkness

9.) Never lower the bar once you have raised it

10.) The power of the Priesthood blesses those who are lost, sick, or otherwise afflicted

11.) Pray like everything depends on God and then work like everything depends on you

12.) Sometimes we just don't have all the answers, and that's okay

13.) A positive attitude and optimism is the best way to live life

14.) Obedience brings eternal joy

15.) Counsel with the Lord in all that you do (Alma 37:37)

16.) Always strive to push yourself - climb higher and be better

17.) Faith in Jesus Christ is essential (Alma 32:27)

18.) "God doesn't call the qualified, he qualifies those he calls" (- Henry T. Blackaby)

My time here in Sweden has been unforgettable. The past year and a half have made up for some of the best times in my life - but it was not always easy. If I could use one word to describe my mission it would be "rewarding". Doors slam in our face, the language is hard, it's dark 6 months out of the year, but there is nothing I would trade for the experience I have gotten and the miracles I have seen. I have personally seen the gospel change people's lives. I've seen people stop using drugs, fix their lives up, be baptized. And I know that it has nothing to do with me. God is in every single part of this work and I could not have done anything without Him. In the Book of Mormon it says "Yea they were encircled about with everlasting darkness and destruction; but behold, he has brought them into his everlasting light, yea, into everlasting salvation; and they are encircled about with the matchless bounty of his love; yea, and we have been instruments in his hands of doing this great and marvelous work. Therefore, let us glory, yea, we will glory in the Lord; yea, we will rejoice, for our joy is full; yea, we will praise our God forever. Behold, who can glory too much in the Lord? Yea, who can say too much of his great power, and of his mercy, and of his long-suffering towards the children of men? Behold, I say unto you, I cannot say the smallest part which I feel." (Alma 26: 15-16)"

Thank you so much for the support and prayers these past 18 months. I know that on the good and bad days, I've had "angels round about to bear me up" (D&C 84:88). Thank you for everything and I will see you in a few days!!!

LOVE YOU

Syster Jordan Lund

Midsommar!

Denmark Temple

Cute little alley in the city of Lund

Midsommar!

Ales Stenar

Making our way to the top of a 50' rope structure

Outside our window

Loving pears!

Syster Lund serving in Lund

Spring has come to Sweden.

April 18, 2016

Things are getting greener

HEJJJJJ PÅ ERRRRR

I hope that everyone has had a stellar week!

This week has been pretty wonderful, with lots of focus on the members!

We visited and served a few people. Service included helping cut down trees and clearing out a closet that is just PACKED to the brim with stuff. It was fun and we got some good Persian and Iranian food out of it! As well as the joy and satisfaction of helping.

We met with a part member family this week. We talked about the Restoration of the Gospel and invited them to read the Book of Mormon. They gladly accepted but weren't able to make it to church on Sunday because their son was sick. But hopefully next week!!  We had a little fika this week with a sweet new convert named Jasmin. Hoy moly does she have an incredible faith. She has been tested and tried in ways that none of us can understand but she has such a strong anchor in Christ and knows that if she holds tight she will make it. She is just the best. We are going to the temple with her and another member (who hasn't been to the temple yet either) this Wednesday. 

We had a hungarian dinner this week with our RS pres and her newly baptized husband and Sussi and Pontus. Similar situations and actually quite a lot in the ward in general lately all the husbands of faithful women have been baptized - one step closer to eternal families! It's very exciting! It went really well and the Spirit was strong as we talked about repentance and how even after baptism we will make mistakes but that is why we have the Atonement of Jesus Christ. 

Things are going great here! Sister McClatchie and I are the best of friends, things are just clicking! Well, they always have. We are half way through training already!! So nuts how fast time flies! Thanks for all the love and support and prayers. They help me to push harder when I feel like there is nothing else to give. I think often about how I need to give everything I have and put my full effort into endeavors before the Lord will reach out and assist me in my struggles. He doesn't like lazy people. Acts 20:24

Have a great week!!

Love,

Syster Jordan Lund

My baby using Swedish questions to contact people

Sad to say goodbye to Elder Weaver and Elder Archibald. They have done wonders for this mission!

