Update to Ivar Nilsson
In July when our daughter, Melanie, and her husband, Pat, were here visiting in Sweden, we were able to fly down to Stockholm.  There we met Ivar at the temple in Västerhaninge and were able to help him do some of the names for his family.  I did the endowment for Ivar's mother, Ivar did the endowment for his father, Dick did the endowment for his grandfather.  Melanie and Pat did the endowments for other members of his family.  The next day we attended a sealing session where Ivar's parents were sealed together (I was proxy for his mother and Ivar proxy for his dad).  Then Dick took the place of Ivar's father as Ivar was sealed to his parents.  We then proceeded to do other sealings for members of Ivar's family.  It was a very special time for all of us.  This was truly a highlight of our mission.

We are greatly indebted to Ivar for providing a taxi to and from the airport and also two wonderful meals together while we were there.



Here we are with Ivar (in the wheel chair) and his assistant at the temple after the sealings

Look at where I come on Äldste Monson (yes, he is related to President Monson)
Other elders are 2nd row:  Äldste Youd, Äldste Ross,  Äldste Saldutti
top row:  Äldste Davis, Äldste Mikola

June 2012


A man in the branch that we helped to get names of his parents, grandparents, and aunts and uncles prepared to take to the temple was in the temple when he suffered a seizure.  We were notified that he was in a hospital in Stockholm.  We had been wishing that we could go down to Stockholm to visit him in the hospital and for Dick to give him a blessing, but it seemed impossible.  When ''out of the blue'' we got a call from the mission president saying he wanted us to come to Stockholm to a zone leader's council and would be flying us down on the 3rd of May (our 49th wedding anniversary).  We asked him if we could go to visit Ivar while we were down there and he agreed.  The Lord had opened a way for us.  So, after the meeting, we went to the hospital and Dick and another senior elder administered to him.  This was on Thursday.  He didn't know how long he might be in the hospital.  On Sunday, we were sitting in Sunday School just before Sacrament Meeting was to start, and the door opened and in wheeled Ivar.  We were so surprised.  Come to find out, on Friday they were able to fly him to Skelefteå in an ambulance plane.  He has since been back in the hospital for more tests and for medication.  They are trying to adjust the medication for the seizures and they are still giving him antibiotics for the blood infection.  However,  weekend of May 12 and 13 he attended the district conference down in Umeå both days.  We questioned him about the temple.  He only remembers turning in the papers we had prepared and getting the pink and blue cards.  So, I guess he didn't get the work done.  When he goes on line, it just says, ''In progress'' by the names.  So, now his goal is to get well enough that he can go back and do the work.  We would like to be able to go down to the temple at the same time so we could help him do the work and act as proxies for him to be sealed to his parents.

See the Update

 

Äldste Jeffs standing near the Byske Älv where we liked to walk--this is summer time

As we move to a city called Växjö in southern middle Sweden, we have been thinking about the wonderful people in Skellefteå and the eleven months we spent there and thought we would just post some of the treasured memories we have.




This is how they build their fences

Here I am standing at the same place where I was in front of a huge pile of snow in a previous posting.  Notice the little bit of dirty snow left from the pile still in the background.  This picture was taken the last part of April.

Zone Conference April 24, 2012

Me with Distrikt President Stegeby

Äldste Dunn (l) and Äldste Ross (r) at Zone Conference in Sundsvall

On Monday evening, April 23, Dick and I took the bus down to Skellefteå to pick up the car from the elders, so they wouldn't have to go north to pick us up in the morning in order to go south to the zone conference.  Dick and I got up at 3:00 a.m. the next morning and left at 4:00 a.m. and drove down to Skellefteå to pick up the elders.  They then took over the driving duty.  They each drove half way to Sundsvall.  We arrived at 10:15 a.m.  They had fruit, nuts, and sweet rolls for us when we arrived.  The meeting started at 11:00 a.m.  Around 1:00 p.m. we had a break for lunch and then continued our meetings and interviews.  It was a very good conference and we were well fed spiritually.  About 7:00 p.m. we headed back to Skellefteå.  We dropped off the elders and drove up to our apartment in Byske, arriving at about 1:30 a.m.  By the time we got to bed, it was 2:00 a.m.--23 hours after we got up.  Needless to say, we slept in a little.  It was a marathon trip but it was worth it.

Pictures taken Sunday, April 29, 2012

This is a shot looking into the town center (centrum) in Skelleftea

Here I am with Ulla Ehnmark (left) and Fern Girdlestone (right), two stalwart members

This is President and Syster Solbakk (and their dog)

This is the chapel

This is one of the double decker buses we ride on

This is the state church in Skellefteå located not too far from our chapel