Heisann fra MTC!

Heisann!

We are still here preparing to serve Norway! I apologize for my poor writing skills - with a limited

Brother Burns and me

 amount of time, the clarity of thought for an email declines significantly.

Our old generation of Norsk missionaries have been temporarily reassigned to serve for a few weeks. Elder Godfrey is in Louisianna. Sister Taylor is in Temple Square and Sister Butterfield is in Pennsylvania. We'll miss them, but our district needs to grow up sometime!

Our district is doing awesome. I love them all; they're just good, hard-working missionaries. We have been really blessed! The sisters rock, but that's pretty normal for any district ;). Apparently the rate of sisters going on missions has skyrocketed without any push from the church. It's just happened! Very interesting - and we are very grateful. Also, since General Conference the rate of senior couples has gone up as well. We have one senior couple here preparing for Norway, and they are so nice! We received so many cookies . . . oh man. Speaking of that, I've gained 8 pounds so far. Haha!

Elder Farnsworth and me(little did I know 

we'd be companions in a few months!)

The new curriculum approved by the First Presidency is amazing. We can really see a significant difference in what we are learning and how we are teaching due to the new curriculum, and incredible things are happening. We now have two "progressing investigators" (Brother Jaffa and Brother Burns, our two Norsk teachers), who are roleplaying their previous investigators. It's very interesting. I have a hard time teaching exactly how I would like to, knowing that it is our teacher. It's very strange. But we have really seen how vitally crucially critically important it is to have the Spirit with you when you teach. How else is it possible to love the investigator sincerely, listen intently, introduce your message according to their needs, apply the Gospel into their life appropriately and smoothly so that they listen, all while trying to speak and listen in a completely different language. Amazing things are happening, but it takes so much work! Not just while you're teaching, but the personal preparation beforehand. I am very grateful we have another 7 weeks to get the hang of this before we head off to Norway.

The Norsk is coming along quite well! Our teacher is speaking in about 85% Norsk, and we understand most of it. Our biggest setback is the vocabulary, and implementing ways to use, practice and retain that vocabulary is what is holding us back the most. The language is so beautifully spoken by natives (we have a missionary here from Norway, Elder Johnsen!, going to Washington DC - hopefully he'll see Elder Allen!). I can't wait to speak like them!

The Men

A huge relief from the pressure here in the MTC is the MTC choir. Especially with Elder Putnam! He is absolutely loving it here (I knew he would), and it is wonderful to see him. It's crazy we're here at the MTC at the same time. Another great break is gym time. I am growing a love for volleyball. It's really fun! Elder Argyle has been teaching me how to play softball, and that just brings back so many memories of T-ball.

Elder Knudson is an amazing companion. He is very patient with me (especially since I go to the bathroom every 20 minutes and need to play piano every once in a while), and we are becoming a great teaching companionship. I am excited to see what we can do the rest of our time at the MTC.

Elder Knudson - my comp

Well what more is there to say? Oh yes. Please don't get me wrong about packages. I love packages. Packages are amazing. And mail is even more heavensent. It's just the amount of food that we receive - it's difficult to down it all! Mom, I've been eating your cookies everyday. DeGraffs, I'm still trying to eat all of those cinnamon rolls. No other missionaries will eat them! It's sad, really. But I love packages and mail, they are very well received, and we feel exceedingly loved when we receive them. I'm developing some pictures today, so I'll send some home as soon as I can.

I think that's it: the gospel is true, Joseph Smith is one of the greatest men to walk this earth, the Book

of Mormon is powerful and the spirit of missionary work is tangible. I hope you all can feel that spirit sometime in your life - if not through my emails then through other venues.

Mye kjaerlighet!

-Eldste Bryce Thomas Johnson

The whole district 37F!