Needle operation to get some tree out of McClatchie's finger

 

Birthday fika with Pontus and Sussi

April 25, 2016

Temple with Sahar and Jasmin

 

hallllllllåååååå

I hope that everyone's weeks have been wonderful!! This week was great!! My power of prayer has increased ten fold for SURE!

Let me start of by saying that we have been really keeping our money tight these last few weeks with groceries so we have just been trying to plan dinner appointments with the members! It's been SO FUN getting to know the members and help them to trust us and give them more motivation for their own missionary work. There are some really fantastic families in this ward! We were able to go and visit the bishop in his home with his family. It was lovely getting to know them and talking with the bishop about how we can best help the ward and the missionary work in this area. HE TRUSTS US. It feels good to know that he trusts us, because the bishop is the key to the rest of the members. He was very glad that we took the initiative to come over and get to know them.

We had a zone training about the commandments and being bold in our teaching, something most missionaries are afraid about doing. It was super good! We have a new zone leader who actually is from Sweden so it was fun to watch him figure out english words. That must be how all missionaries are with Swedish.

We were also able to go to the temple with a member who has never been to the temple! She is from Iran and was actually baptized in Cyprus about 6 years ago. She loved it and is looking forward to getting her endownments - and we get to help her along the road! 

We also had a ward activity that was actually like a missionary activity. It was meant to be for the members to bring their friends to watch "Meet the Mormons", but it ended up being missionaries and their investigators and a couple members. All in all though, we had about 40 people there! The Bishop conducted the meeting and did an AWESOME job with it. We also had a short question and answer thing after the movie for a short while and then some refreshments! SO good! I was kinda stressed the whole week leading up to it. Making sure everything was in line. I said a real nice long prayer laying everything on the table for God the night before and put it in His hands. And He took care of it! It was really good, and a success in the end!

I had another experience with prayer that I thought I would share. We have been trying to get in with the members and get them to trust us, and let me tell you, they TRUST US. lots. However, now we need more people to teach, people that are ready to repent and be baptized. I prayed SO HARD Saturday night..and began my fast for the next day. Lemme just also include that my testimony of fasting is SUPER STRONG. After closing my prayer, one of our new TUs (potential investigators) that we had texted responded and said that she was actually very interested in talking to us. MIRACLE ONE. The next day we talked to literally everyone. No matter how awkward. We had an investigator that has a baptismal date but hasn't comet o church since we've been here come to church. MIRACLE TWO. After church we talked to a member about coming with us on a lesson with the investigator that was in church. And this guy is very busy and to be honest we really thought he didn't like us (we haven't been to his house yet, he doesn't even know how awesome we are!! haha just kidding). We talked to him and got lots of insight about his mission. I felt very prompted to ask for a referral even though we weren't even really talking about that at all. He didn't hesitate too long before giving us a name and an address and permission to say that he had sent us to this man. MIRACLE THREE. We swung but the referral and followed the direction of the member. The referral was incredibly positive and even invited us in (single man so we didn't). Super positive! MIRACLE FOUR. We walked alongside this lake to contact people who were casually walking so maybe they might have more time to talk. We found a persian family feeding the ducks. Mom, Dad, young daughter. I had been inspired that morning to bring a persian Book of Mormon. MIRACLE NUMBER FIVE. The daughter was distracting the parents who were trying to focus on what we were saying about the book. We played the distraction card and I took the daughter and distracted her off to the side while Sister McClatchie in Swedish explained the book of mormon to a persian family who really couldn't speak too much Swedish. And we got their number. MIRACLE SIX. Later that evening we got a text from a referral that we have been trying to get in contact with for about 4 weeks. She invited us over to serve. We gladly accepted and we will be seeing her this Thursday. MIRACLE 7. Basically, God is there. He is there to help us. We just need to turn to him in desperation ALWAYS. I need to be humble before I am forced into humility. 

Overall it has been a great week full of miracles! I can't wait to see what this next week brings!! I hope that you all have a wonderful week! Thanks for all the support and prayers!

Love,

Syster Jordan Lund

Swedish church in Stockholm

Sweden :-)

Love my girl McClatchie

Spring!

Wait...jk snowed on us

Sweden :-)

Walking with Pontus, Sussi, and Barbara in Vaxholm

May 2, 2016 

 

Valborg

Heyyy everyone! This week has been super good! Not too many crazy stories but some good ones!

sooo here we go!! 

