THREE WOMEN AND THREE MEN

This post will be heavy on the text side so I'm starting it off with some photos of a side trip we took to see Väskinde church found to the Northeast of the Visby airport.

Note some the nice details over the door.

There are over ninety of these historic churches on Gotland.

The bulk of this post will feature some of the proselyting experiences we have had recently.  We will introduce you to six investigators; three women and Three men  whom we met with in December.  We have changed the investigators names to protect their privacy.

I met the three women all within the same week early in December.   All three women were unresponsive to the Elder’s invitations during tracting until they held up their mobile phone and played the “Light the World” video from this year’s Christmas initiative. Each of the women were touched by it’s message and made appointments for the missionaries to return.

Rosalie, a single woman probably in her late 60’s, was a little taken aback at facing three men at her door for her appointment.  She seemed a little concerned that we were there to strong arm her into the church, but the Elders explained that the rules for working with single women required three men for the protection of all involved. She invited us in.  As she expressed her religious values she seemed to be someone who would embrace our message. We invited her to read The Book of Mormon, and pray about it.  Upon our return for our next visit, she met us at the door quite eager to return the copy to us.  The good Elders engaged her in conversation about her concerns. Evidently, she had spent much more time reading about Mormons on the internet than reading The Book of Mormon and found plenty to be disinterested in.  She refused to keep the book.

Lydia is single and in her late 30’s. She readily admitted that she is the last person to be interested in religion.  Throughout our first lesson I noted a hard edge about her.  But she listened to the Elder’s presentation and agreed to read the Book of Mormon and pray about it. As we left that first meeting, I was eager to return to see how her studies would affect her. Our first visit with Lydia I saw in her hardness the potential for a dramatic spiritual transformation and I hoped to witness that.

Upon our second appointment with her, she met us at the door ready to surrender the Book of Mormon back into our hands. She had read the chapter we had recommended, but had not prayed about it. Again, these good elders taught at the door, explaining that prayer was a key element in learning the truth.  At this time she wasn’t’ ready to continue with the lessons, but she agreed to keep the book and continue to read it, contacting us if she ever wanted to know more.   She was also okay with our checking in with her, occasionally, though she hasn’t ever been home since then.  I find it noteworthy that all through this encounter I kept recognizing a definite softening in her visage. I could tell that she had read the Book of Mormon. I hope she continues. I would like to meet her again and see any further change The Book of Mormon might have brought about.

Elsa is the mother of two, but neither they nor her husband showed any interest in our discussions.  She is a kind and open woman who is looking to be closer to God. Unlike Lydia, I could already see Christ’s image in her visage. We had some excellent conversations with her, each one ending with her expressing hesitation to continue meeting with the Elders, but finally agreeing to set up a new meeting.  She has had some concerns with women’s issues in the church, so for one meeting Sister Hurlbut joined us for a lesson,  providing an LDS woman’s perspective. The two women got a long very well, but Elsa has since then stopped taking the lessons.

I take a break now before we discuss the three men to discuss some of our other activities in December that will provide photographic relief if not satisfactory reading.

A little more than a week before Christmas President Beckstrand gathered all the Senior couples to Stockholm for some training and an introduction to the Pettits who had just arrived to serve as self-reliance missionaries.  We learned a little about what they are offering.  Kim and I spoke with them about the needs of our refugees. They plan to make a visit to Gotland, but, as their assignments covers the four Nordic nations we aren’t certain if they will make it here before we are released.

The next day the senior couples took a trip to a Christmas bazaar at Gamla Stan Stockholm. This is the most picturesque part of Stockholm featuring architecture going back hundreds of years.

This is what it looks like with Christmas lights ablaze. 

This is Sister Hurlbut sharing licorice with Elder Hall, who’s judicious decision to wear a knit cap prevented his hair from getting blown about like Sister Hurlbut’s. 

(Truth be told, there isn’t much hair under Elder Hall’s cap to get blown about.)

