Nordlys!! (Northern Lights!!)

yeah it's cold here sometimes!

Hallo alle!!

Where to begin? I have so many awesome things that happened this past week!!

First off, thank you Sorce family and Aunt Barbara for the cards :). Thank you Aunt Janae, Dru & fam, Mr. Cunningham, Carissa (God knows how to bless us in the very most bestest way indeed :D), and anyone else I happened to forget for the emails! Mom, thank you for the two packages: the voice recorder has improved my Norsk DRASTICALLY within just a few days!! And yes, I realize I very much DO have an accent.Oi. I cannot express how happy I am to have a voice recorder!! Rocky Mountain Chocolate is the third best thing you could have sent me!(first being your apple pie, and second being your homemade bread :P). I love you all so much! -my birthday has been absolutely astonishingly extraordinarily fabulous!!

NOT! (family tradition button)

And it also turns out since I was born at 5:19 pm on January 23rd, that makes my birthday in Norway actually the 24th at 2:19 am! Oh technicalities :P

Yesterday we saw the Northern Lights for the first time!! Oh they were fabulous! Hopefully you all can see the pictures I took! Very green here in Norway - and beautiful!! Streaks of color splashed across the sky.

Nordlys!

Nordlys in the graveyard!!

It's a huge blessing to all of us who have been in the dark for so long! I am expecting we'll see the sun for the first time this week after 11 awesome weeks of no sun :). haha!

Sliding down the streets all day really 
makes our legs sore!

OK story time! This past week, we have recognized just how securely Elder Farnsworth and I are in God's hands. Precarious-looking at times, yet still extremely well taken care of :). Specialized Training was held in Trondheim this past week - and usually our flight is just a hop, skip and a jump down to Trondheim. Once we landed, Elder Farnsworth and I booked it out of the plane and walked into the airport looking for the airport bus. "Hmm, this place looks rather different than usual." We thought. "Maybe because it was a small plane, we landed a little ways off from the bigger planes." after 10 minutes of walking around . . . . OH NO. We sprint back into the airport and ask the security "Unnskyld, hvor er vi??" (Excue me, where are we?) "Brønnøysund." Ahhh!!! We book it through security, and most gratefully for some providential reason, our plane was still there, 15 minutes later. Of course, we walked in, faces bright bright red, and the flight attendant greeted us most kindly "Velkommen tilbake!" Hahaha. I immediately turned to Elder Farnsworth: "the moment the plane lands, we run from this plane immediately." Oi it was incredibly embarrassing!! But then! On our way back I really really really wanted a Sesam's kebab (one of the best kebabs in Norway). With 1 hour, 10 minutes to get to the airport (and a 45 minute bus ride TO the airport), we popped into the Sesam's kebab stand. "Sju minutter" (7 minutes) I thought the man said. After waiting there for what felt like a really long time . . . and watching 3 airport busses go by . . . I realized he actually said "Sjue minutter" (20 minutes). GAH. The moment we got those kebabs, we ran to the bus stop and the first airport bus totally blew right past us. Didn't even slow down! We're totally going to miss our flight! The very next bus we wave down like madmen, and snarf down the kebab back in the bus. We ran through security (shoes off and on and all!), Elder Farnsworth ran through the Trondheim airport with stockinged feet! And as we ran to our gate, the last person checked their ticket to go on the plane. We made it not a minute too early, neither a minute too late. Oh my goodness. Far too much stress for one day - yet how wonderful it was that we made it :).

Another great story this past week was this wonderful woman who, when we shared Joseph Smith's story, responded "Yeah! And what did Joseph Smith ask Jesus??" "And then what did Jesus say??" "Oh that's so exciting! I simply MUST read the Book of Mormon!" She is nothing less than a gift from God. Really, she is so willing to learn, it's wonderful! Sadly though, we didn't have a Swedish Book of Mormon with us. We ordered one immediately, and we'll see how that goes!!

We made a rockin' pizza with our investigator!

A fantastic piece of news this week is that we're getting a new apartment on the first of February!! No more cigarette smoke, holes in roofs, frequent power outages, breath-seeing in our apartment, ice cold shower floors, or loud neighbors! Woohoo! We'll still be in sentrum, very close to the city, so it'll be amazing!! We cannot adequately express how grateful we are for a new, absolutely fabulous apartment (which we checked out this past week!). It is such a gift!!

Dad, just so you know, you would thrive in a couples' mission! Seeing what the couple missionaries do here in Norway, I can totally see you doing the same. And I know you would love it too! I really look forward to serving when I'm old!

Other than that, I need to go celebrate with some people! I love each and every one of you. I am so grateful for the relationships that I have - they are simply gifts from my loving Father in Heaven.

