May 6, 2013

Mom,

I'm super excited to be a dad :) But I doubt even then I will understand how much you love me :) It's a principle that I've talked about with several other people, that even if I was the biggest bum on the planet here, you all would still love me and be proud of me :) So now its just up to me to live up to that :) 

About my currency and my parental situation: Sandnes is about a 15 minute train ride from stavanger, so the Stavanger Zl's and the Sandnes Elders live together for the time being. What basically happened is I got moved here so that I would go to the stavanger Elders area, but since they are zone leaders, he didnt want them in a 3 some... so then i was with sandnes. With moves this last week, I got a bed (yea!)  yea, and even did I recieve a position and place in the which that I could study, Yea, and I say unto you, in this thing was the missionary Elder Whetten quite glad of heart, that he could now study in peace, without the persecution of his bretheren the lamanites. And Behold the wicked Elder Abrahams, was kast out, and sent to the faraway land of trondheim, and for this cause what Elder whetten able to acheive his place in the stavanger area :) 

or in other words, one of the dudes left for trondheim :) So I get his spot and his phone and job and stuff :) Make sense? Not that I've really been able to enjoy it yet because we've been running around like mad people trying to get ready for the zone training thingy tomorrow but it's been nice. Even though moving around has been hard, I do know that I'm being taught the things I need, and I'm getting some extra help to help me meet my new responsibilties and do everything I need too :) 

In terms of cool things that happened this week, We just started teaching this man and his wife from Uganda, and its been super cool. Both of them came to church and it was just a really cool first teach with them. I have never had so many normal teaches as I have here. Wedenesday was national, rage against the man, day :) Nobody works, no storyes are open, and it's basically a day where everyone marches on the gågates holding picket signs and such :) pretty cool. I ate a deadly kbab though... ugh. not good for you :)

As for sickness, I really don't know what I've had. just a general: I feel like poopiness kind of feeling. I'm fine now :) I'm just workiing on getting both feet on the ground right now. That may not happen since we're flying up to bergen this week but we'll see. I just want to go back to Moss, or Oslo where things made sense :) 

Thank you so much for the birthday wishes mom :) I won't tell you the story where we jogged home in a straight up blizzardy hail storm this week :) Every inch was soaked. I literally felt like I had just stepped into an icy pool of water and then started running in a full suit. :) Weirdo. Myself :) Or the part where we went to the gorgous beach and stood by the edge of the rocks so wee could get cool pics of us getting splashed on... heh ok fine I'll just give you the pic :) it's pretty cool :D I await the pckge with anticicpatinon :) I really need some more space on my camera! 

Well I'm out of time. But thank you sooo much mom. If nothing else just know I feel good right now. I really needed the love today :) i'm just going to stop worrying about things so much. ANd go tell people what I know can change their lives. Missionary work is the coolest experience on this planet. 

 Loves!

Christopher

ps OH. the call! I'll prolly just email you guys later this week when I getr that figured out :)  Me and Elder CHancellor haven't gotten that far yet :) itll be sunday morning sometime though :) AH I'm 20... werid. Doesn't feel like it at all . 

April 29, 2013

Hey Mom!!

Ke well i'm just going to start by answering all the little random questions you just threw into that email :)

So firstly the norwegian questions!

I would say that i'm definately losing my hold on the english language. :) the more you speak norwegian the more it happens. Unfrotunetly I actaully need to be somewhere wher they just speak norwegain. :) Depending on the companion, if we have been speaking just norwegain, i definately think in norwegain, and we always pray in norsk. Here is Stavanger, we have a lot of americans and a lot of phillipenos so quiete a bit of English is actualy spoken. soo... yeah. I prolly won't be that bad. but yeah i definately pray and think in it :) 

As for the call I don't really have a clue yet. It'll probably be .... before you guys have church or during or... hmm. when do you want me to call you? We'll prolly do it in the evening for us so I don't know what you want to do. Just let me know :)

As for Kim he was lost for a little bit but i've been personally emailing him so and I know that the Elders still have contact with him. No he's not baptized but he still exsists so thats a good start anyway. He's the last one that I know of that I have ever taught so far. I'll keep trying though :) Kim is totally awesome though :) I love that guy. 

spring is definatly being very slow in getting here. Well apparently it was really nice and sunny in stavanger until I got here... so I guess it's my fault :) It's especailly apparent when you're climbing on rocks by the sea barefoot and letting HUGE waves crash up against the rocks and completely cover you :) THat¨' s pretty cold :) But super fun!

ANyways... I don't really have much time left, and I feel.... kindof dead. A lot. REad dads email. :) that explains a little more :) But I still had a good week! I got to go to Haugesund on splits and it was absolutely gorgeous. THe coolest bus ride on this planet (except for maybe the double dekker bus we took this week!) The bus went in tunnels under teh sea, and ferrys that go over it! I could swear that the senery here was taken straight out of LOTR! ITs crazy! ANd soooo pretty! I couldn't really get that much from my camera inside the bus (and i'm completely out of space on my memory card BTW) ...  (like 100% out as of today) (after clearing out a whole bunch of weird ones... the ones left are just awesome) but on top of the boat I got some waaaay cool ones! It was cool to just chill on the top of it by myself :) Way cool! (little cold :) ANd the ferry ride back (i took just a ferry this time) was in the middle of a huge storm and there were waves going almost all the way over the little boat. needless to say everyone got sick. But it was cool! We went contacting with the sisters and by that i mean i mostly just contacted by myself for a little while...

