We Had A Baptism!

This week was amazing. How could it not be? WE HAD A BAPTISM! The baptism was probably the coolest thing that has ever happened to me. The Spirit was SO strong the entire time. The day was really stressful of course, we had to make two desserts and set it all up, but the second that the meeting started all I could feel was peace and happiness. It was so amazing. We had the member that introduced us to her give a small talk about the importance of baptism and she was just so awesome. Her testimony was so strong and she really was very emotional and happy about what was happening. After she spoke her daughter (who is like 9) sang I Am a Child of God, and she sang with the sister missionaries in our District. They are so awesome, the girl didn't want to sing alone so I volunteered Sister Vaarola and Wilhite to sing and they were totally fine with it. They sang it in Swedish and then when they were finished they switched to English, and sang it again. I was not expecting it. I didn't know that this little girl knew English too! The Spirit was so strong. Pretty much just the greatest day of my life. Then we had the actual baptism and that was just amazing! She is from Iran so her last name is a little crazy so I was super nervous that I would say it wrong. But I prayed and it all went smoothly! It was unreal. Words can't really describe the feeling that I had. Just like 100% pure joy and bliss. That still doesn't do it justice. It's a happiness that I have never felt before. Like a whole new kind. So amazing. I was so blessed to be a part of that process. 

The rest of the week was really great too! We had transfers calls come and both Elder Olson and I are staying in Skövde for Christmas. They only moved the missionaries that they had to in order to support the new missionaries coming in. So the transfer was small. However, there is going to be a bigger transfer right after Christmas on the 30th. So I don't think we will remain unaffected by that one. Elder Olson has been in Skövde for like 5 months so we are pretty sure that he will be going then. It's pretty unlikely that we will both stay.

Christmas in Swedish is Jul so to say Christmas in Skövde you say "Jul i Skövde" I am so excited. I can't believe that I will be talking in 9 days! Crazy! I feel like it was just Thanksgiving. But that is how it goes. The time is just flying. This Thursday is going to be my 4 MONTH mark. Four months... I can't even start to think about that. I feel like I am been here for like a month... maybe.. Not 4 months. I really love it so much. It's funny before I came I felt like two years was going to be forever. I can say that now. But honestly I feel like now, two years is nothing. I really just feel like I have to work so hard to get done what I want to! It is a good motivation to work my hardest. 

So I have been teaching myself the piano. I can play almost every hymn with my right hand. I just starting to add the left so that is really hard. It is not even cold here. All the snow came but it is all melted! I don't even know if I will get a white Christmas this year! It sounds like the weather in Utah is worst than here in Sweden. I have the better deal and everyone told me that it would be so much worse. Little ironic, huh?  Well I love it. My jacket keeps me warm and I am happy. They say that it will be worse, when January comes. So I am sure it will switch very quickly. Today for p-day we are going to Göteborg and I am so excited because there is this big amusement park and we aren't allowed to go because of the rides, but at Christmas time they close all the rides and put up tons of lights. Sorta like the Swedish version of Temple Square maybe? I am just really excited to go. 

There is a Swedish dessert that I will tell you about that will make you all wish that you were here. It's called Kladdkaka. It's almost the same thing as a brownie but the thing that makes it so heavenly is that they don't cook it all the way. They cook it maybe like 55% so that the top is all crusty but the bottom is super runny. Oh my gosh, it is so good. In this last week, I have had four. That is so much. One day, Wednesday I think, we went to a member's house lunch and they had it and then that night we went to another member's house for dinner and they also had it. Plus we had it at the baptism and then another night we just made one. SO needless to say it is my favorite Swedish food, but don't worry I haven't gain a single pound. Loving life.. 

Well another great thing that happened this week, was I got the greatest package in the entire world from my lovely mother. Thank you so much. I am to lucky of a kid to have you! You really got me by surprise with the TOMS. They are the greatest things ever. My pride and joy. I was scared that they weren't going to fit at first but I tried them on and they fit perfectly! You are an amazing mother! Truly remarkable! Thank you so much for all you do everyday to support me on my crazy adventure. I love it here so much. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. I love all the people and at times I feel like I am learning more than I am teaching. Hopefully that isn't true but I love really working so closely with the Lord. I have learned to have a plan and to work toward my goals, but to also allow the Lord to insert or change things to allow His will to be done. I love this church, I love the Lord and everything He is doing. I love all of you. Have a great week. Can't wait to talk in 9 days. 

Äldste Farnworth

Getting Colder...

Note: We have been a week behind on this blog for some time. Kaleb forgot to email the blog letter to us last week so he sent it today. So we put it on the new post from yesterday. Plus he sent a letter for this week and so we are catching up and posting twice this week. Hope that makes sense.

Well this week has been great. I'll just start out with saying that the baptism didn't happen. But don't freak out because everything is okay and it is going to be happening this week! Pouyeh had to go to Stockholm for one thing and another other so we just had to push it back for that. Nothing big, I just have to wait. Don't worry though -  I was wanting to work on patience anyways! This is a great way to do that. 

Well I was looking at the attempted Christmas card and first of the tree looks really nice, Good job. Max seriously is huge, like he looks like a bear. Speaking of bears... What is on Jordan face? He looks like a mountain man. You all look so good though! Merry Christmas! We are planning for a white Christmas here for sure. We have had about 3-4 feet of snow in the last 3 days! It just snow and never stops. I got my jacket right in time. I love it so much. It is just the perfect jacket. 

