CHINA!!!‏

Dude, you're kidding me!! Completely kidding me. All of these years of dreaming to go to Norway and China, and we both get to go there!! That is absolutely nuts. Haha!! I can't wait for our stories and experiences :D. Gah! Hahaha.

Well everyone, my buddy Garrett got his call to Hong Kong, China, and it is nigh unbelievable!

Ominous, eh?

Bergen Stav Kirke

So hey everyone! I feel more alive than I have in a while. This week was awesome! The Atonement is real and this Gospel is true! And going around telling people that feels amazing. I hope you all enjoy the pictures (yes, enjoy the Ancient Norsk Church Garrett, saw it this morning!! Didn't go inside though because it cost $20. The other ones are free from what I've heard!) There are mushrooms everywhere and the city is gorgeous when there's some sun!

We studied some family history stuff for missionary work because apparently it's a huge hobby in Norway, and I found out that I have Scottish blood in me! Scottish!! Scottish, Danish, Swedish and English. That's awesome. I was so excited after I heard that. And also one of my grandmas was born in Nauvoo (Rebecca Hill). That is so incredible! It's empowering to think about those on the other side supporting us in our work here. So! I would love some more stories about my family, that'd be great :D.

One thing we've found to be rather successful here in Bergen is to go out by the lake and draw a giant chalk picture of the plan of salvation (Frelsesplanen) for people. It's a great way to talk to people! We've found many potential investigators that way, and my Norsk has really improved. Note to future missionaries/anyone who will explain the plan of salvation effectively: The Plan of Salvation is centered on Jesus Christ - therefore you must use Him as your needle through the tapestry of the Plan. It is only possible through Christ, and the Holy Ghost can powerfully testify of the Plan when you speak of His role as Savior to make it possible. 

Another thing. I've been having a hard time with patience recently. And since I have studied the Christ-like attribute of patience and thoroughly sought to obtain it, my joy in this work has blossomed. I highly recommend in everyone's personal study to take some time to obtain and develop these attributes - for it is more important to be a missionary than to just do missionary things! (including member missionaries!) However, both of them bring blessings! Go and perform missionary work - it is the lifeblood of this Gospel and brings so much joy! 

Did I mention Bergen is the home of Edvard Grieg? Sweet huh! We're performing our fireside next Sunday. The music will be incredible - the members here are gifted musicians (particularly vocalists). Also, it doesn't snow too badly here. The weather stays warm enough to be rain, and yet cold enough to still tell you it's Norway. I've certainly been warm so far however :D - I even found an extra jacket (not waterproof, but warm!) in the apartment. I'm looking around for a good snow jacket though. It's going to be cold, I know it will.

Thank you all for your support - I feel transformed through the Atonement and I experience joy everyday in this work. I am really excited for this next week. I haven't received any mail yet, but I look forward to it! . . . some day! . . . . . Haha. These p-days where we get emails feel like Christmas. Vitamin D will really come in handy, I hope I get it! Congratulations to all of you getting married - I wish I could be there! I'm excited to see little cousins running around pretty soon :D. I love you all so much. I've never done anything harder, yet more satisfying and joyful. It's truly the Lord's work! Take advantage of the gift Christ has given us!

-Eldste Bryce Thomas Johnson

Sunset in Bergen 

Ulriken

Growth growth growth!‏

Hei!

I hope everyone's having a great week! Mine was certainly a growing one. That is for sure. I am finally being exposed to parts of the world I had no idea about beforehand. Glad I'm learning some life lessons! - even if it is the hard way. But it is wonderful to know that if you are willing to do the things God has attached some serious blessings to (D&C 130:20-21), the blessings will come. And they're coming!

One really surprising piece of news - I was in church yesterday looking for a seat in Sacrament meeting, and I saw a man holding his hand out to me, and after tracing the hand up to the face - it was Brother Pulsipher! Brother Pulsipher was my next door neighbor way back when, and now lives in the wine country in Temecula. What a surprise! I sat with him and his wife during church. It was great to see a familiar face from back home. We got a picture, so I think you should see that soon, Mom.

