Day 338 - Transfers!

Hello you fine looking folks!

Hope you are all doing swell! Wow so much has happened this week! To start off, transfer calls were this week. I will be leaving Uppsala and heading to Göteborg (Yuh-tuh-bohr-ee) or Gothenburg. I will actually be serving in a section of Göteborg called Utby. It apparently has one of the biggest wards in Sweden. So that will be exciting. Göteborg is a super pretty city and I am excited to go. But on the other hand, this means that I have to leave Uppsala, which is going to be really tough for me. I have met some of the most amazing people here and have learned so much. I have definitely grown so much more as a missionary here in Uppsala than in any other time of my mission. I am thankful for the people I have taught and met and for the friendships I have made and I know that they will last for eternity. It is really hard for me to leave this place, but I know the Lord needs me in Utby right now. 

Elder Blackburn and I have been going hard to finish out this transfer. We have been spending every second working hard. I am really going to miss that guy. He has taught me lots and it has been fun working with him. We have become really close friends and it's gonna be tough moving on! But I know this area is in good hands. Elder Blackburn will also be training a new missionary here which will be fun for him! He is going to do great. 

This week was a week that I will never forget. Okay so this deserves pages and I could really write pages but I don't have so much time. My whole mission I have been talking to every single person I possibly can. Hoping that just one would believe on my words. I found that one person here in Uppsala and her name is Caroline! I have already written a little about her, but she is the most prepared person I have met on my mission. She is a living, walking testimony that those prepared people are out there, we just have to put in the effort. We found Caroline as we were walking into a huge area of apartment buildings to tract. There were a couple hundred doors we knocked. Not one was interested. But we talked to Caroline on the way in there. We could have easily walked past her into the complex. But we stopped her and talked to her. And we didn't hear from her for 2 months. But now we have taught her almost everything and she is going to be baptized in 3 weeks. It is honestly going to be really hard to leave and not be there for her baptism. She has the most amazing testimony and conversion story. We have met with her almost every day this week. She had been struggling a lot with praying and getting an answer. She is so amazing! She kept trying and praying, and this week, she told us how she was reading the Book of Mormon out loud to her husband and she had the strongest feeling to go at that moment and go ask if this book is true. She went into her room and got on her knees and prayed to Heavenly Father. She told us how the tears just ran and she felt a warmth go through her whole body and soul. It was so amazing! She sent us a text and said "Jag vet att Mormons Bok är sann och jag vill lära mig mer!" (I know the Book of Mormon is true and I want to learn more!) It was so amazing! She also explained how the feeling was unbelievable when she prayed and she gets the same feeling whenever she reads the Book of Mormon. She said how everything seems so clear and plain now. Like her life has a new meaning. We have had so many spiritual lessons this week with her. This week we invited her to be baptized and she said yes! She decided on January 3rd! It really amazes me how much she wants to learn about the restored gospel. People like her are the reason I talk to every single person possible - because each and every soul is great in the sight of God. And the prepared people will be put in our paths as we do our part and serve the Lord. This week I have had some of the most spiritual lessons of my mission meeting with Caroline. We have taught her almost everything she needs to know before she gets baptized. She is so willing to accept and act on what we teach her. She also is going through a lot of trials and adversity right now. It has been a blessing to be able to help her through these and share my personal experiences and testimony. Her husband has approved of her being baptized, but he is not totally for the church. This is really hard on Caroline and we are helping her through this as well. I know she is going to be an amazing member of the church and I know that this ward here in Uppsala needs her. I am so grateful for the opportunity I have had to teach Caroline and become a good friend to her, and it is going to be really hard to leave her. She will always have special place in my heart. I really wish that I could be there for her baptism. I wish I could put into words how amazing her conversion process has been and how spiritually uplifting and amazing it has been to be apart of. I know that she is the miracle and blessing that we have been working so hard for. I feel like it is her I came to Uppsala for. It is hard to leave, but she is getting baptized and that's all that matters. There are others in Utby who are searching for this same joy and happiness that need help finding it. 

Well everyone I am completely out of time. I want you to all know that I am doing well and loving my mission. It is changing me. I hope you all have the best week ever! Thank you for the thoughts and prayers. I love you all.

I want to leave you with one of my favorite quotes. "If you want it to happen, get your butt up and make it happen! If you want it to happen, rise and grind."

Remember that the church is true!! 

MVH

Äldste Bailey

See you in Utby!