Monday, October 13, 2014

LAST LETTER

FROM MOM: AS THRILLED AS WE ARE (ME ESPECIALLY) TO HAVE SIERRA COMING HOME THIS WEEK, WE HAVE BEEN SO BLESSED BY HER SERVICE, HER JOYFUL ATTITUDE, HER HONESTY IN HER LETTERS ... SO WITH SOME SADNESS FOR HER HAVING TO LEAVE HER BELOVED NORWAY AND A TITCH OF SADNESS FOR US NOT GETTING THOSE AMAZING WEEKLY LETTERS, AND WITH GREAT EXCITEMENT, GRATITUDE AND JOY - HERE'S SIERRA'S LAST LETTER:



Kjære familie,
ohhh myyy goodness. This might seem pointless to write an email...but I wanted to write about my week anyways. It was a good one! I am so excited to see you all and cannot believe how fast time has gone. Today we went on a hike in Sandvika, and it was GORGEOUS. We looked out on Oslo fjord and the city and it was so beautiful. My heart is in Norway.
BUT, I am really excited to see you all!!! The clock is ticking. Tomorrow is my last missionary day. Then on Wednesday we will have a day in Oslo with all of the sisters leaving. There are 11 in my group that are leaving. But 6 or so of them have their parents coming to pick them up! And then Ill wake up bright and early on Thursday morning to fly to London (7 hour layover) and then right directly to Vegas alone! ahh.
Anywho. This week was good!
On Monday we had pday and I did some more shopping with Sister Harrison. I finished up with the shopping I needed to do and then that night we went and stopped in at Twinkles house. We shared a thought with her and then she asked if we could share something with her daughter, who was sitting at the table doing homework. Nina, about 20 yrs old, isnt religious, but believes in a higher power. It was great to be able to share what we love with her...and she was open to it! I hope we can teach her again!
On Tuesday we had Zone Leader Training, and then all eat kebabs for lunch. We then visited an old lady member named Inger :)
Wednesday was also good. Sister Buhler had a meeting for being a trainer, and I went on splits with Sister McArthur! We taught Martin, our investigator. He is very Christian, but is kind of controlled by his mom. If he doesnt go with her to church than there is lots of problems. But I felt strongly to promise him, that if he went to this church this past week with a question, he would get it answered. And that wasnt me, but as a representative of Jesus Christ I did that. And it was so cool to give him that promise. He didnt end up coming though to church. But I know that it would have happened if he would have come. He needed that faith too... A little later we did language study with Cecilia (from Alta) And that was fun! Sister Buhler has been pretty sick so that hasnt been fun. And Ive gotten a little sick from her too :( But its alright! We went banking a little later, then came back to the church for an Open House that night! It was by the youth, and was great. :) During the meeting they asked if someone could play the piano and no one raised their hand except me, so i played. And of course they picked two hard songs! haha, I dont like that feeling of your heart pounding like crazy when you have to play the piano. But I prayed and I was able to do it okay! The Lord really does help with the smallest of things!!!


Then it was thursday! I got permission to go and visit Debby! I had contact with her on FB, so we had an appointment. We travelled there that day. And I went on splits with one of the Drammen Sisters, Sister Larsen, and DEBBY WASNT HOME! My heart was so sad! She didnt answer her phone, or facebook, or text. It made me so sad. I put a note on her door and sticky notes around her whole house. I hope she knows that i really do love her. The other sisters were at Dennis' house!!! So I got to go and see him!!! What a tender mercy! It was so great to see him!!! Then later Sister Buhler and I drove to the Fromgrens house. She was going to come and bring dinner to us and we were going to all eat with Debby, but since that didnt happen, we ate with her and her family! I LOVE THEM! I really really love that family!!! Then we drove home and taught Ivan that night. It is so interesting to me to see how people believe so differently. The Godhead is so essential in the gospel and he doesnt understand it. The scriptures can be so confusing, but that is why we have prayer and a living prophet! Anyways, sad, but good day!
On Friday we had to get things ready for the street stand we were going to have on saturday! So we made a big poster that said, "meet the mormons" (by the way, that is the first movie i want to see when i get home! i heard its awesome!!!) and then we did some weekly planning! We came to institute, walking with an investigator, but then while we were walking, he told us he had to just look and leave. WHAT!? haha we had travelled to oslo for him! Anyways, he will come next week. It was a tender mercy, because then i got to say goodbye to Mariana from Drammen! :)
Saturday was our street stand!!! all of us missionaries came to the center and carried 4 tables, posters, cards, books, etc. to the area were going to do it. IT WAS SO HEAVY. The elders found a huge Christ poster that said, Jesu Kristi Kirke av Siste Dagers Hellige on it! It was awesome! The stand was so cool! Members came and we talked with people, brought them to the stand and got more than 30 people that were interseted to learn in 3 hours. It was AWESOME! And at the beginning there was a man playing his flute. It was great! I met some interesting people. One vietnamese man speaking norsk was talking to me and a member and was squeezing my arm saying something about God having a body. Haha, and then we met another man from northern norway that said he belonged to a religion that they eat mean people. That instead of little elves they have elves that eat mean children and santa clause eats mean parents. HORRIBLE, HUH!? hahaha anyways, it was great! And the day before and the day after was completely rainy, but it was sunny and beautiful that day. :) We taught Ermando, an albanian investigator with a member from the philippines named siahanie, and then we shared something with her. :) It was great!
Sunday was fast and testimony meeting. Ivan came! And I bore my testimony. I couldnt hold it together! It is nice ot have Sister Harrison here too, becuase we feel the sadness together. We taught Ivan afterwords with our MMK and his wife. And then ate dinner, and banked. IN A HUGE HOUSE AREA! It was mansions!!! When we were walking over to the bus, I went over and talked to an old lady waiting for a trikk that was not going to come. angrily, she told me that what i said (about us being missionaries) wasnt going to help her. But she had been standing there for forever and cant stand that long. She was waiting for a taxi that was taking forever to come. Long story short, we couldnt find somewhere for her to sit and i was on the phone with the DL going to get the taxi companies number, when the taxi came! She was so sweet. I gave her a card with our nubmer and a website on it and told her if she wanted to learn sometime or ever needs help, to call. She said, she hasnt needed help in a long time. Or this is the first time in a while that shes needed help. It wasnt coincidence that we were there! Then we visited the Birkelands! So great! He let me play his guitar and I played Baby Toes for them before we left. Well a part of it. :) They are so great! At the bus stop on the way home, I talked to a man and sister buhler talked to another and we both got appointments with them! It was miracles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I know that miracles are real. Heavenly Father is aware of us and knows us so well. I am so thankful that I have served a mission. It has been the best decision I have ever made and I hope that every single youth prays about serving. I have never felt so much love, and I have never felt so close to my Heavenly Father. I cant express how I feel, becuase no one else understands, but Jesus Christ. I know he lives. I know he knows me. And I know that this message is true! I know it!!!
Jeg ønsker for hele verden å vite at dette budskapet er sant. At Jesus Kristus har oppstått og på grunn av det, kan vi gjøre det samme! Han er min Frelser og Forløser. Joseph Smith er en sann profet. Familier kan vare evig. Hvor spesielt er det? Jeg VET at det er sant! Jeg er så glad i disse menneskene i Norge. Mitt hjerte er her og det skal alltid være sånn.


Love you all!
See you in 3 days!
xoxo
Søster Chapman


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