Day 296 - Looks like the baby will be late.

Hej hej everyone!

Hope you all have had a good week! Time is flying by. I am doing so well and loving my mission! Another awesome week has gone by here in Uppsala. We are working hard and having fun! This week is also transfer week. As you may have read in the subject line, my new missionary and the rest of his group have been delayed a transfer due to visa problems. All of us trainers were a little bummed out, but it's going to be okay. So we are only going to have 2 new missionaries coming in this transfer. One of them will be Äldste Walker's greenie who got his visa delayed 6 weeks ago, and the other is an Elder from Finland who doesn't need a visa because he lives within the European union. So, Äldste Walker will be getting his greenie tomorrow. It is going to be crazy though because there will be 27 new missionaries coming into the mission next transfer! That is so many! It is going to be crazy!

But as for my time during this next transfer, I will be transferring down the hall to the other bedroom! Elder Johnson will be leaving tomorrow to Malmö (I'm super jealous), and Elder Blackburn will be staying here. Which means that I am going to be companions with Elder Blackburn!! I'm super pumped! I love that guy and we are going to do work. He is an awesome missionary and I am excited to work with him this transfer.

This transfer, I have also been given the opportunity to be a district leader. Our district is composed of 12 missionaries in 3 different cities. It is going to be a challenge and hard work, but I am super excited to work with all the wonderful missionaries in my district and learn from them. This next six weeks is going to be tough but so fun!

Okay so now I'll try to tell you a little about the week. That's pretty much why you are reading this anyways haha. I don't have so much time this week, but I will squeeze in as much as I can! We have had some amazing and spiritual experiences this week. I love being a missionary!

Okay so turns out I don't have really much time at all. But I want to tell you all about a lesson that we had with Paul this week. We brought along Lloyd, who was baptized about a week ago, with us on the lesson. Lloyd has one of the strongest testimonies of a new member I have ever seen. I knew that having him with us during the lesson would invite the spirit and influence Paul to follow the example of Lloyd and his Savior and be baptized. The lesson went perfect! The spirit could be felt so strong. We taught the Plan of Salvation and really focused on the Gospel of Jesus Christ on the Earth Life part. He loved it so much! He asked Lloyd why he was baptized and Lloyd bore such a powerful testimony of how he found this gospel to be true and how he felt after being baptized. Paul asked us where in the Book of Mormon he could read about baptism. Towards the end, we committed him to baptism. He said he will! We did not get a date because he wants to pray about it. Paul is so amazing and looks up to Lloyd so much. Paul doesn't have many friends and really likes Lloyd. And Lloyd is being so nice to him. They are great friends. After that lesson my testimony of member missionary work grew so much. I know that when the members and the missionaries work together, the work of the Lord is hastened and miracles happen! I am so grateful for the chance I had to work with Paul. It will be tough leaving him to Elder Walker and his new missionary, but I know they will take care of him and help him make it to the waters of baptism. Paul is so awesome! After our lesson, Paul just kept saying how he is so grateful that we found him and that we are sharing this gospel with him. He told me that life is starting to make sense now. Hearing those words made me so happy! I am so blessed to have this opportunity to be in this beautiful country sharing the Restored Gospel!

I want to quickly write about a little testimony builder that happened to me and Elder Blackburn today. So all six missionaries went to a family's house named the Hammars today to help them with some yard work. We were there for such a long time but we were happy to help. After we were done, we went and messed around on this playground that was right by their house. So we were all swinging on these swings, and Elder Blackburn's name tag fell off. He didn't notice until he was over by some trees so I picked up the little magnet part that goes on the back and threw it to him. I guess I don't know my own strength because it flew a lot farther than I thought it would and went into the trees. So we spent like five minutes looking for it among all the leaves on the ground. We still couldn't find it so I said a little prayer in my heart and like a minute later I found it! I was thankful to my Heavenly Father for helping me find that little magnet. And so we walked down the hill a little bit and then I tossed it to Elder Blackburn, not remembering how far it flew last time. It went passed him right into a huge bush. At that point I could just imagine Heavenly Father shaking his head at me and laughing haha. We just shook our heads and I could tell Elder Blackburn was a little annoyed haha. So I told him not to worry and that we would find it. We spent like 15 straight minutes searching through and tearing that dang bush apart. We couldn't find that blasted little magnet hahaha. So we were about to give up and go back, then we decided to say a prayer. We didn't know why it took us so long to say a prayer haha even when I just barely said one to find it the first time. So we asked Heavenly Father to help us find it. And we started searching for another like 5 minutes. I promise you we looked through every inch of that bush. We literally tore it apart. We were so done and about to leave but then we realized we can't give up on God! So we kept looking. And within the next minute, we found the magnet on the ground where I swear I looked a billion times. It was not a huge experience, but it really did strengthen my testimony of prayer. I know Heavenly Father is there and answers our prayers, no matter how dumb we are haha. Sometimes the answers come after all we can do, but they come.

On Sunday, I was asked by the Sisters to share about my favorite prophet in the Book of Mormon in a sunday school class. It was too hard to choose because I have so many, but right now on my mission, I really like the story of Abinadi. I absolutely love the story of Abinadi and the example he is to me. He knew what God wanted him to do and he did it. He didn't let anything stop him. He carried out the message he was there to give. And he died thinking no one believed on his words. But one person did. And he converted thousands. As missionaries, and people, I don't think we realize the good we do. Sometimes it might not be immediately apparent, or maybe we might never see the good of what we do, but, we can find peace and happiness in the fact that our Heavenly Father is pleased with us.

I am out of time everyone! I gotta go preach the good word! I want you to know that I love you all and appreciate everything you do for me. Thank you so much for the emails and the prayers. They make me so happy and they are much appreciated. Have the best week everyone and work hard!

kom ihåg att jag älskar er!

MVH

Äldste Bailey