Letter dated 1Dec2014

Dear Family and Friends! This week was really exciting. Perhaps the busiest week I have lived. Several of our friends are progressing super well in the gospel. We met Alberto and Dennis this week. They are beggars whom we had passed daily for a while, and we always said hi to each other, but this was the week that we came with a translator and got to know them. Even though he is always begging, Dennis is always happy (in fact, usually the happiest person I see all day), and it always makes me happy to see him and shake his hand as I pass by. Alberto's also a happy chap. They came to institute and really liked it. Narchisa is also doing well. She is also happy despite the fact that she begs all day. Whenever she is given something, no mater how small, she says "Wow!" and is so grateful. She also says the phrase "Mac mac mac" often. We are not sure what it means, but it is quite funny. All these happy, grateful people attest to how happy each of us can be, and show me how happy I ought to be. When we taught Abinash this week, we asked "Why do you think we are on the earth?" Then he rebuked us and said "One must not ask 'Why' questions." We were pretty stumped, so we asked "Why not?" That didn't improve the situation. All-in-all, it was a pretty awkward meeting. We have been showing a movie from the church, called "He is the Gift," quite a lot. It works really well when we watch it on the street and subway. It's a nice miracle. Äldste Mott has several neat pets in his home in Vernal. He has lots of hedgehogs, foxes, a bob cat, a lynx, etc. Here's a picture of his lynx (on the ground) and bob cat (perched in her home). Although they say there are no polar bears in Sweden, we saw one this week, and caught it on camera. (These baby animal costumes are very popular in Sweden. Have they caught in the States? This is Gabriel, by the way, who's Karina's son.) Brother Ramel has a Kaukalofin, and he lit it up for a good picture. The final picture is of a church we passed somewhere. I am glad that you all seem to be doing well. Congratulations to Briggitte and Doug for their boy! Everything is going well in Stockholm. I decided this week to study Chemistry after my mission. Next Monday there is a presentation from the winners of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry! It's lucky that it fell on a preparation day, I am really excited! Love, -- Äldste Daniel Schindler