Missionary Week #20

Missionary Week #20 – January 28, 2019 – February 3, 2019

Happy February!   

Monday – Off to work, we had more snow during the night – so it was a little thicker walking to work.  We had a good day at work.  Our highlight was being able to talk to our kids and see a few of the grand-kids when we got home after work!  

On our way to the Train Station

Bikes at the Station

We've arrived at work & someone kindly cleared a path!

 Tuesday – Wednesday - Were Regular days of work and we are seeing a little more snow!  It really is beautiful. But a little tricky walking!

Thursday – We had a change of pace and headed to Handen for Zone Conference.  Every 6 weeks, for at least 2 days – What a great day.  We had a visiting General Authority Elder Massimo De Feo.  He spoke in the morning session of our conference and then again in the afternoon.  He greeted each missionary individually, row by row.  Pretty impressive. Great messages on being unselfish and how we can help others by showing love toward one another.  We were so glad to see “our Missionaries” from our Jacobsberg Ward – the ones we first met when we came here.  They were sure fun to watch, - by that I mean how they talk to everybody, their gospel knowledge, their talents whether it be singing or playing the piano, and their talks in Church are pretty powerful – when you think that they are 18+!  Our current Missionaries – the Elders – we have one Elder from Snowflake, Az!!! That’s only 45 miles away from home.  He gave a talk a couple of weeks ago that I will refer to again and again.  He spoke how he was in Football 😊 and had an older brother in Football, and always tried to compare himself to his brother – was he getting more tackles, more sacks, more yardage etc.  Then his brother graduated and told him when he left – that he wanted him to break his(the brothers) records.  So the next year he tried his hardest, but didn’t feel that he was breaking any of his brothers records.  That’s when the coach pulled him aside and had him look at his own record from the year before and asked him what he saw.  He saw that he had improved HIS own record by more than double!  That’s when he realized he’d been mistaken to compare to anybody else and now he tries to remember and see how he has improved and that’s what he strives to do…be better everyday!  I loved it and want to share it with all my grandkids!!! 

Friday – We were back to work and of course it was snowing a little more and seemed to snow all through the day and night.  Course we had our date night 7pm Laundry. 

Saturday – We headed into Stockholm to go visit the Royal Stables.  At 1pm they have an English tour.  We are so glad we did, it was pretty amazing.  They told us in the Stockholm area there was an Equine virus(?) so we had to use hand gel and step in a disinfectant with our boots and couldn’t touch walls or the horses.  But it was a great tour.  

Horses out in the yard 

The Current Covered Carriage used for the King & Queen

We were shown the current and older carriages and 2 cars that the Royals ride in for special events and some great stories that went with them.  Then we went to the tack room where the harnesses, bridles, whips, bells were stored – how they take care of them and the Gold trim was for the King and Silver trim was used for the Queen.  

They explained how they name their horses, they buy 4yr -5 olds with good temperaments and they keep them until they’re 20yrs old then they can retire and there is a list of people who want to buy them! 

Our Guide Lars Nilsson

Cabinet of Horse Names

"Rataplan" 2002
A Swedish Warmblood

They rename the horses when they get them for example if their name starts with an E they come to their “Registered” names and pick a name that hasn’t been used in a long time that starts with E.  I have pictures of the cabinet with all the names. They had great records!  Then we got to see the horses in the stalls, The guide has worked with them for a very long time and he showed us the horse he rides, he said “He doesn’t like any of the other horses and there was something else he didn’t like – like riding in back or front, anyway – he knew all the quirks…..The horses all are on a schedule.  They get fed at 6am, then they get to be outside for an hour – in the “sun” by law!  Horses have to be allowed to be outside for one hour a day.  Someone asked him – how about the humans do they get an hour outside too?  The guide said – there is no law for humans – just horses!  Our tour was finished and as we were walking back to the main entrance, I told him my Great- Grandfather had been a Royal Trooper for King Oskar from 1883 – 1887, and the story that had been handed down to our family was that he was able to work with the Kings horse because he was close to the same stature as the King and the King wanted him to work with his horse.  So I asked where I could find more info on him, and he told me to go to the Krigsarkiv – or War Archive.  So we will be finding that next!   We had a great conversation – but it ended because he had to go give a Swedish Tour.  The day was beautiful – cold but no snow, and we got home and it snowed the rest of the day and through the night.  So much accumulated that we took the train to church instead of trying to drive in it!

Sunday – When we got to church there was 16 people!  A few more came in bit by bit as they were able to find their way.  The buses weren’t running at all and someone had heard on the radio that if you didn’t have to drive – don’t!

We hope that you have a warm and safe week wherever you are!  We love you and think of you often!  John & Linda