God Jul!

Kjære alle sammen!

Hey, we don't have much time because we're heading over to a member's home out in Balsfjord. We'll be taking a Christmas hike with them, and enjoying the genuine Norwegian Christmas tradition tonight! Yes, Norwegians do celebrate Christmas from the 23rd to the New Year, but the biggest day of them all is the 24th!

May the Lord's Spirit be with you all this Christmas season!

God jul!

-Eldste Bryce Thomas Johnson

p.s. the world didn't end! Whew! That was a close one ;)

Nordlys!, Misjonærbesøk, Misjonslekt, Eldste Olsen, Tros Ilder, og Verdens Nordligste Misjonærer :) (Northern Lights! Missionary Visits, Missionary Relatives, Elder Olsen, Fires of Faith, and the World's Northernmost Missionaries :)

Hallo hallo!

Finally, after much anticipation, we finally got some northern lights up here in Tromsø :). Beautiful greens, blues and every once in a while some purple! We're hoping this upcoming January or February to take a short drive to a dark, dark area to see some yellows and reds :D. Can you imagine?? Ah life rocks up here!

Like a flame!

Nordlys!

This past week we had a conference here in Tromsø! The missionaries from Trondheim, Bodø, Narvik and Alta all flew in for a training meeting all about developing self-discipline. That is precisely what we need here in the farth north of Norway. We're so alone and spread out from each other - there's hardly any support or contact with other missionaries for weeks at a time! The Zone Leaders shared the inspiring talk "Go For It" by Elder M. Russell Ballard. You can find the talk here: http://www.lds.org/new-era/2004/03/go-for-it?lang=eng&query=go+elder+russell+(name%3a%22M.+Russell+Ballard%22) It was very inspiring and very applicable to our mission up here. We truly can achieve our goals and dreams if we will but set them, plan them, pray over them and work for them!

Elder Olsen, Elder Strange and Elder Leighton :) 

After which, all the missionaries left except for Alta. We found out earlier this week that the Alta area is closing for a few months :(. In Alta, however, was Elder Olsen (my first companion back in Mo i Rana!) and Elder Leighton (a lovable newcomer from England :D). Elder Olsen and I had some great times reminiscing about Mo i Rana, and just found it hilarious that we were reunited wayyy up in the freezing cold, dark north! 

 Elder Olsen and I!!

Elder Olsen leaves in a few days for good ol' sunny Southern California (our homes are 1 hour away from each other)! I'm going to miss this man! We served together last year for 2 months in the cold, dark winter of Mo i Rana. A few people to teach, and a handful of members to keep us entertained, we had it rough! But we toughed it out. If it weren't for Elder Olsen's awesome example of being 100% obedient, despite the severity of circumstances, I wouldn't be nearly who I am in the mission now. I frequently describe Elder Olsen as a "contacting machine" because he could go out there and last for hours on end. Even when it was -15 C! It astounded me a year ago, and it still does! He also has a profound love for the Norwegian people, especially those whom we have become so very close with. Good luck to you, my friend. And may God bless you :]

Recently, a new convert here took the wonderful step of progression in his service to God by receiving the Aaronic Priesthood. Chi. is very needed here in this small branch (of 2, now 3, priesthood holders). He actually saved us this past Sunday when neither of the original 2 priesthood holders were able to come to church. The sacrament was still able to be provided for the attending members and investigators :). It was Elder Strange's first time to lead a sacrament meeting - it all went wonderfully and smoothly! The Spirit was strong, and all were edified :).

We've held a few lessons this week regarding the history of the Bible. We do our best to describe the epic, politically-and-religiously-charged background of the Bible from our limited resources as a missionary; however, we have heard about a great series called "Fires of Faith" which recounts the history of the Bible, in commemoration of the 400th anniversary of the King James Version. Once I'm home, I'd love to watch this 3-episode series, but you all can feel free to watch them for free here: http://byutv.org/show/123d4a82-3d47-488e-beda-2496a5a1ff2c Enjoy!

Since Alta has been closed for a few months, that makes Elder Strange and I the world's northernmost missionaries this winter :D. What a truly neat experience it is to be serving God's children here so far north. 

I'd like to share a thought from studies this morning in Luke chapter 18. This time reading through the Gospels, I've been very surprised as to how harsh Christ speaks toward the Sadducees and Pharisees. It makes me look at exactly what attributes those people had that I need to root out of my character in order to become more like Christ. Here in chapter 18:9-14, he relates a parable describing those "that trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others". Do we, in our pride, trust in ourselves far too much that we are self-righteous and believe that we will be automatically saved, with no efforts on our part? Are we not all beggars before the throne of God? (Mosiah 4:19) We all need the very same salvation from God, no matter the circumstances we find ourselves in. This parable touched me this morning - and I hope you can find some enlightening aspects in it for yourself.

I'd much rather be a publican than a pharisee! "God be merciful to me, a sinner!"

