#57 Positive all the way!!

HEI HEI FRA BERGEN!!! 

Well for starters, the weather this week has been absolutely GORGEOUS!!  The sun has been out and it's actually been warm which has been amazing!!  I got a tan and I have tan lines so I'm a happy camper:)) 

Monday

Last P Day we went out to an older lady that is in our ward and she lives way out in the country and has the most typical Norwegian house that I have ever seen...it was like walking into a house that belongs in an eventyr! (fairy tale)  It was so much fun!  She fed us lunch and entertained us with multiple stories!  Then we taught one of our new investigators who has been taught before but not recently.... so we just talked about faith and how he can recognize the faith that he has... because he has faith!!  It's awesome!  He has such a desire to learn and to live the gospel!  Then we had family home evening and talked about sharing our talents and then just spent the rest of the time talking to the YSA in our ward! 

Tuesday

Today was first spent with WebEx's for our new leadership positions so they were informing us about Zone Conferences and what they wanted us to do as STL's (Sister Training Leaders)... and then we went and had lunch with our Relief Society President. She is probably the greatest human that lives in this city!  She has the biggest heart and I want to be able to serve and be as charitable as her one day!  She fed us lunch and it was delicious!  Then we went and played soccer for the last time with Sister Gagon... and she was so excited that she got to do that that she just cried (emotions were a little high that day haha) but it was super fun!  Then we went to an open house with the bishop and his family and just talked to the ward members and visitors!  

Wednesday

Today we went and picked up Sister Hutchings from the airport and took her back to the apartment! (my new companion)  Then we headed to the church and we taught a lesson with our new investigator that we met with on Monday!  We continued to talk about faith because he feels like he still doesn't have that down yet... and doesn't really recognize the faith that he already has! He then talked about how he had talked to his fiance about baptism and how that is something that he wants to do!  So pray that this situation continues to move forward!  We contacted for a little while, got groceries and then welcomed Sister Wheeler who is Sister Bennett's new greenie!  She is from Connecticut and is literally the exact same person as Sister Bennett...they even look alike!  It's pretty funny!  So we have twins in the apartment!

Thursday

Today we had District Meeting with our new district which consists of Elder Hansen, Elder Welch, Elder Christian, Elder Stephenson, Sister Bennett, Sister Wheeler, Sister Hutchings and then me!  It's a hilarious district and we have a blast!  We were talking about working with members and how that can help us in our missionary work! We were also talking about baptism and establishing the church!  Then we finished up studies and then did weekly planning and it was beautiful outside... so we were outside for all of our studies and weekly planning!  That's where the tan came from!:)) We then had our appointment cancel on us so we went banking instead and that's just funny!  We talked to this guy through his window on the third floor and we met some priest that told us that he was also a missionary and then someone cut me off in the middle of my testimony and said that I was wasting my time and I simply said, "We respect your opinion, but I'm not wasting my time.  This is something that is important." Even though people don't always want to listen to us or even cut us off, God needs them to hear this message so it's a joy to share it! Plus my testimony is made stronger every time that happens!

Friday

Today we went and visited a lady and we were showing a mormon message... and the whole time she was picking out all of the negative things from the video and told us that, "She needs to learn time management" or "You can't please everyone", "You need to learn to tell people no" and our whole point of showing the video was so that we could talk about service.  It later went a little bit better but as this was happening I was thinking about how we can choose to look at things so differently.  We can choose to see the negative or the positive, we can choose what we want our attitude to be. Trials and hardships are going to come, that's life and we signed up for it. We knew that's how it was going to be but we can decide how we react to those things.  There is a quote that says, "When you look at a field of dandelions, you can either see a hundred weeds, or a thousand wishes." That's so true! We decide what we're going to make it...there's no reason to go and making it harder for ourselves with a negative attitude!  Postivity all the way!:) Then we had our lesson kebab (didn't show up in mission lingo) and we contacted. We also played soccer and I was the goalie.....that was hilarious!!:))  My poor poor team...good thing they don't count points:)

Saturday

Today we taught language class and you guys already know that I think.... that's a blast!!  I love teaching it!!  We met with one of the guys that comes to the language class and we watched the Restoration film and he just took it all in!  Doesn't know how long he is going to be in Norway though but he is super positive so hopefully he stays!  Then we made cake to bring to an investigator to see if we could meet with her but she wasn't home... so we organized our focus for our splits that we have with the sisters in our zone throughout the transfer instead! 