My siblings will recognize my headgear for this trip as once belonging our father.

When President Beckstrand caught sight of it he asked where I got “that Russian hat.” I pulled it off to look at the faded label which read. “Made in Sweden, Genuine Lamb” Who would have thought that I would first read that label standing among some of the oldest buildings in Stockholm, the capital city of the nation that fostered both the lamb and the hat maker who sixty years ago crafted the headpiece that was imported to the Rogers-Peet Company (New York-Boston) where I assume my father purchased it (New York, not Boston), eventually to come into my possession (in Arizona) to become an heirloom that now keeps my hair from being blown awry in the gusty streets of Stockholm. A dizzying thought.

We ate lunch at this fun restaurant called “Under the Chestnut” We presume that the tree on the right is a Chestnut tree. 

We ate here with Chris and Katie Kregger when they visited from Oklahoma a few weeks before. 

On this visit with the missionary couples we descended into the basement for our meal. The various feasting rooms were divided by stone arches lending it a cool atmosphere. The couple at the far left are President Beckstrand and his wife. Next to them is Elder Hall and his wife Who are managing the Young Single Adult Center in Stockholm  and at the Right is Sister Pettit, whom we already noted is here with her husband, serving as Self-Reliance missionaries. Through the arch between Elder and Sister Hall you can see Elder Mitchell. He and his wife have replaced us at the Lund Young Single Adult Center. 

This restaurant is known for their Swedish meatballs based on a vintage recipe over 100 years old.

They also serve their butter on chilled stones.

I will now digress to a second event we enjoyed in December before returning to the main theme of this blog.

In the midst of Visby’s southern market area is a rather picturesque building that was once the Visby Train station.  The person who was educating me added that it is now used for office space since there are no more trains running on Gotland. The ground where once railroad tracks used to run is now located a traffic roundabout that porses all sorts of complication for grabbing a reasonable photograph. So here is a historic image of the stations.

My informant also noted that, despite the lack of trains, on the island all drivers are required to stop at any railroad crossing signs and look both ways before continuing.

Having learned that a few months before Christmas, I was surprised to learn that the village of Dalhem boasts a railroad museum that will, on select occasions, roll out both diesel and steam powered engines to shuttle passengers from Dalhem to Roma.

Here is Kim Posing as she boards the passenger car.

One of those select days occurs between Christmas and New Year. For this occasion the train and is labelled as the Tomte-train. They will stop half way between the two towns to offer some refreshments and a visit to Tomten.

You will note that our Tomten looks a little Americanized, as is does the other .

So is the notion of:

“Two Tomte! NO WAITING!”

The fellow pictured between us recognized our missionary badges and greeted us enthusiastically proclaiming that he loves the missionaries. He’s not interested in joining the church but he has cousins in Utah who are members of the church.

Our expedition was set up by two sisters from the branch and their mutual friend, Stig.

Stig is a retiree from the Gotland Railway and an avid train aficionado. I believe he served as a conductor.  Here is a shot of Stig and I standing by the Steam engine.

Stig is a good man who often drives the above-mentioned sisters to events around the island.

Let’s talk now about the three men who were investigating the church.

All three of them were scheduled for baptism into the Church on December tenth.  We will call them Simon, Ali and Victor. All three of them are single and in their early thirties.

Simon decided to meet with the missionaries after bumping into them multiple times in quick succession.  As the lessons progressed, he became more enthusiastic about the gospel.  After the lesson on the plan of salvation, he said. “I live to far from the church.  I need to move closer.”  When praying at the end of the lesson on the law of tithing he expressed thanks to God for learning about the blessings that come with adherence to that law. 

The first time he attended church, the priesthood was scheduled to sing a hymn as a special musical number.  When all the men assembled at the front of the chapel, he joined us.

Ali was also very accepting of the lesson material.  He comes from an Islamic background, as do our newest converts, and as we have some members who have already made that transition he found a good support amongst them. His last hurdle before baptism was to quit smoking.

