Eldste Bryce Thomas Johnson in Norway: Nye Opplæringsmøter, Dalsnuten og Perfeksjonisme (New Training Meetings, Dalsnuten and Perfectionism :P)

God dag!

Well! This past week was crazy for a few reasons.

Due to the new training program initiated by our new mission president this month, we had two different training meetings to attend this week. One in Stavanger, and another in Bergen (my ol' greenie romping grounds!)! The training theme for this month is "Our Purpose as Missionaries" from Preach My Gospel chapter one. The training put on by the Zone Leaders consisted of the "Power and Authority of Our Call" which went into great detail regarding how through hope (a vision) and faith (belief and action), we can teach with power and authority. Jacob 4:6-7, Helaman 10:4-5 and Alma 17:2-3 were shared, along with some spiritual application. The best part, however, was the three new converts (in each area respectively) who shared their testimonies of missionary work and how their missionaries taught with power and authority. It was a powerful meeting! A practical where the missionaries taught the new converts soon followed, which turned out wonderfully. The missionary couple in Bergen provided some snacks for us all. Oh how I forget how spoiled us missionaries were in Bergen :D. I also forgot how mountainous and beautiful that city is.

Funny story: after the little training meeting, we took some time out on the streets. We took the city tram (Bybane) into the city, and my new missionary thoughts and feelings rushed back to me seeing the familiar streets, sounds and smells go by. My adrenaline was pumping by the end of the track, because I knew we'd start getting on the streets to talk with people! Except this time, I can understand them! Haha. What a trip down memory lane!

One Wednesday, we met up with some investigators who wanted to take us on a hike. So we hiked up Dalsnuten, a cute little hike that is short but intense (that seems to be the pattern here in Norway, short but intense).

The group!

On the way to the top of Dalsnuten

Our group at the first resting point *whew!*

Dalsnuten is the highest point in the Stavanger and Sandnes region. It was SO pretty at the top! You could see past the cities, on toward the ocean on the other side.


Our resting camp on the top!

View from the top of Dalsnuten

Our resting camp on the top!

Sandnes kebab

We had such a great time with investigators, new converts and a group of missionaries :]. We are so spoiled here in the west!! After the hike we got a Sandnes kebab. It's good for the west, but that's not saying much.

On Friday we took a new convert with us on contacting splits, getting tips and pointers as to stop people and really help them feel comfortable (because for some reason a white shirt, tie, tag and blue book scares the hay out of people!). It was way helpful. After which, we went bonking, and Elder Williams and I bonked on three doors in a row and got three teaches in a row! What a miracle! The Lord does prepare people to hear the message :D.

Speaking of Elder Williams, he left on Saturday night for Sandvika. So for lunch that day a new convert made us real burmese food. Oh my goodness, I haven't had spicy food for a long long time (Norwegians can't take any amount of spicy). The sisters warned us to take a heart-burn pill before hand. But it was SOO good! And cleaned out my sinuses and everything!

Spicy Burmese food and my bulging belly ;)

Elder Williams sure got close with the members here in Stavanger, so him leaving is a blow to the ward :(. We'll miss him, that's for sure.

Since then, we've started rebalancing how to work in a twosome instead of a threesome. You can never fully appreciate somebody, but an absence of somebody sure makes you appreciate them more! We planned, reevaluated and rebalanced how we want to perform the Lord's will while here in Stavanger. There are so many good things that we can do, but the prioritization of these good things is rather tricky. I want to be able to perform the work here perfectly, but I'm not sure if that's possible with all of the things we could be doing! *sigh*. Our weaknesses and difficulties are great, but we know that the Lord is on our side. We'll work our smartest and hardest, and He'll make up the difference!

One thing that we've been working on as a mission is turning street contacts and investigators into progressing investigators. That's something I've been thinking about a lot, and Preach My Gospel explains how we, as missionaries, must know take into account what an investigator must know, feel and do because of our teaching. That is a difficult job, but by the power of the Holy Ghost we can know the truthfulness of all things (Moroni 10:5). The Holy Ghost IS the source to lead us to all truth. And it is by baptism that we can receive the extraordinary gift of the Holy Ghost.

This gospel changes lives - and mine every day!