Sunday

Today we had church and church in the summer is so much fun!! You never know who is going to be there because there are always so many tourists!  Sister Gagon came with her family so it was fun to meet them all...and I translated for them during the meetings. After church we did studies and then contacted... and those hours contacting flew by!  We were out in the sun so it was actually warm!:)) I had told myself that every person that I talked to was just going to be a new page and a renewed focus...it was a blast!  We got 2 numbers and handed out 2 Book of Mormons too!!  Success!  

Today

Today the elders really want to go fishing so we might do that! My companion and I have to fly to Oslo (It like from SLC to LAX) tonight for our MLC (Mission Leadership Conference) tomorrow so that will be fun!!! 

Love you all lots and miss you tons!!

The sister missionaries in Bergen.... Sis.Bennett...Sis.Wheeler....Kylee and Sis. Hutchings..her new companion

#56 The greatest lesson, the greatest dessert....everything is Great in Bergen!

HEI HEI FRA BERGEN!!!

Well...I'm just gonna hop right into the week!!

Monday

Last Monday we went to a park kind of over by the church and then we roasted hot dogs and tried to make smores...it was marshmallows on a ballerina cookie (that means nothing to you guys but it's the greatest thing ever invented) but it was so much fun!  Sister Bennett brought her hammock and our whole district was just telling each other embarrassing moment stories haha! Then we went to FHE with the young single adults and that was lots of fun!  

Tuesday

Today we had District Meeting and we were talking about faith and humility and then we were describing something that we really liked to the rest of our District. Elder Hansen was telling us that we needed to share the Book of Mormon with the same kind of passion and excitement that we do when we talk about something else that we enjoy... so that was pretty cool!  Then Sister Gagon talked about her investigators and less actives in her area (I'm taking over her area now since she is leaving... so I have all new people to teach and visit) so that was super helpful!  We tried a couple of less actives but none of them were home...but we did have a lesson with a new investigator!  We just taught her about the Book of Mormon and really just the basic things about that... and she was reading the scriptures that we had told her about in her Book of Mormon in Persian... and the whole times she just said, "Yes, yes...that's right. I believe this" and then we said the closing prayer. She thanked us multiple times and told us that she felt so warm and happy when she heard us pray!  So she's incredible and that was the first time meeting with her! 

Wednesday

Today we had deep cleaning day!  We cleaned our apartment from top to bottom in every nook and cranny and played EFY music and told funny stories and it was a blast!  We had so much fun...and your life feels 10 times more organized when the apartment is spotless and organized!  

Thursday

Today we went and taught our investigator...the atheist...and this is the coolest lesson that I have had all week! Literally THIS WAS THE GREATEST LESSON!!!  So we taught the first part of the Restoration and he had read in the Book of Mormon and was asking questions and answering our questions and things were going super well...then when it gets closer to the end of the lesson he says, "I wanted to tell you guys that I want to go to church" I had to do everything that I could from not cheering out loud!  I had to keep my mouth closed because if it opened there would be sound coming out of it!  I WAS SO EXCITED!!!  He was also telling us that he almost told his mom that he was finding more out about christianity and our church.... because then she would've just said, "Hallelujah"!!:)) He also didn't say no to prayer so we're making progress!  I'm also super excited because I still get to teach him even though I'm moving areas in Bergen!  Then we had another lesson with an investigator  and he had a lot of questions about the Holy Ghost and how we know it's the Holy Ghost that speaks to us and it was a good lesson!  

