Missionary Week #27

Missionary Week #27  - March 18, 2019 ~ March 24, 2019

Hello Everyone, we hope you have had a great week.  We were busy and had a great week.  Last week I failed to mention that on Sunday the 17^th we hit our 6 month “anniversary” of our mission!  We have one year left!  Those 6 months went fast – so I hope it slows down just a tad so we can get to see more places and do some more things. 

Monday – We walked to work in the Rain!  We even needed the umbrella.  We worked, had lunch and when I got back from lunch my computer was full, so it quit capturing.  

Free Space too low to capture

I was able to do a little genealogy until we could get a hold of our supervisor in Germany and he was able to delete a few files from December to get me 19% free.  We can’t delete our files until we get confirmation that Germany or Salt Lake has the files and we don’t have to do anything over (Re-work).  If everything is good they will tell us to delete them.  Germany – who looks at our Quality is about 3 weeks behind us so we’re having to keep more on our computers.  Anyway, all is well and I was back to capturing after about an hour.  We were able to go grocery shopping tonight and re-stock. 

Tuesday – Went to work, had a normal work day and back home. 

Wednesday – We went to Zone Conference in Gubbängen – it’s the Stake Center.  We have been there for Stake Conference, and to see Savannah Stevenson concert.  It was a smaller group – I think only one Zone was there, the other zones met on Tuesday.  It was a great meeting as usual – the young Elder’s and Sister’s are so willing to share their ideas and they have very good presentations on what they’ve been assigned.  Today’s topic was how to work together not against each other in planning their days – in doing all of the work that they do.  It was fun to be a part of.  We had lunch with them and stayed a little while longer for the meeting in the chapel and then we left for the Mission Office.  We had to pick up some items to take with us to Orebro tomorrow.  We stopped in at the “PostNord” = Post Office.  No where close to us this time it was in Jarfalla (North east).  They had tried to deliver a package to the Mission Office and they were gone at the time they tried to deliver – so you get an email that tells you where they have the package and how long they will keep it for you – about 2 weeks before they send it back.  We finally found the right building and got the package.  We got our hair cut by a lady in our ward at her home.  She is the Relief Society President and her husband is the 1^st Counselor in the Bishopric in our Ward.  We had to stop for dinner – and there was a McDonalds right by the turn off for her house so we stopped in.  It taste’s good but the bun’s fall apart real easy – so it’s always messy!  We got home and got a Marco Polo of our daughter Janell – trying to get to South Carolina with her husband for Spring Break – they were on their 3^rd or 4^th flight from Hawaii!  They travel on buddy passes.  They made it finally and it looked windy but beautiful – pictures of light houses and ocean!

Thursday – We drove to Orebro – which is 2 hours away from us.  We do apartment checks for the Elders and Sisters there.  It was a very pretty drive – lots of trees and then there are pretty farm areas.  We were a little early for the checks so we made sure we could find both apartments and where we might be able to park and then we found a church St. Olaus Petri - a Lutheran church - it was completed in 1912 - but was in planning for 30 years prior.  Olaus Petri and his brother Laurentius - Olaus was born in 1493 here in Orebro. They were disciples of Martin Luther. It had a little cemetery there that we walked through too.  There were recent burials - so they still use it but a lot of the stones said "Family Grave" so we are going to have to inquire about that - maybe they just stack them?  

After we walked through cemetery and church then we went to lunch.  We chose “Rio”.  We had to pay for parking, and the lady at the cash register didn’t speak English – she yelled into the back for a man to come out and help us.  He spoke a little English.  They had a lunch menu on a tv screen, he pointed and said “First one is Meat. Second one is Fish, Last one is Chicken.”  That was easy!  So we ordered and they pointed to a little salad bar that came with the meal.  It was good food – we don’t know what language they were speaking but it all worked out! 

Front Doors

Looking towards front doors - organ

Looking to the front

After that, we headed for the Sister’s apartment and waited for them – they texted that they would be late so we parked in their apartment parking lot and waited until they got there by bus.  The apartment was fine and very nice, things were in working order and John was able to fix their bikes – the brakes were not working right and he showed them how to tighten them so they can do it themselves the next time they get loose.  They were thrilled.  Then on we went to the Elder’s apartment.  We were so happy to see Elder Clark – and Elder Barney.  Elder Clark was in our Jacobsberg Ward when we first got here – he got transferred out of our ward right before Christmas.  Their apartment checked out fine and we headed home.  We filled the car up and got it washed because it was so filthy after the road trip. 

Friday -  We went back to work and we were there before 7am.  We got our shuttles sent off to Germany and had lunch at 1pm.  About 3pm Elder Johnson – one of our Senior Couples who is over the Young Single Adults – came by for a tour – Sister Johnson couldn’t make it, but he wanted to see the archive before they go home in a couple of weeks.  So, we gave him a tour of what we knew – showed him some of the old books and photographs and our work stations and how we work.  We worked until about 4:30 and came home.  Had our date night – Laundry!

Saturday – March 24^th – It’s one of our granddaughters Jacy’s 14^th birthday today.  She went to a cake decorating class and made her own Unicorn Cake for her birthday – it turned out beautiful!  We stayed home today – after our busy week of being gone. 

Sunday – We took the train to church today – and it was beautiful weather – the Sun was shinning, and it was pretty warm in the upper 40’s.  There were a lot of people at church today so when the weather is good more people will venture out!  

This afternoon we heard police sirens and noticed that they were right by our apartment!  We had front row seats to the aftermath of an accident.  There was a motorcycle on it’s side and 2 other cars stopped, one with the hood up.  The police were here, ambulance crew and they send out this big truck with the sign on the back that has the arrow to show people to move over to the other lanes.  It took them about 2 hours to get everything cleaned up – it wasn’t a bad accident – all we could gather was one car must have stalled and the light turned green and everybody started going but the blue car and so the biker must’ve just laid it down – but it didn’t look like much damage at all.  They did take the motorcyclist in the ambulance, but they didn’t have their lights and sirens on.  2 tow trucks came to pick up the motorcycle and the car. 

Notice Blue car with the hood up - Yellow Ambulance - the other cars are
traffic - still flying by!

Black car also involved - but left a little while later

Police discussing - and being video taped by partner -lots of female police

That’s it for this week – again that went so fast!  It was fun to get out of work and fun to get back to work and our routine!  We look forward to next week too – we will be attending the Family Home Evening at the Young Singles Adults Activity center next Friday and will probably be doing that for about 8 weeks.  The Johnson’s are leaving, and they haven’t found Senior Missionaries to take it over so the Stake will have to fill that calling. We are down one couple also at the archive – so anyone thinking about going on a Mission – Come to Sweden!

Have a great week and dare we say “Happy Spring” ????  We love and miss you and think of you often!

Moving the motorcycle to the sidewalk The big yellow truck has
the arrow sign on the back.

John & Linda Richardson