It started the previous Sunday when Brother Krylborn asked Kari and I to speak in church on the 11th on building upon the rock as discussed in the scriptures. He asked if I wanted to do it in English or in Swedish. When I said Swedish, he tried to convince me to do it in English and said that he would provide a translator for me in case I needed one. Mom even discussed the issue with me. For several days, I struggled whether to do it in Swedish or in English. I had decide already that just before we went home, a month from now, I would to bear my testimony. But I knew that one more month would give me that much more Swedish experience even though in August I gave up seriously studying Swedish. I had made that decision because I knew that I wouldn't be able to understand and to speak it well enough to be useful before going home and that I would never use it again.
By Wednesday, I had completely made up my mind that I would give my talk in Swedish even if it meant just giving my testimony and sitting down. Wednesday night I called the temple shift leader and asked if I could have Thursday and Friday off to work on the talk. On Thursday I set out the Swedish scriptures, opened lds.org to the English scriptures and opened a Swedish/English translation program called bab.la. Then I started writing in Swedish. Mom said that if I did it in Swedish that she wanted it to me my talk and not hers. However, on Friday night I had pleaded so much that she consented to edit it for grammar and spelling. On Saturday, she had me read it for pronunciation. By then, I knew that I could succeed if I just read the talk. (I have never written out a talk in my life and read it. It just doesn't feel natural.)
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| Västerhaninge Chapel |
The music seemed to be more beautiful than ever. The opening song was Jesus för världen givit sitt liv - Jesus for the World gave His Life. I listened intently as Mom gave her talk on faith-building experiences as a child in Sweden that built her faith in Christ. We all know how strong a testimony mom has, and her expression of it to the audience was riveting. What she said meant so much to her and to the Swedish audience.
The Swedish members value music very much in their lives and and our ward uses a special number almost every Sunday in sacrament meeting. Every Sunday I wait in anticipation of what beautiful number will testify of Christ and of the members' testimonies. I will miss that back home. This Sunday two young sisters from an amazingly strong family (Elsa and Hanna Henretta) played Han lever min förlossare - I know that My Redeemer Lives - on the piano and flute. By then my heart was so full.
When I got up, I just had to express my love for the members, the beautiful music, and for mom's touching remarks. I wasn't concerned about my Swedish because there was something of more importance that had to be said. I was the same way when I was giving the talk - it was a testimony of Christ and it had to be given from my spirit to their spirits. I couldn't just read it without looking directly at them. They were so beautiful, and the temple Prsident and his wife were sitting there giving me so much support through their expressions. When I sat down, I knew that a small miracle had just happened and I was so thankful to the Holy Ghost for His help to help me express my love and testimony of Jesus Christ and of God's work.
As we sang the most fantastic Blott en dag ett ögonglick i sänder -Only a Day a Moment at a Time - written by Lina Sandell-Berg, 1832-1903 with Music by Oscar Ahnfelt, I was completely "overwhelmed" by the Holy Ghost.
Mom said later that during my talk, Brother Krylborn handed her a program (with a pen) and written on it the question, "How does he do it?" I have reflected on that very same thing now for two days. The one and only answere is that the Holy Ghost was there and joined us all together in love and in testimony of the greatness of our Heavenly Father, His Son Jesus Christ, their great plan for us, and our part in fulfilling the plan for ouselves and for God's other children.
God's power was shown through the Holy Ghost what we on earth experience and perceive as a miracle. The great blessing for me is that I was able to be a part of it in that moment - I again experienced a part of God's joy.
