Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Oljemuseet, Ny MMK, Misjonsløsninger og S.& F.'s Dåp! (Oil Museum, New WML, Mission Solutions and S. & F.'s baptism!)

God dagen!

Another quick swishes by in the amazing city of Stavanger :). And boy has the rain and darkness begun picking up . . . .

Stavanger apparently has the best oil museum in Europe (if not the whole entire world), so we went and visited it with one of our members! Bro L. was one of the chiefs in charge of an oil rig out on the North Sea for much oil harvesting back in the day. Oil in Norway is what makes Norway one of the richest, and well-off countries in Europe. So, shortly said, the oil museum rocked!  Sadly, we only had an hour left before it closed (at 4 pm . . . I'm still not used to Norwegian stores closing extremely early.) Can you imagine being in one of those thick orange suits on a hot summer day? WHEW! During the winter, though, it's literally saving your life.



Sandes and us in our rockin' oil suits!
I can't imagine trying to put this thing on everyday . . . .
Bro L. and I outside the "Christmas Tree" oil unit
On Tuesday, a new Ward Mission Leader was called! As my Mom said, there's always growth in changes in leadership - and we are so stoked for our new ward mission leader! He fights our causes valiantly in Ward Council :). Being a part of Ward Council is also a special privilege us missionaries are provided here in Stavanger! It's a very growing experience watching how the ward functions as a council in order to problem-solve, progress and obtain the Lord's will for the ward here in Western Norway. I am so honored to just observe it! I'm taking a lot of mental notes as to how these principles will apply in the future. The Lord provides opportunities for learning very early in our developmental process in order to prepare us for future callings and possibilities. For He will not require anything of us that we are not prepared to handle (Look at Moses and Enoch for example: Moses felt unprepared to lead the children of Israel because he was slow of tongue (Exodus 4:10). And now looking back, he was one of the greatest leaders this world has ever seen! Enoch was afraid of this very same problem (Moses 6:31). Yet he trusted in the Lord, and soon his words wrought some of the most amazing miracles known to happen (Moses 7:13). The power of language is one of the most powerful tools God has given us!

Our investigator R.A. called her family this week to talk about her becoming a member of the Church of Jesus Christ. Her Mom responded: "You're CRAZY! . . . but you're an adult and can make your own decisions. We support you in whatever you decide." That was a tender mercy from the Lord for R.A. We are very excited for this week :). 

Gorgeous early morning in the Stavanger Airport!


On Wednesday we had a conference in Oslo! We've recognized that as a mission we need to work on teaching skills, as well as using district meetings more effectively to train the influx of new missionaries we've received recently. Talk about working in council :). The Lord DOES inspire councils to bring for His will. We can see this in Acts 15. And the new Leadership Training Library on lds.org goes into detail regarding this subject: https://www.lds.org/service/leadership/participate-in-councils?lang=eng I love this Church!
We dropped in the Oslo "Quiet Room" for a peek - and what do you know - there are inspirational books on the table! What could be more inspirational than the most correct book on earth?
Outside the St. Petri Kirke
Christus Statue in the St. Petri Kirke :)
Also, we went past the St. Petri Kirke and it was ACTUALLY open! This church has one of three Christus statues made by one artist (I have forgotten the name of the artist . . .). One is here in St. Petri, the second is in a church in Denmark, and the third, of course, is in the Visitor's Center in Salt Lake Temple Square! Neat, right?? We hopped in, asked if we could take pictures, and tried not to bother everyone else around. They were preparing for an organ performance of Mozart, Bach and Liszt. The temptation to stay was extremely present.

S., F. and their little boy :]
Last, but not least S. and F. were baptized this weekend! The husband was the man found by one of our district members sitting by him on a bus. And look at him and his family now! They are preparing themselves for the temple as we speak through daily prayer, scripture study and church attendance. The Lord's Spirit was very strong throughout the meeting - a confirming witness of the ordinance's importance and verity. Baptism is the Lord's prepared way back to Him through daily striving and overcoming. 

We are not here on earth to "earn" heaven - but rather to "learn" heaven! Christ provided the sacrifice in order for us to escape the consequences of justice upon the conditions of obedience. The Spirit is the daily guide to help us make the right decisions. It is by personal prayer and study that we invite the Spirit to lead us throughout each day. May the Lord's Spirit and blessings be poured out upon you all - by the fulfilling of the Lord's commandments!

I love this!

-Eldste Bryce Thomas Johnson


Kveldsmat at the R. Family's home. Apparently it's very "swedish" to dip your bread and cheese in hot cocoa. I'm always willing to dive into my ancestry anywhere, anytime :)