Well it's been another wonderful week in Norway! I don't even know where this past week went..it flewww and now it's already Monday again! Holy cow! CRAZY! And it's going to be September next week and that's just also weird!
Monday
Last Monday we just went and contacted and I don't remember who we talked to, but it was great and lots of mormon.org cards were given out!
Tuesday
Today we went to try and visit a referral that lived about a half hour out and it was in a beautiful area right by the water.... but we had no idea where this house was and we never found it! But we walked by a ton of raspberry bushes just out by the path and so we got a snack along the way! God is good! Little tender mercies! So then we headed back to go to MMK and then it was back out with contacting and talking to people!
Wednesday
Today we went and contacted earlier in the day and you know contacting in itself is like a box of chocolates! You never know who you're going to get. They could be super nice and want to learn more or they could just leave you in awe with what they say! It''s an adventure every time! I was able to hand out 2 Book of Mormons though in the hour and a half that we were out there! I love being able to introduce the Book of Mormon! That book has changed my life! We then had an appointment that didn't show up so we had lunch and then we met with a member and talked about the Book of Mormon. Sister Hutchings said something really cool, she said, "Every time we read the Book of Mormon, the book is the same but we are different" and I thought that was really cool! That's why different things stand out to us each time! We taught our investigator and he had so many questions and how we know if we received an answer from the spirit...and all sorts of things.... and as we were trying to explain things then it hit me...there is a reason that the first principle of the gospel is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. It doesn't matter who you are, where you've been in life, what you're background is, your understanding of the gospel, anything at all...building your foundation on faith in Jesus Christ is the key. That is how it all starts..our faith is so incredibly important. Faith is also not a destination, it is something that we need to continually build up and strengthen. As Gordon B. Hinkckley put it, it's like a muscle. When we exercise it, it strengthens and if we put it in a sling then it will get weaker. Then we had weekly planning!
Thursday
Today we had District Meeting and Sister Hutchings and I were in charge of the doctrine portion and it was on charity and love. So we watched the mormon message, "God Will Lift Us Up" and then had everyone in the District write something nice about everyone else in the District! It was such a fun district meeting! Without charity, we really are nothing! We were going to meet with a member... but that didn't go through... so we called potentials and went and visited Miranda (her friend from EFY who just finished her mission) in the city with her family! That was so much fun!!! It was fun just catching up! Her family took us to eat at the fish market so we had fresh salmon! It was so much fun! Then we went and contacted and it was pouring rain! Pouring rain...we were waiting for the bybane later that day and the streets were just puddles....and it was like waterfalls off of the roofs! This city is drowning haha! We then did studies and dinner!
Friday
Today we went on splits with the sisters in our apartment! I was with Sister Wheeler for the beginning of the day and we went and visited a lady and were able to talk to her and visit a little bit..we just dropped by and then we taught one of their investigators which was really cool! Then Sister Bennett and I went and contacted and found a potential and then met with an investigator who I used to teach in the other area. It was so fun to teach her again!!! She was telling me that I needed to come on teaches more often! We answered her questions and she asked for a study guide for the Book of Mormon so that was super cool! She is golden! Then we contacted again and we were meeting the funniest people haha! Then we had dinner and splits review!
Saturday
We taught language class today and that went really well! You guys know I like teaching that class! We went and contacted and visited a less active and showed her a mormon message and that went really well! After that it was back out on the streets and I talked to one guy that asked if he could keep the Book of Mormon!!:)) and was just soaking up everything that I said.... and I love it when people listen!! It's the best!!!! And he told me that he would've never guessed that I was American which was super cool!!!:)) We had another appointment that cancelled so it was still out on the streets! And then studies to close out the day!
Sunday
Today we had church and that was great! One of the less actives we work with came to church for the first time in 2 years! We sang with the YSA "A Child's Prayer" and then the senior couple gave their talks.... because it was their last Sunday. I was asked to translate for her....but I didn't even see the talk until sacrament meeting was starting.... so I was trying to translate some of it before she was going to be speaking but I didn't get it all.... and I was going to be standing right next to her translating it... by every couple lines! I was so scared and so I was just pleading that Heavenly Father was going to help me because I would have to just translate the rest of it as I was standing there....and everyone who knew English would know exactly if I translated it right or wrong. But God does not ever fail us and I definitely received help and was able to translate! So after that I could relax! One of the young men was leaving on a mission so he gave his farewell talk and we sang called to serve.... and I was getting all emotional! I love singing that being on a mission in the ward that I'm serving in! I can't even put into words how much I love my mission! It's the greatest!! Then we had a luncheon with the whole ward and we were back out on the streets talking to people. We had a couple of conversations that were a little longer and there was one that said that the fact that we are on earth is just random and that just doesn't make sense to me. Everything is evidence that God exists! Us, our spirits, the earth, everything about the earth and I just think that literally so many things point to God! I know He exists! He is there!
I've been thinking this week on how much we take this gospel for granted. Sometimes as missionaries or as members of the church, we forget just how great of a message this is. We forget what we are offering people, what we are telling our coworkers and our friends and family about. We are telling people that there is a God and that He lives. We're telling them that they have a Savior that suffered and died so that they wouldn't have to walk this path of life alone and could return to live with God. We're telling them that families are forever. We're telling them that God still speaks to us today, that there is a prophet that leads us, that we are loved enough that God has reached out His hand in this dispensation. We're telling them that there is a reason to hope, to find joy in this life. That life doesn't have to be that hard if we depend on the Lord. That the relationships that we have on this earth are important because they last beyond the grave. That kindness counts. That the good you do matters. That every tear is counted and that someone loves you more than you can imagine. That God has a plan for you! That we don't need to fear. We need to remember that this is what we have and that this is what we need to be offering people. I've wondered sometimes why I was blessed enough to be born into the church. Would I not accept it if I didn't have it to begin with? But one of the elders that I served with gave a perfect answer. "God knew you would do something about it" and I love that! So let's do something about it! I'ts too great to keep to ourselves!
Have a great week! Love you lots and miss you tons!!
Pictures from Fantoft Church....the famous composer Edvard Grieg and the museum...and Kylee meeting Miranda and her family
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