So I had to break out the winter coat yesterday, along with my headband, and my gloves, and the thickest scarf I own! It is FREEZING!! Welcome to Norway winter! But despite the cold, we have had a great week and it's been another week of miracles! Missions=Miracles!
Monday
So last Monday we had interviews with President Hill... and then we spent the rest of the evening getting ready for Zone Conference... and Sister Stolp and I getting stuff ready for splits!
Tuesday
Today was Zone Conference and Zone Conference is just a highlight of the transfer! I love being able to see all the other missionaries that are in our zone! It was a great zone conference! We talked about how to be more effective teachers and how we can become like "The Master Teacher" who is Christ. It was really good! Sister Stolp and I did our presentation about the area book and phones and such and that was about it! Then we went on splits with the Haugesund sisters, Sister Wheeler and Sister Horrocks! We went to choir practice and practiced singing the songs that we are singing on Sunday! While we were picking up their stuff from the city...I had the thought that I needed to call a less active back... so I did.... and she had told me that she had just received some terrible news and so I was on the phone with her for 30 minutes just listening. I knew that when I came on my mission that I would grow to love the people, but I did not know how great that love was going to be. I have had multiple experiences on my mission where I have been able to feel the love of our Heavenly Father for others and that's only a tiny bit of how much He truly loves us. My heart was crushed and I could physically feel the heartache for this poor lady and it was a good reminder to me of just how much our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ loves us. They love us with an unconditional love and we cannot even fathom it.
Wednesday
Today we taught one of our investigators about faith in Jesus Christ. The last lesson that we had with him didn't go super well, but we were teaching this lesson to see what was going to happen. But when we were talking about Jesus Christ he had an excuse for absolutely everything that we said. He was telling us that some horse had also walked on water and how there were many people with similar stories to Christ. Right behind him during this lesson there were multiple pictures of Christ that were on the wall and I was listening to someone that was refusing to believe in Him, when Christ was standing with His arms reached out, ready to receive him as he always is. We decided to drop this investigator because there is no progression, but maybe one day he will be ready! Then we taught another investigator... the one that has a baptismal date... and we talked about how the word of wisdom was going... and he hasn't had coffee since we committed him not too! We talked about tea and working on that and then he said that there were little things that he was working on to strengthen his faith... so we shared Mark 9 about "help thou mine unbelief" and it was a super good lesson! Then we were out contacting and we only had time to talk to one who was a philosopher and that was just an interesting conversation! Then I was back with Sister Hatch and we went and picked up our investigator and her son and we took the bybane to a member's house to have dinner. It was such a fun dinner appointment and it was so good for our investigator to see what it's like to have the Spirit in a home! It was awesome!
Thursday
Today was hysterical! Just because every little thing that could go wrong today, just went wrong haha! We taught an investigator and we watched Finding Faith in Christ and then watched the He Lives Mormon Message! We talked about faith and what it means and were able to share personal experiences with him and it was a super good lesson! But he knows everything about the gospel and isn't willing to make all the sacrifices necessary to be baptized so we've decided to stop teaching him as well. He still comes to church and activities and things, but we're here to teach the people that are ready to act! And he will be ready one day, just not when we're the missionaries here. Then I looked up addresses and bus routes and thought I had everything under control... and then I realized that I hadn't written down any of the times that these buses went... and I also forgot my Book of Mormon in the church... oh and to top it all off, on the way to the city then I mustered up the courage to talk to someone on the bybane and guess what...he was deaf!!!:)). Yep so here I was freaking out and then the guy can't even hear me! Well, that got a good laugh! We got to our member appointment and couldn't even find the house so the member had to come out and find us! When we were there we shared a spiritual thought about missionary work and that went well thank goodness! We went and visited another less active and they were the sweetest people! They were playing the piano and accordion for us and it was such a nice visit! We talked about prayer and it was super good!
Friday
Today we taught one of our investigators and we taught her about the gospel of Jesus Christ! She was telling us that she identifies herself as a Mormon and feels at home there and that this is something that she wants to do.. but her husband isn't on board and she doesn't want to force it on him... so she is torn of what to do, but she is awesome!!! She was going to try and come to church but she didn't make it:( Then we did weekly planning and then we went and helped prepare the food for the ward party! It was the 50 year celebration of the building of the church building and also celebrating the 1960's so we dressed up like hippies and had a party! It was so much fun!
Saturday
We taught the språk class and we taught them the birthday song in Norwegian.. and I just felt like a kindergarten teacher and it was pretty funny! It was a good class though! Then we went and visited a ward member who is 82 and lives out in the country! I want to be her when I'm 82! She has the coolest life story and someone needs to make a Mormon Message about her because she is a legend! She was talking about her service in church and she said, "I can't sing and I can't dance and I don't have those type of talents, but I can help people!" and I loved that! Then she said that ward members had asked her when she is going to retire and she said, "Retire from what? From living?" and I LOVED THAT TOO!! She looks at service as a way of life and I want to be able to serve in the way that she serves. She is such a great example! She also said, "Who you want to be, you are constantly becoming" I felt so uplifted! Then we called potentials and we got an appointment with a potential that is super positive!!! And then finished weekly planning!
Sunday
Today we sang in sacrament meeting and all of our church meetings were super good! I learned a lot! Then our investigator came to church! We were talking about how God is a god of miracles and he turned to me after church and said, "I almost said that you were a miracle because you put me on the right path. You have somehow gotten me to read the Book of Mormon, to quit drinking coffee and all these different things. " He then began talking about how he feels the Spirit every time he comes to church and that his baptismal date is no longer just a goal or a thing in the future...but that he wants to be baptized and that it is something that needs to be done!! I was so excited!!! So baptism is on the way!!!! Then we went home to eat and then we were meeting with the Jensons (the senior couple) after that! It was a good Sunday!
Today
Today we're thinking we might carve pumpkins with it being Halloween tomorrow! So that could be fun!
I love you all lots and miss you tons!!! And as always, GOD IS GOOD!!!
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