Monday, April 2, 2012

Påske! (Easter!)

Jo hallo!


Well I hope everyone enjoyed General Conference! We, to our uttermost disfortune, have not yet had the capability to see General Conference. Due to lack of technological accessibility, we are starving from revelations and direction necessary for our lives! Ahh, but maybe something will work out this week so we can watch them. I sort of feel like the members back in Peter and Paul's time who did not have the necessary technology to sufficiently uphold the church's doctrines, and consequently became "so soon removed" from the Gospel of Christ (Galatians 1:6-8). And look, signs of apostasy in our own Bible! *gasp*! But to be honest, we're doing actually great!


Better than great, actually. This week has been one filled with miracles. Our new finding techniques, along with looking for the "little miracles" when our appointments end up falling through, and already having planned and prepared what we will do, has provided a rich quantity of people ready to receive the message of the restored Gospel! As Elder Crookshank up in Ukraine so perfectly stated: "If you want Heavenly Father to laugh, tell Him YOUR plans." This is all too true; seeking the will of the Lord is the only way we can perform this work right!


In the middle of the week we went around bonking on doors, and we just needed one more lesson and one more Book of Mormon given away to reach our goal for the day. When we bonked on one door, a man with a frazzled black beard said "Nope, I'm not interested. I'm a heathen. But she might be 
interested!" gesturing to this woman who snuck up behind him. As we invited her to learn, she beamed as she walked into her room and brought out a little, beige book "I have treasured this book for the past 11 years - I have read it over and over again!" Elder Farnsworth and I were rather doubtful that the book was of credible source. Turns out it was "Who are the Mormons?" by President Gordon B. Hinckley! Yup - credible indeed! Absolutely stunned that this woman had never come into contact with the missionaries, we gave her a wonderful lesson and commitment to read and pray - what a wonderful, divinely hand-crafted blessing!

A little bit later, we were bonking late into the night, when we came up with no ideas of what to do. We had recently tried a certain street, with completely empty houses and no luck, and we attributed that to the Easter vacation. Reluctant to try it again, I mentioned it to Elder Farnsworth and suddenly felt overcome by that warm Spirit! (the ultimate "warm-fuzzy," no doubt :]). The very first door we tried, immediately opened, and this woman was simply prepared to hear the message of the restored Gospel! Wow! I just wish it happened that way more often!

The October 2011 General Conference talked a lot about "Be thou an example of the believers . . ." (1 Timothy 4:12). As we met a middle-eastern family this week, I have seen the power of that scripture! They are absolutely blown away by our example - that we are so young, yet we still have wholesome standards! They have expressed to us: "I want my son to be just like you two!" "Please, come and sit with us - just be with us!" This invitation is extremely tempting as missionaries to take a few hours to relax - but we are sharing our message with all, to the very best of our abilities and opportunities, effectively. I am now even MORE intrigued by the middle-eastern culture, just by meeting this family. I'm really hoping that when I serve my senior couples' mission when I am old, it will be safe enough in those countries to serve there!

I remember clearly the first words I learned in Norwegian, back in February 2011, from a Norwegian couple in my New Testament class: "God Påske!" which means "Happy Easter!" I was a little surprised that this, of all phrases, was the first thing they would teach me. Now I know why. The Easter holiday in Norway is HUGE! A whole week off of school, and most jobs, while everyone travels to their hytte (cabin up in the mountains) to go and enjoy the sun, kvikk lunsj's (Norwegian kit-kats) and solo drinks (orange soda). This is all fine and great for all Norwegians, but unnerving for us missionaries - no body is home! Our Mission President has challenged us to work through this week like nothing else - "we don't need a lot of people, just the prepared ones!" So we'll see what turns out!

Have a wonderful Easter season, celebrating the resurrection, the brilliant defeat of sin and death, by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. God Påske!

-Eldste Bryce Thomas Johnson

p.s. it snowed two and a half feet yesterday!
A cloud-break while on the Selfors bridge.

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