GOD JUL!! (Merry Christmas)

****I don't have a lot of time to email this week since I am SKYPING MY FAMILY TOMORROW!!! So I apologize if I don't get to respond to everyone!! I will do my best to get caught up next week!!***

So this week has been crazy and so awesome!! I just love the holidays here!!!

Monday: 

All the missionaries went over to the Steffenson family and had a koselig evening!!! So fun!! Yummy food and we watched a Christmas movie!! I love that family!! They are so sweet and awesome!!! (koselig means cozy or relaxed – such a nice evening!)

Wednesday: 

Sister Gates birthday!!! All the missionaries went and got kebabs!!! So yummy!!! 

The whole mission had a conference call with President Evans!! He told us who is going to be the new President when his time is up the first of July!! It is going to be President Hill!! He was my mission president in the MTC!!! I am so excited!! He is so awesome!!!

Friday: 

We met with a guy we contacted on the street named Allen!! We gave him a Book of Mormon! I think he could be a pretty positive contact! It went really well!! 

Saturday: 

We had sport!! I love playing volleyball!! Søster Frampton and I ate at a cute American family's house, the Yates!! They are so awesome!! 

Sunday: 

Christmas Sunday!!! So the ward here is basically amazing and wonderful!! So musically talented!! Like professionals!! It was so awesome to hear everyone sing and perform!! So spiritual and uplifting!! We got to carol at an old folks home!! That was so fun!! I am learning all the Christmas songs in Norsk and getting the hang of it!

Monday: 

After today the darkness will slowly go away and eventually it will be light all day and night!! Søster Frampton and I went to the Gulbrandsen's to decorate the Christmas tree and help bake for Wednesday!! 

YES I BAKED!!!! Pretty proud of myself!! 

I was also given my very own Norwegian mittens, socks, and hat!!! Hand knitted!! I am so excited!! I love that family!!!

"Official Norsk gear from the Gulbrandsen's"

Tuesday: 

Lille Juleaften!! Went to the Ballew Family for a Christmas breakfast!! We had German pancakes!! So yummy!! That family is so sweet!!! They are from Texas so I especially loved being with them!! That night we went with Eldste Gunther and Gingrich to the Sande family for dinner!! They are very Norwegian so the food was total Norwegian traditional food!!! It was good, but interesting haha. We had this meat that is popular for the holidays and it is basically all bone and little to no meat. That was interesting.... it is called pine kjøtt!

Wednesday: 

Today Søster Frampton, Eldste Gunther and Gingrich are going over to celebrate Juleaften with the Gulbrandsen's!! I am so excited!! It is going to be so fun!!!

Jordan's Tidbits:

• Everyone asks if I am Svensk (Swedish) because my last name is Swedish except they spell it like Petterssen or Pettersen and pronounce it differently too. I am about to just start saying yes! Haha 
• The members here are so awesome! They are all so sweet about making sure the missionaries have places to go for Christmas and Christmas activities!!
• So Norwegians basically celebrate Christmas from the 23rd till the 26th!! The 23rd is called Lille Juleaften than the 24th is Juleaften and the 25th is Jul and the 26th is Boxing Day! The Norwegians open their gifts on the 24th!! Santa comes to their house and they do their main festivities and Christmas on the 24th!!
• Everything shuts down basically the whole week, the buses, the stores, everything!!!
• The Christmas food here is incredible!!! 

This is a drink called Gløgg.  It is kind of like cider, but a little different.  It is SO Good!!

Fixin's for sandwiches... really good!!

•       I am so grateful for all of my wonderful friendships I have made here!!!

I am grateful for the opportunity I have not to worry about the hustle and bustle of Christmas and be caught up in the materialistic things of it.  It is weird, but so awesome that I can really only focus on why I am here, helping others, and remembering the whole reason we have Christmas.... JESUS!!!!

***Thank you, thank you, thank you so much to everyone that has sent me letters, packages, and Christmas cards!! Seriously the best ever!!! I love it and appreciate it so much!!***

INVITATION FOR THE WEEK!!!!

**Do an act of service on Christmas!! It can be something little!!

GOD JUL DERE!!!!

xoxoxox

Søster Peterson