Jord's Adventures in Norway

Jord's Adventures in Norway

Monday, October 27, 2014

RAIN RAIN GO AWAY!!!

Hei Hei!!!
Alright so this week......
I absolutely love Stavanger!!! It is so beautiful however it rains ALL the time!!! Literally every day!!! I live in my rain boots; however the rain here is very weird... It is light and rains sideways or horizontal.
It is starting to get cold, but not too bad yet!  I am getting the hang of the public transportation down!! Riding buses are becoming very normal to me.  This week I had my first real Norwegian meal at a member’s home.... It was potatoes not mashed and lamb that was cooked in cabbage.  For those of you that don't know, I am not a fan and hate eating meat off the bones and seeing the bones.  I don't like it and it freaks me out.  The lamb was very much on the bones!! There were bones everywhere!!! Søster Frampton loved it!! I on the other hand was not a fan.  They eat the lamb with this type of jam so I was smothering it in jam and eating it as fast as I could!  Norwegians will feed and feed you even if you say no.  I had finished and the mom asked if I wanted more and I said no thank you but next thing I know there is another lamb on my plate!!!  Well you can't not eat it!! You have to eat what they give you!! So I picked at it and luckily Søster Frampton put her plate on top of mine when she was done so they couldn't see haha.  Søster Frampton said I will learn to get used to the food here and I sure hope so!! I am not a picky eater and will eat anything, but man some of the things I am really just going to have to learn to love.  Søster Frampton was dying throughout dinner and thought it was so funny because she knew I didn't like bones. Also this family was all Norwegian.... so during the whole dinner everyone was speaking Norwegian.  I could pick up a few things, but for the most part had no idea what was going on! I would just smile and nodd like I do at church haha.  We did get some free fish soup one day on the street!  It was so yummy!

Craziest thing!!! At the Young Single Adult activity on Monday night me and two of the members , who are cousins, from the ward named, Jørgen and Linin who are so great and awesome, figured out that we knew and were friends with Jacob Lasswell!! I was mind blown!! I met and became friends with Jacob at school and he had lived in Norway when he was younger and was totally friends with these two!!! Such a small world!!! At the activity that night we watched "Surfs Up" and made Donuts!! 
Jørgen and Linin
 
This is Casper (our deaf investigator)




 
On Tuesday Søster Frampton and I were contacting in the street which means you walk up to people and just start talking to them in Norwegian of course.  We weren't having any luck and one guy that did stop and talk with us tried to argue the whole time.  I didn't understand what was being said, but Søster Frampton did not like him haha.  Usually I go up to the person and start talking to them and introduce who we are, etc... then when they start talking Søster Frampton steps in because I have no idea what they are saying.  As we were walking there was a man with bright blue hair, sketchy guy, gages, etc... Søster Frampton dared me to talk to him.  I always accept dares so I walked up to him introduced ourselves and Søster Frampton talked with him and next thing we know we have an appointment with him this week!! So crazy!!
By the way.... I love the cobblestone streets in Stavanger.   

This week Søster Frampton went to visit other Sisters in other areas since she is a district leader.  While she was gone I went and stayed with Søster Hudson and Søster Hornbeck just in the next town over called Sandes.  Søster Hudson and I were in the MTC together.  It was very interesting to see what they do.  They opened a new area so they are starting from scratch which means no investigators or anything.  Which also means contacting and bonking all day!!! (bonking is knocking on doors) That was an experience for me! It made me appreciate how lucky Søster Frampton and I are!!  The Norwegian people are very stubborn and set in their ways. I learned this while with Søster Hudson og Søster Hornbeck. They either don't believe in God, are happy with the way their lives are and don't need God or religion, don't want to talk, aren't interested, etc... It was so frustrating and discouraging!! It was a rough day and we had been walking all day long and had no success and constantly were rejected.  I even questioned why I was here and what I was doing.  However I know that a mission is not going to be easy and there are going to be days like the one I had.  I just need to stay positive and endure to the end!  While reading my scriptures I came across two scriptures that really stood out to me and helped me a lot!! They helped me remember that I am on a mission to help others and I will not give up.  The Lord needs me and has called me specifically.  I need to forget myself and go to work and He will help me and I know that without a doubt. 
The scriptures that helped me were:
John chapter 15:16
This scripture talks about how: His servants have been chosen and ordained by Him

Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

Isaiah chapter 6:8
Also, I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I, send me

I related these scriptures to me personally and they helped me so much!!!