OH! We did have the best dinner so far in norway though. Just perfectly cooked lamb for all the missionaries.... soooo good! Mom.... I'm getting man cuddly... its weird. THe mission deos wierd things to you. anyways. we we squishing on the couch afterwords. It was a way fun night! ...

Yeah other than being absolutely gorgous... this was a weird week. I feel like i'm going full out, but that's only about 25% of what that's supposed to be... maybe it's because my favorite person in the whole entire world goes home this week.... By Anderson.... I'll miss you. I talked to him last night for like 45 minutes which was waaaay funner than it sounds. :) That man has changed my life forever. Good luck dude. 

Also at teh lamest moves call ever yesterday (to which I already knew) i'm moving to be with the Stavanger Elders. So that will be fun. (it was lame because nothing happened....) 

K well. i've lost the will to write more. so I hope that gives some idea of what's going on... hopefully I'll feel a little better next week. Right now i just feel a little off... Could you tell at all? yeah well. 

I love you so much! TAlk to you in like 13 dayS!!! AHHH!! :D

Christopher

April 15, 2013

A ferry, Train, and a plane ride later,

Hey Mom!!!

Unfortunately I'm really just going to have to say the same thing to youthat I said to everyone else..... I have no time today. So sorry. But befor I forget!!!

Smedgata 7
4013 Stavanger
Norway

Yup! I'll tell kristy this too! but if between the two of you I could somehow manage to get a hoodie much the same to my old white one that would be fantastic! I have really needed one. We always open the windows at night here becuase it stinks a ton... soo yeah. its chilly. I need to more koseligness. Also.... some sort of glasses case. so I have some way to carry them around. If this doesn't wrork out thats fine. I'll find one :)

Our family sounds like intense things are happening. I wish I could be there to help you guys. Just know that I definately keep you guys in my prayers mom :) always. Dang, I was totally going to get you guys some pictures today, but unfortunately i haven't had the mulighet yet... sorry no time. I'll send some later !

So to fill in all the gaps you have about sandes... it's actually a way cool area, and the city is super preetty. Every day riding the trian in we actually are right by a fjord and I haven't seen a more 'norway' looking city yet. Actually Stavanger is way cool too. I think I actually like it a little better. its super clean and super pretty, and pdays in this area are some of the best in the mission cause you have so many hikes to go on. If you've ever heard of prekestua, that's the biggest stragiht drop in the world... yupt thats here. I'm going :) And it's just gorgeoues here. This area is definatly a fav of everyone in the mission, despite that the dialect is terribly bad :)

But. I do have to say one thing. I have no idea why i'm here. These past few days have been some of my hardest in a while. I have no idea how long i'm going to be staying here. And the apt. is only meant for 4 people so I've been sleeping on the floor and living out of a broomcloset, and studying on the floor, or couch.... depends :) so that's my life :) i'm like the biggest 3rd wheel possible. I'm with a trainer and his greenie, and they have already been getting tons of success... so i just kinda chill. my existence makes no difference right now... oh well.

What really sucks is how much i was loving life in moss. We had a baptismal date with a guy and had gotten the area from 0 invs. to more the 10 while I was there. super legit. We were doing awesome and I loved life. Now I'm here, and I don't really have a place. All the time the Zl's will just steal me cause they need someone extra, or the couple here is stealing me tonight, or whatever it is... i'm just kinda the werid addition. The tumor as I call myself. oh well there's not a whole lot to do but make the best of it. i definitely love the area though. To answer your other questson I'lll  prolly be here until transfers in two weeks. AFter that I have no idea where i'll be. so hopefully I can survive that . To put a cherry on all of these, weird new feelings of unbelongingness, I've been super sick... so... eyah.

But hey :) I still love life for the most part. It would have been pretty hard to pull down just how good I felt about missions last week. Sometimes they just suck... yeah well. Threesomes aren't super fun though. Especially when the other 2 kinda are already in the groove, i mostly just go where told sit, and watch.... whereas before I was wrecking house as a DL and our area was just starting to totally take off. Anyways. Life is good. I just got to get over this weird awkward phase of not knowing anyone, liveing with more than just one companion, and everything else. sigh. ok. On the other hand... We played innebandy for the first time and thta was super fun. I can dunk. The weather has been beautiful, i get to live out of a broomcloset! And i literally don't have to worry about anything :) So it's pretty fun. I just lmiss burt, and moss, and everyone there. I was just gettting to love everything. yeah. well. So life is good.