Victor’s missionary experience was almost invisible to me. I am usually invited to be a part of some of the lessons but my first real interaction with him was at his baptismal interview.  Simon and Ali had received their interviews with the district leader the week before, but since it was impractical for the District leader to return to the island so soon, I was called upon to conduct that interview. Victor is a very low-key fellow. He heard the gospel, accepted it and made the changes to qualify for baptism.

When the 10^th of December arrived, Victor was the only one who actually was baptized. 

Simon had contacted the missionaries prior to the baptism saying he wouldn’t be available due to a family emergency. The only contact we’ve had with him has been chance contacts on the streets, whereupon he shuns us.

Ali had also cut off communication before the 10^th. We are under the impression that, although he had stopped smoking, he had fallen back into the habit and has been too embarrassed to connect with the missionaries again. 

Victor’s baptism was held in the Baltic Sea.  Any of our other options such as renting a swim hall, or travelling to the mainland to a chapel equipped with a font, were costly and/or difficult to schedule. Victor felt that it was unnecessary to go to all that trouble when our island is surrounded by the Baltic sea. Despite the December cold, Elder Cluff and Victor slipped in to the frigid water while the members in attendance watched from the obscure pier we had selected. They performed the ordinance in an efficient and reverent manner and then left the water as quickly as possible.

The plan then was to get towels around them and into the heat of the waiting cars and getting them home as quickly as possible with each car offering their own closing prayers.

I was responsible for getting Victor into our car. As I got him settled I stepped away from the car to see Elder Dean carrying Elder Cluff to their car.  Kim told me later that Elder Cluff had gotten about twenty steps away from the pier when stopped in in his tracks.  He called out to his companion, Elder Dean, that he couldn’t move his legs. Turning back, Elder Dean rushed to his companion and scooped Elder Cluff up in his arms. As Sister Hurlbut watched Elder Dean carry his companion off the beach, she thought, “This is the most Christ-like act I’ve ever seen between two missionaries.”

Elder Cluff’s legs were as good as new within the hour.

After we had offered our closing prayer on our way to get Victor to the warmth of his home we would occasionally ask how he was feeling. He would assure us that he was okay. But, every time we looked back to where he sat, the enormous smile that beamed from his face told us that he was more than okay.

While we have been here in Sweden, we have had assignments to work with the Young Single Adults in Lund and then serving in Visby as Member Leadership Support missionaries. We have had some magnificent moments, as well as some struggles in both assignments. What we really enjoy, though, is preaching the gospel with the proselyting missionaries.

 Additional Photos:

Just south of the town of Roma stand the ruins of the Roma Cloister, ancient site of a Catholic nunnery built in 1164, and abandoned in 1531 when the Swedish government adopted the Lutheran church as the state church.

Here is a recreation image of the combined cloister and monastery.

Here’s what it looks like now.

In the summer Shakespearean performances are performed here.

Access to the Cloister is along this tree lined road.

Bonus Images:

Below, I’ve included a link to a website that features the works of photographer Ira Block whose work seems to focus on Gotland. (Some the photos are definitely Stockholm)

http://stock.irablock.com/-/galleries/europe/sweden

MY MOM CAME TO SWEDEN!

By Kim.

My mother came for a visit! It was the BEST!

I hope all of you take every opportunity to visit with your mothers where ever they are.  I never seem to get enough time with mine!

Me and my mom at Visby’s Southern gate.

With President Beckstrands permission we were able to pick up mom in Copenhagen! (The Southern Stake of Sweden is in the Copenhagen Temple district). My mother’s great, great grandmother ~Louise Kirstine Bischoff ~ was born in Skive, Viborg, Denmark. We were not able to go to Skive (about a four-hour drive) because that IS outside the mission boundaries but we were able to see a few sights of Denmark:

We love visiting Hans Christian Andersen’s, Little Mermaid statue. Created by Edvard Eriksen using his wife as the model, we were able to take several sets of Elders out to see it and were surprised that none of them knew who Hans Christian Andersen was! Mom knew! While there we ate lunch on a shady bench that we shared with a young man from China. This was the first of many times that mom taught me again how to be a good missionary. She talks to everybody! She is open and welcoming, she is interested in where they come from and where they are going, she asks about their family and if they are happy and everyone responds to her. We joked that she should have brought her missionary tag along.