The day of the first storm (Friday) was the day that we had so much travel. We had to go to Borås and that is like a 2 hour trip in GOOD weather. In this weather it took forever and we had to take a bus and it was a mess. I thought Sweden would maybe be a little more prepared for the snow but seriously they were canceling all the trains as if they have never seen this before. It was funny but they have figured it all out and now the train and roads are all back in function. 

We have this member named Rolf, who lives like 15 miles from the church, He usually drives but his car broke down so he has been riding his bike lately. He is amazing. I don't think I could do that. Plus he is like super old. Anyways, this Sunday he was pretty late for church and the members started getting worried that he got affected by the storm and fell or something. So I went out with Daniel to go and look for him. We looked forever and didn't find him and so we went back and everyone was pretty nervous about it all. And then like 2 hours later in comes Rolf with just a huge smile on his face. He was just so happy he had made it! He is amazing. He biked for 2 hours in a crazy snow storm then walked his bike the rest of the way for probably another hour just to get to church. How amazing is that? Seriously such an example to me. 

This Saturday night we were in the church doing some family history and we have something amazing happen. In walked a man looking for a place to pray! He had come to the right place! We talked for just a little bit and explained what the Book of Mormon was and who we are as Latter-Day Saints. Then we invited him to church! He said he would come and the next day at church he was there! He can't speak any Swedish so we had a member translate for him! I loved it, such a cool moment. We had 4 investigators in church yesterday! How amazing is that? I see the Lord so clearly in the work here is it an amazing thing. I love my mission and I am have only been out like 3½ months. I know that I have the Lord to thank for all that is happening. I am working hard but there is no way that I could do this alone. He is real, and He is helping me. I love it. I love Sweden. I love you guys!

Äldste Farnworth

Just some girls from the high school In Falköping. 

They were all so nice!

Swedish Vikings

My First Baptism!

This week is just a blessing all together. We finished teaching Pouyeh all the lesson and she is so ready for her baptism on Saturday! She is so excited but I don't know who is more excited, me or her. Just kidding of course it's me.. haha But seriously it amazing when we talk about it it's so spiritual, I am always nervous to bring it up because I don't want her to say that it is too soon and she isn't wanting it any more, which is terrible faith. But when I asked her how she was feeling she gave the most beautiful answer about how she was so excited to be pure and most of all she was just excited to make those promises with God to follow and always remember him. Her emotions are so strong and I get to feel them through her. I am able to see how I felt when I was baptized. I can't believe I am lucky enough to be a role in this. I have been feeling the spirit so strong lately. I have felt it my whole mission but in this last week we have had a few slow days, a few investigators have canceled and we are just struggling with those kind of things. However, I know that the Lord is still very much with me and it helping me with everything that he knows I need.

Well it is safe to say that Thanksgiving in Sweden is nothing special. I didn't even get turkey but I am in Sweden so it is still pretty cool! We went to the high school that morning and spent most of the day there. One of the teachers there was born in USA in Washington so we were able to talk about how we miss Thanksgiving but it was just fun to talk to another American that isn't a missionary! It is super fun! I love her, so much energy, I'll be honest at the moment I missed all of you loud outspoken Americans. Swedes just keep to themselves and are very quiet.. I like that too though! 

So funny story: In the middle of the class we were teaching we get the call that no one wants to get... It was President Newell. I would compare the feeling to getting a call from you Mom and you just like mentally go through everything that she might be calling to get mad at you for. So my first thought was transfer. But lucky enough it was just a call tell us that he would be passing through Skövde that night and would love to interview and talk with us! So my nerves were calmed. The interview went so well, it was like talking to my Dad! I really loved it and I am so grateful that I have him as my mission president. 

Well the weather is officially no longer jumping up and down... it is just COLD. It reminds me a lot of the walk-in freezer at Brick Oven, when I would go in there I always had the quick thought of "What would happen if I got locked in here?" In Sweden, my question was answered. Here I feel like I am locked in a big walk-in freezer and on the plus side I can't understand what everyone is saying to me. Okay, maybe I am being a little dramatic and such but still just understand that it is so cold. It snowed once but then it all melted and so I can't wait for it to snow again. I was talking with this girl on the bus this morning and she made a good point. She said she wants snow and I asked why in the world she would want that, she answered that if it's going to be cold, it might as well be cool looking with snow. It was a good point. Today I will be making the big coat purchase and I have to be honest I am really excited Swedish coats are the real deal and they are WARM. Plus I will look more Swedish so win-win! 

Well this one is a little shorter this week. Sorry I don't have to much time. But I just wanted to leave a short message of what I learned this week. I have seen my prayers answered with Pouyeh's bapitsm. I really can say that I know that God is real and that he is listening to us every time we come to him. No matter how big or small our needs are God listen to them all the same. He loves us and wants to hear from us. I compare it to me and how badly I want to talk with my family while I am out here, I miss them so much and look forward to emailing them every Monday and I am sure that God looks forward to hearing from us so much more than we can even understand. He wants nothing more than to hear our prayers and to help us come closer to Him. We may not always see that with everything else in our lives, but I have a strong testimony that whether it is what we want or what we need, God knows and he is there.

