I'm offended :) Let me show you my reasoning
for being in the 'sixties'... I was
companions with Elder Anderson for 18 weeks, slightly over 4 months. I
was in the MTC, for 9, and I've been with Elder Ellsworth for 6... I've
had a weekly planner with 9 weeks in it to count. So do the math with
me. 18 + 9 + 6 = 33. Did you follow me? good. now here I did make a
mistake. I subtracted from 100 and not 104, but thats ok because my
release date is actually two weeks early. that would make 69 all told :)
I hit my 1\3 mark in just a couple of weeks, sooooooooooo stop counting
for me :) I don't want to think about it :) It was only an estimation
anyway!!!!
In other news, I.... am leaving Oslo. I can't really
express or describe exactly how I feel about this. I'm excited.
President told me that I'm opening a brand new area with a super
gamel... old missionary (that I might be killing) so that will be way
different and way fun. THat means small town time. But I feel super
jipped that I only get to train for 6 weeks. It seems way too short of a
time. Right now our area is having more success than I've ever seen
before on my mission, and I feel like I really have a good grasp on
everything here. I can't really share every single experience that I've
had over the last week in the kind of detail I would like so you are
just going to have to settle for the few things I have time to tell you
:)
I'll start with Thursday. Thursday was a day. That's
about all I have to say about it. :) President told us that I'm leaving
and I didn't really like that. Then on the streets not a single person
was even nice to us, so I was nearly done. I then got a text from Rakel
(the woman who had read the BoM who me and Elder Anderson had found...
one of my coolest spiritual experiences) saying that she didn't really
think any of this was for her. I've tried to ask her why but I've
completely lost contact. So I was having a hard time. But we prayed more
than ever before, and we prayed specifically that we could see miracles
that day. To that point, things really hadn't gone our way. I was in a
'oslo can burn' sort of mood, but we kept going. And what happened that
night was one of the best things ever. Sadi the man that we have been
teaching for about a month, had us over and we started talking about
baptism. I mentioned it and the second I did
he leaned forward on his chair just a little, and asked: What is that?
So we told him. He grew up muslim but since had lost his faith in God
entirely. So we explained very simply Christ and His Atonement and
finally commited him to baptism. E. Ellsworth did a great job with the
commitment, and to what I still can't understand, he said yes. I talked
to him a little bit more, and talked to him about what he was commiting
to but he said he understood and really wanted that. This had been a man
who the week before had tried to drop us. Who we thought was lost
altogether. And now this. Me and Elly didn't know what to do. We walked
back to the train in half shock, amazement, excitement, and extreme
fear. Went home, I beat him at a couple more games of chess after we
broke out the bottle of Julebrus we had been saving just for this
occasion, and I just remember looking across him going: oh man.... I did
not expect that at all. What next man? Worst day ever,
turned miracle.
The next day we met with another really positive
investigator who we've been trying to meet with for a couple weeks, and
we met in the middle of the Oslo Train station, and had a really good
discussion. He said he would read, pray, everything. He also had grown
up in a muslim culture but didn't believe in it. He said Christ was the
way, he just didn't know how to get to that... Ok. Greit. Cool We can
help you with that :) Sweet you'll come to church... Awesome. That night
we went to Laila's and had a way fun time. (She's the nice little old
norwegian lady we visit and she gives us cake :D mmmmm cake ) Great day.
New cool investigators. People saying they were coming to church... It
was looking to be the best week by far we'd ever had. Look out sisters.
We're comin for ya :)
Back down again. Saturday I felt super sick. Not
feeling well. We weekly planned but it took ffooooorrever. All our
appts. cancelled. We practiced calling Sadi because we had to get him to
church. When Ellsworth called Sadi answered... and said he's done.
Doesn't want to understand. Says he felt way good when we were there,
but that he just didn't want to change. Really liked us, and had felt
something, but said he just had no desire. I really tried to talk to him
with all the energy of my soul, and he just said no. I committed him to
pray but we haven't been able to get in contact with him since. At that
point we had one person who was coming to church. All the others
cancelled on us. Defeated, Elly tried to make koolaid. Unfortunatly he's
never done this before. So he takes two small packets and pours them
into one glass. when he tastes it he spits in all over the place. I then
inform him that for the amount of powder you just did
you need 2 cups of sugar and 4 quarts of water... he had one small
glass. It was disgusting. We didn't even have any sugar. Throwing in the
towel man. :) In all honesty it was really hard but not quite as hard
as it was with Anderson. Me and elly still had quite a bit of good going
for us. But it still sucked. :)
That night we had the worst planning session ever :)
We made some stupid joke about making a key indicator for hours spent
recieving dream hours and I was just laughing and crying samtidig. Then
out of nowhere our phone buzzes. I pick it up and it's Kim. We had
invited him to dinner with us with the Rosenkilde's but he hadn't
answered, and he said he had been super busy before. but he answered for
teh first time in about 2 weeks and said sure! he said yes!
unfortunatly we had to reschedule it so it would work for him, but the
cool part is we invited him to church and he said yes.... he said yes!
no way! Begin Dance Sequence...
Next day, we have several appt.s and two people
coming to church, but we get texts from both that they are either very
late or can't come... come on. Throw us a bone here man. Can something
pleast just be normal? Anyways. Kim came. and we talked with him for
forever after church. We rode home together, and Andre had helped us the
whole time. After Kim left at about 5 we invited him to come eat with
us, so we went back to the center and made food together. It was the
funnest thing ever. I love that kid. All of our other investigators that
day k'babed or dropped us... We got dropped by a lot this week....
When I think about Oslo, I will remember the growth,
my companions, and the people. So much has happened. I love it all
sooooo much! It hasn't hit me at all that I will be leaving soon. Oh
well. THat's still a ways away! I have way good time again! Just the
thought of having to leave makes me sad though. That's just a few
stories from this week. There are so many more, and a lot that don't
even get in my journal. but that's ok :) I feel good about everything.
ANd this week is going to be awesome. We have a dinner with Kim and the
Rosenkilde's planned with other way cool stuff. I'm pumped! Let me at
em! I'll prolly talk more next week about leaving pains... maybe not :)
I love you guys sooooo much! Enjoy all the fun new
toys you guys are getting! I'm going to go get some supa' slik norsk
bukser. (slacks) I'm pumped. Also the weather here is suuper nice. it's
like 1 degree! yeay! and I can see the sky for the first time in months!
yeay! I've been too long already. sooo good luck! That's my life sort
of!
Love you all soooo much!
Christopher :D
ps. Sorry ... ahem.... ahhhh ahem. ya... I'm leaving oslo. so not doin briller here. Mayber later. (glasses)
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