There was a fun, crazy, scary moment when I was with Søster Hudson in Sandes.  We were walking in the city and found some CRAZY "demon" swans!!






 
 A LITTLE ABOUT MY INVESTIGATORS:

 We have Loui, Casper, Clarissa og Philip, Nnnana, and Pawet. They are all amazing! Clarissa og Philip are so sweet and so eager to learn about the church!! They live two hours away so they don’t come every Sunday, sometimes every other Sunday.  We are going to start skyping them and calling them to do the lessons.  We may get to go see them again on Saturday.  Here are some more pictures from when we went to visit them last week in Farsund.
 
 
Pawet is scared to come to church, but we are working on him! Casper is so sweet and nice and very eager to learn more about the church!! I had my first signing class last Tuesday!  Loui has a baptismal date, but won't come to church so we may have to push it back. He is African and very funny and always messes with me about speaking Norwegian.  Nnanna is African as well and is kind of shy. I have only met with him once, but we are unsure with how things are going with him.  He doesn't call us back a lot, but he reads the Book of Mormon and prays so that's a start!

 
JORDAN'S TIDBITS:

·         Norwegians do not use or have garbage disposals..... they have like 4 different trash cans and are very into recycling

·         Søster Frampton and I are teaching country line dance tonight at a ward and young single adult’s activity.  That will be fun!!

·         Norwegian sign is way different from American Sign Language, but I am catching on pretty well and it is a great way for me to learn Norwegian vocabulary

·         Sport every Saturday at the church is way fun and our investigators love to come!! Casper, Loui, and Pawet came this week!! It's great to be able to play volleyball again!
This is Pawet
 
·         Norwegian kids don't learn English until they are 12 so it is a struggle talking to little kids especially at church

·         Tuesdays in the mission are Norwegian only days so no English!! That is tough but helps me learn!

·         The language is coming.... Søster Frampton is a superstar and helps me so much!! I learn new things every day and I think the hardest part is understanding people!

·         I love love love Norway!!! It is so beautiful and just the best place ever!!






·         Norwegian desserts and most of their food is to die for!!! Definitely going to miss it when I am back in the states!
Eating yummy kebab
 
·         Norwegians very healthy people which means their food is healthy as well.  This week Søster Frampton and I made a delicious dinner!  SALMON! So Yummy!



·         Norwegians have many words that have more than one meaning which can get very confusing

·         Søster Frampton was making me laugh and I choked on my orange I was eating and spit it out all over the floor hahahah

·         Norwegians eat with a fork in left hand and a knife in the right hand and cut everything!! Even sandwiches!! They eat desserts with spoons!  Søster Frampton and I went out to celebrate her birthday!  Here I am eating my sandwich with a fork!

·         Talked to a person on the bus for the first time!! All I said was “How are you doing?” But it was in Norwegian and a great start!!!

·         Met a family in the ward who knew my grandma and grandpa!! So crazy!! The Meads are awesome!  Sister Mead and I doing genealogy together!

·         For a day it literally smelled like dog food in the city!! Wanted to gag!!!

·         Søster Frampton and I were running to catch a bus and we probably looked so crazy! She was trying to wave it down and I am dying laughing running with an umbrella behind me! If I was on the bus watching, I would have been cracking up watching two girls running with rain boots, long skirts, and waving their arms with umbrella's hahahaha!!

·         The ward here is so awesome!! People are so great and friendly even if I can't understand half of them they are so nice!

I love hearing from everyone!! Thank you so much for the emails, love, and support!! Means alot to me!! I also love seeing pictures!!
 
xoxo
Søster Peterson

Monday, October 20, 2014

VELKOMMEN TIL NORGE!!!! (Welcome to Norway!)

HALLO!!!!!

Wow!! I cannot believe that I am finally in Norway!! It's so crazy and unreal!  I feel like I have so much to say and I don't know where to begin!! Let me tell you that jetlag is a real thing!!! I never really believed in it till now.... It is definitely a struggle haha.  Also I would like to apologize for the Norwegian words that will probably appear in my sentences. Now that I am typing on a Norwegian keyboard it is easier to spell in Norwegian. I also apologize for any grammar or misspelled words.  Learning Norwegian has caused my English to suffer haha.