I love you so much. Thank you so much for the chance I have to be out here. It is THE biggest blessing in my life. I have never felt the spirit so strong and I have never been able to see people the way the Lord see them and out here I think he has blessed me with that blessing of seeing them partly how he see us. It is amazing and everyone has so much potential. Love everyone and be nice. I love you and am praying from you all daily. You have someone in Sweden rooting for you, always remember that. 

Äldste Farnworth

This is just funny. I ordered more name tags through the office and when they came they said "Farnsworth" I called and gave them such a hard time for it. So when we ordered train tickets to Stockholm this is how they spelled my name! "Kaleb Farn No-S Worth"

Me in my new Helly Hansen. That I have had for like 2 hours and I love it. 

Everything I will need to make it through the winter! 

We don't get sunset much in Sweden (mainly because there is no sun)
But when we do it is beautiful. This is at the train station!

The best Swedish class we have had! The students were so nice! I really love doing these! 

This Is The Lord's Work

Well this week again was amazing. The Lord is just blessing us so much here in Skövde. The work is picking up and I know I sound like a broken record but it is so amazing! It is starting to get COLD. We woke up on Wednesday to SNOW. It wasn't so bad though, just like -5 degrees and lightly snowing. It was cold and it snowed all day. I decided that I will be getting my coat. Next p-day we are having a big shopping day with a bunch of missionaries so I think I will get it then. So that means I just have to make it through this week! 

This last p-day was tons of fun. We went down to Göteborg and hung out with a couple of Young Single Adults from the ward there, as well as other missionaries. We went bowling and that was a ton of fun. I did terrible as usual but hey, I had a good time. Then we went to a candy store like a huge store. The way you buy most candy here is you get a scoop and a paper bag. Then they just have a bucket from the ceiling to the roof full of candy and you just scoop up what you want and then pay based on the weight. It can be pretty dangerous. I did really good and didn't spend that much. It was a short p-day but really a ton of fun.

God must be blessing us spiritually because it is so cold or something because this week was so cool. We have another investigator who wanted to set a baptismal date! She is like the coolest investigator ever. I really love her, she is just so happy every time we meet with her. Setting a date with her has been something that we have been pushing for some time. She was heavily addiction to smoking. But she stopped smoking and now is sort of addicted to Nicotine gum. She has so much faith though it is unreal. I learn so much from her. I really want to know how I can help her but addiction is such an internal battle. She finally came to church yesterday so I am so excited about that! She is just so amazing and really progressing so much. I told her no matter whether I am serving in this area in January or not I will be at her baptism. She has a member of the ward who introduced us and he has helped us teach all the lessons to her so she asked him to baptize her! We are just so happy for the experience we have had with her. 

The investigator I talked about last week with the baptismal date is also doing very good. We had plans to teach her the Plan of Salvation and when we got to the earth life part of it we talked about the 10 commandments and ended up talking about the law of chastity and the word of wisdom. It was so amazing! We cleaned the baptismal font on Saturday and I'll just be honest it was so fun and got me so excited! Anyway I can work baptism into a conversation or lesson with everyone we meet with I do. 

We went to the school again and this time I got a few pictures with the classes we taught. I figured you guys would want some picture of the Swedes! That was so much fun once again. It is so effective for missionary work too! It is so relaxed and more people talk to us about the Gospel. It is just an overall great thing. 

Well this next week is going to be amazing as well! We have such a strong week planned and I am so excited. I really love it here. I wouldn't want to be doing anything else. This is the Lord’s work and it is so important! I love that I am able to be a part of it. I love what the Lord is doing with me and I love the person that I am becoming. Thank you all for everything that you are doing to help me be here. I am so grateful for my amazing family and how much they have done and are doing. I know I wouldn't be here without them. I am also thankful for my Heavenly Father and how clear he has made it to me that he knows me by name and is watching out for me. He is very aware of all of us and our struggles in life. Sometimes it is hard to see that but I know that everything we do in this life is for a purpose to make us stronger! I have had a lot of hard days out here but I know they have prepared me for the miracle I am seeing. I love this church and can't even think of my life without it. I love the Lord and what he does for me. I am so happy and grateful!!

Äldste Farnworth

THIS week was the best week...

I know that I say this a lot but THIS week was the best week of my Mission/Life. So much happened and I feel so blessed. It is truly amazing to feel the help of the Lord in everything I do. 

It all started out with the coolest P day ever! We went up to this castle. It was so much fun. Since Elder Tietjen is leaving we took some family picture and honestly they turned out so cool. I will be sending some pictures so look for those! We went to the castle and the sad part is that it was closed. But because of bus times we had no choice but to find something to do for about 5 hours. It was freezing but we had a blast. We took a trip around the outside of the castle and seriously we saw the best view ever! It was a huge lake, and there were big rocks on the shore so when the water would hit them it sounded like the ocean! So I went and found a flat rock and closed my eyes and pretended I was in California. It was a little hard because it was about 5 degrees, but it was still amazing. Then we got so cold we walked to the lodge and just played cards and talked for hours. It was so much fun! I really loved it. So there you go! My week was already amazing and that was only P day!! 

So this week with investigators has been amazing. We have these two new investigators that are starting to get interested. They are the nicest people ever. The mother of one is an active member so we went over for dinner and we introduced the Book of Mormon and it just went so good! They were so nice, the lesson was in Swedish but when they drove us to the bus stop they switched and knew perfect English so I was really able to get to know him. He is probably the nicest guy ever. Quick story about him. He got his driver’s license and not 6 hours later he was hit by a car and it messed up the whole left side of his body. But he has such an incredible attitude about it. He was just happy to be alive and that it didn't affect his whole body! How amazing? He was a super example to me. I really learned so much and I am supposed to be teaching him! So that was just an amazing day.

