Happy Holidays!

Hello Family! :)


This is going to be such a rollercoaster email. My week was a huge blur/up and downs/what-in-the-world-experiences! So lets start with Monday. Last Monday we were running everywhere! We emailed, shopped for you all for Christmas (!!!!), and went and danced for the video for our family music video :) It was hilarious! hahaha, when we were videotaping, it was by a frozen ish lake, and people ran past. So we had to stop dancing, and then start again hahahaa! You will be able to see it on the video :)


Anyways, then on Tuesday we...ohhh right...here is a story for you all! So we found a man on the street named Fredrik. He had talked with a missionary here before but we got his number and then later got an appointment with him. So we met with him in a cafe place and started talking. We were talking with him and then his friend came. They are from this church called Filadelphia, a very Christian church. So we are talking with them. They are asking questions and I thought it was productive. They had disagreed with some of the things we had said, and then we had to go. So we said we needed to, and the friend said, "Can I just say one more thing?" We said yes, and he went off completely being HORRIBLE to us. At first I was doing that, "Okay...none of this is true, it isnt affecting me" smile, but then he said something that just PAINED my heart. He stopped talking and I started talking. I started crying. Tears were just rolling down my face and I told him, nicely, that that had really really really hurt. He apologized and I told him that it was okay, it just really did offend me. He apologized and told me he wasnt trying to hurt me. And If someone had said that to him, it would have hurt him too. Anyways, he told us that the knowldge we told him didnt mean much to him, but seeing how much it meant to me really touched him. They told us they respected us. And I really do believe that have a different view on us as a church. At one point he tried saying something, making it sound like he had read The Book Of Mormon. I (not really thinking) got SUPER sassy. Hahhahaha I said, "Welll...Have you READ IT?!" Then I apologized probably a dozen times! It was hilarious! And he said, "no its a good question! I havent!" Long story short, they would not take the Book Of Mormon. I promised them that they would NOT recieve an answer, that they WOULD NOT KNOW if the Book Of Mormon was true or not unless they read it and prayed. Sister Robbins did such a great job with testimony and really bringing the Spirit there. Poor Sister Robbins. This was her first experience like this and she was just crushed. Just CRUSHED! I was too, but we went to the center and I shared a "pump up scirpture" or two with her. The Cressels came in and we told them about our experience. Elder Cressel told us to just shake it off and we would be blessed. So we go outside and there was a man looking at the Center door. We asked if we could help and he told us that he was looking at when it was open. So we told him it was open now and so he came in. He asked us for a MB in Spanish and guess what!? We ended up giving one to him and getting an appointment!!!!! :) MIRACLE! The Lord blesses us when we follow the Spirit!


He ended up having to cancel the appointment with us, because he was helping his sister move, but hopefully we meet with him soon :)
Then later that night we went to the hospital. Su, one of my favorite people from Stavanger, was in the hospital because she had a kidney stone. :( We were able to visit her :) And then the next morning, Wednesday, we went with the elders and she got a blessing!!! I love her with all of my heart!
We met with a man named Daniel on Wednesday, and then with Mouyy later that day. That night we met with a man named Mann (haha) and had a member with us! That was great! It is so cool hearing the different stories of peoples lives. I am SO blessed.


Thursday as THANKSGIVING!!! We visited a lady named Bestemor in the ward (Søster Bjørg) and then had District Meeting and Thanksgiving later that night :) The Cressels made a FEAST! It was really a feast. We brought the applecider, and the other sisters made rolls, and the elders here in ksand brought more drinks :) I asked if we were going to say what we are thankful for, and so we did! (and we did "cheers"...I had to bring a family tradition :) ) Oh man did I just cry. Thank goodness Elder Cressel opened up a big thing of pop when I was talking and it exploded ;) hahaha No, but I really am so thankful. I am thankful for my family. I realized how BLESSED I am to have the family I have. I am thankful for The Plan of Salvation. I am thankful for my mission. I wouldnt trade it for anything in the world. I have been so blessed on my mission to have THE BEST companions! THE BEST! They are all some of my best friends and I love that :)


Friday we went to Evje later that day to have Thanksgiving with a member family. The husband served here years ago and then married a girl from here. Their kids can speak perfect english and perfect norsk. I am SO jealous! But WHAT A SURPRISE!!! IT was SNOWING LIKE CRAZY!!!! :) Oh I almost cried of excitement :) Thanksgiving was delicous and all was great :)


Saturday we went to Mandal to visit David, but he went to Oslo, so we contacted and banked on doors. We made up a game to sing a Christmas song, one word me and then one word for Sister Robbins, and who ever messed up had to do a dare. So long story short, sister Robbins had to dance while talking to someone and I had to sing a word. Hahahaha! I laughed so hard when she did the worm with her arm and kicked her leg out while introducing us. Then I sang a couple words I said :) hahaha so fun!
Yesterday was Sunday! :) We went to church and our investigator from Holland, Serge, came! :) It was the first day of December! SO they light a candle the first day of advent :) We sang Christmas music and it was just perfect :)





We went and ate and taught Serge after church at the Torjesens house! It was so koselig :) And had delicous food! I LOVE that family!!! Then we went to the Williamsons house. One of their sons that we teach was in Kristiansand, because yesterday is the day they had the ceremony for lightning the HUGE Christmas tree in Centrum! :) We werent there but I heard they have the mayor say some words and then they have a band or something and they light the tree. Simple and norwegian :) So COOL thing I heard! You know the HUGE tree in New York City? YEAH, THAT COMES FROM NORWAY!!! In each town they have a big tree like that!!!! (not even comparing to that big though) They take a plane and they go and find a HUGE tree, every year! :) Cool, huh!?!?











Also, BRY SAW AIDA! Aida is really like our mom here in Kristiansand, you can ask Bry...she is the most genereous giving person in the world! It melted my heart hearing that she and bry saw each other! She forwarded my text to her to bry and I felt so close to him! She said Bry is, "very snill and fantastisk." (very kind and fantastic!) She really likes him. :)
Anyways, I love you all so much!!! I miss you all with all of my heart and I will talk to you all soon!!!!
Have a safe, and fun, and VIDUNDERLIG uke!!!! :)

Jeg elsker dere!

Love, Søster Chapman :)


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