Jord's Adventures in Norway: 17 months ladies and gentlemen!

Well I hit my 17 months this week.................... I can't believe I have 24 days left.......

Mandag:

Today we made time for one of our favorites.... Hot Chocolate!

Sister Gates and I taught Family Home Evening and shared the love challenge that the church came out with and it was way awesome!! I attached the link in my last week's email so go and check it out!

Tirsdag:

Sister Allen came to visit to do some visa renewal stuff so that was way fun to have her come and visit! I just love that girl!

We went to visit Elin with Sister Allen and that was a great little reunion

Taught this guy named Mikel..... He was kind of a miracle story.... So last week before Søster Gates and I left the church we prayed with Sister Rappleye and Majken that we could find someone and literally 5 minutes later we found him! We got his number and we met with him!! We introduced the Book of Mormon and got another appointment to meet with him.

Onsdag: 17 months!

Sister Allen had her visa appointment and while we were waiting Sister Gates started to talk with this mom who was sitting across from us with her kids. She was super nice and had talked to missionaries before and knew someone from the church! Her name is Kanar. We got her number and she gave us her address too!! We found a family!! We are really hoping we can make an appointment with her and begin to teach her and her family.

A less active from Ålesund moved here and Sister Gates and I got a hold of her to meet with her! Her name is Sarah and she is totally cute and so nice! She hadn't been to church in a long time and agreed to let us come back this week and kinda of help her begin again with church.

Had Bible study and it is way nice to be able to study the Bible and talk about it with others especially if you don't understand something.... because let's be honest, the Bible can be hard to understand.

Torsdag:

A couple weeks ago Sister Gates talked to a girl on the bus (Sigrid) who was studying religion! We got an appointment with her! She was so nice and asked great questions. She wasn't interested in learning more, but was very excited to read the Book of Mormon and see what it was about and to share it with her classmates! The Book of Mormon we gave her had our testimony inside, so that is cool to think that her classmates will get to see and read that!

Met with Maria! She is so awesome and I am way glad that I am able to get to know her better.

The coolest thing happened on the way to Maria's!! LITERALLY THE MOST SPIRITUAL CONTACTING SESSION I HAVE EVER HAD! Like it was so strong!! Søster Gates and I had some great gospel conversations and we were both bold and there was one guy that I just kept trying to talk to because I wanted him to be able to know the truth and feel the happiness that we have! It is hard to explain, but it was one of the coolest experiences ever. I literally felt God's love for him as I was talking to him. There was this other guy named Tørd who was way positive and wouldn't give us his number to meet, but said he would stop by church some time. In Preach My Gospel it talks about what a successful missionary is and lists alot of different things.... one of them was that you are a successful missionary when..... you feel the spirit testify to the people through you and when you live your life so that you can receive and know how to follow the spirit, who will show you where to go, what to do, and what to say. I have felt these things while we are out and have felt them so many times throughout my mission and it is the greatest feeling to know that you are doing God's work and be able to be an instrument in his hands to the Norwegian people.

Fredag:

So as we were planning Thursday night all of our plans fell through..... which turned out to be a blessing in disguise because a member (rebekka) had just had a baby and called us to come help her out! We were so excited to help her. We cleaned her house so she could rest and I seriously was so happy to serve and help her! Her baby boy is so precious and then we had yummy cinnamon rolls and freshly squeezed orange juice. Her family is so cute!! I am so glad she called us!

Lørdag:

Volleyball was way fun! We had some more members come Pelle and Maria and it was way fun to have more people there(:

The street stand was kinda rough this week..... the people were like the weather... icy and cold... however!!! I talked to this way cool guy named Eric and he actually had a Book of Mormon he had gotten a long time ago! After talking I asked him if he was interested in meeting sometime this week and he said yes! You never know what people are prepared or not, so you have to talk to everyone even if you think they will say no or look scary haha. Everyone deserves to hear about the gospel!

I love this picture.... Sister Gates and I just doing what we do!

Visited bestamor and far! We helped bestamor rearrange her house a little bit so that was fun.

It was Sister Gates and I's turn to clean the church. I really am glad we have the opportunity to be able to help clean the church.

Søndag:

Sister Gates and I taught the relief society lesson about how members can be missionaries! It was so awesome and so spirit led!! There was even one of the elders investigators who was there and she was answering some of the questions we asked! It was an awesome lesson!

