Date
October 16, 2017
Area
Visby, Gotland Island, Sweden
Companion
Elder Luke Strong
SENDIN' IT IN SWEDEN
IT'S REAL NOW! I MADE IT TO SWEDEN AND IT'S BEYOND ANYHTING I COULD OF DREAMED OF! BEST MISSION AND I'VE ONLY BEEN HERE FOR A WEEK!
Monday morning we left the MTC at 5 am by bus, got on front runner, then trax to get to the airport. The MTC was great and I learned so much, but I was so excited to go to Sweden. It was really hard to say good-bye to the Swedish sisters because at that point they hadn't got their visas yet and we were like a family, but I know they'll make it here soon. At the airport I had the chance to call my family and it was soo wonderful to hear their voices again! We got on our first plane to Minniapolous and for like 90 mins, Elder Allred and I talked to this lady about our Church! It was so cool to actually talk to a real person who was just acting. We offered her a Book of Mormon, but she said no. She did take a pass-a-long card though! Then at the Minniapolous Airport, we talked to some Dutchies who were flying with us to Amsterdam about who we are and about what we believe. And they even took the Book of Mormon I had! I placed my first Book of Mormon before even getting to Sweden! Even though those convorsations were in English, it just helped me relax about tlaking to random people about my religion.
We flew to Amsterdam and it was a long 8 hour flight, but there weren't very many people on the plane so we got to spread out and sleep. We arrived in Amsterdam (Which is the biggest airport I have ever seen) at like 5 am and hoped on our little plane to Stockholm. As we flew to Sweden the sun came up and you were able to see the beauty of Sweden from the sky! When we got off the plane Pres. and Sister Youngberg (The Mission Pres) were waiting to greet us. They welcomed us with loving arms, smiling faces, and funny jokes which made me love them instantly. They took us back to the mission home where we did some introduction stuff and President interviewed us. Then the AP's took us out on a short tour of Stockholm! It's so beautiful! It looks like it's straight out of a movie, the cobblestone streets, tall colerful buildings, old chruches, and water everywhere, super cool skinny ally ways and lots of European looking people! It made me so excited to serve here! We had dinner (We is all the Swedish Elders that flew out with me) and were all asleep by 8 o'clock because at this point we had basically been up for 36 hrs.
The next morning, Sis. Youngberg made us Swedish Pancakes (Which are like thick Crepes) and then we went to one of the Chruchs and Stockholm where we met our new companions and trainers for the next 12 weeks! It was kind of like opening your mission call, because they gave each a letter which who are companion was and where we would be serving. I was kind of hoping my boy Elder Charlie Baggett would be training me, but another Elder in my group got him. I got Elder Luke Strong and we were assigned to the Visby Area! Visby is the main city of Gotland, which is the island off the south east corner of Sweden. And Elder Strong is Allie Oniki's Cousin! I've been with him for about a week now and he's amazing! He's super fun and patient with me as I learn and just the best missionary out there! It's a good thing that he's so great because we are the only 2 missionaries on the whole island and won't see any other missionaries until zone conference in 6 weeks.
I said good-bye to all elders that had become my best friends in the MTC as they all hoped on trains to go to their areas. I thought my traveling was done when I made it to Sweden, but we took a train to the coast and then hopped on a boat to Visby and didn't get to our appartment until after midnight! Along the way we talked to people, gave out some pass-a-long cards and I quickly figured out I don't know Swedish!
Thursday, was my first real day in the field! We had district meeting, but since we are on the rock (that's what the other missionaries call Gotland) we skyped the other missionaries in our district who were meeting together on the mainland. Later we went out contacting and I basically stood there and smilled while Elder Strong talked, but towards the end I was able to start some conversations. We had dinner with Herrays (A member couple on the Island that have served 4 missions together. There's about 10-15 active members here) that night and shared a quick message in Swedish. Sister Herray wasn't afraid to correct my Swedish but that's okay because she's just helping me learn. We went tracting that night and passed out 3 Book of Mormons. Again I could start conversations, but Elder Strong would basically carry the whole conversation, but can understand for the most part what they are saying. I just don't know how to respond.
Over the next few days we taught an investigator named Joseph from Egypt (in english) and actually got him to commit to batism! We also taught Muhammad a recent convert through a translater. He only speaks Persian and a little bit of Swedish. So we call a member in Sweden, Saraj, who can translate for us. We tell Saraj what to say on our iphone (I forgot to mention, the missionaries in Sweden have iphones so you all can be jealous of the Best Mission in the World) and then he tells muhammad in persian. On Sunday we taught Yvonne a college student here, and I actually taught a fair portion of the lesson in Swedish! We also went tracting and contacting and have met some cool people and some not so cool people. This one old grandma answered the door without pants on! haha There were the Jewish people who just made jokes about Mormons, but they were nice.
On Sunday it was stak conference, so we tried to stream it from the main land, but it didn't end up working so we just watched conference. Then we also got to watch a stream of Elder Ballard (This one actually worked) speaking to all of Northern Europe! And today Elder Strong showed me some of the cool parts of Visby. Check out the pictures it's beautiful. And yeah that water in the picture is ocean! We're on an island. But the thing I have learned the most is you've just got to SENT IT on the mission. It's hard to talk to people about the gospel and to invite them to repent and represent the church at all times, but you've just got to trust in the Lord and SEND IT. So that's my advice for this week. Trust in the Lord and just sent it!
I love you all and wish you all can visit Sweden one day and see how beautiful it is, but more than that I hope you can join in the work and sharing the gospel where ever you are at.
--Love,
Äldste Beckman
1. Pretty Garden in Visby 2. Stor Torgiet Visby3. Beautiful old Church feat. the sun rays4. My album cover