A Great Week!!

hello everyone!!

  well its pday again and its been a great and fantastic week! we have seen some great miracles as we have been in trondheim and even though we lost two days in our area we still managed to get more teaches this week than we have in the past month! i have never seen so many miracles after miracles as i have seen this week! i had to start writting them down because it was just one after another! so we have been truly blessed this week!! 

 well on monday at six we had to catch our flight to trondheim and we spent the night in trondheim and we had a specialized training on inviting to the main three things! read praying and church! it was one of the most meaningful advices i have received in the past couple weeks even though it was so simple it was so incredible! we had two days with no teaches since we were gone and then we came home and got right to work and just got 5 or 6 teaches everyday after that! we got a new invetigator and we just had some great contacts and inviting people was so great and they were accepting and ii think we gave out 10 books which is a lot for here in MO I RANA! actually we ran out of books and since its been a celebrating time we have not had any norwegain books so we have gone out with english or arabic as a joke one time:)

 so we had a great time with our new member this week but i will tell you what happened to lead up to us meeting with her was that i had had a feeling since we had gotten home from trondheim that  we needed to hold the activitty and i invited her on friday and sure enough she said she could come and as she came we played games and i just came out and asked if her son would be baptized this weekend....which didnt happen but have a date for him on the 10th along with a suprrise follow up baptism with our branch presidents son who is 91/2! as we have followed the spirit this week it really has payed off as it always does:) so we had splits on friday for the zone leader to interview another lady for baptism who passed with flying colors and she was able to meet the other brazilian lady who was there and theyy became instant friends (since both are brazilian!) it was so great! that was another miracle and it was so incredible! 

 a little info on the lady who passed her interview is that she used to be a serious invetigator when she was in brazil but was way to busy to always meet with the missionaries and now she has a whole plan for her family to get baptized so we are going to do all we can to help her family:) they are so awesome!!

 well this week has been incredible and has been filled with tons of finding oppurtunities and i thank the lord for this!! how is everyones book of mormon reading going? my challenge to everyone this week is to keep up on their reading and to deepen your reading and to really search the scriptures!! i love you all and thanks for the emails!! have a great week!!!

A Packed Week

Hallo family friends and everyone!!

 well i dont know if you remembered or not but if you didnt you are NOT FORGIVEN....but it was my birthday so i am expecting alot of mail in the next couple weeks...:) its has been a crazy week and a half with seeing everyone before elder johnson left and also going to oslo and having meetings its been very crazy! so we able to meet with alot of people this past week as we found out he was leaving this past tuesday and so we had to pack and clean and see everyone possible! i also found out that i will continue here in Mo I Rana with my new companion elder Davidson who is from Oregon! This week has been a great week to finish off our last transfer though!:)

  we were able to meet with a the lady from Iran and ate with her at here house til we almost exploded! she made us some delicous food from Iran and then some normal noodle food! well the funniest thing about that is that i had eaten a LOT OF FOOD and elder johnson was taking his time so i loaded him up with some more food....HE WAS SO MAD! then she took more food and put it on his plate! i was dying of laughter until she put more on my plate as well and i flat out said ^this is impossible i can not eat this and she just laughed so i did the last thing anyone would have expected and i grabbed the fork and LOADED her plate as well:) well i got to talk to mom and dad and that was such a great add to my week and a boost like never before even though when its durinng mothers day we only have 40 minutes but it was a great boost to my week! all my neices are getting so big!

 we met withthe brazilian family and they even made us tons of food and gave johnson a going away present! they always give us some sweet and useful items since her husband is a vendor for the stores around so like shampoo and deoderant so we told them we would use it more since we might stink a little bit haha:) they are so nice and they even made me a cake for my birthday and even gave me some Useful items as well:) i am so grateful for that family and their generocity:) we love meeting with them:) they said they would be baptized in june to so we are working with them towards this goal!:)

 well we had 15 people in church this past week including two investigators:) its was so great to see every seat filled in the church:) so incredible and i was so happy and we had a great lesson prepared as well:)

 well our trip to oslo was long..but before we left we had dinner with rannveig our angel member and with her friend! we had a little lesson with her and she made us some delicious homemade pizza:) we ate til our bellies were completely filled and then she drove us to the air port! we got in to oslo at 1100 and then took the train and had all of johnsons stuff which was SO HEAVY! plus had to walk to the Zone Leaders apartment on the otherside of town! got there around 1130 and stayed up til 130 getting the updates and what not for what we were doing tomorrow and johnson was filled in on his new call as Zone Leader! we had our meeting the next day or the same day and then i left to trondheim later that day and overnighted in trondheim with my new companion and then woke up the next morning early after staying up late as well that night and had to reach our flight and it left at 900 am! we celebrated and planned for our week and ate birthday cake with the brazilian family:) its been a great week!:)

 well i know the lord has been blessing us here and i know he will only continue to help us here! i hope you all know how the lord has blessed you in your life andi am only continueing to see everyday how the lord has blessed me:) i love you all and i hope i hear from you all soon!:)

Snow in May?