Onto Wednesday and it was super sweet!  We went to the local high school here and just talked about the United States. They like missionaries from the States to come, so the students can hear what American English sounds like. So we just went and talked and it was the best! We talked to so many people about the gospel. Sometime there were some girls that you could tell were trying to take pictures so I just told them if anyone wanted a picture we could take some after, and it was funny there were quite a few girls that asked for them. I was definitely okay with it. I really felt like the hot shot, probably not the best thing for my ego but hey whatever I loved it. So we did that most of the day and really actually got some promising referrals from it. We are going back on Thursday of this week and the next week so it really is something I am very excited about. Oh and we had a youth of our branch text us in the middle of the day and he said something like "I open up my Instagram and you guys are on my news feed! What are you guys doing?" So we called him and some of the girls put the pictures with us on there so check it out! SO that was my high school adventure. 

That night was the start of the best thing that happened this week though! We got a call from the Branch President’s wife and she told us that she had a friend that she wanted us to meet with. We were very willing to meet because we have been pushing Member Missionary work and how it really is the most effective way to find people. So we set up the time for the next morning and we met and it was amazing. We talked about the Book of Mormon and she just said that she has been searching and searching for God and she never found a religion that she wanted so she just stopped looking and focused on what kind of person she was. So we were talking and she was really just taking in everything we were saying and I really felt prompted to asked her to be baptized. I didn't want to at first because it was the first lesson and stuff. The Spirit again then told me to ask her so I did. She told us that she was going out to Germany to visit her brother on the 11th of December.  I figured that was her way of saying no. Then she said "So I would like to do it before then!" I was like whhhhaat?!  It was amazing. The Spirit is amazing. I really don't think that she went into that lesson wanting baptism but I know that the Spirit told her that this is true! The Spirit is so important! I cannot do anything without it! So she is going to be baptized on the 7th! We met again on Saturday and she came to church on Sunday! She is so great! I really have gained a testimony that the Lord is preparing the hearts of the people out here. All I have to do is be worthy of them and work hard to find them and the Spirit is really the one who teach them. It is amazing! I just thank my Heavenly Father every single day that He has allowed me to be a tool in His hand. It’s such a blessing. 

On Thursday we had Zone Training and it was so good. We had all the southern zone come to it. So I was able to see a ton of the people from my MTC group and it was a lot of fun. They have all changed so much! All for the better. I really like catching up with them. Natalie was right when she told me that they would become like my friends from home. It was really good to see them, I had an interview with the mission president and that went really good. I was able to tell him about the amazing week we had had. I really just was so happy.

Then I had a ROADTRIP because of the doctor appointment we had the next morning in Stockholm for my companions shoulder. We drove the 5 hour trip from Göteborg to Stockholm. It was super sweet! I loved it. I really got to know the assistants to the President and they are really cool. Yeah and then we had an awesome time at church and I really loved it all. I have been starting to teach myself the piano as well. So I can play a few hymns. With my right hand and I am in process of doing the left hand. I also have God be with you til' we meet again. I figured I could learn that then come home and play it at Jacob's farewell and make everyone cry.

Okay now for some shout outs: Thank you so much to Natalie for the awesome quotes.  I am also so glad to hear that Patrick was not affected by all the craziness and tell him and his family that they are in my prayers always! Thanks so much for all the people that are praying for me. I really feel Christ in everyday of my mission. I am so grateful to be out here and so glad that I can serve the people of Sweden. I have learned in the last week that with the Lord nothing is impossible. We can do all things. I am so grateful for Him in my life. We are never alone and we never will be. I know that with all my heart. When we call upon the Lord in times of need the blessing and help He gives are real. I have seen them and I have a strong testimony that you can all see them too. He is real and He is ready to change all the lives that He can. 

I love you and hope the best for all of you!

Äldste Farnworth 

Just more of my family. We are a unique group, But I love them! 

Me, Elder Tietjen and Sister Wilhite. This picture needs no caption. 

This is the windmill that we saw we actually went inside. It was very very cool!

I Have Faith That...

This week has been a long week. Not in a bad way but just long, not sure why. I saw the blog and it looks so cool. Thank you so much for all you are doing for that. I can't wait to have that to look back on. I saw all the picture of the day that I went into the MTC, I haven't seen those yet. They are so sad, but also so cool to see. I have grown so much from that little boy. I guess I can see why people called me "buddy" or "kiddo" I really was just a child. Oh what the heck I still am a child, I just have a badge that says otherwise now.

Sweden just gets prettier and prettier, it is finally starting to get what I call "Stupid Cold" like where it is like 1 or 2 degrees above freezing and I just am like Pick one! It just rains almost every day. The best way to describe it is like being under a mister. That is what the rain is, some times it is like rain drops but some times it's like you are walking through crazy thick fog. I don't know you just have to experience it. I have started to pull out the thermals. Okay I actually did a long time ago but I am out in the open with it. My companion finally did to and he told me he was wishing he did sooner. It just is so awesome. I wear scarfs everyday. It's like amazing, I will describe it like having a baby fuzzy bear wrapped around my neck giving me a hug all day. Just wonderful. 