So after much confusion, change of flight plans, and delays - I flew from Salt Lake City to Phoenix, Arizona to London, England than finally to NORWAY!!!  It is a miracle all 15 of us got to Norway haha.  There was much running in the airports to make it to our next flight. When I arrived in Norway we went to the mission home and had dinner.  After eating the MTC food, the dinner that Sister Evans (the mission president’s wife) had made, was heaven!!! The Søsters slept in the basement (it was like a bunker) in these cute bunk beds. We got to bed around 2 am then had to be ready to go by 8:30.  We had breakfast at 8:30 then were taken to the mission office to get the rest of the information and papers that we would need.  From the mission office we were all separated and taken our separate ways! Saying bye to everyone was sad! I along with 5 others was taken to the airport.  I was flying to... STAVANGER!!!! I am the only one from the MTC that got sent to Stavanger.  At the airport I met my companion.... SØSTER FRAMPTON!!!!! Basically the person I was hoping I would get as a companion when I got to Norway!! She is from Salt Lake.  She is so beautiful and awesome and just the best!! She is so sweet and helpful!!  Søster Frampton loves to work out just like me so we will go running in the mornings by the pier or a lady in the ward lets us go to her cycling class at the gym!  How awesome is that!! We went on Friday morning and I about died!!  Søster Frampton goes home after Christmas so she is almost done!  I'm excited to learn from her! 
 
**mom’s insert – Jordan having Søster Frampton as her companion is such a crazy miracle!  When Jordan first received her mission call, we went online and found blogs from sister missionaries currently serving in Norway.  We immediately fell in love with Søster Frampton!  We went back and read her blog from the beginning!  We knew she wouldn’t be in long once Jordan got there, but thought – how wonderful it would be if they could be companions!!  Jordan had such a wonderful companion in the MTC, I was praying for someone equally as wonderful!  Søster Frampton – WHAT A BLESSING!**

Stavanger is BEAUTIFUL!!!! My pictures and words cannot describe how beautiful and clean Norway is!! 
I am so excited to be serving here!  I will say that being here is quite overwhelming. Thank goodness Søster Frampton is very good at Norwegian because I have no idea what anyone is saying!! We had church yesterday and it is all Norwegian!!! Stavanger only has one ward. Luckily for the members that speak only English they have headsets and someone translating for them, but sadly missionaries cannot use them.  So I just sat there and nodded! J  Whenever people would come up and talk to me that only spoke Norwegian I would look at Søster Frampton to have her translate to me.  Everyone is so nice and welcoming!  I haven't even been in Norway for a week yet and I am in LOVE!!!




We have 4 Elders and 4 Søster’s in our ward, but only Søster Frampton and I are in Stavanger with the Elders.  The other Søster’s are in a town nearby.  Søster Hudson from the MTC is one of them, so I get to see her occasionally.

Stavanger has a foreign dialect that is different from everywhere else in Norway.... instead of rolling their r's all the time they make this like throat noise... and they say different words.... so that will take some time to get used to.  We travel by bus or walking.  I’m still getting used to the bus because everything is in Norwegian!  Stavanger is very rainy and doesn’t usually get a lot of snow.

The first day I was here we had brand new investigators!  It is a couple, Clarissa and Phillip, and they are awesome!! They came to church on Sunday!  They live about 2 hours away in Farsund.  (Farsund is south of Stavanger and is a coastal town). 
Jordan in Farsund
Søster Frampton and I with Elder Gunther and Griffin borrowed the mission leader’s car and took a trip out there to go teach and visit with them!! So beautiful and way fun!!  They bought Mormonism for dummies book which I thought was pretty neat!  We also have a Polish investigator named, Pawet and an African one.  They are all interesting, but way cool!!! OH MY GOSH GUESS WHAT!!! We also have a DEAF INVESTIGATOR!!!! I about died!!! His name is Casper and he speaks Norwegian sign language but still!!!  When the Redford’s, a family in our ward who are way awesome found out I knew sign language they about died!! Many people are very happy and excited!  So on Tuesday nights Søster Frampton and I will be taking classes to learn Norwegian sign language.  How great is this!!! 