This week we had sisters conference! woohoo! Well I guess it's called sisters training now.. anyways, we all gathered together in Västerhaninge with all the sister missionaries in the mission! It was super fun to learn about different women in the scriptures as well as learn how we can stand steadfast in Christ. We also talked about decisions that we have to make in life and how the Lord doesn't always say yes this is right. Sometimes he wants us to make our own decisions. But that if it is wrong for us or wrong in general he will make it known to us. And we learned how to study the scriptures better! It was basically the best ever. They had a chocolate fountain with marshmallows too! President Beckstrand and I had a chubby bunny contest off to the side...he won. What a champ. But it was super good!

This week I almost lost Syster McClatchie. We were running for a bus and I was checking a different bus so I was lagging behind but told McClatchie to run to the bus stop and I would cross the street and be there soon enough. The bus came and then a stead stream of cars. I tried to cut across but it was just not happening. I finally got across and McClatchie stepped onto the bus because I was within view. Well right after she stepped on the bus, the doors closed behind her and I thought we were toast. haha I think I might have even let out a yell scream thing. haha the doors opened back up and I was able to get on. Close call though!

We met a sweet lady named Fay this week. She is from Uganda and has only been here for a few months. We met her on the street and met later in the week to talk more about the church. We gave her a tour of the church and she loved it! In her prayer she said "thank you for helping me to find my sisters in Christ." She is the coolest ever. We're looking forward to meeting with her this week.

We also sat down at a bus stop and began to talk to the guy next to us. The conversation took an ugly turn when he asked us if we had boyfriends. Now, I have learned long ago that if any guy asks you that here, you just go with it and say yes. He asked us how many we had. Again, feeling uncomfortable we made something up. He asked how many kids we have. We said none. Long story short, it led into a very interesting conversation about the Law of Chastity. Never thought I would end up teaching that on the street!

The highlight of the week was Valborg!! I said this last year, but basically it is just a giant holiday to celebrate the official end of winter and the beginning of spring. They make a giant bonfire and songs and sung and people just gather to socialize. Last year I had the opportunity to go to Västerhaninge with a ton of other missionaries which was a BLAST. We had planned on doing that this year too and had big plans until we were basically backed up to a wall of why we are here as missionaries. A member mentioned that he had a referral that was going to be there. We had to evaluate our circumstances and after prayers and ponderings we decided to go to a different Valborg here in Täby so that we could socialize and meet the members' friends and work on finding people - which is something we are in desperate need of. So, even though we didn't have the Valborg we planned on, it was still a blast. And we met the referral and he is super positive! And we saw some of the refugee kids and their families there! And potential investigators! Super worth it and the Lord blesses us when we make the little sacrifices! 

I think that is it for this week! I will attach pics below of different things!

 Love you!! Have a great week!

 Syster Lund

Watermelon and pizza for dinner ; PICNIC!

Sister's Conference!

Vaxholm

May 9, 2016

The sun is shining!

What a wonderful mother's day yesterday! I was super excited to skype with the fam and catch up and talk about how life is! It was a little easier this time knowing that time will fly and I'll see them sooner than I know it.

This week was a week full of miracles. I don't even know where to start or if I can remember all of them.

Tomas was an investigator that we met one of our first weeks here but had to drop him shortly after before he was basically just meeting with us to mock us. We asked him if he wanted to come closer to God and he just laughed. We had encouraged him to pray and he would never even speak of it. That was the last thing he would ever do. We told him to read in the Book of Mormon and if he would be interested in coming unto Christ to call us later. He walked out of the chuch 5 weeks ago and we thought we wouldn't see him again. PLOT TWIST. He texts us this week and says that he has reread the reading we gave him in the Book of Mormon (Alma 32) and wants to meet. So we meet the next day and talk about his questions, but we can already see that there is a huge change in him, something is different, he is humbled, his heart is open. It was incredible! We expressed how we would like to help him come unto Christ and feel God's love for him and he nodded along. We invited him to say a prayer at the end and he said "Ja visst!" ...like what. I turned to Sister McClatchie out of pure shock. He had always refused to pray. Well, we got down on our knees and he offered the prayer! He said he would pray and read in the Book of Mormon and come to church! (We had stake conference this week though and it was pretty far away so he wasn't able to come). We got another text from him the other day saying that he had read the next chapter we had given him and that he had been praying! Ahh best ever!! We are super excited about it.