Take care! Til next week!

-Eldste Bryce Thomas Johnson

Farnsworth and I eat and work out like KINGS!!

Comment by Mom Johnson- This picture looks disgusting.  I am not sure why Elder Johnson thinks this is food for a king. I think that is broccoli on the left and purple brains on the right. ;-)

"Fresk som en fesk!"

Hei alle!

"Fresk som en fesk" is a northern-Norwegian expression that means feelin' great and refreshed! In Bokmål (aka, the clearest, book form of Norwegian), they'd say "Frisk som en fisk!" Gotta love the dialects here :). There was a really nice man from Narvik (way north!) we bonked into who wasn't interested to listen to our message, but he let us warm up in his apartment. Super nice fellow! For some reason our conversation stumbled upon fishing and the deliciousness of fish. To make a short story shorter, we found ourselves outside his door with a good chunk of delicious, boneless, newly frozen fish at no charge! Oh boy was it balicious. Elder Farnsworth and I know how to throw things together!

Speaking of which, Elder Farnsworth joined me up here in Mo i Rana last week!

This is Farnsworth and I!

We came in the same MTC group, so this is quite the experience for the both of us. He is rockin' - chill, fun-loving, and together we can throw delicious dishes together in a heartbeat.

Delicious cabbage/meat soup!

I'll definitely miss Elder Olsen though - good luck in Drammen ol' buddy! One thing I've definitely learned from Elder Farnsworth thus far is the power of prayer. Storytime!:

A few weeks back we ran into a Romanian woman who wanted a copy of the Book of Mormon. She was without a number (of course), and instead we received her address, which ended up being all the way out in Båsmo (quite far from Mo). With just an address, and a rough estimate of bus routes, we made it to Båsmo on a quest to find that lady! Feeling rather hopeless once we got off the bus, Elder Farnsworth immediately suggested we hold a prayer. Now feeling hopeful we set off in an arbitrary direction! After asking 4 different very nice people, we found our heading! Then, through someone pulling out a phone, using google maps, a cozy neighborhood trail, and checking mailbox addresses on the way - we made it to the woman's home! Score!! But, of course, the moment we bonked upon the door, she awkwardly drove up the driveway. Why does that always happen to missionaries?? She was very pleasant and gracious in receiving the book. Prayer of thanks, and of safely returning home. Afterward, we found our way to the bus stop with a few moments to spare. We got a waffle at the ski resort just up the street.

Snow resort in Båsmo!

Snowboarding nostalgia hit me like a brick wall. Elder Farnsworth too. Oh we were unprepared!

Me and the resort :P

Once the bus finally came, it turned out that our return ticket had expired (within 10 minutes, of course). We were stuck in the middle of nowhere, without sufficient cash to pay the bus man! He was extremely kind and let us ride. Prayer of thanks once again - we were in the hands of the Lord that whole trip :).

As for other cool stories this week . . . all I have is that yesterday we walked all the way out to Selfors (45 min. walk) for more houses to bonk, and found a man who told us to come back! Yeeah! Needless to say, our pants were soaked by the end. It dumped snow on us this week!

That car's covered!

I can see the sun! . . .'s effect on the mountains.

And why it's raining right now in northern Norway, in the middle of January is the greatest question of the year (thus far). However we're extremely grateful it isn't -20 degrees outside anymore :).

I love you all! By the way, who are these 9 beautiful and amazing children on the back of our Christmas card?? I'm going to be floored once I visit Lara's family again - I can't wait!! The Gospel is true - because it works! It transforms us almost imperceptibly throughout our lives :).

Kjør på! (drive on!)

-Eldste Bryce Thomas Johnson

Greatest Fear: Accomplished!‏

Hey everybody!

I cut my own hair!! Oh man was I scared to do it. Haha. It doesn't look too terrible. But one of our investigators told me I missed a spot. Boy did I miss a spot! - Bahaha.

