Whoo Hoo

Dear Family,

FINALLY we have a baptismal date for Sissela!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She's very scared and we don't know if it will actually happen, but we're praying. I'm so excited and I can feel that everything is going to be OK! She's so sweet and fun and this Gospel makes her so happy. I just want to see her make it permanent and not let her friends influence her. We're teaching her tonight so pray that all goes well! Mom, in answer to your question, Sister Lindberg went home on Wednesday. It's been a little strange...like we're forgetting something everywhere we go. But we're still having so much fun. I love the girl, It was nice having 3 of us when Sister Cherrington was sick. that was wonderful Mom, don't worry about me. It was hard a few weeks ago, being inside all day. Seriously it takes a toll. I can understand a little how Jake's feeling. Not exactly, but not being able to get out and work is really bad for morale! Sister Goates always said that a mission is an 18 month (or 2 year) lesson in patience. I hate that word. Patience. It's become like our companionship swearword. But I am learning what it means. We've had a really hard time finding people to teach. Either our investigators disappear, they don't show for appointments or they go on vacation with the rest of Sweden. It's the weirdest thing: Sweden goes on vacation for like the entire month of July. On top of all that, we've had a really hard time finding NEW people. We keep thinking that we need new blood, but every time we go out it just seems like nothing works. We've been studying a lot of faith, hope and FINDING!!!! We discovered some pretty cool things. In Moroni 7, Moroni talked about how hope comes of faith. I didn't really understand that, but Sister Cherrington is brilliant and figured out that hope the way we see it, isn't hope. Hope is something that is certain. Just like is says in Preach My gospel. Hope is an assurance: it's the assurance that after we've done all we can, we'll see the blessings. We can also have peace because we know that even if nothing comes of all of our hard work we've done our best and when we account to the Lord we'll be able to come before Him with a clean conscience. we have to be patient (ugh!) and do our best no matter what. That's what faith means. This morning, we talked about the eye of faith that Alma talks about in Alma 5:15. He says pretty much that seeing with the eye of faith is having a eternal perspective. It's looking forward to the end result. We know where we're going to end up, we just have to keep on working to get there. And when we do our best, we can have the hope that everything is ok. I also read in D&C 4:5. It talks about faith, hope, charity and love and an eye single to the glory of God. I got to wondering how an eye single to the glory of God and the eye of faith are related then I thought of this: the eye of faith is having an eternal perspective. Eternal perspective is God's perspective. So if we look forward with an eye of faith, then our eye is single to the glory of God. Remember His work and His glory is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. It's my job to help with that for the next 13 months...and forever! It's all of our jobs to help with that! Anyway, it was a good morning. Sister Anderson came and studied with us (that was a shocking phone call to get at 10:00 last night: President Anderson:Sister Coleman, how are you? Sister Coleman: great President! How are you? President Anderson: I'm great. I just wanted to let you know that Sister Anderson will be coming to your companionship study in the morning. Is that all right? Sister Coleman: Absolutely, President. Of course I'm thinking, "yeah right, like I'm gonna say no that's not ok...") and it was like the best companion study we've ever had! She also helped us resolve some concerns we had about Sissela and some other things. I love her so much!!!! I'm glad to hear that everything is going well. Mom, congratulations on your new calling. And does anyone know when they reorganized the 54th ward bishopric? Weird. I hope everyone has a great week at school...and that you all get enough sleep! You're all in my prayers. I love you!

Love,
Sister Coleman