Triple Baptism Wow!

Dearest Family and friends  –  Well, it’s the middle of March and still winter in the frozen north.  We get tantalized by a day or two of clear skies then plunge into another week of clouds, fog and storm.  Had a Swedish member tell me this week that she never remembers a worse winter for snow and cold  –  and she has lived in Göteborg for the last 69 years!  We had a very normal week otherwise.  Monday we inspected the missionary apartment in AlingsÃ¥s and gave the elders there a ride down to the zone P day activity in Göteborg  (bowling).  Tuesday was an early district meeting because Wednesday the zone leaders and district leaders from our zone traveled to Malmo for a big meeting  (and a trip to the Denmark temple).  Thursday we drove 1 ½ hours north to Trollhättan to inspect another apartment, were there about 30 minutes, then drove 1 ½ hours home.  It wouldn’t have seemed so long but the entire road was under construction.  I am not kidding you.  It is a drive of 70+ kilometers and all but 10 of them were a detour!!   We served shepherd’s pie for the meals this week with pineapple up-side down cake for the institute treat.  No one had even seen a pineapple up-side down cake before!  They all liked it though.

Saturday was the most awesome day of our whole mission so far.  Our district of 3 companionships had 3 baptisms!  The first one was in Kungsbacka, a 20 year old boy who comes to the center a lot.  His name is Kim.

Kim and Äldste Anderson, Francis, and Rowley March 19,2011

He and Dad have had several long talks during his conversion process and Dad has been the member at several of his discussions (now called ‘teaches’).  The first thing he says every time he comes into the center is “where is Anderson?”  Anyway, he asked Dad to baptize him!  The font in the Kungsbacka chapel is beautiful.  (The hot water heater was broken and going to be fixed next week, so the water was “invigorating”.[Dad])  It is on the south end of the building with windows of etched glass as the south wall, in a v shape, like the hull of a ship.  The ward had placed 2 large planters of beautiful flowers in front of the windows.  The entire program was in the font room.  The sister missionaries sang a beautiful song, Kim’s friend who introduced him to the gospel spoke, Dad baptized him (in English), and I said the closing prayer.  After we dropped Kim at his home we hustled up the freeway to Utby and baptism #2,  a 25 year old Indian boy whom I had not meet before.  Apparently his brother from India sent an e-mail to the mission president at Christmas saying that his brother in Göteborg wanted to join the church.  The e-mail was forwarded to the elders in Utby.  It took them almost 2 months of hunting to finally catch up to him.  At that point he accepted the Book of Mormon, was taught about twice a week or more, never missed being at church, read from the Book of Mormon every day, prayed regularly, and begged to be baptized.  His name is Chandu

Chandu and Äldste Carlisle and Äldste Olson

.  Chandu, who is about 5’6’’ tall, was baptized by Elder Carlyle  –  who is about 6”9” tall.  The last baptism was in Västra Frölunda.  He is a fellow who is about 35 years old, and speaks very little English and no Swedish.  Fortunately there is a member in Utby from the same country who translated everything into Arabic for him.  The missionaries would say something in Swedish, Shant would say it in Arabic,  and Fadi

Baptism of Fadi March 19,2011

would accept it and reply in Arabic, which Shant would then translate into Swedish and tell the missionaries what he had said.  What a process!!  But the center had an Arabic Book of Mormon, which he read.  Shant baptized him.  It was a great Saturday!  All the newly baptized were confirmed Sunday, each in a different ward, of course.  We went to Kungsbacka to be at Kim’s confirmation.  Dad got to stand in the circle with the missionaries and the Bishop and Brother Moraby,

Bro Mordby, Kim Nickius, Johanna Johansson

who did the confirming.  It was in Swedish but I could tell it was marvelous.  In the middle of the meeting, the bishop announced that Kim would say a few words.  He got up and bore his testimony and read a scripture out of the Book of Mormon that he said was one of his favorites.  It was great!!  We never dreamed with our assignment that we would get to be a part of something so wonderful.  I need to tell you a couple more things about Kim.  Part way into the discussions, I think it was after about 2 months of teaching and investigating, Kim called the missionaries and told them he had found some videos on the internet that he wanted to show them about the church.  They made arrangements to meet at the center and invited Dad in to the meeting, not knowing exactly what to expect.  Kim showed them 2 or 3 of some anti-church videos and asked them what they were all about.  Dad and the elders explained to him as best they could.  He then replied that he sure had ‘felt’ that they just weren’t right and that each time he watched them he felt bad but when he talked with the missionaries and Dad he felt good. (At that point in his teaches he hadn’t even heard about the Holy Ghost.  He had no religious background at all  –  didn’t know about Adam and Eve, Moses, Abraham, Noah. Had no background in any religion.  Needless to say, the missionaries explained the Holy Ghost to him at their very next teach!)   About 2 weeks before his baptism, the missionaries had a talk with him about tattoos and piercings and about how his body was a temple, etc.  (he had no tattoos but had several piercings.)  He accepted every word they said and removed every one of his earrings.  (Do you call them an earring if they are in an eyebrow?)   His parents are divorced and his father lives in Du Bois. (That island over in the Persian Gulf)  He didn’t remember his father but during his conversion time he somehow located him and with his mother’s permission traveled to Du Bois to meet him.  He was gone about 3 weeks.  When he got back he contacted the missionaries and told them he had given his father a Book of Mormon!  I’m not sure that is even legal in Du Bois.  Anyway, I have probably bored you stiff with my rattling on and on.  But he is an amazing young man.  And now he is a member of the Lord’s church.  And Dad and I love him and wish that you could all meet him and see for yourselves what a fine young man he is.

We hope all of you are well and happy.  Has spring come to your part of the world?  How are work and/or school?  Are the daffodils growing?  We love you all so very much and miss you terribly.  But we know we are here for some purpose and are doing what we need to do for this time in our lives.  Thank you all so much for your support of us and for carrying on in our place while we are gone.  This is such an amazing experience.  I hope each one of you can have just such a wonderful experience in your lives, doing what your Heavenly Father wants you to do.  You know what I mean:  please enjoy being who you are, where you are, and what you are.  And always try to be what the Lord wants you to be.  As we serve Him, we come to know ourselves and to know Him –  two of the most important things to ever know.  We love you.  And your Father in Heaven loves you. You are always in our thoughts and prayers.  We’d love to hear from you sometime.

All our love,    Mom and Dad,  Grandma and Grandpa,   Robert and Nikki

Elder and Sister Anderson