Elder Crookshank (Mr. Cunningham!) sent me a simply wonderful letter this past week with the question "how have you changed most on your mission so far?" In order to answer this question, I thought I should do so on my email so he gets the answer sooner than later, and also share my answer with everyone else! I think I have changed the most in my perception of everything. My perspectives have changed drastically. I have learned that you can only do so much until you reach a limit (whether physically, spiritually, emotionally or mentally). And on a mission you're able to exercise those limits until you are miraculously able to accept them, and even at times go beyond those limits (through the Atonement of Christ). Cold, for example, is a very big mind-game. I have found myself both extremely joyous in the cold, and also rather miserable in the cold. What's the difference? Perspective. Another thing I've learned is to love others unconditionally. It's difficult here, but loving others is the only way out of it! From General Conference talk "Missionaries are a Treasure of the Church" I learned that love is the absolute most important thing a missionary can share with others. And if that's the most important thing to share: I can do that. I've learned how to have fun while everything around you looks dark (literally, as well!). There is no better way to lift your spirits than to tell a hilarious story from your past. (Thank you Garrett for our valuable stash of hysterical stories :P, you've kept us alive here!). But besides all of this I have very much learned how to deal with a LOT of imperfection. Whether in ourselves, others, apartments, the world, etc, there is a lot of imperfection. Yet through the Lord Jesus Christ are we able to overcome these imperfections and bask in joy and love! So to answer your question, Elder Crookshank, I don't exactly know if you'll recognize me when I come back: I can't see myself from the outside in! However, I can see myself from the inside out - and my inside has changed quite a bit. I'm sure yours has as well, I have no doubt! "How long can rushing water remain impure?"

Hopefully that made sense. We don't have very much time left, but I do want to say that I am extremely grateful for this past General Conference. I am able to read it when I eat, and it sure picks me up! I hope I'll remember these talks for the rest of my life.

No, no northern lights yet, despite the fact that I set my alarm for the middle of the night to check and see! I love you all so much; I feel your prayers. Stand strong on the foundation of Christ!

-Eldste Bryce Thomas Johnsonq

 

Bryce and his new companion Elder Farnsworth when they were in the MTC‏

Godt Nytt År!‏

 It's actually a clear day! Hurry, take a picture!

Hei alle!

Norwegians celebrate their New Year very much like Americans celebrate the 4th of July: tons and tons of fireworks! It was really neat for a while, until we had to go to bed trying to sleep through the ambience of exploding substances the rest of the evening. Really neat experience though! Isn't it also comforting to know that if the world ends this year, by timezone (as prophesied by that one guy), that your missionary in Norway will get the brunt of it firsthand?? Hehe.

As for this week, needless to say, holidays are tough times for missionaries who don't have many places to go :). But on the other hand, we're also at times filled to the brim with such exceeding and exquisite joy that we wouldn't want to be anywhere else in the whole entire world! Oi, what a roller coaster! I suppose that's all a part of enduring to the end: being solidly faithful through both the lowest of lows and most extreme of highs (by the Spirit, mind you!).

I would like to express my gratitude for all of you faithful members of the church who continue to love and serve one another and are steadfastly attending church! Us as missionaries adore you and appreciate you more than we can comfortably express. I suppose we're slightly biased, however, since other missionaries don't have the same experiences that we do, here in Mo i Rana. But if they could, they would appreciate and love you beyond expression! You are all so blessed, and are indeed a blessing to the community you are in!

Mo i Rana is coming out of the ashes now, after the holidays, so we are ready to dig deep and hard into the snow this week! One of the best things about working here in Mo i Rana is the time we have to improve our storytelling skills. Stories can make the hardest of difficult days a breeze. Another great thing about Mo i Rana is that we met someone who actually challenges our beliefs! I was very surprised not very many people challenge our belief here in Norway, but we did meet someone! And it has been a simply wonderful experience teaching, directly from the scriptures, why we believe what we believe. It builds my testimony all the more that us missionaries are trained in our lessons (Restoration, Plan of Salvation, Gospel of Christ and Commandments) and in love, and the rest of study is up to you and the Spirit. The Lord gives us so much freedom and abilities to choose in that which we study and learn to best apply the doctrine to the individuals we meet. I love it.

I know this work is God's work. Joseph Smith was God's prophet on the earth, just as Adam, Abraham and Moses of ancient time, and today we have Thomas S. Monson who leads this Church as Christ would if He were on the earth. What a blessing it is that we have that knowledge. I love you all so very much - continue being awesome!

-Eldste Bryce Thomas Johnson

 coooold!

Julehelgen! (The Christmas Weekend!)

Hei alle!

How was everyone's Christmas?? Ours here in Mo i Rana was simply fabulous!

We decked out our room pretty awesomely once we got the supplies :)

The week before we had a Mission Conference where all the missionaries in all of Norway gathered in Oslo for a big conference. It was strengthening and edifying to say the least! And at times hilarious, hehe. We received the opportunity to watch the film "Seventeen Miracles." Have you seen the before? Oh my goodness that's a good movie: but be prepared to sob your eyes out. Oi. It is incredibly strengthening to me to see what sacrifices needed to be made, for whatever reason, back then for us to be here now. The foundation we are built upon in this gospel is solid, and is supported by the strongest, most Christ-like individuals. We have a magnificent heritage, and much to live up to!

