New Year's Week

Our New Year's Eve group at the Mission Home: Andersons, Karlssons, Pearsons, Rosevears, Johnsons, Hansons, Wrights, and Lewises -- December 31, 2008

Vicky and Rex New Year's Eve at the Mission Home

Rex, Sister Karlsson, Vicky, Pres. Karlsson (previous Mission President) Sister and Pres. Anderson (current Mission President) New Year's Eve Party

Sister Johnson, Vicky, Sister Hanson, Rex, Sister Pearson, Johanssons

We had such a wonderful New Year’s Eve tonight. Eight senior couples met at the Mission Home about 4 p.m. to begin the festivities. Eating was the major thing we did. However, we were privileged to have our previous Mission President (Karlsson) and his wife stop by for a while as they were in Stockholm for the blessing of their new grandson this coming Sunday. We watched the movie “Emma” and ate and ate. Then we played some really fun games in which I think I laughed harder than I have in years. One is the knife and fork game that you pass around the circle in opposite directions and can’t respond as to what it is without going all the way back to the beginning for the answer. There were two of the sisters who couldn’t get it right and we were literally rolling on the floor laughing at them. Then we played a game where you try to get 4 men or 4 women on the couch. The men win in they get 4 men and the women win if they get 4 women. However, you have to draw names as to who you are, as you aren’t yourself. The tough part is remembering who is who. We never ever finished the game as no one could remember who people were. It couldn’t be our ages!!! It ended up a tie, with 2 men and 2 women on the couch. We were all given a gift and as one person read a story that has the words right and left in it, we passed the gift in the direction of the word until the story was over. Then we kept the gift at that point. We rang in the New Year at 10 p.m. as we all needed to get back to our apartments, but we had hats, blowers, noise makers, etc. It was one of the most fun New Year’s Eve parties I have ever attended. We love these wonderful people with whom we serve here in Sweden. What a fabulous 2008 it has been!

We awoke to a beautiful New Year's day in Stockholm with the sun shining for the few hours that we get sun. However, the temperature is 18 degrees Fahrenheit. A nice tradition here is to watch the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra playing Strauss music for an hour and a half, beginning at 12:15 p.m. It was very uplifting and inspirational. This is quite different from the football bowl games that we watch in the US. Rex wasn't so sure that it was a good replacement. I really miss the Rose Bowl Parade though.

Today we spent at the Stockholm Temple serving wherever we were needed. It was an exceptionally wonderful day with the spirit of the Lord in abundance. The temperatures continue to drop. Today it was about 10 degrees Fahrenheit. It looks like snow as there is so much humidity and it freezes leaving a few inches of frost on the ground and everything else too. Our days are still short with the light coming about 8:45 a.m. and it is dark by 3:30 p.m.
Great quote by Pres. Benson: “When obedience ceases to be an irritant and becomes a quest, in that moment God will empower us with power.”

Our fast and testimony meeting was wonderful. I feel blessed having people who can translate for us each meeting. We invited Eric Riley for dinner tonight. He is a young 25 year old student studying here from Portugal. He is an impressive young man that has his life in perspective. He is here only another week before going back to Portugal. Another awesome week! I made extra rolls so took some up to my friend Birgitta. I will miss her when we go home.