I do have to say first that I don't think the whole part where "my sister is married and is on her honeymoon right now" has really hit home. Maybe it has. :) But regardless I can say that i'm excited out of my mind for her. That has got to be the biggest thing that has happened to our famliy since the invention of the cheese slicer. I hope my dorky brothers enjoyed it because I probably would have done anything to be there if it wasn't for the fact that i'm on a misison. THat's a slightly different ballgame. Anyways. and I'm super glad to hear that among all the stress that you all were able to just enjoy it a little bit. That in specific is a hard lesson to learn. For us at times I feel like if we are runing around like crazy people you can't enjoy it, and if you aren't running around hysterically, then somethings wrong and nothing really seems to be quite right. Definately important to enjoy it :)
A very spastic shortened version of last week would be as follows:
I had my birthday, where the elders baked me brownies, the sisters made me cookies, the Linge's made me kjøttkaker ( I died of joy) and some kake, Sister allen made me a huge pan of texas sheetcake, and I was in all very spoiled. Next day we were at the figuroas for dinner (he is a goofball by the way) and when they heard it was my birthday, I explained how I had suddenly turned 6 years old. He seemed to get a kick out of that. So instead of giving me a normal sized spoon he gave me a tiny kids plastic spoon with disney characters on it. I was just sad when his wife made him take it away. Maybe it was a good thing. If i hadn't had a bigger spoon we definately couldn't have made it out of there in an hour. :) In sport there was a kid who bicycle kicked a goal and the rest of us simply couldn't keep up :)
One really cool experience, is that we had had a pretty rough week. In terms of appointments, Almost all the ones we had planned fell through by either people not showing up, or canceling last minute or just other random greier. When we came to sunday we realized that we needed some miracles. We had some people who said they were coming to church who really would make the difference one whether or not we ended up having a successful week. After fasting for it, turns out all 4 planned appiontments we had fell through. But, out of nowhere Thor Olav one of the newer members who I love, brings this random guy with him who we were able to teach after church. So that helped us out a ton. We really needed a miracle.
Starting this next week off me and Elder Jones needed some miracles and some people who could actually progress. And we ended up finding the cooooolest people ever. I basically went against my mission presidents wife and instead of sleeping I went out and went contacting on the street on monday and we found Parvaneh who has got to be the most positive person I've ever had a street conversation with. She is a former muslim converted to christianity, and has been looking for another church to join because she doesn't like hers and through everything we said she seemed like she was going to explode with exitement. .. Not normal. :) We were able to teach another famliy this week and again it was another lesson that I absolutely loved! 2 parents and a 14 year old and they were soooo nice. If it werent' for these people leaving on trips there would be a lot more happening right now, but even still its pretty much incredible. We said a kneeling prayer with the famliy afterwords and I am about to die.
One interesting note: I don't know if I 've mentioned this before, but a thought that I had as we were talking one night was that I have never felt so strongly about missionary work before. It has to happen for us right now. Sometimes I feel bad that it took me this long to get to the point where I really believe that we can baptize people. But I believe now. And I think that's what was important for me to learn whether or not the results actually come. I'm going to go and work like its going to happen. It could be huge though. anyways. sidetrack.
Thursday i had the craziest experience ever. I was back on splits with Elder Ellsworth (who I trained) back in apt. 501 (where we were) same bed, same place, same person, AND teachting our investigator Kim. Talk about blast from the past. It was everything the same, except add a year and a half of extra experience for both of us, and it was quite a bit different. Meeting with Kim was way sweet. Turns out he really wanted to find out. He went as far to reading a greater part of the book of mormon, interviewing people, researching everything mulig. ANd in the end he came to this conclusion: The church was the best orginaztion on the face of the earth from his pyscological standpoint. But he still just can't believe in God. Doesn't disbelive, he just doesn't have that connection, and he was quite frank about the fact that he feels like he handles things just fine without it. My honest reaction was just that I loved the dude, and I was so grateful to have known him and that he really was serious about it. This last week we had 3 out of 15 appointments go through. You can't be effective or feel good about what's going on with those odds. So I appreciate non sketchy people.
We also taught Jon HIlden who is an aweseme norwegian man who is loving the book of moromon more and more. It is so interesting the different contrast of personalities and beliefs that we meet as missionaries. Some people like us and will listen, others hate us and yell things at us or just make fun of us as we come by. ANyways.
yesterday the Evans made me a birthday dinner of Salmon and bløtkake and I just about died. Poor Elder Jones set a goal to lose weight and he's getting completely dominated because of all the bday food that i'm getting. Earlier this week we sat down on a bench and starting talking to a man in Sandvika, and it was way interesting. He had as a child, tried to ask god for help when he felt very alone and afraid, and didn't feel like God had helped him. At this point he was rather bitter about it and wouldn't ever accept that God was real again. I honestly didn't know really what to tell him. I could tell that deep down he still believed, but was just bitter about it. It made me very sad. I wish I could have helped him.
Oh and then there's the part where we celebrated the national holiday by running around Oslo (stading room only in the whole entire place) and taking pictures of people in Bunads (traditional norwegain garb). (ps we ran into alex the father of the family we taught at 17 mai, and presidents house cause he was at the neighbors. Crazy! Daily contact because of ... God putting us in his path!) After we watched the parade and saw the king come out (which was pretty cool) we all took off to presidents hous where they made us a huge barbeque. We played dodgeball in their backyard, and I led some games of werewolves with like 25 people playing. It was in all exhausting and way fun. I love norway. You drive around listening to sissel and just think about how stinking beautiful this place is. ITs unreal.
Anyways. I think I've rambled on for long enough. NOt anything super exciting but everything's still rollin'. Hopefully I can stop being sick soon though. That would be helpful :)
I love you so much mom! Glad you survived the wedding! THis has been your session of kid with too much to say and too little time :)
Have a fanatic week!
love,
Christopher
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