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 10th
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 10th. 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)
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