Ha det bra Januar! Velkommen Februar!
Had a pretty
decent week this week. Although the work can be hard sometimes, it's
always nice to have a fun companion that you are pretty good friends
with to keep the mood light. Elder Duncan is hilarious and I love
serving with him!
We're hoping that we somehow get one more transfer
together, even though it doesn't really ever happen that people serve
with the same companion for 3 transfers in a row. But we'll see!
On Tuesday
I took an early morning train to Kristiansand, which is way in the
south. I went on splits with Elder Drage who was also in my MTC group.
It was fun and we had some good lessons as well as meeting some great
people at a pentecostal church meeting that we went to. Despite what I
would have expected, there was just a ton of snow and ice there! It made
me miss Stavanger. But it was still a good splits!
We flew back home
the next morning and our district had a "Training workshop meeting" put
on by the Assistants. I'm pretty used to flying. We do it a lot. I've
probably taken maybe over 30 or 40 flights since I've been in Norway.
One of the Assistants has almost hit 100 flights. The planes are usually
pretty standard size, but every once in a while, like last week for
example, we take a small 25 seater. They freak me out a little haha. The
meeting was allll about finding skills and applying what we learned
from Elder Kopiscke last week.
Before Elder Kopiscke came,
the standard contact approach was just to stop people, then introduce
yourself and say your a missionary from the church of Jesus Christ, and
then say something like "We're out to share a message with people about
the Book of Mormon".. And although that is kind of what we have learned
to do ever since I got here, he straight up told us to never say that
again...haha. Pretty much 'cause everyone already knows who we are, and
we're just wasting time with those words! So now we try and start with testimony or an inspired question, which takes a lot more thought and
boldness, but helps us to really find the people who are prepared.
That's one of my favorite things that he told us. He said stop trying to
prepare these people! He opened up the scriptures and read in Alma
where it says that ANGELS are preparing the people. He told us that we
need to stop wasting so much time trying to prepare people who aren't
prepared, but instead, use your time to "find those that will receive
you" as it states in Preach My Gospel. Now that takes faith!! The people
are either prepared or they are not! If they aren't, then give them some
time and try back later, but don't let the elect walk right by you
while you are spending your time trying to convince someone who isn't
prepared!
At least it was something like
that;) It's a little different and is taking some time for even the most
experienced missionaries to get used to, but is eventually going to
make the difference for this mission in Norway.
And
to answer your question mom, I don't really hear too much about America
or Obama... We did hear Mitt Romney's speech at BYU a few weeks back
though, and that was good!
Here's a fun tidbit for you.. The YSA's here had an activity on Saturday,
and since we had an investigator there, we were also invited. It was
way legit. I now have a new found love for.... CURLING!!! It was sweet!
And now that I know the rules and have tried it myself, I just have a
burning desire to go watch it on TV and see some professionals play.
No
joke. Mad respect points to all of the professional curlers out there.
If there is even one curling place in Utah, I will find it, and I will
go curling. haha Hopefully I'll get some pictures of that in the coming
weeks.
The church is true. Kos dåkker!
Eldste Nilsson