Gift from Branch Member

The day before Christmas, a member here in Mo i Rana texted us saying : "Are you guys home?" "Yup, we are!" "Okay I'll be right there." She came by with some of the best Norwegian food there is - and with presents as well! She is literally an angel (according to Jeffrey R. Holland) here in Mo i Rana! We are extremely grateful for her and her example: she is one of the most selfless, loving people I know. She even included fresh squeezed orange juice in the groceries, which as my family knows, absolutely completes our Christmas! Ahh so wonderful!!

The holidays primarily consisted of sleeping, reading scriptures, watching Church videos (Joy to the World! It's a good one!), working out (oh how heaven-sent), and writing letters. With no proselyting allowed, we did what we could! At one point we went outside for a walk, and let me tell you something amazing about Norway! Around Christmastime, Norwegians light candles on every gravestone in a cemetery.

Church and lit cemetery

On a snowy, dark day, it looks amazing. My pictures don't nearly do justice to its beauty, but I tried! The cemeteries here are always around churches, and it looks amazing.

Lit gravestones

Keyboard at Church

However, our church that Sunday consisted of Elder Olsen and I singing songs, and giving our talks to each other. Hehe! What funny memories.

Skype was fantastic! One of the quickest hours of my life - wow! Apparently I look chubby, or something along those lines (I'm looking at you, Mom & AR :P). haha! And yes, I recently weighed myself and I have gained 17 pounds since I left on my mission! All muscle of course! Hehe :P. We do what we must to stay warm around these parts! Also apparently I have an accent? I have no idea what they're talking about. But talking with my family was wonderful and refreshing. It's good to know you all really do exist ;). Specifically, thank you Christiaan & Anna Rose for being there, and thank you Putnam's for helping them out so that they could be there!! Thank you Duncan and Emily for also  being there; and feel better, okay?? It meant a lot to me to see you all there! And thank you Ford's and Hope's for the Christmas cards! It's wonderful to hear from you! And thank you parents for the Christmas package: I don't think I'll ever run out of dried fruit for the rest of my life - you  know me far too well :D.

Elder Olsen and I on the way to Skype our families.

 Package from home!  I am happier than I look.  I promise!

As for me, I couldn't be doing better except that I want to see these sweetawesome new church Bible videos. We don't have the necessary means to watch them. *sigh* maybe next year. We are so blessed to have a Church that keeps up with all technological methods in order to bring the Spirit!

I testify of the truthfulness of this work! God is not only building Mo i Rana, but He is also building Elder Olsen and I. We are honored to serve our God here, in the Arctic District of Norway. I love you all so much! Have a wonderful New Year!!

-Eldste Bryce Thomas Johnson

Elder Olsen got a sweet picture of me!

I love refleks

Me, today, on the way to do emails! Woo! Hehe

Key to Norwegian: Vowels‏

Hey everybody!

My Dad recently asked me where I go for emails. And before today it was always the local library! However, now the library is closed until February, so we found a little cafe today. I'll do my best to write what I can!

Awesome Christmas lights!

This past week has been simply wonderful. I believe it was Spencer W. Kimball who stated that when

the Christmas season arrives, there is an outpouring of the Spirit across the entire world. And that even includes Mo i Rana! We have had many incredible miracles happen this past week! To begin with, I passed the fated Norwegian Driver's License test! Not many missionaries are able to pass it, but by the grace of providence, the test was passed! One funny note though: in the license picture we're not allowed to smile. So instead I decided to make a huge frown since "no smiling" was allowed (youtube video "Validated" - highly recommended!). But the woman wouldn't allow a huge frown either; aww darn. Hehe! A cheesy toothless smile sufficed in any case.

This describes very well
our investigator Andrew :P

Another miracle this week was that the Assistants came down for splits with us. Elder Carmichael recommended some Norwegian pronunciation books from the library: and let me tell you my Norwegian has blossomed! It's all in the vowels for Norwegian. Not only am I able to pronounce things correctly, but I can also discern the different ways other Norwegians pronounce their vowels, and therefore my comprehension increased as well! I speak with much more confidence, and the responses I receive from the people is a day and night difference! It's wonderful! The Lord truly blesses His missionaries!

As for Christmas, we will most likely spend it with our new convert Andrew :D. He will be baptized

tomorrow in a fjord, which is extremely exciting! I'll make sure to get some pictures. Yes Mom, we'll Skype for Christmas. I love you all so much! Know that the Christmas feeling is the Spirit of Christ. Through His gift to us we can be at complete peace and have true happiness! Ha en god jul!

-Eldste Bryce Thomas Johnson

P.S. Merry Christmas to you too!!

What us missionaries look like while contacting!
Our bright "refleks" so we don't get hit, and our fuzzy hats too!