So yeah we had Stake Conf this weekend and Elder Johnson talked to us about agency and how we shouldn't take away other people's agency and how lots of times we do it accidentally. In all reality, God loves us enough to give us trials in our life to grow and develop into the people He knows we can become. It was just so good!! And obviously there were other great speakers too. It was the best!

So this week we were following up with a TU and we knocked on the door that legit had a very similar Persian name. We knocked and a man answered and McClatchie shook his hand and said it was nice to see him again. I didn't recognize him at all so I asked if his family was home..especially the one we were looking for. He invited us to sit down on the couch and got us some juice and we were just chatting and all and I didn't recognize these people but I just assumed it was because they didn't have the same sort of clothes on. Eventually they were like..."Sooo, who are you guys?" haha that awkward moment when we knock on the wrong Persian door and they let us in for juice. It's casual, they are SO NICE!!

I got to go on splits this week to Uppsala which was super fun! I got to be with Sister Gardner who goes home in 2 weeks! Nuts! We had a great time talking to people and teaching lots on the street. I even got an angry Italian man who came up to me and started yelling at me about how rats are going to hell. So that was fun haha

We got to meet with lots of other people this week too, but too much to write! Lots of cool referrals we got from members and what not so that is awesome! We are excited! I hope I get to stay here one more transfer!! We'll see where the Lord needs me!

I just wanted to include a quote that I loved from this past General Conference:

"Heaven is cheering you on. Today, tomorrow and forever." (Jeffrey R Holland). Keep working hard and choosing the harder right instead of the easier wrong!!

The following are pics of a variety of things..they'll prob be in two emails, sorry!

Love,

Sister Jordan Lund

Sister McClatchie and I being goofy at Skansen

Beautiful view from Skansen of Stockholm

Matching backpacks and skirts at Stake conference haha

Sweden

My favorite little daughter!

Uppsala!

May 16, 2016 

Dandelions!

Hey everyone!! 

This week has been a little all over the place but overall super duper great! 

Last pday we went to Skansen which is like an outdoor zoo thing in Stockholm with different animals that have homes in Sweden! There were even 4 bear cubs! We went with Sisters Harkness and Gardner and Elders Castleton-Rudolph and Dean along with Pontus and Sussi. It was a beautiful day and super fun!

Maybe I'll just explain who came to church and how we got them there because God really really REALLY blessed us this week:

Tomas - We met and talked a little bit about the Plan of Salvation - very simply. Not only did he come to church but he stayed all 3 hours! And he was in a suit! With a cute little briefcase thing! Ahhh I wish I had taken a pic. Next Sunday I will for sure. We are meeting with him tomorrow at a member's home and we are super excited!

Xiaodan - Okay so this is a miracle. We randomly swung by a member about 2 or 3 weeks ago and just stopped by to share a short message. We asked for any referrals and she gave us Xiaodans number. (Xiaodan is Qi (the member)s sambo's dad's girlfriend). We called her and invited her to church the next Sunday but she couldn't come (Stake Conference a ways away). She called us the next week and asked if we could meet in Täby centrum, which we were randomly already on the way to. We met with her and she said hey, I have two other friends that want to come to church too. Their names are Song and Shen shen. (Song is Xiaodan's ex husband and Shen shen is the ex husbands new wife). Kinda complicated situation but they are just all the best of friends! They all came to church this Sunday and Xiaodan brought her 5 year old son and 4 month old daughter.

Song and Shen shen - see above

Arthur and Elisabeth - This week we got to go and visit our friend Elisabeth and her mother who is a member! We met with them as well as Arthur who is Elisabeth's husband figure from Ireland. We had lunch and laughed and had a grand old time and talked about prayer. They all came to church the next day happy as clams!

Sven and Anja - Anja is a less active member who is just AWESOME. Her husband has been sick recently so she hasn't had the chance to go to church. And her husband isn't a member. But we met with her this week and talked to her a lot about the nature of God and God's role in nature. It was a cool and fun discussion for sure! Anja and her husband both came to church yesterday which was awesome! 