So last week for P day we went to Göteborg and did laser tag. It was so much fun. It's like a big thing here. They have this huge place that has like 2 floors and tons of different rooms, I don't know maybe they have those in the States and I haven't been there but it was so much. I will be honest and I am sure this comes as no surprise but I did terrible. I had a great time though so that is all that matters. Then we had the best thing in the world I don't know if I have talked about this before but I will tell you again. It's called Kebab Pizza, It's a normal cheese pizza with this mystery meat that I am not sure what it is. I have been told it is like the leftover meat from when they are slaughtering a pig but I don't know it just taste good so I don't care. Then they put fries and this dressing that just makes for a great pizza. Speaking of food, I love the food here. I may be gaining weight. Not sure where it is going because I still look like a stick but hey the scale doesn't lie. In the past week I did a cleanse. I drank only cucumber water for a whole week. Don't worry I eat food to just stayed really healthy. But it was really good, they have this stuff called Soft, here and it is just like a concentrate of juice and you add it to water and some people put so much Soft in the water, like its supposed to be like 10% Soft sometimes I drink some and think that there is only 10% water. Crazy.  That is something I am working changing the phrase "I hope that..." To I have faith that..." Just a better mind set I think. Anyways thanks for doing that and I am so excited to get my Christmas package so early. I promise I won't open anything til Christmas Eve. That is another really weird thing, Christmas isn't even the big holiday here. The big day is Christmas Eve, that is when the Santa troll comes and give the presents. I was worried we wouldn't have plans for that day but don't worry we have been invited to spend it with this Lady from Chile! Yes, I told her about Zach and we are trying to find out where he is and where her family lives there, How cool would that be if they could be in Zac's area? So cool. She is amazing, just the nicest lady ever.  Speaking of members... I have a stalker. His name is Daniel. (You can put this all in the blog I have talked with him. :) I think I have talked a little about him before but he really is big into picture editing. He is really good. He sent me some of his work. I'll send those along so you can see. He is super creepy. But I think it is so funny. He is our Branch Mission Leader so we meet with him a lot and I can always tell when he has read my blog because he will like quote something I said. It was funny, he thinks that my cucumber idea was just to funny so when we had dinner with him this week, he made me make the "special water" He is a dork, but I like him. 

So we had the Elder stay with us this week and that is always just a way funny time. They cam in late so we just talked and went to bed. The next morning I followed the advice of Zach and I made everyone breakfast. It was pretty impressive if I do say so. I made buttermilk Pancakes, Bacon and homemade Buttermilk Syrup. It was so good. I really loved doing it too. I decided whenever we have some missionaries stay the night in Skövde, I will make sure they have a good breakfast the next morning. I was just a fun time!

We have met with a few really promising investigator I have faith that we will have a few baptismal dates within this next week! I am really excited. We watched a ton of the How to Effectively Plan" video this week as a part of my 12 week training and I wanted to really apply it to own companionship and so we did and holy cow. It is amazing how dramatic the change has been when we just spent a little more time with a few different parts. So cool, We are really figuring out how to get the most done with our time. It's amazing the miracles that I have already seen since I have been here. I truly feel SO blessed. My testimony has grown so much and I have learned to put so much trust in the Lord because he WILL deliver us from ANYTHING. Something that I have thought a lot about is that is doesn't matter if we are imperfect or not everything we want us to be, as long as we are in the Hand's of the Lord everything will be okay. The Lord can only make things stronger if they are broken. This is so powerful to me. I really helps me to KNOW that it doesn't matter that I can't do it all or handle every situation perfectly as long as I try my hardest and am humble enough to allow the Lord to bless me... I am going to make it though the tough time and become STRONGER. Okay there is my little spiritual thought. 

So today for P day we went to this amazing castle. We took a little family trip, as a district. I left my camera in one of the sister’s bag so I will wait to tell about it til I have the pictures. We took a ton of Family Pictures and I will be the first to say that we are a dang good looking family. It was just an amazing day. I am happy. I am grateful to be here! I love you all and am praying from each one of you daily! Sorry I don't have to much to say today, this week is a blur. Crazy. I don't know how the week just all mesh together but I look back on weeks and can't even remember anything. I will probably read my blog when this is over and be just as surprised as you guys! I can't wait. Love you all. I hope you have great week. Thanks again for everything.

Äldste Farnworth

Another Great Week!

This week was another great week. It's was a bummer because we got canceled on by quite a few people but I turned out wonderful! All about the attitude, but it was really was such a good week! We taught a few new people and got 2 more investigators and they all are so positive! I love it! Halloween was this week. It was so weird not being at home for the holiday but it was just Halloween so it's not like crazy weird or anything. It is a newer holiday here so we saw some people dressed up but not a ton. People just generally look strange here most days so some just throw on some eyeliner and call it a costume. You pretty much have two extremes here. You have the people that are awesome and dress really nice and have all the great things from H&M, and then you have the really scary people. Like I love everyone of course, just sometimes I am scared for my life. JK

So this past week we had a District Meeting and for us it takes two hours to get there by bus so we normally have to leave early. But this week we stayed the night before so we didn't have to get up super early. It was so much fun. The elders that we stayed with were way cool.