-Eldste Bryce Thomas Johnson

Holy mackerel that's a lot of chocolate!!

 Elder Strange found a chocolate
 sale at Rema 1000 (a local grocery store)

Rice and curry meals are a fave around here :)

Home-made Chocolate Boller :d mmm!

Heisann!

Darkness! Whoa! Since when did it get so incredibly dark?? The darkness in and of itself isn't so bad, but I now clearly remember how it was a year ago in Mo i Rana during this time. The darkness does something to your mind. Suddenly, it's difficult to focus on anything, you have the strongest desire to sleep all day long, and it feels like 10 pm at 3 pm :P. Man, who knew we were so dependent upon the sun?

Wow it's dark! ;)

Elder Levine gave me a call earlier this week saying "Oh hold on, I need to close the blinds, the sun is blinding me." Rude! Hahah. Dark time really puts it into perspective: how much we truly depend upon God's creations. How merciful God is to create a sun for us to obtain nutrients and happiness from! Luckily, we have access to "The Light of the World" to help us, and others out during this time :) Merry Christmas, by the way!

Yay Christmas packages! 

As for a miracle this week: we've been working really hard to have members with us on teaches. In Tromsø, as you all know, there aren't very many members quite yet. But Brother Swede happened to be working nights this week, instead of days! He was more than willing to help us out with some lessons (oh it's nigh-contagious how much he wants to help out :). Most of our lessons went wonderfully, and a few rather awkwardly. Some people remember that we're coming over, others completely forget and get high right before we arrive. Woops! Bad timing on our part. Good thing Brother Swede was there to help us out :). 

Look at that Christmas smile :] 

For bonking on doors, we've gone with a different approach recently. We made Christmas packages! Who wouldn't want a free DVD explaining the reason we celebrate Christmas, and then sneakily have attached Another Testament of Jesus Christ: The Book of Mormon!! And we're giving this out for free! We love sharing that which makes us happiest: coming closer to the Savior Jesus Christ. Why do we love sharing the message of joy and gladness from Jesus Christ? Because He sacrificed Himself for us to return back to Heavenly Father, if we will but follow Him. 

The finished product!

We received a very good question this week regarding how a loving, merciful God could ask Abraham to sacrifice his most precious son Isaac upon an altar. God, of course, knows the end from the beginning, and was testing Abraham's faith. But this brings me to the topic of sacrifice that I studied in detail last year around this time.

What is sacrifice? It is to give up something we value for the sake of something of greater worth. For example, Abraham was willing to give his son to God (Genesis 22) to show his willingness and complete obedience to Him. Members of the Church give obedience to God's laws in order to receive great blessings. Missionaries give up 2 years without family, friends, music, comfort and rest to serve the Lord, in hopes to touch someone's heart with a message of love, forgiveness and hope. God Himself gave His Son Jesus Christ for us all to return to Him (2 Nephi 2:7, John 3:16).

Why must we sacrifice? We sacrifice in order to grow spiritually. Through sacrifice, we develop the faith necessary for salvation, and eventual exaltation. 

What must we sacrifice? Back in Old Testament times, they were required to sacrifice their firstborn, unblemished lamb (symbolic of Christ's sacrifice) in order to receive the blessings from obedience. Since Christ has fulfilled the Atonement, we are required to sacrifice our God-given right to choose (2 Nephi 2:27). This is described as a broken heart and a contrite spirit (D&C 59:8). It means to be humble, and receptive to God's will, and to the Prophet's and Apostles' counsel. We sorrow for our sins, and sincerely repent.

What, then, do we receive in return? We receive peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come (D&C 59:23). A remission of all of our sins. Baptism by fire from the Holy Ghost, which makes it possible for us to be glorified and sanctified here on earth. We receive an easy load, and a light burden (Matthew 11:30).

Now the question is - is it really worth it? To be honest, you'll never know unless you try it for yourself. But I can testify from my own personal experiences (at times easy, at times very difficult), that sacrifice is always worth it. It is always worth it. God has made it so that, through sacrifice, we learn, grow, develop and eventually become the happiest, most free, and richly blessed beings we are capable of becoming. As we follow God's commandments, we are opening ourselves to the abundant life (John 10:10). 

As missionaries, we normally ask others to sacrifice some of their time and efforts in order to find these things out for themselves. Typically through prayer, scripture study and coming to church, they are able to connect themselves with God. And the more we connect ourselves with God, the happier we become. It's an on-going process we all must go through!

I hope that helps, C. :)

-Eldste Bryce Thomas Johnson

p.s. For all of you interested in reading my companion's blog: http://charlesstrange101.blogspot.no/ :)

p.p.s. I am extremely jealous of all of you who are able to watch the Hobbit this upcoming week. But don't worry, Elder Hazen, I'll still wait for you ;)

A sweet Christmas card from our friend C. down in Ålesund :)

Ekte Svenske kjøttboller, Tromsøs Gren,Leiligheten, Transport og Julemat (Real Swedish Meatballs, the Tromsø Branch, the Apartment, Transportation, and Christmas Food!)