Friday

Today we met with a new investigator and her son... and we talked to them about the premortal life and how important it is to follow God's plan.... and her son loves soccer so we related it to a game that we played with the soccer ball... and he absolutely loved it!  So that was super fun!  I love it when you can tell that you got to someone by how you taught them and the message!  It's the greatest feeling!  Then we met with a less active and she showed us how to make bar soap! We wore goggles and gloves the entire time but the craziest thing I did with making the soap was pooring olive oil into a glass.... so I don't know why we wore that stuff the whole time but we did haha!  Then we went and played sport and that was so much fun!  The Elders have gotten new investigators out of playing sport and there were a lot of people there this week so it was a blast!  I'm getting better:) 

Saturday

Today we taught the språk class (languague) and I think it's a blast to teach that class!  I just love teaching actually...teaching the language, teaching the gospel, I just love seeing the progress of these people whether it's towards baptism or being able to have a conversation with someone in Norwegian!  Then we did weekly planning and then traveled for an hour and a half on a bus to visit members at their camping site...it's a vacation spot that I don't remember the name of, but it's right next to the fjord and it's beautiful!  Us and the elders were all sitting on the bus and it's absolutely beautiful and all of us can barely keep our eyes open haha! Then Sister Bennett says, "People pay thousands of dollars to see this and I live here and can't keep my eyes open" haha! But it was so much fun to visit with them! 

Sunday

Today we had church and church is wonderful as usual!  Our investigator (the atheist) didn't end up coming to church because he had to work... but we'll get him next week!  Then we had a dinner appointment with a member and the elders...and that was a lot of fun!  She made a chocolate lava cake and that was the greatest dessert that I have ever had on my entire mission!  WOW!  We showed the "Mountains to Climb" Mormon Message and talked about faith and how miracles can confirm one's faith ...but that you develop faith through continuous righteous actions.  It was a great visit!  Then we finished up studies at the end of the day! Also, we got a call from President Hill tonight and told Sister Bennett that she will be training and that I will be taking over Sister Gagon's area in Bergen and will be STL (Sister Training Leader) so now I'm the one that goes to visit the sisters! So I'm super excited for that! 

Today

Today we went to Elder and Sister Cardon (our senior couple) and had breakfast and looked at the moves board and Sister Hutchings (current companion of Sister Blankmeyer...)  is going to be my new companion so that will be super exciting!  So I'm excited for the stuff that lies ahead!!

Love you all lots and miss you all tons!  You are all the greatest! 

1) Kylee has been out for a year!!

2) She got to meet her first companion and friend from EFY when she was in Oslo filming

3-4) Bergen

5-8) Kylee and the other sisters in her apartment....getting ready to go on splits and celebrate 4th of July

9)Kylee studying in the morning

10-11) She is making an apple cake....it turned out great!

12) Rain, rain go away:))

13-14)  4th of July activity at the church...Kylee and her companion

15-20) Visiting members at their campsite....1 1/2hrs away

21-22) Their p-day activity

23) Kylee:))

#55 God prepares people, we just need to open our mouths!

Hei Hei fra Bergen!!!

This past week has been another wonderful week in Bergen!  So I'm just going to jump right in!

Monday

We had our 4th of July activity!  We were dressed up in red, white and blue and probably more proud to be an American here than we ever were in the states!!:)) We tried to teach the Norwegian people the American ways of a BBQ...so we had all sorts of food and desserts... and had a water balloon toss and other games... and it was a lot of fun!!  And you can bet that we all had American flags painted on our face as well!!