Hallo family and friends!

 its always good to have be able to update everyone on how everything is going! The past two weeks have been very hard and i want to apoligize for not being so uplifting! this past week has been a great week and its not even that that many things have happened but enough happened to just make us want to work even harder every day in the cold depts of Mo I Rana! we have had some interesting experiances and some just weird things happen this week!

  well i just would like to state that May 1st in norway is their labor day and no one is home....so that was quite a rough day for finding but we managed to make it through it plus everyting was closed...? Russ which is a huge celebration here is only getting crazier everyday(celebration for graduating teens) which include drinking and smoking and having sex for three weeks straight and also pulling pranks and what ever else there is todo! i can only imagine being in a big city for this event! we have had rain and snow this week but nothing that has actually stuck to the ground so its just been cold! the wind lately has been coming from every direction and its been at times hard to even move its blowing so hard!

 one thing that i really wanted to mention is when we were out contacting this week we met a lady and talked with her and she invited us to a wednesday activity and she told us where it was. well a little back round first is last week we walked out of our church and the door next to ours has a sign that says MOR MÅNE which sounds just like MOR MON and come to find out its her church.... and they believe is some weird things like we all need a different belief and what not but it was hilarious after we read the sign and two days later met her on the street so now we have MORMONS and the MOR MÅNES:)

  the highlight of this week is that we had an investigator come to church!! she participated in the lesson and when sacrement rolled around she even bore he testimony! its was so great! we spent dinner time and the rest of the night teahing them and eating dinner and we are working getting her a date and along with her family but they are in and out of the house all the time so its hard to meet with them and hard to meet with the mother because of her work schedule! to have people in church is so great and i dont know if i told you but last week we had 12 people in church so i finally beat my goal of people so we had 14 altogether! its was so great! This week i have really focused my studies on faith as times of struggle only increase and i have learned so much! i love the bible dictionary and if you every want a great definition just go there it will usually have it! i have found many scriptures that i had never really looked at the same since but i cant quite remember them now....? i do want to say to everyone that i know that chirst true church has been restored to the earth again and that he truly guides this church through a prophet today! i love this church and it has helped me so much! i am so thankful for the scriptures especially the book of mormon! READ IT! FIND YOUR TESTIMONY! it is absolutly incredible what the gospel can do for people today in a world of messed up activity! for a little challenge this week i want you to at the end of everyday see what the lord has done for you that day and then right it down! find the miracles and expect them as well!!:)

A Crazy Week, Conference in Oslo

Heia alle sammen!

  This week has just ben super crazy! we have had alot todo and just not so much time to do it! we had splitts this week and we had teaches dropped new people picked up, walking and biking everywhere, trip to oslo for mission conference, the new stake in norway was created! well as you can see this week has been jammed packed with exciting things! 

  well we have had a lot of fun this week and yet we didnt really meet with any of our investigators but we found new ones instead with hard effort and working though cold weather(ps cameron the weather is way colder here):) we had splitts on tuesday with the Bodø elders and actually ended up getting the majority of our weekly teaches on tuesday since we left to oslo on thursday night til sunday night! we taught some very interesting people....can anyone explain to me the difference between a potatoe and down syndrom? or why people think that we dont believe indians came from god? haha just a couple random questions we got out on the street this week so you all can think about them:) those types of experiances are just incredible and you will always remember them forever:)

 we actually got to meet with one of our members this week and had a lot of fun with her! she has been wanting to do stuff with us so we planned activities for wednesday and thursday and she even came on some teaches with us! we went to the polar circle and to the swedish boarder to see some sites and drove around to great sites and she showed us some great things about norway! I AM SO THANKFUL FOR MEMBERS!! they are such a blessing especially in such a small  place they will NEVER BE FORGOTTEN!

  well being in oslo for 3 full days was very exciting and to go contacting where the streets are full and you can pick who you want to contact is great! i have been contacting the same people for 4 months here and 4 months in moss haha!:) but yet still manage to find new people!:) although serving in small places really makes you greatful for people way more than a big place would! its so fun to go to big cities and be around so many people! well mission conferance was friday from 9-9 and elder teixeira was there! and also elder kopeishka (how ever you spell it) and it was great we got alot of advice with working with members and planning more effectively! the spirit was so strong as we were there and it so great to be around truly inspired people who are called of a prophet who was called of god and see the light that shines within! we got to be missionaries in oslo for a day and we also had a great sunday meeting to call all people to positions and everything and it was incredible to understand what they said since the dialect is so different from where i am serving! to many dialects! it really showed me how much my norwegian has increased! we finally got home at 2200 on sunday and we were just so tired from waiting at airports all day and finally sleeping ina bed again!

 this week was great and very inspiring to missionaries as long as we will apply what we have learned into our study!!:) i have been reading a talk over and over again from David A. Bednar from this newest liahona! if you havent read it.....i can strongly suggest to sit down and REALLY READ IT! it has helped me understand the Atonement more in my life so please read it even again if you have read it! its modern day scripture to us all if we will actually apply it in our life! i love you all and i hope you all are doing great!!