It was kind of a hectic Sunday but those are usually the best ones! We even had a Chinese Gospel Principles class that we asked one of the new members to teach. It was basically my 6 foot 1 Sister McClatchie and 8 chinese people (members and investigators) in a small primary room with baby chairs haha. Basically Sister McClatchie just totally rocked the situation. And apparently it went well! Relief Society was a little different. I would translate from Swedish to English for one of the Chinese members and then she would translate from English to Chinese to the next girl. Oh man it was just so fun! Basically like a line of telephone so hopefully they got the message!

We just met with Fay! She is the cutest ever and we committed her to prepare for the 18th of June to be baptized! She is totally prepared but just needs the lessons. Unfortunately she can't meet as often as we would like, but we will do all that we can to help her!

SISTER MCCLATCHIE IS TRAINING!! here in Täby. That's right. My current greenie is getting a greenie next week. NUTS. She is excited and scared and every other emotion but I know that she will do great! And I'll be a grandmother! Not sure where I will be moving but I do know that I will be moving...I'll let you know next week when I know where!

Love you all! Thanks for all the support!!

Syster Jordan Lund

More Swedish countryside

We've been eating pears all day er day

Knocking doors at Skansen

May 23, 2016

Nordiska Museum last week for Pday

Helloooo!!!!! Happy basically summer!
Where did May go?!!? It seems like the months are just flying by! And not slowing down for anything!

I don't have an incredible amount of time today, but I just wanted to share a little bit about our week! And for the weeks to come!

I found out that I will be transferring to LUND to be there for my last 6 weeks of the mish! I am super excited and I get to be with a super awesome sister named Sister Bourelle. I am so excited!!

This week we had the chance to meet with Qi and Xiaodan. We had a lesson in the centrum and Qi was so awesome and translated for us. Xiaodan talked about how she already knew that there is a lot of wisdom in the Book of Mormon and that she is excited to read it! She is in it for the right reasons and we are super excited. Song and Chen Chen our other Chinese investigators came to a baptism on Saturday and really liked it too!

We went and played soccer with the ward and it was a good turn out this week! I got kicked in the shin (totally my fault) and this giant lump started forming on my leg that could be seen from across the field. haha everyone was making weird faces as they looked at it and I tried real hard not to look because it was freaking me out. It looked similar to how my leg looked when I broke it - but it is all good now!! Lots of ice and elevation and now it's gone down quite a bit.

We had a lesson with Tomas with the Körlofs and it went well. It's always good to have members there to back us up. The Spirit was whispering to McCltachie and I  throughout the lesson so it turned out well too. Sometimes it's harder to pull the lesson back to the main point, but I think we did it! Like I said, thank goodness the member was there.

Some cool miracles that we realized this week. Our two main goals together were to find and teach a family and to teach people who are prepared to be baptized. We have been praying so hard to be able to achieve these goals and we have focused most of our efforts on it. Well, in the past 2 weeks, we have picked up a beautiful Chinese family and we are teaching people with baptismal dates or commitments on the table. It's been really awesome to see!! I am kinda bummed to be leaving, but they always say leave your area better than you found it right?

I got to bear my testimony on Sunday. It felt weird standing up there and looking out thinking that it has only been 3 months here. I feel like I have known some of these people much longer. I read a scripture from Alma 7 (verses 22-24) and bore my testimony as well as I could. In the middle I got choked up and for the first time in the whole meeting everything got DEAD SILENT. I could feel the Spirit so strong as I simply stood there and looked out at the potential that this ward has to be AMAZING. They already are, but even so much more! Sister McClatchie will do amazing things as she continues in this ward with a greenie. Lots of sad goodbyes, but we will be running in a 5 k tomorrow with about 18 women in the ward, so we are excited!

Thanks for all the love and support! I can feel the love and I APPRECIATE IT SO MUCH.

Love,

Sister Jordan Lund

Hosse and Homa

And their wonderful persian food

Julia my fav!

The cutest little Chinese fam (Song, Chen chen, and Xiaodan)

Pontus and Sussi

Green soccer fields

May 30, 2016

Sitting outside our apartment waiting for our ride.