We finally found the ‘Kristina’ Statue. Phillip has been looking for this since we arrived in Sweden. 

Designed by Dennis Smith in 2000 it represents all the Danish LDS immigrants that departed from the Copenhagen harbors for America. My mother’s family were among these immigrants. When Louise Kirstine was 18 she and her mother joined the church. It was then that Louise, age 18, left her mother and two sisters in Denmark and came to America with other converts on the packet ship Monarch of the Sea. From, “Church Chronology”, page 65, by Andrew Jensen, we find the following: “Thursday, May 16, 1861, the packet ship Monarch of the Sea sailed from Liverpool, with 955 saints of various nationalities…” 

The Church of Our Lady, Copenhagen’s Cathedral, has been rebuilt four times over the centuries due to fires and bombardment. It was originally constructed in 1209 out of limestone. It now houses Thorvaldse’s Kristus as well as sculptures of twelve of the apostles. These were carved in Rome and then presented to the  Church of Our Lady in 1838.

It was here that President Kimball, as reported by both Rex D. Pinegar and Boyd K. Packer, declared that the Keys of the kingdom held by Petrus (Peter) were now held by himself as the current President of the restored church.

Elder Hurlbut found his favorite apostle.

We drove by the Copenhagen Denmark Temple, but mom was much too tired for a session – she had just completed that trans-Atlantic flight! – so we took some pictures, picked up a bite to eat from the bakery down the street (Danish danishes ....from Denmark of course) and headed back to Sweden.

No one had replaced us in Lund yet as the YSA Senior couple so we were able to use that apartment. I might have a little shower envy!!!! The Lund shower is larger than the one we have now, the water turns on away from you, unlimited hot water, heated floors….. oh well- the work is true despite the shower you are given :). It was nice to spend a few days in a familiar place while mom shook off the jet lag. We reconnected with some old (4 months ago) friends, went to church in the Lund Ward, showed mom around our 1^st area, got the apartment ready for a new couple and had a lovely time.

As we headed north through Skåne towards Gotland we visited the Kalmar Castle built in the twelfth century. 

We had been here once before and wanted mom to have a chance to visit a Castle that had been restored. It of course contained much of the original construction. We saw magnificent wood work in the guest hall created from over 50 types of wood, the queens original bed with some of the gold leafing still in place, the free-hanging ceiling in the ballroom, original portraits of royalty, as well as reconstructions of ballgowns and coronation robes. Who doesn’t love a Scandinavian / European castle?

The Banquet room is always a big hit.

It looks like the King has a new taster.

We stayed the night in another empty Seniors apartment in Väjxö and then left early in the morning for our ferry from Oscarshamn. I’m sure everyone recalls that we live on an Island off the Southeastern coast of Sweden called Gotland. It is a 3 ½ hour ferry ride. There isn’t usually anything very interesting about the ferry trip …this one was no exception.

Let me say something here about game playing …my husband LOVES to play games! Card games, board games, 2 players, 6 players, group, doesn’t matter – he loves it. My mother is the same! We played a game almost every night she was here. Mille Bornes, Canasta, Phase 10, Bohnanza, Rummikub, Ticket to Ride, etc. not only did we play a game each night but we were hard pressed to keep up with mom, especially with Canasta, Rummikub and Mille Bornes! She just kept beating us! This shouldn’t have surprised me so much, she used to play bridge a lot (I’ve never played bridge). But I usually win Canasta but playing against her, it was as though I was a child… I could not win a hand to save my life!

