I'm safe!

In case  you haven't heard...I'm safe! I was worried about my poor dad who said that at least he would have to worry about me in Norway. Norway has really been affected by what happened last week. You can feel it out in the streets and when you go in to people's houses. The news is always on. This is a safe country where nothing this violent ever happens. As a missionary I don't see any news about exactly what happened but I hear about it from people and from our leaders. We have a special opportunity to be able to comfort the people here who don't know what to think when something like this happens. Yesterday we were visiting a member and I  shared a little spiritual thought about what I had studied in relation to what happened. We shared it after they had talked about the disaster. I really felt the comfort and love come in as I tried to share something hopeful. I never feel like I do a real good job...but we are qualified in our efforts. That is the most miraculous part. The church was open all day yesterday so people could come in if they wanted. We didn't have very many...but it was neat to have our doors open all day. Also, the church sent a letter to the Norwegian State letting them know that we would be willing to do anything to help. We have been asked to give blood; I'm pretty excited about that. My heart goes out to those who lost a loved one or who where otherwise influenced by what happened. It is a long road to finding a new normal, and even once you found it you never know when it will creep back up again and you'll have to try something new to fill the hole and readjust once more. 

There was a baptism here in Trondheim last week... and we did it in the fjord! V was turning 20 and wanted to be baptised on her birthday and in the fjord, so we did it! It was a really lovely day. It was supposed to rain but it stayed sunny and the fjord is always amazing.  She felt so happy after. Baptism days are the best.  

At the same time my heart is real broken this week. People are just disappearing and it makes it real hard. You open your heart up a lot to these people and when they are suddenly gone it hurts bad, but then you have to do it again and again. I never knew you could meet so many people and make so many friends in such a short amount of time. It will be hard when I have to leave here...and the longer I am here the harder it will be. The city I'm in isn't too big, we talk with so many people that it is pretty common for us to run into at least one person we know when we go out...when we find time to even contact. We are teaching a lot of people now...missionary work comes and goes in waves. Or I guess you could say, when it rains it pours. 

Also, I saw some pictures of my niece and she really grew. I don't feel like I've been gone that long at all, but by the look of those picture I've been gone more than just a few weeks. That time is flying here is real good. It means I'm loving it, and I am. I thought earlier this week that they will have to pull me kicking and screaming away from missionary work...but I have to be honest...when I saw pictures of my family I thought maybe they'll have to pull me away just crying. Is it possible to have them both?

I love the gospel and I love how happy I am. 

Kinda short today...

This week I have been thinking a lot about the choice I made when I was 8 to be baptised. I wondered if that was too young to make such an important decision. But in a way...I trust my 8 year old self quiet a bit. As an 8 year old I knew I wanted to be a good person. Everything was real simple then...and it was easy to know what was good and bad. My attention was naturally drawn to those things that were most important, family, friends, how I spent my time. I didn't care what I wore or who said what. I knew that drugs were not good for my small body. I knew it was important to be honest and kind. I knew school was important. If there is anyone in the world I would trust to make the decision to be baptised, it would be my 8 year old self.

 

I love it see how the spirit changes people. I love to see how excited new people are the first time they come to church. We had 9 people in the church on Sunday...it was amazing. I am really starting to see what a long road it is for these people to get to baptism. Everything I write doesn't do what I'm experiencing justice. 

Here is a funny story...They asked Sister J and I to sing at a baptism this week, acapella. After a few practice rounds we decided maybe it would be better if Sister J did it on her own. Ha ha.

Miracle Day!!!

Friday was a real good day, I saw so many miracles that I couldn't sleep. I guess it isn't bad if the only thing you lose sleep over on a mission is being so happy. I'll tell you some of the biggest. 

