well like i always say that the weeks go by faster than you can even imagine! i feel like i had just barely had my pday like a day ago and we had conference already over a week ago! time flys when we do what the lord wants us todo and the time is already moving so fast and as i look back i have been in norway for like five weeks now i cant even remember unless i seriously count back! its true when people say that the mission goes by faster than any other time in life because the lord does not want you to worrie about time but to be here to do his work and will! every night when i look back on what i have done and i am amazed and wonder where i spent all of my time and how fast i did everything! the lord truely doesnt need time and he lets us not worrie about the time and we will make it to all our appointments and everything will work out in different ways and in better ways that you could ever imagine! well this week has been filled with some interesting events and its been alot of fun and reviewing conference and watching and catching up since we dont get to watch it in the same manner and way everyone back in utah gets too!
well this past week we have been trying to get a hold of our investigator from iraq and it didnt work out and he was busy and his baptism didnt work out which was very hard and when he doesnt speak norwegian and doesnt speak english and communication is almost impossible with out some kind of picture and its still hard! but i know he wants it bad and we just have to find the ways to get him better prepared and a better understanding and use a lady we know that speaks his language and he will understand and want it even more! but he is done smoking! so he is ready and ready to enter into a new lifestyle and thats what he said that he wants so we are working our best with him!
well we have finally been able to meet the guy i have my first book of mormon too! after 4 weeks of trying to meet he finally realized himself that the devil just didnt want us to meet and he made time for us basically that instant! he is a very strong backrounded guy and knows the bible well and he understands so much! when we taught him the first time and talked to him about the restoration he was very entertained by the idea and understood very well and he wants to do whats right and he is really taking into consideration and wants to find out for himself about our church and is starting to read and pray more! he told us that he loves to pray and he prays quite often and he is going to try to get his answer! in some ways teaching someone like him is very fun and especially when they are so open to what we have to say! we gave him a date and he is working toward that date buy needs to ask his.....mother if it would be ok! well it makes sense his family has had a past where they are basically all pastors and been members of A catholic church! he has a strong growing testimony already and he came to church with us yesterday and he really liked it! we had to translate for him sense he is from holland and doesnt speak norwegian so me and him are on the same page!! but all goes well with him!
well this week we have really been trying to meet with the lady with 14 kids and we love going over there and they love having us and the kids surround us like we are family! they love us and want to be like us as we set that example that they love and want to become! three of the kids talk about getting baptized like they are already members its great and they tell their friends and other families that they are old enough and are going to be baptized!! the little girl just turned 8 and told her friend after she was asked what she is going to do now that she is 8....she replied OH im now 8! so that means i can get baptized!! they want to be members and its funny! we are giving them a date this week and working with the whole family as well!
well i had my first oppurtunity and hopefully my last as well to go to a funeral here in norway! it was a very interesting experiance since it was not at a lds chapel and i got to go into a state church for the first time and they are so pretty! and just filled with incrediblely huge pictures that are very interesting....haha! but i could just feel that emptiness as i walked into the church me and my comp both said to each other...."i am so glad we are members of our church....this church has no feelings in it of joy at all?" its was a very weird and empty feeling that i have not really experianced since to my recollection i have never been in another church that wasnt of our faith! as pretty as the buildings are its just not the same feeling we get to enjoy everyweek so dont forget it! its a great feeling!
well for the first time since i left my mtc group i got to see them again and it was so great! on saturday we had a training meeting for all the new missionaries and their trainers and we talked about the new program and had some practicals and it was good to see how everyone is progressing in the language and how fun it was to catch up and talk to everyone like we are the best of friends! i realized how much i missed them i mean they literally are like family know and when i see them its basically like a reunion of family! after the meeting we all got lunch together and just sat there and laughed and had a great time and told stories til we had to leave and that was not easy but we get to see them again pretty soon!
well our ward mission leader organized a very interesting event for this coming wednesday and its a BIG DEAL! we are having all the missionaries in our zone which is 12 sets of missionaries coming to MOSS and having a giant splitts! having a big open house at the church going knocking on doors with members and everything its going to be a great event and its will really help the work in moss move along at a better pace! when ever we have members with us and since basically all of them are from norway or in that case MOSS people on the other end are much more reseptive to letting us inn! its crazy to see how much more responsive people are when you are a native! maybe one day i will speak as if i am a native! i hope so!!
well this week has been a spirit filled week with teaches all over the place and my norwegian is starting to grow more and more! its nothing like learning spanish or a break off of spanish because for one how many people have actually heard someone speak norwegian? basically no one! so hearing a language that you have never heard of before really gives you a little persective of learning a VERY foriegn language! but norwegian is beatifull and i cant wait for that day that i am fluent and can understand and know what people say and be able to respond more indepth! but the language is coming along and i am starting to realize what peple are saying more but its still very hard to know and pick out what they are actually meaning and its a good thing i have a great comp!
well my little spiritual message for everyone is actually from an ensign the oktober one! its talked about remembering what the profet told us in general conference! we never know when that time comes up when we get to preach the gospel and tell them what the profet said in the last conference so i incourage everyone who reads this to watch some of the talks given especially by the profet! i hope everyone is doing well and i hope no one is forgetting about me and please write me and tell me how everything is going!! i love and miss everyone keep the updates coming!
ELDSTE FARNSWORTH
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