It is getting really chilly and it's only the beginning of August! I am currently wearing a sweater and I wore a sweater this past week.... and it has been raining non stop...raining BLESSINGS! Life is just oh so good all the time and I absolutely just love life! We had a crazy busy week this week but the Lord's hand was in it all so that made it great!
Monday
Last Monday we went out and contacted for a little bit in the rain but it was literally pouring and there was no one outside..... so we went back to the apartment and called people instead! We got a couple of appointments!:)
Tuesday
Today began at around 4am and didn't end til around 11pm! We had zone conference down in Stavanger and our flight left at 7am! They almost didn't let us go through security because the machines wouldn't let us check in because we were too late.... but we had gotten there on the very first train that even goes during the day. After awhile they let us all in and we got our boarding passes as we were boarding...so tender mercy! The Lord watches over us! Then we had a great Zone Conference about member missionary work and the members from Stavanger came and we had practicals teaching them...and it was super cool! The Spirit was so strong! Sister Hutchings (her companion) and Sister Blankmeyer (first companion)also gave their last testimonies before they leave in 2 weeks... so that was crazy!!! Time literally flies!! We also had interviews with President Hill. I only have 3 transfers left!!! AHHHHHHHHH WEIRD!!!!!!! I can't believe it!!! Then we hung out at the airport until our plane left at 9:15... so it was a long day!
Wednesday
Today we went and visited one of our investigators.... but she had visitors over so we just talked to her outside. She has started writing down the things that she is grateful for and says that things are finally looking up! That she is finally happy! Gratitude is the key to happiness people! Then we went and contacted and then met with another person that we found out is a practicing muslim. We can't commit him to do anything so it was more a "learn more about what muslims believe and tell him what we think" session..but it was good! Super nice guy!
Thursday
Today we left at 10am on a bus for 3 hours to go on splits with the sisters in Haugesund! I was with Sister Earl for today.... so we went and visited less actives and it was a lot of fun! I made the mistake and asked them why they moved to Norway and then they came back with a whole political discussion! Whoops! But they were sweet people! Then we went banking and we found a person who wanted to learn more! I love it when that happens! So we got her number and then we talked to many others who aren't interested at all... and we had one person tell us that it was literally impossible for him to believe in God..that was interesting. But the longer we kept talking to him then the more he let his guard down..the Spirit can truly penetrate every heart! Then we went to dinner at a members house in their branch and that was super good!
Friday
We were in Haugesund all day today! I was with Sister Horrocks....our old neighbors niece!!!! How crazy is that!!! We went and visited a less active and she was the sweetest lady! We talked about gratitude with her and invited her to see the tender mercies in her life and then write them down! We went and contacted on the streets and then did splits review and dinner....and then we headed out on the bus to ride for the 3 hours back to Bergen! This bus gets on a ferry and we sit on the ferry for about 20 minutes. The first time is was really fun but then the second time it was so stormy and we were rocking...you couldn't even stand up and stand still haha!:)
Saturday
We taught språk (language) again today and I love teaching that class! I think it's so much fun! We had two appointments but both of them decided to not show up... so then we were out on the street again seeing who else was interested in what we had to say!:) We got hit with a lot of nei takks (no thank yous) that day but that's all right! Because why...salvation is not a cheap experience so why should it be easy for us?! So it was good anyway! We did meet one guy that was a religious teacher and he was super nice.... but he was telling us that he thought that what Joseph Smith said and all of that jazz is a cult and a fraud and how he simply can't believe it. Sister Hutchings said that she has an incredibly strong testimony of the Book of Mormon and asked him to explain why he couldn't believe... and he said, "That's the hard part..I don't get that" and he couldn't even answer the question! NO ONE can argue with testimony! The most powerful tool you can use in conversion is your own conviction of the truth! That's the greatest secret weapon you've got! I am so incredibly grateful for my testimony of Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon! My testimony is the greatest possession that I have! It is priceless and I wouldn't trade it for anything! Then we did weekly planning and went back out on the streets and then that was that!
Sunday
We had MMK and then church and church was especially great today! I've started taking notes in all 3 meetings and I learn so much more! I was standing looking at everyone talking to each other and taking their seats yesterday just thinking,"Wow I really love church" We take this gospel for granted so often and we are so truly blessed to have it in our lives! We have every reason on earth to be happy and thankful and joyful and just love life because we have the truth... we know the truth and we live the truth! After church we went and contacted and someone asked me if they could have the Book of Mormon!! YES! So that was super cool! Then we did studies and dinner and I was studying about the apostasy... and our whole apartment got into a discussion about the Book of Mormon! We read this article called, "Die Boek Van Mormon" and I don't remember who it is by but you guys need to look it up and read it because IT IS SO GOOD! You will read it and then just say to yourself, "The Book of Mormon has to be true" So try googling it or something..it's written by a non member and talks about him translating the Book of Mormon into Afrikaans.
This past week I have thought a lot about gratitude! The key to happiness is gratitude and loving others... and if you do those two things then you are going to be happy! There was a quote from a talk that I was reading that said something like, "To live with gratitude is to touch heaven" We are so incredibly blessed! We are blessed beyond measure! We have every reason to be thankful and to express that gratitude to God and everyone around us. We live on this beautiful planet, we have our families, we have our friends, we have the things that we need to survive, we have blessings showered upon us every single day, every moment of the day... and the biggest of those is the gospel! Let's not take the gospel for granted! AHH I could talk about this for years and years but I just think it's incredible how the key to happiness is literally two simple things..gratitude and loving others and that gratitude and loving others is intertwined! "Adam fell that men might be, that men are, that they might have joy"
I'm SO HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY and it's because I'm so richly blessed! There is another quote that says at the very end, "I want God to know that He gave someone life that loves the gift" and I am so incredibly grateful God has blessed me with the life that He has! There is no way that I could ever repay Him but I'm so grateful that I can be an instrument in His hands and help others recognize where blessings come from! I love my life and I love it because God's hand is in every single step!
Have the greatest week! Love you all lots and miss you tons!
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