Norwegian is hard! I know I need to have patience and it hasn't even been a week yet, but I want to be able to speak it good and understand people so bad!! I am determined!!!  Thank goodness for Søster Frampton though... I don't know what I would do without her!!  A mission is the best!!

Jordan's Tidbits:

·         Everything is in Norwegian.... signs, stores, everything!!!

·         The food here is very good!!! I haven't had to eat anything gross so far, but I know it will happen soon!!  This is some of their popular chocolate!!
 
·         Our apartment is very little and has no oven or pantry.  We either don’t eat anything that requires an oven or we can go to the church and use the oven there.  We have a mini fridge and a mini microwave and one stove top.  The positive thing about no pantry means we can't have a lot of food.
 
 
 
·         On Saturday's the ward does something called Sport. Every Saturday at 11 they have volleyball and whoever wants to come can come!  It was way fun and we got one of our investigators Pawet to come!!

·         The ward is way awesome and I am excited to be in it and get to know everyone!!  The ward is so involved… I LOVE IT!

·         Tonight we are learning how to make doughnuts at the Young Single Adults activity and two of our investigators are coming!!  We are also watching a Disney movie!!  Yes, I am so excited to watch a movie!!

·         Amazing things are going to happen here I just know it!!

·         Our bedding we got and get to keep is heaven!!! Literally feels like I’m sleeping on a cloud! European comforters are to die for!

·         Everything here like cars and houses and bathrooms are very little and interesting.

·         Driving here is terrifying!!! I can't drive yet because I have to take a driving course but I am scared to drive here!! It is so crazy and confusing!

·         Next week on P-Day we are going to Preikestolen (Pulpit Rock).  Can’t wait!  Grandma I promise I will be careful.  I am going to crawl to the end J

 
·         Little Norwegian kids and babies are adorable!!! It kills me that we aren't allowed to hold them or pick them up!! (missionary rule)

·         Norway is so wonderful!!!!

·         The houses here are so cute!!!

If you want to mail me letters or packages you can send it to the mission home address in Norway or to my address in Stavanger either one is fine!!!  I love hearing from all of you!  Thank you for thinking of me!  AND… I love seeing pictures of you – feel free to send some J

My address:
Søster Peterson
Verksgata 1D 101
4013 Stavanger
Norway

Jeg elsker deg!!
xoxo
Søster Peterson

Sunday, October 19, 2014

LITTLE BLESSINGS!!

Post from Mom:

It really is the simple and small blessings that mean the most!  I have been thinking about Jordan a lot this week!  Her first week in this beautiful foreign country she will call home for the next 17 months.  She is away from home, no family, not familiar with the culture or the people.  I know she arrived safely, but have not yet heard from her or what city she would be serving in!  Needless to say, I am super excited to hear from her this week and see how she is doing! Today was awesome!!  I love that our Heavenly Father knows what we need and when we least expect it, he reminds us that he is always here for us! 

Today I received a text message from cute Brooke, who lives just a few miles from me and attends the same church I do.  The text message said,

"My aunt, who lives in Norway now, just emailed me and said Jordan is in her ward!  She said she has a great trainer and is doing wonderful!"

TALK ABOUT MAKING MY DAY!!!  It was just what I needed to hear!  Of course my first question was... "Where does she live?"

STAVANGER!!!  Jordan is in Stavanger!!!

I am so excited she is serving there!  I don't know much about it, other than it is BEAUTIFUL!! We were able to talk to a lady that lives there before Jordan's mission.  This sweet lady lived in the same town and went to church with Rick's parents.  So I am hoping Jordan will be able to see her as well.

So a little info about STAVANGER!!

·         The city is the third largest in Norway! 

·         There is a lot of history in this city

·         Today, Stavanger is considered the center of the oil industry in Norway and is one of Europe's energy capitals and is often called the oil capital.
 
·         A popular place tourists like to visit is Preikestolen (also known as pulpit rock) – I surely hope if Jordan goes to visit – she stays far far away from the edge!!!

·         Another place is Kjeragbolten. 

·         Along the coast there are also beaches

·         Stavanger has become a popular port for cruise ships

Can’t wait to hear Jordan’s perspective while she is in this area and see what wonderful experiences she has!! 

Thursday, October 16, 2014

OFFICIALLY IN NORWAY!!