I can't believe it!! It was my last fast sunday in Norway...... yes I did shed some tears..... After I sat down Sister Gates whispered to me *You did it! You did your promise with God to share your testimony every fast sunday on your mission!* When she said that it hit me..... Wow! I did do it!! I can't believe it is over..... However that doesn't mean I'm not going to share my testimony at home haha

Ole fed us and Elder Carver and Arnold. It was way nice of him to do! It was totally last minute of him asking us because he said that not having a dinner appointment on fast sunday is the worst as a missionary haha.... He is so nice! After testimony meeting he thanked me for my testimony and said never forget the feelings you have as a missionary!

Every fast sunday we have a mission wide sisters call where every sister in the mission is on a conference call (there are about 60 of us) and we have a spiritual thought, etc.... Well when sisters are about to go home they do something called a burnamony which means last testimony on their last sisters call and this time it was my turn!! I cannot believe my time has come to give my burnamony that is insane! I cried doing that too!!

Man these next couple of weeks are going to be rough hahaha. I love my mission and even though it hasn't been easy, it is the best decision I have ever made! I am so grateful for the sisters in this mission and especially my companions who have been an example, taught me, laughed with me, cried with me, and been apart of this wonderful journey. I have made lifelong friendships that is for sure!

A man from mexico who was visiting bore his testimony in broken english and it was so awesome! And then he got back up and starting waving his hands and said *excuse me!!! I like it when you bare your testimonies so keep on coming up!!**

I totally related church to The District (missionary films) Everyone had investigators at church, but Sister Gates and I.... I felt like Elder Murry and Tooitu who work so hard and they had a hard time with investigators as well..... My life has come to relating it to the district hahaha

****the love challenge is so awesome! Sister Gates and I hung up a picture of it all over our apartment and it is so crazy how something will happen that day where we can apply the challenge!

Scripture of the week:

Alma chapter 12 verse 24:

And we see that death comes upon mankind, yea, the death which has been spoken of by Amulek, which is the temporal death; nevertheless there was a space granted unto man in which he might repent; therefore this life became a probationary state; a time to prepare to meet God; a time to prepare for that endless state which has been spoken of by us, which is after the resurrection of the dead.

Jordan's Tidbits:

- Wise words from my dad: It so much easier to bring joy and happiness to others when you're in a good group of friends

- This is my last week of being 20!!! So crazy!! My birthday is on the 16th next week in case you forgot.... haha

- I am way proud of Sister Gates and I during Norwegian week!! We did so good!! Oh my gosh speaking Norwegian 24/7 is so exhausting!

Åndelig Tanker:

- DO NOT LET WORLDY DESIRES GET IN THE WAY OF YOUR END GOAL. Never forget the things and beliefs and standards you were taught as a kid........ It is so easy to get caught up in the world and forget about what really matters the most......

-There is enough that doesn’t go right in life, so anyone can work themselves into a puddle of pessimism and a mess of melancholy. But I know people who, even when things don’t work out,focus on the wonders and miracles of life.

-God didn’t design us to be sad. He created us to have joy! So if we trust Him, He will help us to notice the good, bright, hopeful things of life. And sure enough, the world will become brighter. No, it doesn’t happen instantly, but honestly, how many good things do?

-Now is part of eternity. It doesn’t only begin after we die! Faith and hope will open your eyes to the happiness that is placed before you now.

-Everything … in the gospel—all the “should” and the “musts” and the thou “shalts”—lead to love. When we love God, we want to serve Him. We want to be like Him.

Sister Rappleye presented a marvelous health tip on the importance of maintaining an attitude of gratitude. She taught us that not only was gratitude a valuable personal attribute, but that having such an attitude adds health benefits as well. Sister Rappleye's words:

"Surely, our Father in Heaven understood the necessity of living a life of gratitude. It was He who taught us the order of prayer, reminding us to always begin by expressing thanks.

In Alma we read the following, “Live in thanksgiving daily, for the many mercies and blessings which He doth bestow upon you.” Alma 34:38

And President Hinckley has said, “How magnificently we are blessed! How thankful we ought to be! Cultivate the spirit of thanksgiving in your lives. Make it of the very nature of your lives. It will impart an added dimension to your character that will give depth and strength.”

I am grateful beyond measure to have this opportunity to serve with each of you in Norway. I encourage each of us to offer sincere expressions of gratitude in our daily prayers, and to record in our journals each day experiences for which we are grateful. As we do so, we will not only be healthier, but we will be happier and find more joy in our work."

I am beyond grateful to be serving in such a beautiful area!