The work itself is coming along! One thing that really helped all the missionaries here was we went to a very central part of the city, by the lake (for those of you with google maps . . . .) and we used chalk for a huge drawing of the Plan of Salvation. We taught so many people that day! It was really neat. A literal miracle we experienced was after a few hours of contacting in the rain and not very many positive responses, we decided to go and pray for one teach - just one teach. So we did, and the third person we contacted was totally positive and we gave a Book of Mormon to! Yeah!! That was a really surprising, yet wonderfully timed answer to a prayer. Other than that, we are continually out finding, teaching less actives and trying to find more people to teach! If any of you have anyone you know who would be interested to hear our message, please let us know! ;)

The language is coming along - the language barrier slowly deteriorating. I can finally focus again! And I love it! Ahh, what a blessing our minds are. The Bergen dialect is particularly difficult due to a strong German influence - so understanding is slowly coming along, and speaking is certainly weird because I speak so differently than them. Norway is so varied in its dialects! It's a really neat experience to be here and experience them all.

So this week I realized it is very difficult to go and contact for hours in the rain. I feel bad for the people we stop because they're just stopped getting wet in the rain! Haha, but little do they know the wonderful blessings possible through our message (1 Cor. 2:9-11 - I found the scripture, Ken!). It was particularly difficult on Friday when Elder Argyle and I (both brand new missionaries) had to go on splits for the day. And we had a full day of finding! What a learning experience that was. Haha. I'm sure many who have gone on missions can completely imagine our predicament. We are still in one piece, however, and wiser for it. There is a promise in the mission call that states that if we diligently study the scriptures we will find the motivation to continually be obedient and work hard. I am holding that promise to the test, and praying fervently for the strength to go and find more people. I testify that all things are possible through the Atonement made by our Savior Jesus Christ, and that we can tap into that power through the scriptures (Moroni 10:3-5). Therefore, pray! read scriptures every day! go to church! fulfill your duty! And you will be immensely blessed beyond your imagination.

About the ward size, the ward is pretty big for Norway, about 60 people. We have wonderful members who are supporting us (especially with our fireside performance in two weeks). Turns out I'll be accompanying a violinist and a vocalist! We shall decide the song soon, and I'll let you all know.

I wish I could send some pictures! I forgot my cord this week (as well as last week . . .) so I hope by next week I can send some! Micah, please send me some scripture chains. I would love to use them, especially for member teaches. Please send them! Other than that, I am alive and well! Thank you for your prayers, I pray for you as well! This Gospel is true, and is directly applicable to our lives. We just need to use it. I love you all!

-Eldste Bryce Thomas Johnson

Paradis, Bergen - First week in Norway!

Hei Hei alle!

Where to begin? I have no idea! Well, the last few days at the MTC were truly special. A wonderful Norsk testimony meeting, reminescence about kebabs (even though none of us have had one yet . . . until now! But that'll come later), and sweet encouragement from our teachers. A fantastic final few days in the MTC, and we were off to Norway! There was almost a delay where we missed our first flight, but through a miracle we made that flight. Mom, it was wonderful to talk to you! Carissa, I hope you enjoyed your voicemail. Bahaha.  Then 45 minute layover in Chicago, and made that flight. The flight across the Atlantic was super nice! Only 7 hours to London, and I sat next to two very nice, not big, smelly, loud or obnoxious people. It was great! and then we had a few hours in London. Besides the fact that we felt totally smashed by jetlag, and tried to stay awake through the day in order to adjust asap, we thoroughly enjoyed London! We even met a super nice recent convert by the name of Maurine who apparently had a lot of connections to Norway. So that was way nice, and she kept us awake thank goodness. By the time we flew to Oslo (capital city!), the fact that we could speak Norwegian instantly flew from our minds. Well. More like understand. Yeah, we can speak a little Norsk, but to understand?! It was impossible that first day! Oi! So that was no fun. President Johansen met us at the airport with the APs - wonderful people.

That first night our MTC distrikt stayed at the mission home. Sister Johansen made an absolutely delicious Norsk meal of kjøttkaker (meat cakes) og kjøttballer (meat balls) with brunn saus (brown gravy) and salad (salad ;)) and rødkål (red cabbage) and bringebær syltetøy (bringberries jam - which taste like mild cranberries MMM. :d). We had a testimony meeting and bought our dynes. Dynes are incredible! I haven't slept so well for 2 months! . . . or maybe that was just the MTC pillows. But the dynes are everything I ever wanted - and mine, at least right now, smells like good-smelling hamsters. I love it. The night very soon became late and we only got about 4 hours of sleep before our first day. A quick good-bye to all of the MTC distrikt, and I was on my way to Bergen. Yes my first area is Bergen - Bro Jaffa was right! I talked to a fine Oslo man on the way over. (Thank goodness too - the Oslo dialect, Bokmål, is really crisp, clear and even has some English in it). Teaching real people is so different from the MTC. At least in the MTC you get the most common, or most difficult situations. These real people have like . . . real opinions . . . and real beliefs and thoughts which I've never thought before (being a homeschooled Mormon California boy). Heaven help me become familiar with these people soon!