Tuesday

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA!!! Today we had District Meeting and it was American themed so we were reading talks about the Constitution and just America in general!  Then we had lunch together and then went to pick up Sister Peterson from the hospital because she had her knee surgery on Monday!! Yup...she had to have knee surgery.  So Sister Gagon and I went to the Apotek (pharmacy) to get her medicine...and I talked to tourists that were from New Zealand who just so happened to be there. One of the guys was an atheist and he wanted me to explain why we had earthquakes...I just went to "oppostition in all things" because that is all I had haha!  But that was interesting!  Then we went and got some food for the 4th of July before Sister Blankmeyer (my old companion)and Sister Hutchings came!!!  So we had Dr. Pepper and Mac and Cheese for dinner!  It was American!  And just about every time we said something it was followed by "God Bless America"!!:))

Wednesday

Today we were on splits and I was with Sister Blankmeyer for the first part of the day!! So fun!!  We were contacting people in the city and I saw a girl with a UCLA sweatshirt from across the city...and I told Sister Blankmeyer that we needed to talk to her:))... and so we booked it across the square to stop and talk to her.... and of course she was from California and she was interested in the activities that we had here in Bergen like FHE and sports! She had just moved to Norway in April because her boyfriend is from Bergen! She also had a friend that was just finishing her mission, so she knew exactly what we did as missionaries too! So that was just a funny part of my week!  We taught our new investigator that we met last Sunday and we taught him the Plan of Salvation.He had come with a whole bunch of questions to ask us and he is so willing to learn and asked us how we think he can come closer to God....and so we just told him to listen to what we have to say!:))  It was an awesome lesson!!! We were going to visit a less active with Sister Gagon and Sister Hutchings, but the bus just drove past us...so we contacted on the street instead... and we gave out a Book of Mormon... and then a few minutes later we gave out another one!  WAHOO! I love it when they take the Book of Mormon from us!  It's the greatest thing! I guess we weren't supposed to be on that bus!:) Then we had dinner and splits review!

Thursday

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MISSION!!! Today marks exactly a year from entering into the MTC!  Crazy how fast that time has gone!  It doesn't feel like it's been that long at all!  We went and visited a less active and we talked about the sacrifices that the pioneers made and how we need to make sacrifices in our own lives to be able to progress in the gospel.  She then opened up to us about what is kind of keeping her from coming to church and it was a great visit!  Then we did weekly planning!   We also went to a less actives house and we shared a Mormon Message with her and had tacos!

Friday

Today we taught our investigator and we talked about the Plan of Salvation. He had read Alma 32 from last time!  He has never read a book in his life and the first one he is reading is the Book of Mormon!  He had lots of questions about the premortal life and the spirit world...but then it was something that resounded with him! He said that he was going to be thinking a lot about this plan and then he said he would read again and took the pamphlet as well!  So we have an atheist that is now thinking that God might exist!!  YES!!!! :)) After that  we decided to go out and contact.... and we meet tourists all the time, so we decided to pick a Book of Mormon in another language and so we picked German and we also had Norwegian and English!  We talked to some really interesting people who had a lot of questions about God and how we know He exists..  I have never met more people who are atheist though than up here in Bergen which is kind of crazy. (Follow up on the Book of Mormon...when Sister Bennett was on splits she was able to give out the Book of Mormon in German to a Swiss family on the bybane!!) We later played sports and it was pouring rain so Sister Gagon and I went home soaked... but it was a lot of fun!:)

Saturday

Today Sister Bennett and I taught the language class with a girl from Romania and a guy from Poland and that was a lot of fun!  We met with one of the investigators that the elders have because she wanted to talk to us instead of the elders about a concern that she had.... and that was a really good visit as well!  We shared "Our True Identity" by Uchtdorf with her and talked about her divine potential and individual worth and it was awesome!  Then I went with Sister Gagon to shop for food for her and Sister Peterson... and then I was at home with Sister Peterson calling formers and watching Work and the Glory! 