We had the opportunity to introduce Nana Dee to some of the Swedish cuisine, although we were hard pressed to keep her out of McDonalds.  The most exotic dish she tried was this Shrimp Sandwich. 

Gotland is a vacation spot of Sweden. And a tourist hot spot of Europe. The tourist bureau puts out a guide of the “100 things to see /do on Gotland”.  Mom did about 27 of them. I have only done about 10 more than that.

We combined the sight-seeing with our responsibilities to the branch members and the game playing. Kerstin and Ragna  are single members that live about 45 minutes south of us in Stånga. We visit them on Fridays. Kerstin doesn’t speak any English but was very sweet with mom and enjoyed meeting her. Ragna is from Germany and a retired Elementary School teacher. She has an interesting history and mom loved hearing her stories.

Following our visits we were in the area to see Lojsta Palace, more of a fortress than a palac. The remains of the old Viking fortress date from long before the Danish King, conquered Gotland in 1361. It has now been reconstructed and is used as a lodge for this camping site.

 We then continued as far south as possible. We drove along the Kettelvik road where in the spring you can see a rare flower, “Spring Pheasant’s Eye”, we were too late in the year for this but did see lots of bunnies. I always love driving along the coast but our actual destination was “Hoburgsgubben” probably the most famous “rauk” on Gotland. From a certain spot the contour of the rauk looks like the profile of a man, therefore the name “the Hoburg old man”. We don’t know why his nose is painted… we are told it is a different color every year.

Below is a shot of the southern point of Gotland.

A few days later we traveled to the northern portion of Gotland with Nana Dee, but that will have to wait for another post.  

Missionary work calls!

CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS OF SWEDEN

by Phillip

Swedish celebrations of Jul (pronounced ‘Yule’) – what we call Christmas - center around three key dates. But before we get to the first date we should talk about Advent. On the fourth Sunday before Christmas Swedish households display a candleholder that holds four candles. They light the first candle and extinguish it once the candle has burned down one quarter length of the candle.

On the next Sunday the first and second candles are lit and allowed to burn down another quarter length. The following Sunday the first three candles are lit, and on the Sunday before Christmas all four are lit.

Here is a picture our ours on the fourth week.

There are a lot of variations for observing traditions of advent, but this is how most of our friends observe it.

On December 13, (Winter solstice on the Julian calendar) Santa Lucia is celebrated. Lucia was a young Christian maiden in Italy who was killed for her beliefs in 304 A. D. Her crime was aiding and abetting the survival of the persecuted Christians by nightly descending into the catacombs where they hid from that authorities, bringing them sustenance.  To facilitate her work in the dark she would wear a headdress of candles to keep her hands free for her task.

Prior to the thirteenth of December, churches select young women to present a musical program. They sing about the blessings of light, charity and virtue. One of the girls is selected to represent Lucia and several others (in the program we saw this year there were eight) are chosen to accompany her.  They all dress in white gowns. Lucia’s gown is belted with a red sash, and in some cases the other girls bear the red sash as well. These girls accompany her, each holding a single candle, while Lucia alone bears the flaming headdress.

There are many variation in the program, but a common pattern has Lucia leading her companions through the city streets to the church doors. As they enter the choir of girls begin singing. Lucia leads her retinue to the front of the church.  The program continues with the Lucia’s companions kneeling then standing, extinguishing their candles and relighting them.  The pastor relates the tale of  Lucia and encourages the congregation to go out and bless others likewise.  

The program ends as Lucia leads her companions around the congregation and then out of the church while the girls choir sings Santa Lucia; the same song which I assume we all learned, as I did, in grade school. The song has little to do with Lucia’s life. Instead it is the prayerful outcry of a sailor asking that Saint Lucia will guide him safely into his home port, symbolic of each mortal’s need to seek aid from the divine in our hopes to return to our heavenly home.

A local girl summed up her opinion of the tradition with, “Kudos to all y'all who think walking around with fire on your head to celebrate a dead Italian chick is a good idea.”