I guess it kinda began on Tuesday last week when I was out contacting. There was a group of punky 20 year olds that I decided to talk to. When they are sitting out on the steps smoking they don't mind listening to anything. Since our goal is to teach on the street I told them about Joseph Smith and the Restoration (Lesson 1). One boy in particular, *, kept popping off and asking inappropriate questions that I answered with a simple testimony of God's love for us. I was surprised in the end when 2 people wanted the book and would also give me their number, including *. I called him on Wednesday night to see if he had read from the book and if he could meet with us the next day. Again, I was a little surprised when he said yes and proceeded to ask me if he could bring a friend. 

So Thursday comes and * and his friend * come to the church a little hung over. I couldn't understand what got them there and neither could they, except * said that something I said got him thinking and he couldn't sleep the whole night. Being a semi-skeptic myself I thought...great...they just came because they think we are crazy and they are so bored they have nothing else to do but meet with the crazy Mormon missionaries and laugh at the golden book they saw on that one episode of South Park. Søster J and I took them in the church showed them around and again taught the first lesson, in more detail. * wouldn't say much and wouldn't take off his sunglasses, but * asked a few questions, some still rather disrespectful. He did ask why he couldn't stop thinking about it and why he couldn't sleep. What was interesting was to watch him as we told him about the spirit. He couldn't stop smiling. Later Sister J and I talked about it, we decided he really felt something or he just thought we were crazy. But again, before he left he said to us that there was something about us when we talked about the message that he couldn't explain...and yes, he would meet again on Saturday. 

You can imagine how surprised I was when I got a text during language study from * asking if we had time to meet with him Friday morning. Søster J and I already had dependable teaching appointments all day except for at 11, where we had planned to eat. It was already 10:15 but, I told him we could meet at 11. He responded by saying he better go catch the bus now, but he would see us there. So we ended language study and got ready to leave the apartment to get to the church on time. The whole way there I got texts from him apologizing for being rude the day before and other things. When we got in the church we started talking to him about how he was and the things we talked about the other day. We sat down, said a prayer, and asked if he had read from the BoM. He, in fact, had read just a little, but he believed it was true and he could not explain why. He just said he felt so good while he as reading it and while he was in the church and he wanted to learn more. So we taught him about God's plan and how God wants us to be happy. *came half way through the teach and helped us. When it was over, he didn't want to leave. We had a little time to teach * before our next appointment and he asked if he could just stay. * said that would be fine. After that he still didn't want to leave. He and * played Ping Pong and the piano and talked all day while Sister J and I ran around teaching people. Later that night we came back to the church at 6 and our appointment was going to be late. * asked if we could teach him more, so we went with *. We only had about 10 minutes to talk before our teach showed up, but he and * just kept talking. * is a new convert who had to give up smoking; one day after being in the church he forgot to smoke and never smoked again. They even went out to get some dinner and came back to the church to eat it and continue talking. Later were making dinner with * before we taught her a little, so * came into the kitchen to help us. He spent 10 hours in the church that day and talked to everybody that came in or out, since there was a YSA activity there were a lot of people. He said everybody seemed so happy.  

Besides *, we had one person call us and tell us he wanted to be baptised (a King of a small region of *...we are still trying to sort through what will happen there). I also got a call from *, a man that I had been calling often but never talked with. I usually would have given up, but I felt like I needed to keep trying to call him even though I felt super annoying. He said he was grateful for my calls and that he wanted to meet us this coming week. We also taught a whole family, that never happens but felt pretty good. And another teach from early in the morning texted me to tell me that he was liking the BoM. 

I really was so happy about it all that I couldn't sleep.

* has still been meeting with us everyday. I hope he keeps coming to the church. This is a young kid with so much potential. He is real smart, but he needs some direction. He has no reason for anything right now. Things really started making sense when we taught him about God's Plan. We haven't taught him about the Word of Wisdom yet, but he still wants to stop smoking and drinking. The first time we met him he couldn't sit through a whole teach without going out to smoke...now he only leaves the church a few times in the day. He has seen the Elders here and talked to me a little about serving a mission. He has a really good heart and seems to really feel the spirit...I hope he keeps coming. 