Sunday

I love Sundays on the mission! We had great talks that were given in sacrament meeting today and then we ate a little bit with a member and the other missionaries, did sprak study and then went and visited a less active who fed us dinner. We showed Forgiveness:My Burden Was Made Light... and committed her to pray for those that she doesn't necessarily get along with.  I decided to apply that to my own life and I just started it... but there is a special feeling that comes when you are praying for those who you don't have a good relationship with, and if one continues to do this, there will indeed be a change of heart. Also, on the way to the city I talked to this girl who was from China and she told me that she had seen missionaries before and told me a little bit about what we do:) So I began talking about the Book of Mormon and how because of that book I know there is a God and she says, "Because of that book?" and then I gave her the water down version of the Book of Mormon and she took the book and took the card and said that she believes there is something greater than just us humans... and thinks it's really interesting and she wants to learn more!  (I feel like that was a whole Best Two Years Quote haha) but I was so excited!!!!!  Whether she accepts the gospel here in Norway or is a pioneer in China...something is going to come of that contact! The Lord truly does prepare people, we just need to open our mouths!  Earlier in the week I also met another potential that was interested in meeting and I talked to him for about 2 minutes but it was enough for me to get my message across and enough for him to know that there was something special in what I had to share!  IT WAS AWESOME!!  Oh and I had an English Book of Mormon for the girl from China and it was in my backpack from the day we picked out the German one!  And we were able to give out all the Book of Mormons that we had in our backpacks!  The Lord is truly the author of this work!

Today

Today we are having an en gangs grill and going to a park so hopefully it doesn't rain...it's not supposed to haha! 

Love you all lots and miss you tons!  I hope you all had a great 4th of July!

#54 It's a privilege to serve my mission in Norway

Hallo fra Bergen!!! 
Guess what!? THE SUN CAME OUT!!! It was out for almost the whole week!  You don't realize how much you miss the sun until it comes out again haha!  Also, HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!! I think I'm more excited about 4th of July this year than I have been...HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA!!! Our District Leader even got permission from our mission president to talk about America in our District Meeting haha! Also, this week has been the craziest hectic week ever so here's a little roller coaster for ya! 

Monday

After emailing last week, we went and just all hung out in the church. Sister Bennett and I went back home to eat dinner and then I was headed off to Oslo!!  So I spent the rest of the day flying down to Oslo all by myself...it's really boring to travel by yourself.  Especially when you're used to having a companion all the time haha!  But I got to meet another sister missionary and she is super cool!

Tuesday

I was in Oslo for the filming for the Book of Mormon Musical. A filmmaker from England came and we started filming at 9am... and they were asking all sorts of questions like, "Why should people on the street stop and listen to you?" "How do you become a missionary?" "What are some of the challenges and joys of serving a mission"...I shared a story about an investigator, obviously introduced myself and yep!  It was set up like a talk show..I was on a white couch and had flowers next to me and a picture behind and it was intense haha!:)) Then later we went out and contacted people and they filmed us doing that. They had a group of boys that volunteered to be in the video so we were talking to them about the Book of Mormon. The AP's didn't have anything else for us to do that day so we went and laid outside in the sun and got Solo ice cream and then I also got to see some people from Drammen that were being filmed and people from my first area!!  There are two young women who have put in their mission papers/working on their papers that I was really good friends with in Asker!  So that's super cool!  So it was fun to see people from my old areas! I also was able to say goodbye to Sister Petersen!! (Her friend from EFY) That was the last time that I will see her before she leaves..CRAZY! Then I traveled back home by myself!  But everything went well with the planes... and getting on a plane now is just like getting on another bus or train because I fly so often haha!:)))