The theme of light during this darkest period of the year is predominant .  Almost every window is illuminated  and remains so, in some households through February.  The two most popular forms of window decoration is the Light Bridge and the large illuminated paper stars.

The twenty-fourth of December is the next big event, ‘Jul Afton.’ Or as we call it, ‘Christmas Eve.’

Family members will come from near and far to celebrate Jul together.  Among the kindlier households, invitations  may be extended to those who have no one else to celebrate with; folks such as any poor wayfaring missionaries who might be in the area.

A Julbord (translated as “Christmas Table“) is set out for the evening featuring a rich array of traditional foods, including bread and cheese. a spiced ham and a raw herring dish called sill. (Sill is pronounced "seal", so the first time I ate it I thought i was feasting on an arctric mammal.) Warm rice porridge is traditional as well. A single almond will be dropped into the pot.  Whoever finds the almond in their bowl is traditionally destined to be the next person to marry.

Nearby will be a Christmas tree decorated with gingerbread cookies and paper heart baskets filled with nuts and candies. The families will dance around the tree singing “Now is it ‘Jul again!,” and playing musical chairs.

The most exciting part of the evening is the visit from Tomten.

The tomten tradition has undergone some evolution over the centuries.  Originally he was perceived to be a friendly spirit that would reside in farmyard barns. In time he began celebrating jul with the family by bringing toys and candy to the children. He would often use a goat to help carry the gifts. The goat itself is significant as he is the protector of the Christmas tree.  That’s why most household will have goats made out of straw set amidst the tree’s branches or on the floor near it.

Over the years Swedish artists have tried to visualize Tomten.

This is a classic image by Jenny Nyström.

Harald Viberg presents a 20th century version of Tomten.

John Bauer’s paintings of Tomten featured a more youthful character. 

This adolescent Tomten was featured on wrapping paper we bought this year.

Sadly, the trend for future conceptualization of Tomten is drifting towards this look. 

It’s all right for the U.S., but I hate the thought that it might drown one of my favorite aspects of the Swedish culture.

On Christmas Eve the local newspapers reserve the most significant and well written articles to be published for this special night, but it is a limited edition, so the demand for it is high. Inevitably someone in the household realizes that no one has picked up the Christmas edition. With a little persuasion someone is sent out to get the paper.  

While he is gone, there will be a knock at the door and Tomten will be found  carrying a bulging sack, He will distribute some gifts for everybody, even the family member that has stepped out to fetch the paper.  Tomten wishes all a Good Yule and is off to the next home.

 

Shortly after Tomten’s departure the absent family member returns with the paper, only to learn that they have just missed the festive visit.  In all the excitement of opening presents, the newspaper is set aside and is rarely ever read. 

(Did you figure out that the person getting the newspaper was dressed up like Tomten?)

Christmas eve is the main event of Sweden’s celebration. Christmas day is simply a day off from work and school, as is the next day.  Second Day Christmas is but one example  of how the Swedish people like to double up on their holidays.

The Christmas holidays are over on January 6.  This date, twelve days after Christmas day, represents the date the wise men arrive in Bethlehem to worship the child, Jesus. These twelve days after Christmas are the days we sing about in "The Twelve Days of Christmas." There is minimal celebration of the event among the Swedes. It is simply another day off from work and school. Actually it is another two days off from work and school, because they also celebrate Second Day Kings day.

For me, I find structure in the knowledge of the Thirteenth day of Christmas, Kings Day, or "Epiphany" as iti is also called.  For me it provides a clear-cut day to end my Christmas celebrations. The tree comes down, The Christmas carols are set aside. The decorations are packed away. The nativity set is tenderly prepared for another ten months in storage.

Oh, that’s one other thing about Swedish Christmases. Very few households  display Nativity sets. This is a sample of one Swedish version.

I love the Christmas traditions of Sweden.  I hope that in the future the Swedish people will continue to cling to those traditions that distinguish them as a unique culture.