HAPPY 20TH BIRTHDAY SIERRA!

Kjære Familie,
Bursdagen min er IMORGEN!!! :) Det er så rart at det er allerede her!
My birthday is tomorrow!!! :) It is so weird that it is already here! Time has gone by so fast!!! Anyways, later today we are going to Oslo with a bunch of other missionaries to go to some museums. A viking ship museum, and some more! Super exciting! :) So thats why I am writing today :) SO MUCH has happened at home since last week! so EXCITING!!! :) Congrats to Bry and Az and EVERYTHING ELSE!!! :)
So last Monday we were just running around running errands. Nothing very fun. We taught one of our investigators Mary and showed her the Restoration Film :)


I got Moms book, so instead of writing in my journal this week, I read that...so Im sorry if this isnt that good!!! And I forgot my planner (i needed a new one) so I am looking at my companions planner, which is different than mine. But I will try to remember what we did :)
Anyways on Tuesday we didnt have District Meeting. We tried finding some people that had told us to come back, but that didnt work. We had dinner with familien Moen, so koselig! We had lasagna (what all norwegians make when they dont have much time :) ) That was super super good!! And we had ice cream with homemade chocolate sauce :) Janet Moen reminds me of the Call side of the family! Always laughing and her smile is the same smile we all have! haha! That night we taught Dennis about Tithing and Fast Offering :) That went well, but we had to RUN out to catch the bus. We literally ran out of their house and to the bus stop, because we had to catch the bus to catch another bus to get home! So we ran to the bus stop, and found out it came 10 minutes later. at 8:50. We had to catch a bus at 9:05 to get home. The place to catch the bus was about 10 minutes away, but the area to catch the bus was blocked off because of the SKI SPRINT that is shown all over norway! Its a competition that is held in DRAMMEN SENTRUM! :) Super exciting!!! Anyways, we caught the bus, after saying a prayer, but that bus came 3 or so minutes late. I have heard miracle stories of the Lord delaying things, or whatever, and thought to myself, okay. The Lord is going to do something like that. He can! The bus is going to be delayed and stop right in front of us. NOT WHAT HAPPENED. Haha. THis was the SLOWEST bus ride of my life. Every stop someone had to get on or off. So we had 3 minutes intil the bus came. We got off and jsut started RUNNING. We ran through the sentrum, not knowing where a bus stop was. After running and running, we saw the bus coming. The only bus that comes ONCE AN HOUR. I told sister Trydal and we tried running a little bit more, but gave up. The bus passed us and turned the corner, and I thought, we might as welll try. So we SPRINTED. I have never ran so fast in my life. With a skirt, and a backpack (looked like such nerds) we ran! WE CAUGHT THE BUS!!!! There were so many people at that bus stop that it was stopped enought time for us to get on! :) So we got on, and breathed hard the entire way home! I made eye contact with Sister Trydal and just made the biggest smile I could! haha!!! People probably thought we were such weirdos haha Anyways, my lungs have never burned so much. Seriously, we ran, really fast, for a long time! We were coughing the rest of the night haha! When we got off the bus I just started laughing! And we had so much adrenaline, walking up the hill home wasnt even so hard! Oh it was a MIRACLE. I learned a lot from it though. I learned that the Lord DOES answer prayers. He DOES give us miracles. But not always how we think. We need to show HIm we are willing to do WHATEVER IT TAKES to get that miracle. And He will give it to us. We need to work, not just make Him do it all. Oh it was a highlight of the week :)
On Wednesday we had weekly planning and then went to Møyfrids house! The lady I tlaked about last week. We tuaght her and her children. Her daughter is learnign about religion in school, so she thought it would be good. It was a little awkward though. Møfrid kept talking about different things, but finally it was focused haha :) The son was the most receptive. He came in and stood there as we talked and he took a Book Of Mormon! So that night we got 3 new investigators!!! Afterwards we had Ward Council, oh do I just LOVE this ward! The Bishop reminds me of Trevor, such a tender mercy! That night the Sister Training Leaders came! (Sister Clark is one of them!!!) Sister McArthur called me that night and let me know that a man that we used to teach passed away in Kristiansand. He was sick, so it wasnt too big of a shock, but it is just so sad. We were able to teach him and his wife the Plan of Salvation, so I hope that he (AND SHE!) remembers that :)