Another Great Week

HALLO to all!

 

 its true to say that the weeks go by faster than you can truly imagine sometimes! all though sometimes days go by so slow that you think that they never end and then you look back the next day and wish that this day will go by as fast as the other one! this week has been a finding week even though its hard to believe that although we have 5 dates set for baptisms that we were not able to meet with a single one of them because of what ever reasons they were(sick, family problems, work, ect). so we were out this whole week finding and we had a great week for finding! we have found many return appointments as we were out banking on doors and also as we were contacting! although it seems easier to find people banking then on the street since they actually have to say something to you....although that is not always the case....haha! as far as setting a goal for 20 teaches a week we have made it everyweek! Its unbelievable how the lord does bless you when you dont give up! there was a couple days this week when i had been out and it had been hours since we had talked to ANYONE! we said another prayer and went out and with in 20 steps we found a new investigator! did a couple rounds again and went back to our prayer spot said another one and actually it was funny because we pasted aguy and Johnson didnt contact him and i simply said....you know that was our guy right? he look at me witha blank face just mad and said...ya i guess...so i said my our prayer and asked our father to place him in our way again and I would contact him! we were on our way back to our prayer place and sure enough he is walking our way on our side! i contact him and he listens and is actually looking for the truth! after teaching him i looked back at johnson and with a huge smile on my face i just looked at him and he laughed! YUP YOU WERE RIGHT! its funny how the lord works like that! we have strived all this week as usual to do the best we can but of coarse we can not change people and their agency which is hard when you really want to meet with your people and want to see them progress but just cant get ahold of them!! we had a great week and some discouraging things happened but we pressed forward this week with our hearts to christ even when it was hard!

 

  well this past week i also got to go to trondheim for splitts! had a great time and it made me see what its like to actually have people to contact! you can go out on the streets all day and find people there! it was warm there! it was almost 13c the day i was there and it felt like summer compared to MO I Rana! 2-5c everyday and yet the sun is out! its been pretty good weather this past week and the snow again is melted on the streets besides the massive snow banks everywhere! it was such a good chance for me to see how other people work and other ideas for my on area! it was an over all great experiance!

 

 This week i have focused a lot on a study journal with real focuses on what i have wanted to study! as i have studied with a REAL purpose to learn have i seen the change in my own learning go up increasingly! one of my favorite talks along with many missionaries is D. Todd Christophersons talk on repentace! my challenge for you all is to sit donw and read that talk and get something out of it so that! that talk can be so worthfull to us all as we are trying to get closer to our lord and savior! for any of you struggling please read this talk and i think it could really help alot you! may you all have a great week and remember to stay close the our savior! i love you all and i hope you all have a great week!

 

 Eldste Farnsworth!

A Very Great Week!

Hallo Familie og venner!

  Its been a great week and as usual with unexpected events to happen as usual! well as i stated in my last letter that the Easter Holiday is a very time of year for norwegian people! with 10 days off of school and all buiseness closed from wednesday to monday! all shopping has to be done before then and then Norway just shuts down for a week! its incredible to see how barren the streets of Mo I Rana become in that short amount of time....but dont let that get you down...we have had some great miracles come in to place this week although it took all our efforts not to give up in a dead city! oh yea and by the way ill start off by telling you some of the best news says that my companion and i got to see almost all of conference during this week( one way we stayed busy..:) and i can only say wow...our apostles and our prophet are so inspired in the messeges they have shared! truly a great spiritual increase and puts us as missionaries in such a great mood to go out and take on the world!

  well our fist awesome miracle begins actually acouple weeks ago when we met to kids around 17 and 21 and we got one of their numbers and the other was a little quiet but we told them that we had the book of mormon in both of their languages! the 21 year old didnt go anywhere and randomly we got a call last a week and a couple days ago from the other asking why we hadnt called him and being confused as seeing that we had no idea who it was whom we were speaking to and then realizing it was the 17yr old kid and so we gave him a book and said we could try something and we called him and no answer and then on wednesday we got call from him saying he had a ride for us to come to his house and teach him! we get there and he has his girl friend and his mom who were ready to listen! we taught them and the spirit was so strong and commited them to be baptized on the 12 of may and they all said yes! to let you know about the mom she has met with the missionaries in brazil before but the time wasnt right and she was to busy but we are pretty sure she has read the whole book! when we gave them 3rd nephi to read she actually started explaining it to her son....we asked her if she already knew if the book was true....she said i have it all marked up but i have need to do as you said and pray...i was blown away and said yes of course and she also has been standing up for the church since that time! how people are prepared!