There are 61 total missionaries out in Norway right now, 8 of us in Bergen - which is a huge group compared to normal! 

Sisters Ray and Steven and Elders Sessions, Spencer, Perry, Argyle (from the distrikt), Passey (my comp.) - great people that I'll get to know better. The first 2 days were bright and sunny, which is the exception here in Bergen - that's for sure. Apparently Bergen holds the world record for the city with the most days raining in a row (the number is pretty darn close to 365). Other than that - it is incredibly gorgeous here! Many bright red, yellow and white houses against a dark forest background and fog. And lakes everywhere. Oh. It's so pretty. And the rain isn't too bad - just very light rain which a jacket takes care of no problem. Turns out there's one of those old Norsk cathedrals in the skog (little forest) near my hybel (home, place where we sleep) that we'll check out next P-day! I swear, I could totally see trolls running around in the mossy skog coming and pulling on our ties. And mushrooms growing around our feet. So neat!

So Elder Passey is my trainer! He's an experienced missionary from Cedar City. Really nice, laidback, yet hard-working guy. We immediately started teaching less-actives the first day I got here. Way cool.

Elder Passey and I 

Except I can't understand a word of what anyone says. It's extremely frustrating. If I could understand what people say, then I could know what their feelings are, and how the gospel can apply to them. But instead I just sit there saying "kan du si det igjen? Beklager, kan du gjenta det?" oi! Very frustrating. With time my ear will adjust to it. On Saturday we went contacting for my first time. Let me tell you: I was wayyy nervous. But the scripture that says I will go before your face, and my angels round about you and my spirit in your hearts is REAL. I felt so supported and happy while contacting, even though my heart was going a mile a minute. When someone stops to talk to you it is the best feeling in the world! That happened 4 times, and we even got a return appt. with Imano, who we're teaching tonight! Contacting isn't too bad. I just want to understand people and try a bunch of different methods of contacting and can therefore be more useful. Ah. Time time time . . . . such a frustrating thing.

The ward here though is phenomenal!! We were warmly welcomed by the whole ward - and even better I could take notes trying to understand everyone's dialects which helped immensely. Church is amazing, I hope you all know that. An amazing opportunity we have to go and feel joy. Our investigator George attested to that! It was truly neat. Afterward there was a dinner at the Berg's home. Surprisingly we ate curry, which made me think of Tanner! Hope you're doing great! They even made a green which chocolate ice cream topping in tribute for the "greenies" that just came in. Extremely kind of them, I love this ward! Though, I have had 2 people come up to me and say that I look like I'm 14 or 15. Are you serious!? 14 or 15? Haha! Europeans are so open, it's great. Elder Passey and I are putting together a music fireside for 3 weeks from now open to the public with the message "God is Our Loving Heavenly Father". I'm way excited. Especially since I'll practice a piece and not lose my piano skills!

A little bit of how I feel right now. Umm . . . . lost. Haha. The jetlag itself wasn't too bad at all, at least when it comes to sleepiness. On the other hand, trying to focus is what is extremely difficult for me right now. I can hardly teach a lesson in English, and I felt so confident in teaching in Norwegian before I left! Dang jetlag. That will reside with time though. I also feel lost because I can hardly understand a word of what people say, which makes me a useless missionary as of right now. At least I can smile and look like I'm 15 though, right??

Now to answer a few questions my Mom had which you all may be interested in: Turns out their snow coats are not quite in season yet, just wait a few weeks and they'll be ripe. I saw a really sweet one today, but it was 2000 kroner (approx. $400). I'm going to need a small rain coat (probably if I can't find one in the hybel) and a snow jacket . . . Hopefully I can find both under 1000 kroner (approx. $200). Today though I did find my dream backpack! Super comfy, fancy and durable (Bergans, for those of you kjent with Norway). The backpack and the new pocket dictionary did make quite the dent in the wallet though . . . . Norway is so expensive. A haircut for example is $50 for a male. Oi.

We get around by public transportation on the bybane (city train) and buses. In a few weeks I'll be able to start my drivers license stuff, but I won't be driving here in Bergen - and there's a good chance I'll be here until at least February.