SIDE NOTE: Because of THE STORM OF THE CENTURY (I'll talk about that later), all the trains our of  Göteberg were setting cancelled. Like 5 minutes before they were going to leave they would just shut down and then speakers would talk in mumbling Swedish so I was hopeless in understanding that, so I would just assume that they were cancelled. Anyways, this is the magical part. The LAST train that was permitted to leave the station was a train to... Skövde! So the Trollhätten elders were just trying to get out so they took our train. So on this train ride we were bored so I decided to tell a story, and it ended being this huge 2-hour story! It scared everyone from our district so they all really liked it.

Anyways, back to staying the night. So we were there and they asked me to tell the 2nd half to the story and it took forever! It was like 3 hours. We were up so late. It wasn't good when we had to wake up the next morning at 6:30... but it was so worth it. Another fun thing about that night, is that I had to sleep on the pull-out couch and honestly I think I might have contracted some disease. I pulled it out and was just disgusted. But I slept on it. So look at me … I am growing. Not sure whether that is a good or bad thing. 

So anyway this storm. It's like all over the new papers and all over the train station and they closed down all the trains and everyone is freaking out and then BAM! Nothing happens! It rained, and was windy. I guess it was bad down south, but it was nothing up here. But we had a great night in. So that was super funny. 

So this week we had a few really great lesson and have some promising investigators! I am really excited! The biggest thing that happened was that we talked to this man we have been meeting with for the last little bit about coming back to church and he is just amazing. Such a humble man! Really I think I am getting more out of these lessons than he is! Let’s hope that is not true! He finally came to church the next day! I was so happy I could have cried! It was the greatest thing to see all the branch members talking with him. After it was all over he came over to us and just thanked us. He was so happy to be there. He told us that we had completed our purpose. At that point I was holding back tears. I just felt so lucky that God choose to make this all happen trough me. I was seeing the outcome of all my hard work! SO great!!

Well that is about it. Thanks so much for all you are doing on that end! I will be praying that you feel better! You are an amazing mother! Don't worry about me with this weather, It's nothing! I can see the sun for the first time in like 1½ weeks so it is going to be a great day! I am also getting a Swedish haircut! To ask someone if they can cut your hair, you are saying direct translation: "Will you cut me?" So that is sketchy... Oh well hope I don't die! I love you all! I have some picture so look for those!

Love you so much!

Äldste Farnworth

Chinese food in Sweden. Go figure...

So this is what is looks like from my window...
AT 5 O'CLOCK AT NIGHT. 

Go Forward with Faith

This week has been AWESOME. So the biggest thing that has happened is something that alone makes this week the winner. So when I first got to Sweden we talked with our Mission President and he talked about the Standards of what we should be doing as missionaries. They are called the Standards of Excellence.

For example: Have 3 referral received and contacted, have 3 less-actives in Church, and have 2 new investigators each week. But the biggest one is have 20 lessons a week. When I arrived in Skövde, Elder Olson told me that we may struggle getting 20 lessons because this area was slow and it really just couldn't be done. So we went on the first week and got 6 lessons – super bummer. Next week we did better and we got 12, Next we got 14, and then I really decided that we were going to get 20 lessons. So we booked every second of our day! We seriously work so hard and I can proudly say that this week we got 20 LESSONS! It's was so awesome to see how excited Elder Olson got and I was so happy too! He told me that this is I think the 2nd or 3rd time this has happened on his mission! We plan on it to keep happening! So great! I love this! I can't take ANY credit though! I really know that is was tender mercy from the Lord. It’s amazing what can happen when we have faith in the Lord and Go Forward with Faith! I love it! We also since I have been here have taken the amount of investigators from 2 to 5! That may not seem like a ton but that is a BIG deal. I love this work!

Some fun things that happened! We had our first apartment inspection. We cleaned it so good! I loved it of course. It is so clean. I don't mean to brag but it is probably the cleanest it has been in years. I had to really clean the bathroom but don't worry all is good now.

Another thing that is fun is how early it gets dark here. Right now it is 5:00 pm and it is just completely black outside. It's so crazy. They say that it just gets better and better! We had dinner with the Branch President last night and you will never guess what. He went to Alta High School as a foreign exchange student. It was funny, I just tell everyone here that I am from Salt Lake because I hate to explain where Draper is. So he asked me what I like about Salt Lake and then I told him I was from Draper and he gets all excited and tells me HE lived in Draper too! I guess his sister lives there now! So that is way weird! Pretty much anyone under the age of 40 speaks fluent English. But that doesn't mean they speak it to me. It's super good though cause they help me a ton to learn. They have 3 children all under the age of 7 and seriously the cutest kids ever. They are Swedish so they dress all fancy for church I just love it. I really hope they don't read my blog cause that would just be awkward. Oh well. They are teaching their kids English and when they asked their youngest to speak English she got all shy and wouldn't do it! Oh well. When I speak Swedish to the kids it's the worst. Cause they just laugh at me. We spoke about missionaries to the Primary and they just laughed and laughed. It's so terrible because like even the 3 year old kids knows more Swedish than me. It's super depressing. Haha. 

