Hei Hei fra Drammen!!!
THIS WEEK WAS A WEEK FULL OF MIRACLES!!! This week just flew by and this week also brought us into May which is the greatest month of the year... so our whole companionship is so excited! We have splits this week, my birthday, interim training next week, 17 Mai, then we have Sister Reid's birthday and today is a holiday... so every single week is going to be so much fun from here on out!:)))
Monday
Last Monday it was really bad weather.. so we literally just sat in the church all day. Sister Reid is like Beethoven on the piano and then of course Sister Sorensen can sing super well... so they did their thing and I sat down and wrote letters!:) We had a dinner appointment with a family in the ward.. and that was a good visit! We shared the Mormon Message "Same Jersey" like we shared with a lot of members last week... and we invited them to continue to invite people to church... because they are always inviting people which is incredible!!! Then we went grocery shopping and that was that!
Tuesday
Today we had to get Sister Sorensen's oppholdstillatelse and then did studies. We had an appointment with a non member. She is the friend of one of the members in the ward and that's how we got to know her. We met with her and went to this little cafe on Bragernes Torg and then we read the introduction to the Book of Mormon. We went through the pictures in the front of the book. She was really open to everything that we were teaching her and she was asking questions... but everything just made sense to her so it was awesome! Then we hurried to the church to make brownies because we promised these little boys in our ward that if they read their scriptures every single day for the past week, that we would bring them brownies....and we had a dinner appointment with them. But we didn't have time for the brownies to cook all the way... and honestly every time I've made brownies in this country... there has always been a problem!! So we were on the bus with all these rags holding this brownie pan.. and by the time we got there... the brownies looked like an earthquake because it was kind of cooked but then every time the bus driver stopped then it would all go to one side. They got a good laugh out of that!!! But we had such a good time at the dinner appointment! We had a blast! We played a language game with the boys to help them learn Norwegian for school and then we showed the Same Jersey video again and then invited each of the parents to invite someone to church in 2 weeks! We're hastening the work with the members!
Wednesday
Today we had District Meeting and we talked about our power and authority as missionaries and then we all went around and answered these questions...what is our conversion story, why we came on a mission and what we want to accomplish while we are here. It was cool to hear all of the missionaries conversion stories and it's something I've never really thought about since I've always been in the church... but everyone has their own conversion...so it was really cool to think back and kind of pin point it to when it started! I figured out it was when I was 11, right after I had finished Faith in God! We went to our dinner appointment and we always have such a good time with this family!!! We talked about the Book of Mormon and invited them to write their testimonies in the Book of Mormon and then to share it with someone! After that we learned a little bit about family history from the family history representative in the ward which was super helpful...and then we went on splits with the young single adults! We went to visit less actives that are also YSA...Sister Sorensen went with two of the YSA and then one was supposed to come with Sister Reid and I but she didn't end up coming in time... so it was just us and we got the wrong address sent to us... so we just walked around and contacted people!:)
Thursday
Today we did weekly planning and our district leader asked us our goal for baptismal dates by the end of the transfer. We said 3 and he was a little skeptical but we said that we could do it and we have been working so incredibly hard! We even made a whole baptismal motivation wall in our apartment that I will take a picture of and send next week! We made a goal to have 2 baptisms on May 27th which is totally possible because of the investigators that we have right now...so we are really excited! So everyone pray for the work to progress in Drammen and for miracles to happen! We went to our dinner appointment after that with two of the Elders... and that was a lot of fun as well! The elders shared 2 Nephi 31:20 and talked about being steadfast and feasting on the words of Christ!