I'll definatly have to takes some pics of rosemaling... that could be my new quest :) I have seen some i've just never had my camera with me. Sometimes its just nice to go uten ryggsekk. :) ANyways. I've already wasted enough of your time :) for this upcoming week, I honestly have 0 idea what to expect. I'm just trying as hard to get my feet on the ground and dig in. cause once I do that I can do anything :)

Thank you so much for the pics! I haven't looked at them yet but I will and I'm sure I will love them!!! Dood mom! guess what! I get to call you guys in like less than a month! CWAZY! That'll be fun. Until then I will keep trying to do everything I can here and praying my heart out for everyone. If there is anything else I cna do mom just let me know. If you could give me grandmas email i'd love to eamil her. To answer your question, it's really cool to get something in the mail every once in a hwile but its a lot easier for me to just eamil. so that would be cool :)

I love you all so much!

Have a great week! I'll see ya on the other side!

Christopher

April 8, 2013

Ok OKOK I¨'m soorrryy!! :) wow.. :)
it was only april fools ya know :)

SUPER WEEKEND!!!!

I had planned on doing much worse things and then decided against it so you wouldn't hate me :) Unfortunately today i want to go up to Vestby with the rest of my district since it's our last day together... soo I'm going to have to make this one short mom. sorry :)

but to answer your question We watched all of conference at the Moss chapel... It was... legit. Conference is the best on your mission. We are at teh chapel where all the translating happens so i know all the voices that translate... so cool! We had an invs. come for two of the sessions, and the elders from fstad came up to stay saturday and sunday night with us... we appropriately named it: Super Weekend :) Cause it was super. and great. And a lot of fun. Conference was absolutely incredible. I can't get enough man. Sometimes I don't think i've changed... then. I look back to where I was and how I felt about conference even 6 months ago. It is the world of difference. I don't even know who that was 6 months ago. Its great. Fantastic. president Uchtdorfs preisthood talk was definitely one of my favs and his other one. :) Elder holland man... I feel like I put on a seat belt for all of his talks. its like ok strap in for the ride man. :) Bomb. Absolutely and withouth queestion legit. I think everyone feels just how fiery that guy is though. Also the one by Cardon... bomb. straight up :) I loved the whole thing though. We watched the english in the relief sonc. room but the Sunday aft. we watched in the chapel all by ourselves. We switched the trans. to norwegian a couple of times just for fun :) Anyways

As you may have already picked up, I said this was my last day with my district. Yup. I'm fired. I'm not even going to saprsborg at all either. Nor will Elder Callister ever be my comp. I'm getting sent to Sandnes on the other dødsn' side of norway. Like tomorrow. Burts greenie is coming but Weavers is not, so I'm just getting kicked out altogether. boo. We had a supper fun week together. I was loving life this week. But now i'm gone. Pres threw me a major curveball on that one. So as such i'm no longer DL either :) I must have done a pretty bad job when he came last week ... heh. yup. oh well. You learn right :) Its dumb. ... i'm not happy. I just feel like we are getting a way tight district, and I feel like i know what i'm doing and... nope. denial.

Yeah well.

We can talk more about sandnes later. :)

This week was PACKED. We had tons of fun. We actually had to cancel a ton of stuff to fit everything in this last week. That's a good sign usually :) but woa.... I can't even say it all. Funny story:

Roger.

The end.

Ok just kidding. but really he's a man. ... who came to church.... who wanted us.... to come teach him..... and when....... we got to his house...... you could smell the smoke..... from 2 floors down. (im' singing this in my head right now.) Anyways. Good thing i'm already a second hand smoker otherwise I would have died. He had emptied like 6 pakcs of smokes in like 2 hours... plus 7 bottles of beer. Our clothes have been hanging out the window for days :)

We helped the youth with a missionary activitiy on wednesday and it was hilarious :) And soooper fun. It was soo cool to be able to take a setep back and say wow. I'm a missionary. THis is what we do. Me and burt were just those super pumped super excited missionaries you always see. We love life, and it loves us back.

That family with the 2 boys we had last week INVITED US OVER this week!!!! IT was incredible!!!!!! We had a mission goal to get 60 new invs. this week and just moss and fredrikstad alone got double  what we needed to! It was a great week. Those boys are awesome though I just realized I won't see them ever again. Life is sad sometimes. Yeah well.
We played Badminton

We had a sweet DM where we all felt the spirit way strong, got Kbabs with pineapple and way good saus. WE now have lov to take our suit jackets off All the TIME!!!! yay! ANd we had a way cool member missionary pump up. Just when i know what iæ'm doing i have to leave....

K there is tons more. Incredible Fjord views and epic people, but that's about all i have time for mom :)

 As to emials, I actually print some of them off and read them later. :) THough its always fun to get something in the mail during the week. Either way is fine. just pick. Time isnot a huge issue though :)

I love you so much mom. I'm sorry that a whole bunch of stuff is happening. i'll try my best to be optimistic and show the joy and the love I know I have. :) I truly have learned so much about the atonement though through all of my experiences. Missions are the best. Anywayz. Keep going! I'll talke to you guys from a slightly differnet spot enxt week! Wish me luck! I'm in for a ride.... in a threesome.

Love

Christopher