The dialect - almost everyone can understand me, but I can't understand a word about what people say to me. So I can definitely share the gospel message, but hardly apply it their lives. Time and effort. Kom igjen, minne!

Living conditions - the hybel is a nice little apartment thing under a house with one bedroom, one bathroom, and even a living room and kitchen! It's typically cold, but a really nice place. However, it was an absolute dump when I got here. Thankfully we have some cleaning supplies.

Everyday - every day has been so different because of little things I've needed to do, but it seems like a lot of traveling from place to place, trying to talk to people, sitting waiting for buses, also trying to talk to people, teaching less actives though I can't understand a word, and even some contacting.

The people are very private and to themselves. Which I apparently forgot before I came. And they're also very quiet. Thankfully Elder Passey let me know I was basically yelling at people with how loud my "Heisann!" was about two hours in. Yup. Good timing, friend. So yeah, with 3 hours of contacting we were able to speak with 4 people and 1 wanted to speak with us again. Once I have the different methods of contacting down, it'll be a blast!

Okay I think that's all. Congratulations Anna Rose and Lindsey for going off the top!  I hope Mammoth was a great trip! Carissa and Hillary, thank you so so so much for the package. The bread sustained me in London. Though my Swedish friend was depressed to see that there were no pictures in the package - haha! I don't think I have any other questions to answer, so send me some mail! I don't have any time to write letters today, but hopefully next week! Here's my address:

Elder Bryce Thomas Johnson

Nattlandsia 5

5231 Paradis

Norway

One more thing! I ate my first kebab today! It was delicious. Yet according to the veterans here it wasn't so good. Kebabs are like a pocket made out of pita bread filled with meat, vegetables and an amazing sauce. It is wonderful! I'm excited to try out more places.

Okay! I love you all! You're wonderful! Please pray for me - I know the adjustment will go quicker. I still love this, and am excited for the future. Until next week!

-Eldste Bryce Thomas Johnson

First place I ever contacted!

MTC Brev #5‏

Hei alle!

A very good week this week! Many things learned and many things felt. Some exciting news is that I am leaving for Norway a week early in preparation for a member of the Seventy to come and speak to us! We shall leave on August 29th rather than September 5th. The district here is counting blessings :]. We are all so excited to leave and just be immersed in the language already. Nevertheless, much can and is learned here while in the MTC!

When it comes to Norsk, how you are understood comes primarily through your "tone of fall" - I am sure a few of you are familiar with it. The tone of fall is basically the primary reason I am incredibly stoked to learn Norsk. I don't know very many languages that use it. By the way you inflect your vowels and the length of your vowels you can make your statements and questions more clear or meaningful. It's really interesting! and the dialects are extremely different all across Norway. I am going to love it! I'm super excited to bear my testimony that first Sunday. Hopefully no children will cry.

More thoughts on the baptism by fire - I've discussed this with my teachers and my district and it is such a neat concept! Directly related to the baptism by fire is the change of heart to "no more desire to do evil." Thereby turning off the evil and filling the heart with desire to do that which is good. In a small example, you can't just go up to someone and make them desire something because you say so. Yet through the gift of the Holy Ghost you can find within yourself the desire to love others more sincerely than you ever have before, to read scriptures consistently, to follow God's commandments, for we can feel the goodness of following God through the Spirit. Another thing we have discussed recently is obtaining revelation through Church attendance. After going through the Temple, I really found a new appreciation for Church and what we do there. We are there in church to learn from each other, build each other up and discuss needs, solutions and our gratitude for our God. By attending Church we open up our hearts to God, and particularly through the sacrament we cleanse ourselves in order to learn more. An amazing opportunity every week!

Our teaching has been coming along well! Eldste Knudson and I are teaching quite well, and I am certainly learning many many things from him. The biggest thing I have learned from him so far is how to ask questions. Questions questions questions - the key to open our hearts and an investigator's heart to the Spirit of revelation and edification. Questions are precisely the way Jesus Christ taught - for through questions the investigator teaches themselves, supplemented with scriptures and simple statements of truth. Eldste Knudson rocks at questions, and that is what I need to use unceasingly on my mission. The next thing to do is listen to the answers of those questions, and seek through the Spirit for understanding. It is a miracle what you can do through questions and listening. I encourage everyone to go and read "The Spirit of Revelation" by Elder Bednar. I have come to realize that revelation comes extremely frequently, though we may not recognize it. Everyone, please read from the Book of Mormon every day and pray for understanding. I promise you that you will feel peace and comfort - especially through consistent effort.