WOW!! What a week! It has been crazy. And I don't have a whole lot of time this week to email! Monday we had a good pday of just hanging out in Stockholm and saying goodbye to some of my closest friends from the mission that I won't get to see for a good chunk of time! We had a lovely bbq at the Stenkronas that evening for FHE. It was so fun! I love that family!

Tuesday we had the chance to go contacting with the new greenies! AH they are so precious!! We were also able to run a race in Stockholm with the Relief Society and Young women in our ward! There were about 12-15 of us in total that did the race. It was fun! Sister McClatchie ran me hard! haha it was just the best way to go out of Täby. 

I left early Wednesday morning for Lund and had some crazy travel but made it safely. Saying goodbye to my precious daughter Sister McClatchie was the hardest thing ever! Ah! I love her sooo much! I held back the tears until I made it on my final train. 

Lund is just beautiful!! It is a university city and it is just poppin! It's a ton of wonderful cobblestone streets and just sunny all the time. Oh we are also the YSA missionaries. OH AND MY new companion is Sister Bourelle! She is just the sweetest ever!! I LOVE HER. She is so cute and makes me laugh all the time. So it's going really well! 

We have had a lot of cancelled appointments this week, but there is one new member who is the cutest ever! His name is Ali and he just got baptized last week! He is only 9 years old and from Iran. His whole family are now members! Coolest thing ever. 

Ah I just am so excited to be here in this beautiful city and working here with Sister Bourelle. It's great! I know that these experiences are building me into who God needs me to be. More updates next week! Hopefully a picture can be worth a thousand words :)

Thanks for all the love and support! LOVE YOU ALL

Love,

Sister Jordan Lund

Sister Bourelle and I

Our street

Weekly planning in the sun!

Helsingborg

Lund in Lund!

Saying goodbye to some favs

June 6, 2016 

Just blown away by Lund

HALLLÅÅÅÅÅ

What a great week!! 

I forgot my planner today, so I will try to do this off memory. We met with some really cool people this week! We met with a cool member named Helle. She gave us ice cream, we looked at cool coloring books and shared a message about Jesus Christ - not sure if it gets better than that haha.

We also picked up an old investigator named Sara and she is soooo awesome! And prepared! We got really personal with her and shared experiences in our lives that related to her situation and how we can overcome darkness with light. She was super positive and said that she knows the answer she will get if she prays about it! She even wants us to meet with her dad and explain a little bit to him as well!

One of our investigators Saad is moving to Malmö!! Sad! But he got a job over there so I am sure he will have it good. He is so positive and can't wait to meet with the missionaries over there! Ahhh he's just so awesome. 

This week Sister Bourelle and I have been really into sunflower and pumpkin seeds, as well as banana chips. AND we've been eating SO MUCH SALMON. It's wonderful

We had zone training and learned about helping people get to the temple. That essentially is our final goal with them! It was a very spiritual meeting and we took a lot away from it :)

The YSA couple has been out of town so we had the chance to make dinner for the institute and teach a seminary class of two people! Woohoo!! It was super fun though, we had a blast. And the sloppy joes we made weren't half bad ;)

Also, it has been SOOOO HOT here. Well at least it feels like it. But it's been cooling down, thank goodness! We did service on Saturday in a member's garden and just sweat buckets upon buckets. Totally worth it though, and helped out the family a lot!

We missed our bus to church yesterday but there was another bus that would come shortly after. Unfortunately it was delayed and we decided to walk the 30 minutes to church instead of waiting. Well, the bus drove by slowly and we booked it to catch up, but the second bus didn't stop. We were at this point going to be late to church. I was stressing. And walking and walking. Finally the next bus came and on it were 3 of our new members. We were able to walk with them to church and support them. Crazy how sometimes God has other plans for us. Maybe they needed that extra support just then!

This pday was awesome! We took a train to Malmö and rented bikes to bike down the boardwalk there. It was awesome! Happy national day to Sweden!! 

Have a great week!!

Love,

Syster Jordan Lund

Bridge to Denmark

Attempting a human bridge

Love this companion of mine!

Scoping out churches

Our friend Helle :)

Biking in Malmö

Walking to church