Heleisen verden! (One last Stavanger-dialect greeting for the road!)
Wow. Has it been 4 months already? The Stavanger area has been like walking on sunshine ever since I arrived. This place has definitely been a blast - memberwise, investigatorwise, missionarywise, companionwise, citywise. Everything has just come into place to make it the best experience thus far. The Lord has been very merciful and generous to me these past four months, for which I will be eternally grateful. Now He has a plan for me a bit further north: Tromsø!
Tromsø is an island in the middle of a fjord way up north by Alta (Alta being the highest latitude missionary area in the entire world, Tromsø being the second). It is world-renowned for its northern lights (rated #1 in the world by some), and it's two and a half times larger than Mo i Rana! No empty streets for us :). Elder Strange will be joining me in Tromsø. He's one of the most energetic missionaries we have in the mission - so we'll be tearing it up together in the holidays! From what I've heard, Tromsø has a branch of approximately 3 families (2 in Tromsø, and 1 that skypes in from Svalbard), and a few others. It's going to be wonderful getting close to all of them these coming months :). Tromsø is a university town. One of Norway's best medical schools is in Tromsø . . . so I'll definitely have a peak in there. Prepare for miracles - and some new boots!
Below is another perspective of where Bryce is
Here's the new address:
Vardevegen 205A
9018 Tromsø
This past week has just been spectacular. Our ward mission leader skyped us AGAIN. This time from London. My definition of a ward mission leader has gone from zero to hero this transfer - hopefully I can be as epic as him! We've also had very much success praying with members and investigators to help them receive missionary experiences. One of our investigators was so excited about the Book of Mormon and the Restoration DVD we gave him that he gave them to his friend immediately after getting them from us! Like this man said from this video from the hurricane Sandy tragedy, (http://vimeo.com/53357089) "When the Spirit of Christ sinks deep into your heart, you just want to serve and help your fellow man." Whether by sharing the gospel, or cleaning up the flotsam and jetsam of a national disaster, it is what Christ Himself would do.
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| I. has been following us for the past few days for a school report on missionary work. Love those vikings!! |
We had the wonderful opportunity to have a zone training meeting this past week. This month's theme is "preparing for baptism," so the theme revolved around our own personal conversion and change of heart. Or in other words, the "why" behind baptism. That was one of the most spiritual testimony meetings I have ever attended. You could cut the Spirit in that room with a knife, it was so thick. It was fascinating to note that almost every testimony born began with their family, and how their family engaged them to act on some prompting, or raised them in an environment susceptible to the influence of the Holy Ghost for them to gain a testimony. The family truly is the best place to learn and apply the principles of the gospel. Baptism exists in order for man and God to establish a stronger relationship. For us to commit ourselves to Him and His will (by keeping the commandments, and following the promptings of the Holy Ghost). And for God to more abundantly bless us (through comfort, promptings, and more than we can currently comprehend Mosiah 2:41).
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| The sisters made a bomb lunch for our district! MMM. |
Speaking of baptism, K. was just baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Sunday! This wonderful man has been investigating the church for almost the whole 4 months we've been here. It has been an honor and a pleasure to extend to him commitments in which his faith could grow. I find it very fascinating how a testimony can be grown. Either 1) you could gain a testimony of the Book of Mormon and thereby know that Joseph Smith was a prophet or 2) you could get a testimony of a principle or law that Joseph Smith revealed to us, to find out if he was a prophet. K.'s experience was the latter. By following the Word of Wisdom, K. knew for a fact that Joseph Smith was a prophet, and that the Book of Mormon was true. The Lord works in mysterious ways - and how wonderful it is to watch His work in action!
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| Awesome cupcakes made by a member family. MMM. |
The announcement that we were leaving Stavanger came pretty hard to the ward, and especially to K., but we all know that it is according to God's will. As we say: "The righteous never need to say good-bye!" Just: "see you later!". As the work of the Lord moves on, and hastens ever increasingly, let's reach out to those around us and love them.
Remember that Christ's two greatest commandments began with "Thou shalt love".
I shall therefore love. John 14:15.
-Eldste Bryce Thomas Johnson
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Elder Weaver having his first experience with oatmeal. No I'm not kidding.
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