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| First snow, in front of the local State Church; sorry for the fuzziness! |
Mo i Rana is wayyyy different from Bergen. Extremely different. Well I can begin with my transfer over here. We flew on a twin-propellor 37 seater plane under the airline "Widerøe" (that information was mainly for my Dad :P). Really cool airline that even serves tiny dark chocolates mid-flight! (you need the chocolate to survive the darkness up here - trust me!). I must say I am very glad that Norwegians are so laid back. Both of my bags are slightly overweight, and my carryon bag is huge. Nope, doesn't cost anything extra - whew! The flight was stunningly gorgeous. I wish my pictures would turn out better (taking pictures through the plane cabin's glass doesn't help at all . . .). I cannot even imagine what this place looks like during the summer - it would be gorgeous!! I arrived on a very foggy day here in Mo i Rana, and met Elder Olsen.
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| Elder Olsen and I near the coast - *note* the sun is NOT over the mountain! |
Elder Olsen is the man. First off, he's from Hemet, California (very close to Temecula). He's strong, understanding, and a hard worker. Precisely what I need right now at this time of adjustment! We have quite a bit in common, and have really hit it off well the past few days!
The adjustment from Bergen to Mo i Rana was huge. Bergen, being a big, busy place with a large ward, activities, lots of missionaries and so forth, is very different from Mo i Rana, which is a small town with a branch of 14 people. And it's just me and Elder Olsen. We're all getting to know each other very well. For example, church yesterday consisted of 5 people, including the missionaries, where we played the hymns, blessed and passed the sacrament and I gave a talk. That was all of church. Almost all of our time is spent outside trying to talk with people, or bonking on doors. Very different from Bergen. However this adjustment has really strengthened my dependence upon the Lord, and my sensitivity to the Spirit. We have seen some miracles occur as we have been let in a few times to teach (wonderful!!). One neat thing about being in a small town though, is that you can kinda set up a reputation in the city. Always say Hi, always smile, always ask for opportunities to help, serve, teach, etc. So that is really cool. Everyone is so surprised when we wave at them - it's slightly hilarious :P. Mo i Rana also has not seen the sun for a few weeks! Ahh good ol' Norway. We're just below the Arctic Circle - however I must say that Mo i Rana is colder than other towns up north due to the fact we are much more inland from the ocean! This is a fantastic place to see what us missionaries are made of :D. The Spirit continues to burn within us! And Mom, the Vitamin D is working great. Thank you thank you thank you!
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| Thanks to Jared I am still a consistent journal writer! Despite all opposition otherwise! Haha |
I must also describe the apartment here. From the stories I heard in the MTC, I never thought I'd be in a less-than-ill-repair apartment. Hahaha, how I am wrong! We live in an attic, I mean the upstairs, on the fourth floor of this house. Insulation is nearly non-existent, especially with the hole in the roof we've shoved blankets in. Our bathroom is broken, and so we use the basement (4 floor house, mind you) with a brisk concrete floor. Our kitchen is also in the basement, consisting of one bowl, a few plates and utensils. Haha! At first impression I was a little miffed, but now I kind of enjoy seeing what we can go through and still be truly happy. And hey, if we can survive this, what else is there to stop us?? The second day convinced me that this is certainly a full-body thermal 24/7 kind of a place. Surprisingly enough it hasn't snowed yet, though we have inches of frost on the ground. But we are here for a reason! And we have a great work ahead of us!
Well, tomorrow we leave at 4 am to go to Zone Conference in Trondheim (we may see the sun for a bit!). That'll be exciting. President Johansen can always fire us up properly for the next few months. I'll be honest in saying that the adjustment to Mo i Rana was really tough. Though through studies in the scriptures of happiness and on the blessings of sacrifice, the Spirit is burning brighter within me than before. It is incredibly true that the Gospel brings true happiness and peace, despite the situations we are placed in. It is completely possible to have everything going for us and we can still be unhappy, unsatisfied and have no peace. I see it everyday in Norway. Yet through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, prayer and scripture study and a great deal of effort, you can have happiness, peace and satisfaction. And besides, I've realized that the Holy Ghost literally makes people more attractive. Who wouldn't want to have peace of mind, comfort, satisfaction and a heart full of love?? Those feelings show on your face, as a witness to your testimony.
I love you all so much. I miss you all so much - yet the sacrifice is necessary for the blessings in store for me and you. Thank you so much for your prayers and support. Continue to exercise faith in our Savior Jesus Christ - it is through Him that we overcome our circumstances and weaknesses. He takes care of the rest - and He lives and loves you.
-Eldste Bryce Thomas Johnson
At times all that keeps us sane is Norwegian Donald Duck comics, herbal tea and donuts :P.
