Kjære Familie,
This was a good week! Wasnt Conference amazing? I havent seen the last session yet, but am going to after emailing :)
So, last Pday we relaxed. Dad, did you get the postcard? I hope so!
Anyways, that night we went and visited Dennis. It was so funny what he said. After he was baptized, Michael - the Kongsberg elders new convert - got baptized. But he had to be baptized a few times because he didnt go completely under. But Dennis didnt know that. So he just heard continuing splashes! He said to us, "I thought Michael might have been swimming!" Hahaha! He told us that after church he slept and had a dream that Michael was swimming in the font! We were all dieing laughing, tears in our eyes. Oh it was so funny. We LOVE Dennis! We gave him a Triple with notes from us written inside. And we think he felt somewhat impelled to give us something, so he went inside and gave us a pack of cookies! haha, see why we love him? :)
On Tuesday we had District Meeting! It was about chapter 6 in Preach my Gospel - speaking of, looks like you will all be studying a lot more out of PMG! M. Russel Ballards talk was SO good!!! Anyways, chapter 6 is one of my favorite chapters. We all got assigned to a specific Christ-like attribute a few days earlier, and I got assigned Patience. I loved teaching that, and studying more about it. I used a quote dad gave me, "Never be discouraged. If I were stuck in the lowest pits of Nova Scotia with the Rocky mountains piled on top of me, I would hang on, excersize faith, and keep up the good work and I would end up on top." Or something like that, by Joseph Smith. Patience is something we will always be working towards, and is ESSENTIAL for eternal life! Later that day we visited a lady in the ward Sister Trydal and I accidentally contacted a week or so ago hahaha Then a little later we went to a member families house for dinner! There son told me that I am getting the Drammen dialect!!! So that was way exciting! But I am a little sad I am losing the Kristiansand tonal fall :( But it is also good that I dont sound completely mixed up with a lot of different influences :) Drammen tonal fall is good! Also, Sister Finnerud gave us a freshly baked loaf of bread!!! It was delicious!!! It was the closest thing that I have tasted to Moms bread since Ive been in Norway :) It was a goal last week in our zone to give out 80 Book Of Mormons! By the end of the week, the zone had given out 46, and Sister Trydal and I had given out 12 of those!!! On tuesday we gave out 5!
Wednesday was a good day! We taught a lady from India that is also getting visits by some Jehovahs Witnesses.She told us that she thinks she will just stick to the others that are teaching her and my heart broke. BUT, we got a return appointment :) So that made me happy!!! We met with Betty, a new investigator and had to explain baptism to her. She had been baptized twice and doesnt completely understand the authority yet. So that was a little bit awkward...We had taught her The Plan of Salvation, so this time we will teach her the Restoration :) That night we ate with a recently married couple, the Stulens. They both served in the Ogden Utah mission and got married 10 days after she got home!!!! It was so koselig eating with them! Then we had Ward Council, the first of each month the misisonaries come and we share about our investigators :) This ward is SO organized, just how it should be! I love it. That is why the ward has a 100% retention rate! Because they take so good care of new converts and investigators!!! That night we contacted and then called people. I got asked on a date by an investigator and it was so awkward. It was horrid. haha he is a really nice investigator though!
Then on Thursday we had weekly planning, like usual! One of our investigators fell of the face of the earth!!! So we got permission to look for her on facebook, Sister Trydal logged in to hers, and miraculously found her! We sent a message, but last time we checked, havent gotten anything back from her :( We will keep trying!!! Then the elders had a baptism and President and Sister Evans were there! That night we gave out two Book Of Mormons. One of the men that took one was muslim and asked us if we would meet with him to discuss. He would bring his book and give it to us. Our conversation changed into where we are from, and i told him I was from America and he told me that I wasnt and to never say that! We was trying to say that he didnt believe me because of my Norwegian, but I thought that he just didnt like America! So I just said to him, "YES! I am from America!" Hahaha one time someone ask me why I am from America. I said that I was born there and they said, "WHY!?" My goodness! Hahaha! I LOVE AMERICA! ;) Anyways, this man was writing down my name and thought that the beginning of the churchs name was my name, "Jesu Kristi." He ended up figuring it out hahaha :) Anyways, well see what happens with the. He tried making an appointment, but he will call back another day maybe.
On Friday we met with Betty, a new convert, at the church. Then later, ate dinner and had a family home evening with the Lystads, a part member family. We are teaching the children :) Then we taught Melissa, who is getting baptized THIS WEEK!!! And later that night taught John. We found a super cool Mormon Message of a jamaican bishop that lives in england that is a convert. It was great showing that to him! Before John, we went banking. There was one man that we talked to that flat out LAUGHED at Sister Trydal after she bore her testimony. I was SO furious! I told him that we werent there to force him to believe what we believe, but to share something that means a lot to us. He said we could discuss if we wanted to...and told us that "God is in your heads." Oh it just broke my heart and did not make me so happy. Isnt that so sad?