Friday
Today we met with two girls from the ward and they helped us cut out hearts and write on them for two people in the ward, who were just having a hard time this past week... so that was a lot of fun! They were finding their favorite scriptures and writing them on the hearts and it was great!! Then we went and heart attacked one of the people right before our appointment with one of our less actives! We met with her and talked about preparation for the temple and showed "A Temple is a Beacon" and talked about sacrifices that need to be made to prepare for the temple. She told us that she needed to stop smoking... so we came up with a plan and have a goal for her to be done with smoking by May 27th! She was really excited that we were able to help her and she told us about her baptism day and when she had tried stopped smoking the first time. It was actually just a really powerful lesson and we are so glad that we are able to help her with this! She also told us that she wanted us to help her with her Book of Mormon reading so we said we would call her every night at 9 to check up on her! Then we heart attacked the other person and then we got on the bus. Sister Reid pretend to bus preach...we were the only ones on the bus haha! But we had made a goal that we were going to invite two people to be baptized as a contacting approach today and that each of us were going to talk to 10 people.... and that we were going to talk to anyone we sat next to on the bus! We have to be taking every opportunity we have if we are going to have 3 baptismal dates! So we were talking to everyone that got on the bus or walked past us today! We got to the city and we still needed to talk to reach our goal... and it was pouring rain.... but we just put our hoods up and went and stopped so many people! It was a blast! Someone told me it was absurd that we believe someone left Jerusalem and came to America... and I asked this guy why.... and he said that we all know the first people were Indians.... and I asked him how he thought they got there....and then he said we know other people traveled by boat and I said exactly:) He then went to Joseph Smith because I think he realized his first point wasn't going anywhere. By the time we took the bus home we still had one baptismal invitation left so we started knocking doors and I just invited someone on their doorstep! She wasn't interested but at least we know that for sure! :)))
Saturday
'Today we had soccer and we all know soccer gives me anxiety:))... because I'm literally the worst soccer player:) but we were there... and then we went to a family in the ward and heldped them paint their house and had dinner! It was a lot of fun! Kind of chilly but we had a blast! We went grocery shopping because all the stores are closed today! We also called our investigator and asked if he could still come to church and he said yes.... but that he couldn't take the train because they are out of work and just don't have money for their whole family... so we had to get the two of them plus their three boys to church!! We called a couple in our ward and asked if they were willing to drive to Kongsberg to pick up this family.... and we knew it was asking a lot... but they just said, "That we're just going to have to pick them up...and she then said that she even had 3 car seats for the boys to sit in...and literally all of our mouths just dropped open! WE WERE HAVING A FAMILY OF 5 COME TO CHURCH THANKS TO THESE AMAZING MEMBERS!!! We were so excited! As soon as the call ended we just screamed!:))) Then we called people in the ward to make sure that people could fellowship them and then we called our less active and she had read in the Book of Mormon and she said that it was exactly what she had needed..... and that she had only smoked 4 cigarettes when her goal was actually only 5... so it was even less!! Again, we just screamed after the call ended! We were so excited for everything that was happening and it was just miracles left and right.... and so we said a thank you prayer because we know it wasn't our doing! It was the Lord's but I am sure grateful that I get a front seat to all these miracles! It's priceless!
Sunday
Today we had MMK and then we had church! Watching that family of 5 walk into the church was literally the greatest moment! And our two less actives came to church and one of them got a calling today!!!! And then we sat behind our investigator family and then the opening song was "Families Can Be Together Forever" wow...we all just had to hold it together! It was the coolest thing! I don't think I've ever smiled that much in my life while singing a hymn...it was literally perfect! That was exactly why we were working so hard for this family and why members were making sacrifices to get them here...so that they can be together forever! We taught them about the Plan of Salvation the third hour because they had a special meeting during that hour and they were asking questions and then Sister Reid asked the wife that if she received an answer would she be baptized and she said yes!!! AHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This family is a miracle!!! I also got to be there when Besse got the Melchizedek priesthood!!!! Best Sunday ever!!!!! Then we had lunch and then did family history and I found so many names!!!!! It's incredible!!!!! Saving more souls!!! Then we had dinner later and did 12 week!!! Called our less active again and she still kept her smoking plan and read in the Book of Mormon again!!!!
Today
Today we are going on a hike!! So that will be so much fun!!!
MIRACLES ARE HAPPENING IN DRAMMEN NORWAY AND I COULDN'T BE MORE EXCITED ABOUT IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Words can't even explain how incredibly grateful I am to be a missionary! This is the greatest work that I could ever be a part of and being able to see how the gospel literally transforms lives is priceless! I know without a doubt in my mind that this gospel is true!!! God truly is the author of this work and we are only the instruments! He knows every single one of us personally and He knows every single one of our needs, whether they be big or small. He has a plan for each and every one of us and who better to have a plan for us than our loving Heavenly Father. I'm so incredibly happy happy happy!!!
Love you all lots and miss you tons!!!!
Kylee went on a hike today with the other missionaries. This area is very special to us and we have so many memories from here!! I'm so grateful that Kylee had the chance to do this....for her it was like going back in time....and experience a little part of her childhood again:)