The sunrise/sunset (we can't tell the difference anymore :P)

Elder Strange and I seeing the first sight of Northern Lights! However, none of the pictures turned out :( . . . yet!

Hej alla!  

                                                                                                                              In

Real Swedish Meatballs!

case you didn't notice, that's some Swedish we've been learning from a member family here :D. They're Swedish, and one of the rock solid families up here in Tromsø. They even had us over for dinner this week - Sister Swede (as I'll call her :]) made us some real, home-made, genuine swedish meatballs! I had to control myself to not burst out in Muppet Swedish Chef noise delight! This family is a stunning example of following the Spirit, despite unexpected circumstances and results. It's difficult to be a member here in Tromsø due to the small numbers - but they keep on coming strong. And they came on a spiritual impression. I cannot express to you how grateful we are to have another strong, solid family here in Tromsø. It makes all the difference.

The Tromsø chapel - and me sporting my new self-and-Elder-Strange-done Norwegian style haircut. Long on top, short on the sides :)

The Tromsø branch (according to the best of my knowledge and experience thus far) consists of 3 rock solid families - 2 here in Tromsø, and another all the way up in Svalbard (google that!). We use skype fairly frequently in this area to teach people who live way far away, where transportation is simply unreasonable. Skype is the best alternative! Other than these families, there are usually 3 or 4 eternal investigators who have been coming consistently for the past 2-5 years. Their testimonies are solid, but due to a few complicated circumstances, can't yet be baptized members. They are wonderful to have here :). Outside of these people, you've got us and whoever else we can fish up from the street. And it's been going wonderfully thus far :]. Love Tromsø!!

Our meetings begin at 1 pm, as I've mentioned before, and Sunday School is the first hour (taught by Elder Strange and me). As for the second and last hour, we have sacrament meeting. Thanks to Mom's zeal for piano lessons, I can play for the branch every Sunday (just like Mo i Rana!). Our building is full-time rented out right in the middle of town on Storgata (the main street for shops). It has a mini chapel that can seat 25 people, 2 rooms, 1 office and a mini bathroom and kitchen. It's perfect for teaching people right off the street (to get us out of the cold!). We're very blessed to have this building.

The apartment here in Tromsø is pretty typical of the Norwegian mission - 1 bedroom, 1 eating/studying/working out/couch area, 1 bathroom, and a little area for our jackets and boots. It's warm and cozy, and that's all we care about :)

Newspaper in the shoes - keeps those toesies toasty!

As for transportation, "we've got bikes and a car, but we mostly walk because it makes good stories for our homecoming talks" - to put it in the words of the Alaska Anchorage Mission missionary album :P. Nah, we primarily take the bus to and from the sentrum, and when the bus is unreasonably inconvenient, then we use the car. One of the main reasons we still have a car here is to help out some of the members. An 83 year old member here has us drive with him to drug stores and grocery stories every week. He's an old-time norwegian fisherman. THICK dialect, let me tell you. Anyway, other than that we just walk walk walk! P.S. Newspaper in the bottoms of your shoes helps keep the toesies insulated!!

                                                                                                                             Christmas food is booming all over the grocery stores. I thought I'd include the names of traditional Norwegian Christmas food for you all to google and make if you'd like: Lutefisk >:], pinnekjøtt, kanelboller, gløgg, julebrus, julepølse, pepperkaker, and of course loads and loads of potatoes.

Planning, pepperkaker and milk :D mmm!

Missionary work wise, this week has been wonderful! The Lord has truly blessed us with many people to teach - and much potential to grasp. Lessons have consisted of sorting out the differences between the Godhead and the Trinity. We believe that God the Father, His Son, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost are three separate beings, but one in their purpose and objective (Moses 1:39). Receiving answers from God through the Holy Ghost (Moroni 10:5). The purpose of life (Alma 34:32). The role and importance of the priesthood (D&C 121:34-46). And the necessity of baptism by proper priesthood authority (D&C 22)! 

The Book of Mormon library project for Tromsø  :)

It fascinates me to meet others with such different backgrounds. From Iran, to Lappland (the Sami area), the variation is exciting and challenging. From sociable, fully functioning families to previous foster children. Older retired people, to young students. To all, the arms of mercy are extended if they are but willing to accept it. Sometimes all that holds us back is our own stubborn pride - but oh what sweet release comes from delivering your will to the Father's. 

That is the purpose of life - and it is the only path to true, lasting, eternal happiness. (D&C 11:20, Moses 1:39, 2 Nephi 2:25)

God jul!! (Merry Christmas!)

-Eldste Bryce Thomas Johnson

The Christmas Tree in sentrum!

The bridge to Kvaløy, and the Tromsø airport runway (just for Dad!)

The ice cathedral (more pictures to come another time!)