Wednesday

Today I had to go and renew my oppholdstillatelse!  I can't believe I have been in this country long enough that I literally had to go and renew my Visa!  Weird! But then we had District Meeting and the ZL's had skyped in to be a part of our District Meeting.  Sister Bennett and I were in charge of the doctrine portion so we played a game and then we talked about how we can use the Book of Mormon and how the Bible and the Book of Mormon work together.  Then we all had pizza and salad for our District Lunch and all pitched in! So that was super fun! Then we were sitting in the church and Sister Peterson was sitting in a chair and had moved wrong or something and her knee just couldn't extend and hurt super bad!!:( She has had knee problems before.  So then we were trying to find someone from the ward that we could call... and there were a few people that stood out to us who we knew would come the minute that we called.  But that really got me thinking, would I be one of those people that others could know that they could call or would I be one of those people that they figured were busy and would be skipped over?  I would hope that I would be one of those people that they knew they could call.  I want to do everything I can to be that person! She had asked if the elders could give her a blessing! I don't know if there is anything I love more than being able to see the priesthood in the works! Especially the Elders!  It's just so cool to be able to see someone your age being able to use the priesthood, God's power!  It was a super cool experience! So boys..honor your priesthood!  Then one of the older ladies came and picked her up. The other sister missionaries had a baptismal interview that they had to go to...so my companion went with the other sister missionary and I sat with Sister. Peterson in the doctor's office and tried to entertain her for about 3 hours haha!  Then we got sent to the hospital and had to wait even longer...another member (she calls us her reserve mom) came and sat with me while I was waiting in the hospital. That took about another hour and a half! So none of us went to bed until really late that night and Sister Peterson stayed overnight.  President Hill kept calling me to see how things were going and if I was okay and I just said, "I'm great!  I want to be a nurse so this is like being early on the job" and he just laughed...then every time he called after that he just laughed because I was "in my element" haha!:))

Thursday

I don't think I've ever had a day in my mission where I have been so tired!  I was literally exhausted and so was Sister Bennett! HA! Today we went and pulled weeds for a less active in the ward and then she fed us lunch!  She was asking us if we did yard work often when we were at home and then I just laughed because I just pictured all of the Saturdays when our whole family was out in the yard and I was put on "pulling weeds duty" and that's exactly what I was doing then!  So thank you Dad for preparing me for the mission! Then we had a lesson with our investigator and he's really hard to teach because he literally believes in nothing.  But the member that was with us was relating faith to the Polar Express and that made him understand!  So then we committed him to read Alma 32 and he said he would read it and that we could meet with him again!  He is progressing!!! WAHOO! Then we had dinner with all the missionaries at the bishops house and our investigator came with us because it was like an open house and that was super fun! At the end of the day we called potential investigators and we got a few that were interested! 

Friday

Today we had an appointment for lunch at this park called Skansen and it was about half way up to Fløyen and that means nothing to you guys..but it's this big mountain and we had to hike it...about half way up in order to get to this park!  We talked about the importance of reading the Book of Mormon and the husband had brought a guitar and sang us a song that he had written...yep!  That was fun!  Then we met some Americans from California and they were talking to us... and it's always fun to meet tourists or even to just hear someone say, "Hi Sisters" Made our day!  Then we had weekly planning and the sun was out so Sister Bennett sat in the shade and I was right in the sun (go figure) and so I did the impossible...I got a tan in Bergen!!!:)) Then we went and played soccer in the sun and then planned at the missionary couple's for our 4th of July party for the ward today!

Saturday

Today the other sisters had a baptism!  The ward was so incredibly welcoming and so genuine and you could tell that he was so excited to finally be a member of the church!  I love being able to watch baptisms!  You don't see them that often here but I love it because then when it does happen then you fully understand just how big of a step this is, how important baptism really is.  It was a good reminder to remember just how important this work is and that people truly are prepared to receive the gospel. Then we went to språk (language) at the center and then we taught our investigator!  She is GOLDEN!  We taught her about the Restoration and she knows quite a bit about the church already because she has family that are members.  But she didn't know that there was a prophet today and her face just lit up knowing that there was one!  She loved the Restoration and she believes it and was so excited to tell us that she had been praying every day and that she had gotten to 1 Nephi 12 and it was such an awesome lesson!  I got out of that lesson and just felt like I was on cloud 9!  If you had to sum up why I went on a mission in a lesson, that would be it!  That's what I imagined a mission would be like, and to see her face light up and being able to testify of Christ and the truthfulness of the gospel is incredible!  I literally can't put into words how amazing it is!  The gospel is just happiness!  It is eternal and everlasting happiness!  Then we went and visited a lady who is a member in our ward (she has autism) and she was talking about how she couldn't hear well and I told her, "Just think how great the Resurrection will be then, everything will be perfect" and then she says, "I don't want to die" That wasn't the reaction I was expecting to get!:)) She is amazing and we had such a great visit!

