Power Finding and Flight Adventures!

Sweet ice formations on the street!

Hiya!

Our week began with a lot of finding - but thanks to our Oslo trip last week, we were able to implement a few new finding techniques. Pick an area to bonk the night before. Pray about it. Pray the next day. Pray when you arrive, and bonk with confidence! It's really neat - the people we've met, the copies of the Book of Mormon given away, and the really neat conversations that have come up! I specifically remember one where the man was really nice, but not very interested. Before he shut the door, I blurted out "I've got one more question: what do you think happens after you die?" "Well, I don't know, I've never thought about it before. What do you guys believe?" And it turned into a 45 minute conversation on this man's doorstep. Ahh. That made my week. It felt amazing. That man rocks.

On Wednesday we had our usual activity at the church. A lot of the older members showed up, and we played Uno. It has been a long time since I have laughed THAT hard. Hahaha. One member wasn't able to breathe, the other was just crying with laughter. That is what we can do with this Gospel! We're not bound down under worry and concern for our personal problems, and we can just have a good time! This message makes everything better. Even Uno!

We took a trip down to Trondheim for Zone Conference. 4 am is always too early. Ughhh. My eyes always ache by about 2-3 pm in the afternoon - but it is always a spiritually uplifting experience. Especially this Zone Conference, because we held a testimony meeting. It has been almost 9 months since I've heard a testimony meeting that I can actually completely understand - the Spirit is so strong during the bearing of testimonies! We learned many good things. However, on our return trip through Bodø, our flight to Mo i Rana was canceled. Here we were, stuck in Bodø until at least the next day, absolutely starving (12 hours for us missionaries is a long time!). Then over the intercom they announced they ordered a bus for all of us to drive down to Mo i Rana. It is now 11:30 at night, and it's a 3 and half hour drive down to Mo i Rana. Good thing: it was free! Bad thing: that bus was 0

Midnight Pizza in Bodø

degrees!! Oh it was so cold. I was completely conked out in my seat, sleeping, when Elder Farnsworth prodded me awake with a beaming smile: "we have pizza! we have pizza!" "I must be dreaming, huh??" It turns out that the bus stopped and bought us all free boxes of pizza. Elder Farnsworth was ecstatic. I was way happy - especially because this pizza was good! (most Norwegian pizza isn't exactly your chicago deep-dish). After that cool bus trip - we made it home at 3:30 am!

The next day we went out hard-core finding! While out on the street, we were beaming at everyone around us trying to find those the Lord had prepared for us (that we had prayed for a good number of times by now). While we were out I saw this man with a big green umbrella and I thought "hmm, maybe I should contact him." At an awkward turn of a street corner though, I brushed it off, yet still looked over at the man. "What are you looking at?" Farnsworth asked. "That man, I feel like we should talk with him." "Me too." By this point he had walked far past us - so we book it around the library to catch him on the other side! He wasn't there - we were gripped by our consciences that we missed someone we both felt we should have talked to! And then Farnsworth's inspiration cut in: "I think he might be in the library." We go in, and we found him. We casually sat at the computers to "check out" lds.org while discussing what to do. I finally got the guts to go up to the man: "Excuse me, I feel like I need to give you this book." "Oh - thanks!!" he responded very graciously. Who knows what that will mean for him, but I knew he needed that book! The Spirit led and guided us to that man - and we are so happy to know that we were inspired to be our Father in Heaven's servants to that man!

One more thing: at church there's these little kids that always asks me to play piano. Haha - they are so sweet! "Remember, before you leave, you need to play piano for me!" I love 'em. It makes me miss all of my neices and nephews - I can't wait to see them again!

Knowing that my mission is the longest I will ever be away from my family is an extremely comforting thought. Because of Jesus Christ, this Gospel and the wonderful gift of the Temple, we can always be with our families - even after death! I stand all amazed at the mercy and love God shows forth to each and every one of us.

Heavenly Father loves you!

-Eldste Bryce Thomas Johnson

Note from Mom: I want to know who is the Food artist. It must be Elder Fransworth unless Elder Johnson has developed a new talent.

Delicious meals once again :)