So it was weird this week because it has been really warm. It's not good though because I bought a ton of scarfs and I can't wear them! H&M is like my favorite store here. It is so much better than the American one. I really hope they figure it out before I get home J. When I asked this member why it was so warm his answer really made me ask: Where the heck am I?" He said it was because of the African Heat!! Like what?? That was a weird moment for sure! So we had this dinner and the person who was sitting next to me started to cough and it sounded like he was gonna throw up. I started to remember when we were in the subway car and that guy threw up. I was freaking out. I thought: If this guy throws up I swear I am going to lose it. It was not Christ-like of me cause I'll be honest I wasn't worried about this guy at all I was just freaking out about getting thrown up on. I repented, don't worry. Throw up is my weakness. It is just gross. It's not like Utah here for sure. On Friday and Saturday night it is PARTY night. In Sweden if you buy alcohol it is put in a purple or blue bag and on those night you see everyone carrying them home. Then at like 10:00 when I am trying to sleep you just hear the music. It is so loud and the houses here are really open like you can always see in to them so we can just look out our window and see these crazy parties. In other words...we have some work to do. 

So with all that talk about parties. I got inviting to my first SWEDISH PARTY! Don't worry it was a children Halloween Party. It is this totally awesome family we have dinner and do service with once a week. It's way fun because we make the dinner with her so it reminds me of home and helping you with dinner! The party was so much fun! We got to talk to tons of non-members. Once we tell people we are from the states they just go crazy. They just throw tons of questions at us. I started to speak Swedish and this one guy was like: “Okay don't hurt yourself, we can all speak English.” So we played this card game where it just has funny questions and everyone has to answer them. It was funny one question was: Who is your favorite person that is dead? Almost everyone answer was a US President. What was mine? Walt Disney. I felt like such a dork. Oh well, I am just a typical American. It was so much fun. I seriously loved it. We dressed up as Missionaries and it really got a the conversation going. You know those who would talk to us. It's funny there are some Swedes who wouldn’t even make eye contact with us. But towards the end when they all saw that we were just normal people and they all were very nice. I think it was good for them to see that! 

Hey special thanks to Natalie for the music. We love it! For Christmas, I just have a few things that I need. I want to take picture of them and send them next week, I just want the American brands like my hair gel and tooth paste. They don't have those here. Maybe just some money for Christmas. They have this bakery that we pass on the way home that makes so good chocolate croissants. Like it is a joke how good they are. Just writing about them. I want one now. 

Well I love you all very very much! Thank you for all that you are doing to allow me to be here. This is such a blessing and I could go on for hours about how much I feel I have changed from it. I love you so much and am so thankful for all of your prayers! I am praying for all of you! Remember that when the times are tough. I know God answers prayers. This week has been proof of that! What a blessing this is! I hope all is great this week! We can all do hard things! With the Lord nothing is impossible! Right now I am reading in Helaman! It is truly amazing what the Lord allows his prophets to do and I know that just as much as he was influencing them then, he is influencing our leaders today. I have such a testimony and love of The Book of Mormon and have come to know that Joseph Smith was so right when he said we can come closer to God when we read it. I know God blesses and is an active part of our lives. There is no way I would be able to learn Swedish without him! He puts people in our paths for a reason! I really believe that! When we are looking for the good, we WILL find it. When I have hard days it is so easy for me to just be so mad at the world, but when I stop and look for all the great things that happened to me that day, it's impossible to be upset. Look for the good. It's always going to be there, because the Lord is always there. I love you all so much. 

Äldste Farnworth

So this may not seem like a big deal but these are the proof
 that I am making a difference here! They are the progress
papers of the 2 new investigators we have!! I love it.
Can you see my name? :)

How Lucky Are We?

Editor’s Note: We found a webcam in Skovde and asked Elder Farnworth if he knew where it was. He said it was by where they go to email us. So we asked him to walk through the square and we saw 2 missionaries walk through it. Was awesome to see him (even if he looked like an ant in the webcam)

I am glad you were able to see me! That is funny that we were standing right in the right spot. We were there because of the sun! Needless to say it is getting so cold here – is it insane. I stay warm with my millions of layers but all the members keep telling me that this is warm! So I don't know if I will survive this winter.

This week was a hard week, With that said, it was also the best week that I have had! We taught some amazing lessons and it really just made the whole week so great! It's so cool to see that this gospel is something that I have had for so long and I love it when I am explaining the Plan of Salvation to someone and just see their eyes just light up because I just told them that they can be together forever and also that they can see their loved ones again. How lucky are we? 

So we talked about the Plan of Salvation and we got crafty. We don't have much to go off of, but we really wanted to have a visual for the lesson. So my companion thought I was dumb but I cut the cardboard back of my notebook into certain shape and outlined the plan. After it was all done, he told me he thought that is was really cool. I seriously am so lucky to have such a sweet companion. This week more than any other I feel like we are really becoming friends. It makes the work tons better. 

SO I don't know if you know this but today is OCTOBER 21. Which means I am at my 2 MONTH mark! This is so insane how fast the time is going by. I just don't even know what to think. This is going by so fast! I love it so much. So last night we had dinner with a member and I am not joking I felt like I was having dinner with the King and Queen of Sweden. It was amazing. They have this crazy nice house it was so beautiful. I really felt like royalty! Speaking of royalty, turns out I am royalty! We all are! I was doing Family History (WHICH I REALLY NEED THE NAMES AND INFO OF YOUR GRANDPARENTS PLEASE SEND THEM ASAP) and I was going back super far like to 190 AD and I found a man who was the King of a place in Finland. So that was freaking awesome. I am his 50th great grandson. So that's cool I guess.