Sunday

TODAY WAS THE BEST SUNDAY!!! My heart was just so full of gratitude and love and I'm just so grateful for the gospel in my life!  Today I led the hymns in sacrament meeting and it was also testimony meeting!  The testimonies that were shared were so good and then "I Believe in Christ" was the closing hymn which is my favorite hymn! Then one of our members needed a blessing and one of the elders had given it and she had asked that we were in there with her.  So I got another experience of seeing the priesthood in the works.  The priesthood is one of those things that just testifies to me that the gospel is true, it is God's power and through the priesthood holder, we can receive God's word directly.  How incredible is that!  It is evidence that God loves us and I'm incredibly grateful for the experiences that I got to have with it this past week! So that was cool to be able to lead the ward I'm serving in to sing that song!  Then we went to the English Sunday School class and we taught about the Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy and that was super good! Then we had Relief Society and it was such a good lesson!  She said, "If you truly understood who you were, then you would do more" and I loved that!  She also said, "We just need to do what the Lord expects of us and the Lord will take care of the rest" Church was just incredible today and that was just a tender mercy of the Lord!  Then we contacted with the other sisters while Sister Peterson sat in a chair  contacting from there and we contacted in a square and we were stopping people left and right and the hood was coming on and off because it would rain really bad and then it would stop and then it would rainagain!  I had one person literally run away from me when I said the words "Book of Mormon" because he was "afraid of that"...I just laughed! Then I stopped these girls who took the Book of Mormon...and I stopped another guy that I got an appointment with and he was asking questions that the Restoration perfectly answered!  So he took the Book of Mormon and said that he would read the introduction before our appointment!  YES! The Lord prepares people!!! Then we did studies with the other sisters and we talked about lessons that we had learned in our missions so far and the week that we've had and charity... and my heart has just been so full this week! 

Today

Today we have a 4th of July party with the ward!!  Happy Birthday America!  (tomorrow)

Also, this week I hit my year mark!  Which is just crazy!  I don't feel like I have been on a mission for a year!  But it has been the best year of my life!  Every day I am grateful for the decision that I made to serve a mission!  There is nothing better that I could've done with my time and there is no other way that I could've learned all the things that I have learned in the past year!  I've had some really hard times on my mission and been brought to tears but I've had so many incredible experiences that have made me feel indescribable joy! The mission is a privilege, it is a privilege to be serving a mission here in Norway.  Being able to wear my name tag every single day and being able to be a representative of Him is a privilege.  I know with all my heart and without a doubt that this church is true.  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the true church, it is Christ's church.  God lives, He hears every single one of our prayers and He has a plan for every single one of His children.  He is aware of us, He loves us with an infinite love and He is good!  Jesus Christ lives, He is our Savior and Redeemer and the greatest friend we could ever have.  He gave His life in service to show us the way, and literally gave His life so that we could have second chances and live again.  Joseph Smith was a prophet that was called of God to restore His church, Thomas S. Monson is the living prophet today who God has called to lead us and give us the guidance that we need to be able to stay on the straight and narrow path.  We have God's authority here on earth and because of that, everything that is bound on earth can be bound in heaven. Love lasts forever and families are eternal.  This gospel is truly a message of happiness. How blessed we are to live in the time of the fullness of His gospel! 

Love you all and miss you all tons!  Have a very Happy 4th of July!  

Pictures from her year in Norway....