On Thursday I spent most of the day with Sister Clark. I was able to just talk to her. She saved the last time she goes as Sister Training Leader, to come to me here in Drammen!!! She goes home on the 20th!!! Anyways, we taught a referral from Dennis, that went well :) And then we taught Melissa! We had a primary age girl with us to help, and that was sweet :) We had dinner, and then Sister Burns and I went and contacted and talked. It was a good day to be with other Sisters too! Its always fun to be with other missionaries :) I am going to miss Sister Clark so much! She slid a note into my backpack and a chocolate bar into my pocket :) Shes helped me so much on my mission and I am so thankful for her.
On Friday we went to a members house for lunch! We had the sandwiches in Norway, just one piece of bread and you pile things on it and eat it with a fork and knife :) So DEILIG!
Oh! Before I forget, my feet are dying. We walk so fast and so much. But I realized, I walk weird. I thought I should be wlaking faster than most of my companions (my legs are so long) but I am slower or just as fast as them. And it is because I dont bend my toes as much when I walk. I keep my foot flat (mostly) and then I use my legs and the other parts of my foot to help me walk! My foot is swollen, not good! Anyways, SO MUCH walking = MORE CHOCOLATE! So thats okay with me ;) Anyways, it was koselig meeting with Mona, then we later that day taught Dennis about the baptismal questions! We had a member with us from Stavanger, adn that was super good! :) We tuaght John that night and tried settling his problem with the Word of Wisdom. I had been reading moms book, so that miracle was in my head. I was able to share that with him. It is so amazing how Mom is affecting people here in Norway. Really I share things about my family ALL of the TIME so everyone in the family is affecting people here in Norway if they know it or not. We are influencing and changing the world with tht ehtings that go on in our lives or the tirals that happen. How cool! :)


On Saturday we had Sport where we played dodgeball again! Then we went and taught a little lesson to a muslim lady. Afterwards, we got kebabed, and I got a blessing from the elders. I have gotten numerous blessings on my mission, and I am SO thankful for the Priesthood. That monring I felt prompted to read my Patriarchal Blessing. Actually the night before I planned that, feelign prompted to write it down. Anyways, in the blessing I was told that I need to focus on missionary work and the future will work out. That the thing that will give me MOST comfort is my Patriarchal Blessing...so read it often! I was told to continue to pray always, Heavenly Father can help with ANYTHING. It amazes me how the Lord can speak to us through worthy men with the Priesthood. I am so thankful. My Patriarchal Blessing has given me comfort later this week also, AMAZING how the blessing I got influenced the future. Oh I love it!!! That night we had our teach fall through, so we had time to find! We felt off, everywehre we went. We found some people, but just felt off! So we went o catch the bus home, and there was a lady standing by the wall. SIster Trydal wanted to talk to her, so we went over and started talking. She wasnt interested, but we tried giving her a card. She accepted it. But I felt before I gave her the card that it should be the MB in my hand (that I had felt prompted to take out of Sister Trydals backpack earlier in the evening) that we gave to her. But afterwards, we just said we would love to give the book to her too. She asked if it costed money, and of course it doesnt! So we gave it to her and she told us how she likes to read! Then she left. The Lord is SO AWARE!!!! On the bus home I sat next to a man from Africa. He had given his number to missionaries in Oslo, but I had an english MB and was able to give that to him too! It was amazing how it worked!!! OH SO EXCITING!!! :)
Then it was Sunday! I love church more than I ever have before. I love praising the Lord not just in listening to member speak, but in singing too and it taking the Sacrament. I miss singing more often, my companion doesnt relaly like singing, so every Sunday I LOVE singing!!! It is so powerful. Such a powerful way to express our love to the Lord. Mary and Dennis were in church! :) Then afterwards we met with a member named Karoline. She has a hard life. A convert, but her step dad didnt let her come to church often. And she lives an hour away. Her best friend is on a mission too! So we got to know her and shared something with her. Shes a really Sweet girl!! Then we had studies, dinner, and then had a "Kick Off" with the youth. They called members to get appointmets with them and we played games, etc. So fun! I LOVE THE YOUTH!!! It was a great way to get to know them more :)


Then on Monday we tried delivering some dessert to a less-active and non member. We taught Dennis more about baptism and confirmation (covenant) and keeping the law of the land! Then we taught Mary about the Gospel of Jesus Christ! It was a good day :) OH! And since last friday or saturday, the SUN HAS BEEN OUT!!! BLUE SKIES!!!! I have never loved it so much! haha! I dont usually loooove the sun. But I havent REALLY seen the sun in a couple of months (kind of on Serges Baptism day), so this is exciting!!! Im wearing my fall coat now! :) Also, I talked to Presdient yesterday and he let me know that he has contact with Serges Bishop or missoin presdient in Italy adn they are in contact with him :) SO GOOD! ANyways, I dont have much time now, BUT I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hope you have an AMAZING WEEEK!!!!! :) Ill be thinking of you on my birthday!!! :)
LOVE, Søster Chapman :)

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