This week was also just a ton of fun. I write a ton in my journal every night, so when I fill this one I will send it home and you can read about all the crazy things that happen every day! There is this lady in our ward who came up to us and randomly said that she wants to help us learn Swedish faster than we are. So she was like be here at 2:30 every Wednesday and we will have class. So I am super excited for that. The members here are so amazing, they all just want to help. They feed us a ton. And it is good. I am happy to say that I haven't had fish yet so I am happy about that. They eat a ton of normal things. This week I had: Homemade Chicken Nuggets, Meatloaf, Tacos, Tacos, and more Tacos! They LOVE tacos! So random but the way they make them are so good. So don't ever worry about me going hungry cause I promise I am not! I weight the most I ever have in my life last week. I think I got up to 131. Ahh!! But no one worry that was just a bad day and I am back down to 125 and loving it. We have a goal to run 3 times a week. It is so hard we wake up at 6:30 and get shorts on and go running in the freezing cold! I always tell him that I have the motivation of a hot shower. We run pretty fast. We usually run a 1 1/2 miles so we don't play around.

On Sunday, you be so proud! We made your pancakes! They were so good, and they made the apartment smell so good. It was just a great thing. Okay I think I have rambled on long enough. You are awesome mom! I am glad you guys had a good weekend! I am so happy you are happy, that makes it easier to be away! I love you and I love all that you have done for me! Remember that I am praying for you and I know you can do anything! LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!

Äldste Farnworth

This is our cute little "Plan of Salvation" Kit. It's so awesome. It's
doesn't look like much but a TON of work went into this.
The Family said that they really loved it!
We took like pictures of the boy and girl faces and took
them through the plan. So awesome!

This is just a normal Swedish park. They are all like this. 

I I just walk through here like 5 times a day!

You could paint this mom!

This is just the most amazing views I have seen. This is just unreal

This amazing church that we went to! So cool. These church
are everywhere and that is something that I love the most. They are so cool!

I Am An Official Swede!

I am an official Swede! Got some Swedish clothes 

and decided that I love it here!

This week had been nuts! So much has happened in such a little time! 

So to start it all off we were doing service for a part member family and it was so much fun. We did a bunch of yard work (Swedish people are still doing yard work even though it is FREEZING) But it was so cool. It's starting to get pretty cold here but not to bad. Every time that I tell a Swede that is few cold out, they just laugh and me and then tell me that in a few week I will be praying for this weather. So that is exciting. 

So something that was funny was I think it was Thursday we went to this members house, and when he answers the door he looks at me and says "Hello, Kaleb." it's threw me off because no one calls me Kaleb here. So I asked how he knew my name and he says that he Googled my name and found my Blog, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram... It was pretty awesome. So the whole night he would randomly quote a awkward tweet of mine or ask me about my high school. So yeah that was a bit strange, but way funny. 

Then we went to Göteborg for Mission Conference so that was way fun! I ended up staying in Göteborg for the weekend on exchanges with one of our zone leaders. Super funny guy, It was way fun to be in a new area! So crazy! Sweden gets more and more amazing every single day! 

Oh funny story, so we get out of this one lesson and he is like: "Okay we need to go southeast to our next investigator.." So I ask how are we supposed to know which way is the southeast? And no joke he starts calculating what quadrant of the sky the sun is in and he is saying all this stuff about where the sun sets and then he just like points and says: "We will go this way." So we walk, walk, and walk and where are walking? I don't know, it was a beautiful walk though so I wasn't complaining. Then he just stops and take a hard right turn and I'm thinking "We gonna get so lost, this is insane." Like we are in the middle of a small forest. Then BAM out of no where there is a house and he is like: "Yep, just like I thought." It was so awesome. This mission is full of surprises! 

I just follow most of the people here blindly. Then we went to the Saturday night session of Stake Conference. It's like a huge deal here because some people are traveling like 2 hours to be at it! So then we went out and got the best thing known to man - Kebab Pizza, It's this pizza that they put this meat that I have no idea what it is... and they put fries all over it and then like this dressing that is insanely good. I love it. I don't know what meat it is, and every time I ask, everyone tells me that I don't want to know.. So it's whatever! I just eat it and be happy!! 

Guess what is the most served thing to eat here? Tacos! It's so random, but everyone loves tacos! I haven't had any fish but I have had tacos like 10 times! So random but oh man they are so good. I haven't gained any weight... So that is good. I don't think I will be gaining weight here so sorry to disappoint. 

So one more quick way gross/funny story. So we are walking in Stockholm yesterday and we are walking down a way public sidewalk and I kid you not there is a hobo standing in the corner of the street, just pooping. IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SIDEWALK. I just didn't know what to think. I have no hope for humans. Seriously is this what we have come to? Where is the humanity. It was so funny but so nasty all in one moment. It took quite some time for me to regroup and be able to function again. First trip to Stockholm... Success. 

Well all-in-all this week was great. Really hard at times, but just so awesome. This mission is just such a blessing. I love it. I love you and thank you for everything you are doing and have done to get me here. I could not ask for a better support system! I Love You. Have a wonderful week. I am praying for you always! '

Äldste Farnworth

Giant Insane Asylum Building that is being made into an IKEA

The park we walked through the whole theme is the ocean so this is a whale. 

The top has a water fall like the blow hole!

Amazing Göteberg is so pretty!!

This is where they have stake conference! It's super huge event
and they have a Saturday night session and a Sunday session

Just a normal walk.. Seriously everything is so beautiful

Me watching Conference

Walk-in shower. Proof the Lord loves me.

This is funny. This rock is in the middle of the walk way so instead of moving it... 

They build a barrier around it. Makes sense.