Not Dead Yet

Dear family,

I'm not dead yet (there's a certain song from Spamalot running through my head...)! It has been suuuuuuupppppeeeerrrr cold, but that's not news. Apparently it's supposed to warm up by the end of the week so we're looking forward to that. Also we have interviews in Stockholm tomorrow and I'm so excited! That means that I get my Christmas presents!! So we'll be celebrating tomorrow night.

It sounds like everyone's first week of school was good. I'm glad everyone's over being sick! We had a great week. On Monday night, Juan Carlos came to FHE with the YSA's and it was really good. He had a ton of questions and I was so proud of the YSA's for being there and answering them! They're so wonderful! Tuesday night we took one of the YSAs, Hans, and went tracting. It was super fun! Hans has been home from his mission for about 7 months, but we had a great time with him. Thursday was district meeting and I have to toot my own horn for a minute because we made the dinner from a recipe I got for Christmas and it was quite tasty! It was a chicken casserole and I'm so proud of it! Look at me mom! I can cook! Friday we went to Karlskoga to teach James. It's going really well with him, but we taught about the law of tithing and eveybody gets a little antsy when we teach about that. He said he'd be willing to try...We just promised tons of blessings and he felt a little better about it. He's pretty good at getting answers to his prayers so we told him to pray about it. It'll all be ok. We haven't told him that transfers are next week and one of us might not be here...but it'll be ok. Now we just have to teach a few more principles and plan the service! I'm so excited!! I talked to him on the phone the other night and he pretty much bore his testimony to me. I was like crying. He's so ready! Saturday it was SO COLD!! We had to be out beacuse we had a bunch of teaches and they were all like across town from each other. We even got lost on the way to one of them because we've never gone there without our bikes before (it's been a while since we taught this guy...). That was NOT fun. But we did see another miracle and maybe got another golden investigator. I was sitting on the bus and this Asian looking kid comes and just sits down next to me and starts asking about the Church and what missionaries do. I taught him like half of the 1st lesson right there on the bus and got his number AND he came to church with us yesterday! I don't know what's been going on but we've been so blessed the past few weeks! Keep praying! It works!! Saturday night we both felt pretty dead. That made weekly planning interesting. Then I had to write a talk cause I spoke in church yesterday. You know how much I hate writing talks and this one was no different. It's the worst when you have a HUGE subject (like how the Old Testament testifies of Christ...uh...) and too much information. Plus...I don't know much about the Old Testament...so it was interesting. And before you ask, I'm not sending a copy of my talk. I wasn't really happy with it, but I'm glad it's over. That was pretty much our week. It was a looong one. At the same time it went by super fast. That's a mission!

I really wish I ha more to talk about than our teaches and the weather, but it's life right now. We did have a semi celebrity come to church. Our investigator Bertin plays football (european) for Cameroon's national team and he came to church for the first time yesterday. All of the YSA boys were like drooling. It was kind of funny! I know that this Church is true and I love this Gospel! Love you all so much!

Love,
Syster Coleman

I got this "letter" last week. I hardly ever get mail so I was so excited when something came through the mail slot and it was for ME!!! I was slightly disappointed when I saw what it was: half of the front of the envelope (in the baggy...that's how it came) with a "sorry" letter from the post. As if it wasn't bad enough that they lost my Christmas package! AND get this: The letter ends with " We hope that we will still out your trust in the Swedish Post in the future. Kind regards, the Post." I will most certainly NOT be trusting the swedish Post. But tell Jonna thanks for her letter. I'm sure it was wonderful.

Elise