Hello everyone!
I hope you are all doing well! This last week was great and I learned so much!
Fredrikstad is a beautiful city. It has been really nice and sunny and rained only two or three days this last week.
It is so fun being together With 4 elders in the same Apartment. Our Kitchen is soooo small so it gets really crammed but it is Worth it. I will take Pictures of the inside and send them home. The house we live in is over 100 years old. My companion Elder Nelson is way into skiing and camping, so pretty much everything outdoors like me. He has helped me understand better to enjoy the moment and make the best of everything. His Language skills are really good for how long he has been out. It's nice to have a Companion because it is hard to understand the locals. They speak very fast and With tonal fall. I'm excited for the time when I will be able to speak fluently.
Because Elder Nelson and I have been doing a lot of finding people to teach, Our days are usually made up on studies in the morning and contacting, and meals for the afternoon and evening. New missionaries have additional study time With their Companion called 12 week. It is another book that helps New missionaries learn to a deeper degree the fundamentals of missionary work.
On Tuesday, we had dinner at a members home. His name is Helga (not sure about spelling) He made us pork chops, potatos, and sauteed onions and pickles combo. The Food here is good. Twice I have had pork chops With members. They make this gravy which is sooooo yummy. Helga is a really Nice man. He was baptized in his 20s, fell away for many years and now he is back and active. He talked about how important it is to have a positive attitude. He loves to laugh and always has a big smile on his face. Awesome man!
On Wednesday we were out contacting and met this woman named maria. We taught her about the book of Mormon, and bore testimony about it. We gave her a copy and she got soo excited! She was like, Really?? This is for me?! She had a huge smile on her face and she said she would begin Reading. It felt so good to teach and to see someone so excited about the Book of Mormon. She had a internship or something last weekend so she wasnt available to meet again so we are hoping sometime this week!! We messaged Katharin to meet With her but she said she was busy all last week. but we texted her again on saturday and we are planning to meet With her this week. Hopefully tomorrow. Wednesday night Eldste Tennant and I went to youngmens and played basketball With the youngmen while Our Companions went to ward Council, we definetly got the better job, haha. We taught them how to play dynamite or knock out. It was really fun. The youth in the ward are really great. One of Our New assignments which I'm excited for is to help strengthen the youngmen so they asked the missionaries to come to Young mens every week.
Thursday we went to the police station and checked me into the country. We had to ride the bus to Sarpsborg. We ride the bus a lot because we dont ahve a car. The sister missionaries in Sarpsborg have it. I love driving outside the city becaseu the country side is so beatiful. There are rolling green hills With thick green forests and it is gorgeous. Also the houses are all wooden and different colors. Very cool.
Friday, we just continued to contact and find People. It can be hard because so many people reject you but there are People out there who are looking for the truth and when you find the one who wants to listen it is so rewarding. I love being a missionary. I've been thinking a lot about how blessed we are to have the Gospel in Our life. The hope, Peace, guidance, and purpose it gives us in Our life is priceless. Much more than any wordly possession.
On Saturday, we took the Train to Oslo!! It is about an hour train ride from Fredrikstad. We had Zone leader training With Our zone. It was so good! The topic was working With the members and ward. Several members from the oslo stake came and did a panel and talked to us about working With members. We also had a big lunch and had a practical or an Activity where you practice what you learn. Oslo is a cool city. While walking to the Church Office/center in Oslo we stopped by the King's Palace and took Pictures. I saw the Hard rock cafe in Oslo! After that Elder Nelson and I left to take the Train back to oslo because Elder Tennant and Elder phipps were going to presidents house for other business. While waiting for the second Train becasue we missed Our first we had an extra hour of time so we went to the Oslo opera house by the Ocean. It is one of the coolest buildings I've seen. Great architecture.
Sunday was a great day. I love the ward here in Fredrikstad. We did Our best to apply what we learned in ZLT and tried to meet as many ward members as possible. I also blessed the sacrament for the first time in Norwegian. It was a sweet experience. I love going to Church because it is a spiritual recharger for the NeXT week. Earlier in the week we got a referall from a ward member, the Allman Family. They invited us to dinneron sunday and then after dinner we were able to teach their friend, Heidi. It was so awesome. The dinner was great but really random haha. We had rice, With a meatball gravy sauce, chicken and potato curry thing, bread With melted cheese and salami, and salad. Afterward we ahd icecream and some pastry. Good stuff! AFter dinner we taught Heidi, and it was a great experience. She is searching for the truth, and searching for God in her life. We were able to help her udnerstand that it takes a desire to believe, and then we must believe and act on Our faith to receive a witness of the truth. We introduced her to the book of mormon and taught about Joseph smith. The Allmans are a cool Family. The father is Jamaican and the mother is Norwegian (I believe) They ahve a son who just left on a mission and the two of them are about to go serve as a missionary couple. I'm Grateful that we were able to teach Heidi. The spirit was defenitely there and I hope we will be able to meet With her again. She is going out of town this week but I think the Allmans will get us another appoinment With her.
This morning we went to Gamlebyen, which translates to the old city. It is an old fortified town in Fredrikstad surrounded by a moat. It kind of reminded me of the Tower of London but wasn't as grand. Later we are Meeting up With the sisters and are watching a Disney Movie With a member Family. President allows us to watch Disney Movies With member families or in Norwegian for Language study. I think it will be lion king or Tarzan, but i'm not sure. It will be fun.
Thank you for all Your love and support. I'm looking for to the upcoming week and I hope we can Connect With more People and start teaching more. Since the time difference is so large, 8 hours. We are watching "Saturday morning Conference" saturday evening. Sunday we will watch priesthood in the morning andsunday morning afterwards. We are also having a ward dinner in between those two sessions which will be fun. Monday for P day I think we are going to meet up With the sisters at the Church building and watchsunday afernoon together. I'm so excited for Conference. I know we ahve a living prophet today, President Thomas S. Monson. He is called of God and I know if we listen to the Words of him and the other leaders who speak we will be blessed and guided through the difficult times and Challenges of the world today.
I know the Church is true. I know Jesus Christ and God the Father are real and that they live. That is the good News of the Gospel. He lives, Our savior lives and loves us. Through the gospel and by living the Gospel we can be happy.
I love you all and I pray for you. Keep smiling!
Elder Witt
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