Thank you Mom for those pictures, and thank you Christiaan and Anna Rose for the vitamins, picture (it captures your family perfectly :P) and cookies! Thank you everyone who sent me letters - I will respond to all who send me letters! Thank you all who have influenced my life and prepared me and every little way to experience my mission the way I am. I love it, and yes, it is one of the hardest things I've done - only to get harder in Norway. To all whose lives are throwing them curve balls, please read from the sciptures and pray for comfort (2 Nephi 4, Romans 8). God has promised us many blessings, and if we are faithful we may receive all (D&C 82:10). I love you all!

Inntill neste uke!

-Eldste Bryce Thomas Johnson

MTC Distrikt 37F (4)‏

Heisann all!

Our "take out" breakfast . . . mmm.

A month?? Already!? and yet. . . It's only been one month?? My goodness, I cannot believe it. I wish I could know how all of you are doing so I could adapt my emails a little more to you, but instead you'll just have to suffer. Haha.

The MTC is still amazing. The Spirit is so strong, and the things we learn, and the pace we learn them, are astounding. The Lord truly prepares His servants before He sends them out to the world. Boy am I grateful for a full 9 weeks here. Last Sunday, our Distrikt sung "Næmere min Gud til deg". Church here is, surprisingly, a refreshing release from the every day activities here! Sundays are heavensent. My Mom asked how Sundays go, so I'll explain that here. We wake up, prepare and go to training meetings and have personal study. Then we have sacrament meeting and priesthood. We have choir altogether and then go to a devotional in the evening. After the devotional we watch films such as The Testaments, Joseph Smith: The Prophet of the Restoration, Legacy or some choice talks given by general authorities. The movies are a great break from the rest of the week, yet we still feel spiritually enlightened through them! Last night at our devotional we had Elder Gerald N. Lund speak to us on faith. It's astonishing how people can teach faith again and again, and it can still be a good experience. Elder Lund blew us out of the water - and we loved it! Once I get back home I want to read some of his books.

Elder Putnam

Last night I said goodbye to Elder Putnam. He's in Peru right now, down in the MTC until September. It was truly an honor to be in the MTC with him at the same time. We had some wonderful moments singing in the choir together. I am sure he will "Shake Hell!" like nobody's business down in Ecuador! I'm going to miss that Elder.

One thing that has been on my mind, and I may have already stated in a previous email, is the topic of sanctification. I have thought a lot about this topic since coming on my mission, for that is what a mission does to you: it sanctifies you. I only recently learned that this process of sanctification is part of the Gift of the Holy Ghost - the "baptism of fire." It is true we are baptized by water, but then does the real progress take effect. When we have the gift of the Holy Ghost, we are given more direction and guidance as to choices of good and evil. It is up to us to be sensitive and discern between, and then choose the best, according to our abilities. The baptism of fire, in my opinion, is much like wading through a sea of decision, finding and making the better choices, and disregarding lesser ones. That sanctifying effect of the Holy Ghost comes when we make correct choices and lead our desires to righteousness. This process takes time, and eventually you find yourself more sensitive to the Spirit, to those around you and even yourself. It is an amazing feeling to have a richer, more meaningful relationship with the Spirit, those around you and yourself. We eventually become more whole, like our Savior, when we take advantage of the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Polishing some shoes

Another item I think may be of benefit to you all, are some things I think are extremely important to pray for. We ask for charity in order to love and see like the Savior does. We ask for patience in order to soften our hearts, despite the trials that beset us, such as waiting for an answer or expecting more direction. We ask for the desire to bless the whole human race, for that is precisely what our Heavenly Father desires. We ask for God to speak through us in order to speak to the hearts of our investigators. We want them to know the truthfulness and meaning of our message, in order for them to find true joy and happiness. We ask for a stronger testimony of Jesus Christ and His Atonement, of Joseph Smith and his call to restore this true Gospel, and of the Book of Mormon, so that we may teach with power and with authority, to help others come unto Christ. And we also ask for the gift of tongues - which I personally feel does not only apply to other languages - it can apply to English as well. We all need help to communicate the Gospel message in a clearer, more powerful way.

Thank you all so much - I can still feel your prayers, please continue to do so, they support me more than you think. I love you all so much, and I pray for you when I have time! I promise! May the Lord bless you for your diligence in this Gospel.

Mye kjærlighet og velsignelser!

Eldste Bryce Thomas Johnson

MTC Distrikt 37F (3)‏

Hei Hei!