That is the hardest part. We have no control over the choices people end up making. Sometimes they just vanish into space after meeting with you for months and you never know where they went. Or they decided to let something stand in the way of them joining the church. You open your heart so big because you want what is best for them and you care so much. It can be real hard when it doesn't work out the way you know would bring them the most happiness. Everything here ends in pure ecstasy or absolute sorrow

The only time its been dark.

Happy Fourth of July! Søster J started the day out right by singing patriotic hymns around the apartment. I am a really good singer...so we laughed a little too. It actually was a neat way to celebrate the day. I have to admit, I felt glad to be an American and actually really thought about why we celebrate the fourth. Our country has an amazing history.

The best way to be a good missionary is to be a friend. I realized this last week. I spend 10 hours every day being a good friend. I am only effective here if I really love these people. But the more I try to love the more love we get back. There must be something about missionaries because people like to be around us. People who investigated the church but choose not to get baptised still come around often to be with us. If we don't call certain people they notice and ask why we didn't call. They think it is strange if they go 3 days without talking to us. I was worried because I didn't want to ''be annoying,'' but the amount of people who thank us for calling makes me worry less. One person can make a huge difference. One phone call can make a huge difference. 

I'm just lovin' missionary work. First, we are teaching a man named *. He is thinking about getting baptised in August. He is from * and so nice. I didn't know if much would happen after the first time we taught him because he didn't seem to be searching, but we told him about The Book of Mormon and told him to start reading in it. Ever since then we meet with him a few times a week. He invited us over to his house for lunch the other day. He made us traditional * food that was so good. It was some sort of sponge tortilla thing that you use to soak up all the gooey, sludgy stuff. You don't use silverware and you get real dirty, but it tastes real good. He doesn't speak much Norwegian and when we told him he was a good cook he  smiled. So now we call him * and he laughs. He gets really happy when we teach him. Yesterday he came to church, and when we called him later in the evening to see how he was doing he said he was really happy because he went to church today. I am so glad for *. I am so glad he would listen and so glad that he is happy. 

We also got invited to have dinner with *'s mother and brother. They are an adorable family, and even though the rest of the family isn't interested in the gospel, they are still loving and accepting of us and *. Her mom made us a whole stack of Norwegian waffles. I loved waffles before I came, now I can't get enough. Norwegian waffles are always in little heart shapes; they don't skimp on the details. It makes me real happy.  

Also big news this week...I taught the first lesson in Spanish. I was on the bus one day and I heard two people who I just knew were from Chile. I could here that drawn out ''ado'' from across the bus. So I said, that is it...I'm going to teach those people. I got off the bus and ran after them and started talking to them. They where from *. So I said I was a missionary and I shared El Libro and that I really wanted to share it with them because it made me so happy. They both gave me their number and on Saturday we taught *. He remembers the Church from when he was in * 9 years ago. In fact, his mom was investigating just before she passed away and he also has a member sister and friend still in *. I was so happy that I could teach him and I have never wanted to hug someone so much on my mission. He smiled and said he would read The Book of Mormon. Another thing that was pretty cool is that I usually struggle quite a bit trying to switch from Norwegian to Spanish, but when I really needed to I could just use it without thinking to much about it. I had never practiced teaching about Joseph Smith before. It is all these small miracles that happen everyday that make me so happy to be a missionary. 

Finally, I just love how happy the gospel makes people, especially me. I have never been so consistently happy every day. I think back to when I didn't make the gospel a top priority, I didn't have the same passion for each and every day and each and every person I met. I know we all have a purpose here and also that God loves every single one of us very much. 

It is officially the end of my first transfer. Søster J says it only gets better the longer you are out-- but I can't imagine it getting much better than this. She also says each transfer goes by quicker and quicker. That last one was so fast that I think my last transfer will feel like an hour, maybe two. I'm still staying in * and I still am with Søster J. I love her so I am real happy we have two more months together. 

2 months without seeing darkness...ever. Unless I'm in the bathroom and Søster J turns the light off because it is on the outside. That really is the only time it has been dark.