"Skjerpe Våpnene!" ("Sharpen the Weapons!")

Mountain.

Mountains and lake! 

 the SUN! We completely forgot what it's like to have full sunlight on your face. Whew.

Hej!

"Sharpen the Weapons!" is a phrase that Brother Swede (as I'll call him ;) has been using this past week. Since this area isn't the largest of areas, and neither Brother Swede, nor we, will be staying in this area permanently, and since we have the necessary resources, and we want to help our awesome Branch President as much as possible, we decided to take upon ourselves the project of updating and clearing out the church records for Tromsø branch! The member list being one of the many "weapons" we have to progress the church here in Tromsø.

It surprises me how many facets of missionary work there are. This week we learned a lot about the church's record-keeping and secretarial programs. Excellent experiences for future service opportunities, for sure! We've kinda felt like detectives, secretaries, door salesmen, and missionaries all in one week! 

Boy did we find some icicles. Try 50 feet tall. 

As for the miracles this week, I'd say the best ones we've had is actually FINDING these people who don't have a street address on the list whatsoever. Just a huge landmark, or other identifying indicator, tells us that we're in the right area. Time after time, we arrive at the huge landmark, and find only a handful of houses in the area. The first door we bonk on "Hey, do you know where the L. family lives?" "Well you've arrived!" Are you serious?? The chances of us coming to the right place, right when we planned that we would arrive, and that the families were even HOME - is nothing short of a miracle. Different reactions we received from these members were fascinating: "Yeah, we live too far away to get to church, but we are still strong in our faith!" to "Yeah, I was baptized when I was 8 years old, and haven't had much contact with the church since. Feel free to come fishing with us during the summer, though - anytime!" It's really really neat. And helps us find opportunities to strengthen their faith, and invite their friends and family to learn as well! Ahh it's been a great week :)

"This is the happiest I've ever been on my entire mission!" exclaims Elder Badger. "Wow. I'm sorry." comes the sarcastic reply from Elder Johnson. *sigh* we don't know what to do with one another :)

One of the reasons we're so up and happy, is because we get a call from our 80+ year old member A. Every. Single. Day. "Good weather today, eh boys?" "Yup, another beautiful day, indeed, A.!" He has the thickest, thickest, Northern-Norwegian fisherman dialect I have ever heard. No really, I couldn't understand more than 1-2 words the first time I spoke with him over the phone. 

Our smiley friend A., in his traditional location "kan dokker hente mæ posten??" (can you guys get my mail?) *throws a fish-smelling grocery bag at us*

Tonefall all over the place, Northern-Norwegian chopping off parts of words incessantly, and a very specific vocabulary regarding fish and whale meats, it's been one heck of a trip to understand him. But we love him, because we know he likes having us over to talk "with" (more like "at") us regarding few, specific topics: politics, excruciatingly high fish-meat prices ("eventyr, helt eventyr, vettu!"), the weather, World War II, and a man by the name of "Gundersen" who baptized him approximately 20 years ago. "Where do you come from, Elder Badger?" "Utah." "Oh do you know Gundersen?" "Uhh . . . no." Oh yeah, the best part of it all, is that his house always smells like fish, thanks to some dried fish-skins he has in the front entryway. We think they are for fending off the local yetis. 

*upchuck*

This is a text we got earlier this week from Chi. "Hey guys. I need to get the Melchizedek priesthood. - Chi." Chi. is one of the new converts we've been meeting with frequently. At our meeting "Chi. what made you think of and send that text?" "I don't know, man. I was just thinking about it, and I felt really strongly about it." Wow! The Spirit is certainly working through him. He is a stunning example of being so strong with hardly any support around him. If I could be as faithful as Chi., I'd be set for the rest of my life :)

Visiting with some members, and an adorable dog :D 

Well, it's been an amazing week. And I think it's because we've taken our studies super seriously this week. Personal, companionship and language studies have all just been on fire this whole week. We love love LOVE studies. One quote I loved this week was from Elder Neal A. Maxwell, "Satan need not to get everyone to be like Cain or Judas . . . He only needs able men . . . to see themselves as sophisticated neutrals." (http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/10/what-shall-a-man-give-in-exchange-for-his-soul?lang=eng#21-10491_000_25gay)

In this day and age, we can no longer have "neutrals", sophisticated, ignorant, apathetic, lazy or otherwise. 

This is the work of the Lord, and it shall go forth!

-Eldste Bryce Thomas Johnson

Local ice-scraping experts agree, the name-tag is the best way to go.

Awesome shadow cast by the mountains, onto CLOUDS!

Lake and sun!