Hello Everyone!
It's never a dull moment to be a missionary! I'll first start by saying we received 'move calls' this past Sunday. The most excellent news is that I will only be assuming the role of Zone Leader! The missionaries have been sufficiently trained enough that they can now become District Leaders. With many other roles, I now get to only serve as Zone Leader! I will still be serving in Stavanger, this is practically my home now! I absolutely love this place and really don't have a desire to be moved. I just want to continue to grind extremely hard here!!
As for the past week, on Thursday we had another Missionary Leadership Council in Oslo. We all came together and received encouragement and direction for the mission at-large. It's always so fun to discuss it all on the larger scale! Sister Evans shared a very powerful spiritual message about faith. It brought me to feeling the Spirit so powerfully in this setting, because I feel that what she has spoken of is truth. She mentioned how faith is having full confidence in God, acting on that faith, and doing everything necessary in order for us to align ourselves with God's will. As I was pondering the deepest things that I desire - I realized that it is the happiness of my family. Before my mission, I knew that as I acted in serving a mission He would provide for my family - and He has. I was overcome with so much emotion knowing that our Heavenly Father is so close to us and knows our very desires.
The next day, we traveled to Kristiansand to go on splits with a couple missionaries. It was an excellent time there! There, we met with a woman who was originally from the states. As we talked with her, it was so amazing to just be part of the Gospel - as instruments in inspiring and helping others. At the conclusion of the meeting, she mentioned that she saw me as 'a rock' and that it was refreshing to see someone take these things so seriously. I told her that I can be really random at times, but when it comes to these things it's the most real thing I've ever come to know in my life.
The following day, we met with the Filipino family. We shared the Plan of Salvation with them and they were expressing how they thought it could be true. We began bearing testimony of prayer. I felt as though I was presenting a quality Preach My Gospel lesson and that the Spirit was being felt by this Icelandic man (who is also a part of this family). We invited him to pray and after he had mentioned several times that he did not know how to pray. After explaining to him how, I testified to him that there is nothing more powerful for a son than to see his father pray. At nights I would see my dad pray for long periods of time - sometimes falling asleep. I told him that he could show his son no greater example - and he prayed!
It's unreal to see the way the gospel moves individuals - including myself. Every single day it applies to the things we do. It's so powerful to be a part of this work and to see people's lives changing. As subtle as it is, we begin moving mountains. I know that as we act on faith, the most challenging things help bring us closer to our Creator and that He helps us to know how powerful He is when we turn to Him. As Elder D. Todd Christofferson has said, "Often times our experience is a result of our faith."
I hope everyone has an excellent week!
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