Anyways, Saturday was a good day too!! Friday night I took a half dose of Niquill that Sister Evans gave me, and on Saturday morning when I woke up, I had more energy than I have had in a LONG time!!! I think it is because I slept the entire night, deeply. Anyways, we knocked on some doors for 2 or so hours. A man answered one of the doors and it was SO sad. He likes believing that there is a beginning and an end. He enjoys his time now more. I am SO thankful to know that life doesnt have an end or a beginning. We dont need to worry about anything, because we have a loving Heavenly Father that takes care of us, and will never stop! So after we banked in that area, we went to Bettys neighborhood. A couple days earlier when we started the Book Of MOrmon goal in our zone, sister trydal and I packed our backpacks with some Book of Mormons, and I thought it owuld be good to bring another language. I asked sister trydal and she said Swedish! So I had that in my backpack. We had been asked to share the "Miracle Story" for a sisters call we have each month. So earlier when we were contacting and banking I asked sister trydal what we should share. She said, "That time we gae out a Swedish Book Of Mormon and they became a new investigator!" I htought for a minute, and realized that is what she was saying would happen this day :) So, we prayed! As we were banking in Bettys area, we were about to go to the church, it was about time to go! But as we were walking away, I saw a yellow house behind us. We decided to go there, got a "come back" at another house, and then went to the yellow house. The lady there told us to come back next week, and as we were walking away, Sister Trydal said that she was Swedish!!!!!!!!!!! OHH I was so just...UHHH!! Haha I really wanted to give out that Swedish Book Of Mormon. So we prayed, and felt like we should go back!!! I dont like awkwardness, Sister Trydal doesnt like awkwardness, and this was going to be awkward. But the Lord blessed us, and when we went up the stairs to her door, she was already outside! It wasnt awkward and it went well!! The only scary thing was her huge barking dog that we thought was going to kill us! haha I think it was a doberman, those scary dogs that used to live behind our house? Anyways, WHAT A MIRACLE!!! We will meet with her next week hopefully and she will become a new investigator!!! The Lord answers prayers! Specific questions bring specific answers. To add to this miracle, as we were walking to the church, we saw Betty (the new investigator)! She had to cancel her appointment earlier that day, because she was in Oslo, and would be travelling back that day too. But the Lord is so aware of each second of time! He really truly is in the details of our lives!!! Then we had a Relief Society lunch and watched the Womens Conference. HOLY COW! It was AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!! It was so funny, because when the Sister had the 8-10 or so year olds stand up and sing, there was just ONE there hahahaha But it really was just amazing. Then we watched the first session, at 6 pm, when you were all watching it in the morning!!! I love watching live conference, i feel so connected to you all! Singing the same song at the same time too! What an amazing session!!!! I recieved so much personal inspiration, I am so thankful for the Prophet and Apostles and leaders of the church. Afterwards, Dennis said to me, "I believe it. I know its true." :) AND, there was a drunk man that came in and started talking and mumbling, then came and shook sister trydals hand and said, "JEG HAR MI BOKA! JEG HAR MI BOKA!" to her!!! hahahaha After the meeting he tried hugging sister trydal too. Oh it was ridiculous haha! I felt like that night Satan was just throwing all wickedness into my eyes. There was a completely limp drunk girl carried into a car at a busstop we were waiting at, etc. Anyways, we had to walk home from sentrum and after jogging, speedwalking, etc., we got home at 8:59 :) Thats a good ending to a day!
Sunday was also amazing! I didnt take any medicine the night before, and I woke up 3 or so times in the night. Not so fun. We brought Melissa a baptism dress before the 2nd session of conference (we watched it at 2, the one you all saw Saturday night), and then after the session, we ate dinner at the Høgsaas families house with all the missionaries! Then we watched the Sunday morning session Live at the church! Dennis and DEBBY were there!!! Oh we LOVE Debby! We gave her a container full of comfort scriptures and things a week or so ago, and she just loves it. She had to call a person or two yesterday that she was super scared to call. But she pulled a paper out of the container and read the scripture about not being afraid of what to say, because it will come out of our mouths. Then right away she got the courage and called! Members asked her if she was a member last night and she said, "Not yet!" :) I LOVE HER!!!
Also, Sister Johnson talked to David last night, and I was able to talk to him earlier this week. The man that was baptized in Kristiansand towards the beginning of my mission! He is not doing well. I feel the way that Alma and Lehi felt for their people...just heartbroken. He is not active and is confused. He needs friends and comfort. When I talked to him on the phone I just started crying. The scriptures, "how great is one soul in the eyes of God" and "I pray for you by day and my eyes water my pillow for you by night" came to my head this morning. Thats how I feel. Oh I just lvoe him so much! It is so special to be able to feel a SLIVER of what Heavenly Father feels for us when we are lost. Can you imagine how sorrowful He feels? But then how JOYFUL He feels when we do what is right and find the way? I would love for you all to pray for David, I know it will help. I also want to invite you all (all of you, my family, and all of the people that read this from the blog) to do something this week. This is to members, non members, etc. Do ONE thing out of your comfort zone this week to touch someones life. Give someone comfort, smile to a stranger, buy someone lunch, give an old person a compliment. Like it was said in conferance, we might forget what we did that was nice yesterday, but the recipitant might remember it for eternity.
I know that this is Christs church. I know that He loves us. That Heavenly Father loves us. And that we can change someones life with a smile.
Wasnt David A. Bednars talk AMAZING!? I am amazed by the conference and cant wait to watch the rest today!!!!! :)
Well, I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!!!!!!! Have a great week!!!!!! :)
LOVE, Søster Chapman :)
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