Featured in the Dagbladet!

This mission experience just keeps evolving into so many different adventures!

This past week Elder Jones and I were interviewed by Dagbladet - I believe it's the biggest newspaper here in Norway. Because Elder Bednar is coming here on visit, they interviewed us and asked questions about the church and ourselves.  It was a cool experience!  They also took TONS of pictures of us!  The best part of the whole thing is that they wanted to come out on the streets with us as we talked to people!  I'll give our experience its own paragraph. . .

The journalist and photographer watched us from a distance.  They were initially blown away by how we directly go up to people and just begin to speak with them.  Obviously, not everyone is interested in talking with us, but it just helped them see how we know that this message is true and that the people we speak with are not always open to hearing about it. That's part of the work that we do - it's special.

We spoke with several people, but the most incredible experience is when we crossed the street to talk to this teenager sitting on some steps.  We approached him and opened the Book of Mormon to show him pictures in the introduction and read a scripture, Moroni's Promise to be exact.  Our contact with the young guy lasted a solid 10 minutes.  The whole time, the photographer was tucked away by this wall and took pictures of us.  It was special because we were inviting this guy to learn more and to come to know the things we know to be true.  He accepted the book and agreed to meet with the missionaries in Oslo the next day, then he left.  The photographer and journalist then came up to us and asked us all sorts of questions.  The best part was when the photographer told us that, "the light was perfect, you guys were standing there looking like two angels!"  She then told us that she 'wanted to always be with us' it was no doubt that she felt a small bit of the Spirit.

Heavenly Father answered the prayer we had in our hearts that day.  We were going around hoping to find a miracle that we could show these people.  It happened, and I am certain it happened because it is His work.  He doesn't let us fail when our intentions are to further His work.  It's so special to be part of it as a missionary.  There is no other experience that I could have that would be more rewarding, and I never plan on stopping even when I am not doing this full-time.

When we answer the call to serve as His servant, it is a life-long commitment, but I know that it's the most rewarding commitment that anyone can enter into as we give it everything we have.  My wish is for everyone to experience the same blessings and miracles, and to know that we all have a Heavenly Father who knows us all individually.

Examples Unto the World

It was an excellent week again this past week!  Our mission was blessed to have a mission tour with Elder Dyches of the Seventy - We were able to spend some good quality time!  Elder Jones and I were privileged to eat dinner with President and Sister Evans, as well as Elder and Sister Dyches - that was a special experience!  We were able to attend a couple meetings and I learned so much from those meetings.  It's just a matter of applying the things you learn so that you really are able to yield results!

One of the things that Elder Dyches pointed out, was what I'd like to focus my post on.  In Preach My Gospel: A Guide to Missionary Service, it is written that our purpose as missionaries is to, "Invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end." Elder Dyches pointed out, that in order for us to remain solid in the gospel and not to be scared by the difficulties that life can bring, we need to always have this purpose.  Regardless of what calling we serve in the church or what we go through, if our purpose remains our purpose, we will always remain strong.

This morning's devotional, that President Evans gave, he shared similar thoughts on this.  He started by saying a favorite scripture of his - 2 Nephi 31:20.  If we press forward in faith, regardless of what sort of capacity we serve in or whatever the circumstances that surround us, we will receive the promised blessings.  We must endure to the end, sometimes it's easier than others.  For instance, I'm a missionary sharing this gospel daily with others and it makes it easier, but when I'm done with this calling I must always be an example of these things.  It's an important calling that we have; being examples unto the world.

The things that I have learned here and that continue to be ingrained in me, I hope stick with me forever.  I hope that I am always passionate about these things - that hope can be made possible as one diligently reads scriptures and prays.  They are very important things that often times seem mundane, but I know that there is peace and guidance in these things, and I'm grateful that I have been able to have such great opportunities to be around incredible people!  Again, I hope for everyone to have these opportunities!

A Visit to Stavanger

Hello everyone!!

I had an excellent week this past week!  I got to go back to Stavanger on splits with the Elders there!  The best part of it was that we met with a very special woman to me!  For the longest time she was afraid of the Bible, she didn't grow up in a religious home and we were always trying to help her to feel comfortable learning about these things.  She always felt the Spirit so strongly, she had incredible experiences with Heavenly Father and the healing that comes from the Atonement. Finally, this past week she had another appointment with us and we invited her to be baptized.  She asked me to pick the date for her to be baptized and she wants me to come back to be at the baptism!  It was so incredible, the Lord takes special care of her - I know that for certain!

Her baptism will not be until October, but it should work out that I will be back in Stavanger on that day to be part of the baptism!  I am so grateful for the blessings of the Lord - He has blessed me personally with incredible miracles.  Everything I've experienced here has been nothing short of miraculous!

This coming week, our mission will be hosting Elder Dyches from the Area Presidency.  I am really looking forward to him coming because we will be in several meetings with him.  I feel blessed that I will be able to spend time with a General Authority in person!  It's a blessing to work closely to the Mission President, and now a General Authority!  It is a great blessing for me to be here and to contribute to this work and this country!  I am very grateful for every experience!

I hope that everyone is able to have a great week!  This whole experience has shaped and refined me into someone I never thought was possible, but He does it every single day.  It's quite incredible to be molded!  My wish is for everyone to have this similar experience!

Serving Under Excellent Leadership

Hello everyone!!

Another week to put in the books -they also just keep getting better and better!  I think I'll just start by writing about some of the examples I've seen on this mission.  To start - my mission president, President Evans, is an absolutely incredible example.  I feel so extremely blessed to be able to serve around him.  You get to see his focus and dedication on doing the Lord's work.  This work is real, and you can see it as he takes it so seriously.  It's so much fun to learn from him and to hear his stories about former work and church experiences.  It has been confirmed to me, more and more, that the Lord has sent me here only to bless me beyond anything that I could ever imagine.  This has been the most incredible opportunity of my life, in which, I only have my Heavenly Father to thank.

Another example I have looked very much up to, is the bishop in Drammen.  He is included in my pictures this week, Bishop Waal.  It is so cool to see how down to earth he is and to see the energy that he brings to his ward as he leads.  He's only 29, but he's such a gifted leader.  The whole time I was in Drammen, I kept observing how personable and energized he is.  You can really tell how much he cares about his family and those that are around him.

It's been the most humbling experience to learn from men that really 'get it'.  They are blessed because of the capacity to which they serve others around them.  I hope to one day be an example to many others around me!

This past weekend we were able to attend a baptism, in which, Elder Skinner performed the baptism.  That was such a big blessing to be part of.  You work so hard as a missionary, meet so many people, and invite so many to follow the example of Jesus Christ and to find the truth that Joseph Smith is a Prophet of God.  It's not the easiest job, but it takes a sincere individual to receive an answer that God continues to give His children revelation on the Earth today.  There would be no reason as to why He would stop calling prophets as He always has. 

I am so grateful for my loving Heavenly Father - He has blessed my life in ways that I never would have imagined.  He has changed my life and I wouldn't want my life to be any other way.  I hope that everyone gets the opportunity to trust in the Lord and to see how He can really change our lives!   It's the greatest experience that anyone can obtain!