  we have been meeting with an iranian lady and she is such a golden lady and so willing to learn! she loves languages and can actually speak norwegain english and 3 forms of arabic! she became a christian 8 months ago and wants to know everything she can to be closer to god! when meeting with her on tuesday we asked if she had read much....she then replied "yea just a little of half of it not to much"....i almost fainted! when we asked if she thought it was true she said well its about god right? why wouldnt it be true! she accepted to be baptized as well for the 28th! the people that the lord prepares when we do everything we can! it is such a blessing to be obedient!

  well i dont know if anyone else realized that conference has been based on priesthood and families but so far that what i have gotten our of it and i have had my own prayers answered with out even realizing that i had prayed for things weeks ago and stopped worrying about it! the message that comes from conference can be a strength to us if we want it to just as we can choose to have a good or bad day! if we Want to watch then we will get something out of it! when i finally got to watch it i almost couldnt breath! i had wanted to watch it all week and when i heard the motab choir i was like a dog waiting for food and eating everything as it came to me! so a little challenge for you this week is to watch one! dont just randomly pick one but pray over what you need and then choose one as the spirit guides! i love this work and we are seeing the smallest and biggest of miracles! This church during rain and snow is still true and the gospel still needs to be shared therefore we are still out in all weather! the lord is preparing people everywhere and that means for YOU that are not even on missions to share the gospel when you have that chance! i know this church is true and that our savior lives and that in his loving mercy he has reached out his hand again in love and called a new prophet so he can lead his church as he has always done is the past! i love you all and have a GGGREEEEAAAAT Week!!

 eldste farnsworth

Rain Rain and 2ft of Snow

HALLO as usuall to EVERYONE!

 

  This week has been a great week and as any other missionaries can be in agreeance that sometimes you just dont realize where time has gone? then you read through your journal and you can then say....That is where my time has went! we Truly have had a great week and have been quite busy! we have had some interesting mirakles take place and its so great to look back on and see how the Lord had truly blessed us in MO! Well i just want to add some sad news in that we were not able to find a place to watch Conference seeing that we are 8 hrs ahead and most places close around 4 and conference is at 6 here which i will never be used to! We also woke up yesterday to 2ft of snow and crazy wind going in every which direction! the snow was almost finally gone and its been raining like no ones business here in MO! annd then we had some nice days and it was 10c one day and now its 0 again:) haha well thats norway for you! its weather is like utah to a degree!

 

  well this week as well with other weeks has been the normal finding of course:) but with mirakles mixed in with that!! we have been getting alot of try backs with people and people that will willingly accept a book of mormon! all though one thing i may make clear is that easter is a HUGE HOLIDAY in Norway with 11 days off of school and also most businesses are closed! so no one wants to stay here for Påske(easter) so they all leave and so its been interesting and still will be! well while knocking this week we met a lady and she said that she has read a book about mormons for the past 11 years...first thought to a missionary.....oh great anti material! actually no...she had been reading over and over a book called "who are mormons" by president Gordon B. Hinkley! absolutely incredible and we had a great teach and we have another appointment this week since she left for vacation! she was so interested and was so excited to get the book of Mormon! we are finally getting those investigators that we have been praying about!:):)

 

 well to add to that we had contacted a lady in the city from Iran who was a new convert to Christianity and wanted to know more! we hadn't been able to get a hold of here but to find out our phone hadn't been receiving her text saying she wanted to meet up! well we ended up knocking in to her after missing a tiny street with two houses that we hadn't knocked and actually prayed and had been led there! the man opened the door not knowing Norwegian or English and invited us in! walked in and saw the wife who does speak great Norwegian! culture fact for everyone make sure if and eastern European invites you in that you don't refuse to eat food and just eat everything they give you! THEY ARE SO NICE! they will give you what ever you want with out even asking for it! we had a little discussion since it was late and we came back the next day and they served us a MASSIVE meal which was so good! They love having us over and want to keep learning and she is so prepared although the husband is traditional but we will see how that goes! we reached our goal of 20 other teaches this week and ended with 3 new investigators and many potentials! so this week has been so good!

 

  well i wish i could have seen conference but we are trying our best to watch it and hopefully we can spend a day at a members home and see it! for all of you that got to watch it....what have you learned? did you take notes? did you listen to the precious advice that our beloved profet had to offer us? think back on what you learned and how to apply it for the next 6 months! i have learned to love conference and the message it contains! its truly modern day spricture just like the book of mormon which is meant for our time! read and reflect these words is my challenge to you and they will help you in current circumstances! i love you all and i know this church is true! i love serving even though its the hardest challenge at times but i know the lord is here to bless us! have a great week everyone!!