How are y'all doing back in the states?! I hope all is well and you are getting excited for CHRISTmas! CHRISTmas here in Norway is much different from CHRISTmas back at home. December 23rd is called little CHRISTmas and then the 24th is CHRISTmas day! You wake up on the 24th, eat whatever goodies are in your stocking and then eat a HUGE breakfast! After that you put on your Sunday best and drive down to the cemetery to pay your respects to those family members who have passed. Everyone goes and lights candles and puts them on the grave stones. Its really beautiful! After that you go back to the house and hang out, play games and just relax while mom cooks away! At around 5 we sit down for a Norwegian CHRISTmas feast... and we feast and we feast and we feast feast feast feast FEAST! AND THAN THAT NIGHT, we open up our presents from Nissen! (Santa!) and then on the 25th we open more presents! Norway is definitely a CHRISTmas country!
As a missionary, I have found that I cannot lie about anything I say... ever! ESPECIALLY my feelings! This week has not been an easy one. I have recently had a lot of doubt about why I am a missionary and what my true reasons are for being here are. Why do I believe what I believe? How did I get to this point in my life? I have had many questions and doubts. During all of these worries and doubts I had a very strong feeling to open my scriptures and I turned to Doctrine and Covenants Section 6, Verses 33 through 37:
33 Fear not to do good, my sons, for whatsoever ye sow, that shall ye also reap; therefore, if ye sow good ye shall also reap good for your reward.
34 therefore, fear not, little flock; do good; let earth and hell combine against you, for if ye are built upon my rock, they cannot prevail.
35 Behold, I do not condemn you; go your ways and sin no more; perform with soberness the work which I have commanded you.
36 Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not
37 Behold the wounds which pierced my side, and also the prints of the nails in my hands and feet; be faithful, keep my commandments, and ye shall inherit the kingdom of heaven. Amen.
37 Behold the wounds which pierced my side, and also the prints of the nails in my hands and feet; be faithful, keep my commandments, and ye shall inherit the kingdom of heaven. Amen.
In verse 36 is says to look unto HIM in every thought and to not doubt or fear…WOW! That was EXACTLY what little Søster Neilson needed right there in that moment! My companion, Søster Hartley read me some of a letter her friend sent her. He said that even when he doubts he still chooses to have faith because he finds so much more comfort in having faith that things will all work out than doubting and being afraid of what is coming next. I promise you that if you approach hard times with the constant thought that things will always work out because you have God as your Father, your life will be FILLED with joy and blessings! I know! I have tried it and it is so true! I know that God lives and loves each and ever one of His children… "Remember, the worth of souls is great in the sight of God."
Okay...time for some fun things that happened this week! I watched Frozen this week! Its called Frost in Norwegian! Hahahaha...It is so much better in Norwegian! I loved it!
Do you remember my little homeless friend?! He speaks LITTLE Norwegian and LITTLE English so we usually communicate through dancing/weird sign language.... hahahaha His name is Florea which translates to Flower in English. What a sweet man he is! Every time I see him he kisses my hand and this week he sang to me! He has a really good singing voice but my favorite thing about Flower is his smile... he is missing a few teeth and his smile warms my heart!
There is an older lady in the ward and us missionaries call her Bestemor, which means Grandmother. I've mentioned her a few times. She loves it when we call her Bestemor because she was never able to have children. A couple days ago, she got to go home from the hospital so Søster Hartley and I visited her in her home. She opened the door with big tears in her eyes. I have to tell you a secret about Bestemor, she is very Norwegian with a THICK dialect and I can understand most people but I cannot understand Bestemor… hahah...at ALL...but that day, I could understand her! She told us how much she loves us and how happy we make her when we come to visit her! She has been having a very rough few weeks and while she was telling us about it I couldn't help but cry. I knelt at her feet and held her hand while she told us all the things troubling her sweet heart. She looked at me and saw that I was crying and wiped away my tears... MINE! She was the one having a really hard time and she still cared more for others... I love this woman so much! She is so filled with Christ's love! No one ever told me that I was going to love complete strangers so fast! The love I have for these people is unreal! Thinking about leaving them makes me emotional. I love being a missionary and feeling so much love for everyone around me! My mission has truly taught me so much about the kind of person I want to be!
Okay I know what you may be thinking... what is up with the way I am writing CHRISTmas?! Well let me tell you! This CHRISTmas season, The Church of Jesus CHRIST of Latter-Day Saints, has released a beautiful video about what CHRISTmas is truly about! It is called "He is the Gift." You can watch it at this link christmas.mormon.org It is an incredible video that will help you remember what is really important ESPECIALLY at CHRISTmas time! I am so grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who loves me, my family and the WHOLE human existence, enough to send the most precious gift of all time, a Savior who is Christ the Lord! Jesus Christ is the ultimate gift of CHRISTmas! He was given to us as a way to return back to our Father in heaven who loves us so dearly! I am so grateful for Christ's mother, Mary. I am grateful for her example to me as a woman and future mother. I am grateful to be a missionary in the beautiful country of Norway where I can share this incredible message with people who don't know! I am grateful for the gift of my own family and I have never cherished the relationships I have with them more then when I am sharing this glad message of Jesus Christ! So, to everyone...Merry CHRISTmas! Never forget what the ultimate gift of CHRISTmas is! #ShareTheGift
I love you all! I hope you have an amazing week and please remember to #ShareTheGift! Do not forget what CHRISTMAS is truly about! God Jul! (Merry Christmas!) og God vær med deg til vi sees igjen! (and God be with you til we meet again!)
-Søster Neilson =)
Soster Neilson and Soster Hartley! 6' and 5'!
Happy Hearts! :)
(Thank you Nicole McKenzie for the photo!)
A little LOVE from home! Pre-Christmas package! :)
Soster Hartley the ELF! <3
Hoshar and Enoch! Hoshar was recently baptized! :)
Relief Society Jul (Christmas) Party!
Soster Neilson's knitting buddy…Mali! :)
Norwegian Fun Fact…parents will bundle their babies up,
put them in their pram, and leave them outside to nap…
even in the winter time! This is in front of a shop in town.
Interesting!
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