Post from Mom:

After waiting and waiting... I woke up to a GREAT email this morning from Jordan's Mission President!!
 
Dear Parents,
Just wanted to let you know that your missionary arrived safe and sound and excited here in Norway.  We are looking forward to getting to know them all.
 
Sincerely,
President and Sister Evans
I am so happy to see that beautiful, smiling face!!!  Now we wait for the BIG news!!  Where will she be serving first???  We don't know when her P-Day will be (thinking probably Monday) so we most likely won't hear from her until then! 
 
Just a little trivia!!!  I had no idea how large Norway is!!  I was at work the other day and a lady informed me she will be traveling to Norway in November.  She said she is flying into Oslo and then, from there she would be flying to Tromsø.  She is flying because if she were to drive it would take her 22 hours!!  WOW!!  I had no idea! I have so much to learn about this wonderful country!  Jordan is arriving as winter comes and also the "dark season".  So that will be interesting to hear what she thinks about that!  

 

Monday, October 13, 2014

ON HER WAY!!

Well, today has been an adventure for our cute Norwegian missionaries...to say the least!  I waited close to my phone all morning for Jordan's call from the airport.  It kept getting later and later.. Rick checked her flight information online and it said her flight was CANCELLED!  Oh boy!!  Finally, Jordan called (someone let her borrow their phone) and let us know, yes - her flight did get cancelled and they were working on a new flight.  Oh it was SO great to get to hear her voice!  Only a couple of times did I get emotional!!  Now, her brother and sister on the other hand.... teared up just hearing Jordan's voice!  So very sweet!  She spoke to us in Norwegian - it sounded beautiful!  She sounded so happy!  She said she got very little sleep last night because she was packing.  Arranging her suitcases to be right at 50 lbs and not a bit over!!  (she did have to leave some bathroom supplies behind to cut down on the weight).  She said she also mailed a bunch of stuff home.  We talked for a little longer, then she had to go.  Luckily, she was able to call back and let me know she did get on a flight, but it would be going through Phoenix!  Saying our goodbye's was so very sweet!  I gave her some quick hints about jet lag, gave her some motherly advice and I have to say; this girl is ready!!!  Here she comes Norway!  We all said our goodbyes and told her we would talk to her at Christmas! 
THEN, something wonderful happened!!!!  I got a text from a number I didn't recognize and it said, "guess who I am with at the airport?"  Next thing I know a picture comes through of Jordan with our good friend, Darrick Larson!!!!  He was leaving Salt Lake on the exact same flight as Jordan!!!  What are the chances!!!  I couldn't believe it!  Actually - to be honest, I was so very jealous! haha
 He said she looked great!  And that there was a spirit about her that she didn't have before!!  Love to hear that!  He also had to giggle a little bit about the fact she was wearing her heavy coat  and snow boots!  Jordan and a couple other søsters needed to wear them so their bags wouldn't go over weight!  He said there were about 26 missionaries on the flight!  Many going to Slovakia and the rest to Norway.  He said it was a little funny because as each missionary walked onto the plane he could hear the stewardess ask them, "where are you going".  One replied, Slovakia and another Norway.  When Jordan walked through the door, she said, "are you going to the North Pole?"  hahahaha
 This is the picture Darrick sent once they arrived in Phoenix of Jordan and Søster House!  He said, "they are all ready for the snow in Phoenix!"  haha.  Poor girls... everyone was walking around in t-shirts and shorts, and they were in their heavy coats and boots!!!  Well, at least they will be ready once they are in Norway right?  We were able to talk to Jordan one more time, this was great because Rick was home from work, so he got to talk to her!  It was great to talk together as a family and laugh as a family!  Oh how we miss her, but she sounded so very happy, and we are so very excited for her to begin this part of her journey!  Darrick, THANK YOU!!  Just knowing she had a familiar face to spend that time with was priceless!  Thank you for the phone call, the pictures, and for being so wonderful to Jordan! 
 
The missionaries head to London then onto Norway.  Jordan wasn't sure what time they would get to Norway, but she did know it would be later then they had originally thought.  So sometime Tuesday evening - which would be afternoon Texas time.  Norway is 7 hours ahead of Texas.  Today has been a great day!  So great to hear from our Norwegian missionary!!  I am looking forward to hearing from the Mission President that they have arrived safe and sound!!