Wow, it has been three weeks already! But also, it has only been three weeks? Seriously, days feel like weeks and weeks feel like days. Time is a loose thing here at the MTC.

The MTC is getting harder: it really shows your weaknesses, but it's grand because you can then strengthen those weaknesses before you're sent off to a new place! Taking advantage of the Atonement is a great blessing and is truly shaping me. I'm only 3 weeks in and I feel very different. I can't imagine two years. Also, the food is getting to me (3 weeks in . . .). Mom, thank you a million for the bentonite clay. It makes me feel amazing. There's nothing like downing volcanic ash before going to bed. On the other hand the MTC is getting easier because planning is coming much more easily to me and my Distrikt. I love it. Personal study is one of my favorite times of the day!

My study desk and chair

I want to share with everyone what helped me most before my mission. First, reading the scriptures with a study journal to write thoughts, questions, impressions and really awesome things (Helaman 8 and 9 are so intense!). Writing these things down really helped me recognize the Spirit. Second, establishing independence beFORE the Mission. Namely, going to college for a year really helped me know what it's like to be on your own, in a sense, and truly rely on the Lord to help you. Third, Mom teaching me the basics (laundry, food, . . . . we never got around to sewing though, haha). Seminary was a great preparation: just seeing if you can commit yourself to the Lord at 6 am. Even dating I would say helped me immensely prepare for a mission. Guys are dramatic too! And you need to know how to cope with people who may be offended. To all of you preparing for missions (ages 0-19) read the first verse of Come Come Ye Saints. It rocks. Preparing for a mission is hard, but I can really see how it has paid off. Especially seeing the varied distribution of elders.

Some random events that have happened:

Some people are Dear Eldering the wrong Bryce Johnson! There are 3 or 4 of us here at the MTC - and I don't receive notice of that until 3 days or so later. Just make sure you have the correct information! We consecrated some oil, and that was really neat. I've never done that before. It was Eldste Williams' birthday on Sunday! We celebrated with cake and . . .  study time. He just turned 19, that youngster. Eric would be stoked to know I met an Elder 

Cunningham! I hope he will be graced with such an opportunity when he is here :]. Speaking of devilish handsomeness, my brown suit and Marc & Miri's Express tie are the talk of the town here at the MTC. They're the only things I get compliments on! Did I mention I love harps? On some of the movies we watch on Sunday nights, there's one with awesome harp. We are starved for music here at the MTC. That was something I really learned to give up this week. by the way! I saw Tate and Uncle Garenon youth.lds.org! I was so surprised to see their smiling faces listening to an iPod. I really like what the church is doing with their websites, especially the youth one. They're really modern.

Elder Knudson and I.

Our investigators are coming along. Eldste Knudson and I are teaching well, but we have much to learn before we head out! I'm really glad we have 9 weeks here, just so that we can figure out some basics about teaching in another language first. We need to emphasize the importance of personal revelation through the Book of Mormon and prayer, and understand that they must find out the truth for themselves! We have a teach tonight, so we'll really focus on that.

Recently I have had some really awesome experiences reading in the Book of Mormon and D&C. First in D&C 88:34, it expresses the way we are sanctified and what we receive through sanctification. Being a missionary, that is a crucial element to your preparation before you leave. We are set apart from the world to go and share the Gospel message that the truth has been restored and the true way to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come are here on earth! The feelings of the Holy Spirit are so strong with missionary-work - as they should be - for a missionary cannot teach an investigator to be converted further than the missionary is. Another amazing experience I had was just pondering the life to come and the wonderful promises given us through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Just imagine that for a few minutes the most amazing, celestial existence possible, and then realize it's even grander than that! I love this Gospel.

P-Days have become much busier now that the temple is up and running again. We went this morning, and it was a wonderful experience. I can't wait for there to be a temple in Norway. I think that may be the next goal after a second stake opens up there (that's the goal for the end of this year!).

I think that's all I have to report for now! So I shall share one of my favorite scriptures på Norsk!

"Og Eli sa till Samuel: Gå og legg deg. Og blir det ropt på deg, så skal du si: Tal, Herre, din tjener hører! Og Samuel gikk og la seg på plassen sin."

You are all wonderful! I can feel your prayers and they are much appreciated and felt. I especially enjoy your letters of encouragement and advice (Mom, Mike and Carissa, thank you so so much!). I love you all!

mye kjærlighet!

We're going to miss this baby!

Eldste Bryce Thomas Johnson