Chillin' With My Gnomies in Norway: HELLO Beautiful People of Norway…and the USA!…Week 54

Hello!!!

Oh my goodness! This week has been CRAZY! I feel like I have so many things and stories to tell EVERY week but I don't want to not have ANY stories to tell after my mission so sometimes I save them... and its kind of a week like that! ;)

One of the biggest and greatest things about this week was that... Øystein chose to be baptized! It was such a beautiful baptism with so many people there to support him! What a blessing it truly was! His beautiful family was able to be there and that's what made it so special! Families are so important and precious! What a blessing! I know that we can find eternal happiness within the walls of our own homes.

So last Monday we went on a bike ride with Øystein. He is a very good biker and he doesn't even drive a car because he bikes everywhere! When Søster Gates was here he kept telling us that he wanted us to go on this bike ride and then he would get baptized! Haha...he finally said that he was just kidding but he really wanted to take us on this bike ride because to him it his journey, "There have been a lot of up hills and down hills" he said, "and when the road is flat you can enjoy everything but then you have to bike up the huge hill and you want to turn back! You don't want to keep going! But then you get to the top and it is so worth it!" After he said that there was no way we couldn't do this beautiful bike ride!!! So Søster Gates and her companion, Soster Leland, came down for the bike ride and we had a great time! It was WAY hard...at least for me! Every time I had feelings of doubt and wanting to quit I kept going because I knew that it meant a lot to Øystein and that this was his journey! I never gave up! I cannot remember the last time I went on a bike ride and my legs were cramping bad! I had to stop at one point and push a rock into my muscles so they would stop cramping. I was PRAYING a lot and kept going! Towards the last 30 minutes of the bike ride we stopped to take a break and Øystein looked at us and said "Its like the Gospel of Jesus Christ! We have to have faith, repent, be baptized and endure to the end! Come on!" hahahahaha it was epic! It was actually a very spiritual experience for me. I learned a lot about myself and how much I have grown since coming on my mission a year ago. I really have grown in my faith and had to rely on the Lord a lot more and when we do that we can NEVER fail! EVER! I am so grateful for that knowledge! I want to share it! We finally made it and I was in a lot of pain then and a few days after that! Hahaha :) Øystein was baptized two days later! Go Øystein!!!

Oh boy... I am so grateful for the Lord’s gentle hand in our lives. He is so good. I have just learned so much his week about the love the Lord has for all of His children. He really has a plan for all of His children and we are all apart of each others journeys! In Norway, not many people believe in God and so whenever they feel like they need to do something like walk to work another way and then randomly running into someone who needs help, they call it "a stomach feeling"... but that is the Holy Ghost! Never ignore your "tummy feelings" (AKA: the Holy Ghost!) because God is using you to be apart of someone else's story! Never let that opportunity pass you up! This week I feel like I was apart of someones journey because I know he was a big part of mine! It is a rather long story but just know that we can never go wrong when we are following the Lord. We are ALL His children and we need to love each other!

Well my beautiful family not much else is happening here is little old Sarpsborg! The Lords work is going forward! Nothing can stop the work of the Lord! OH...hahaha! I am moving! I forgot about that! I am moving to a beautiful town called Skien (you pronounce it like Shayen)! I am so excited! I am really going to miss my beautiful Sarpsborg and the wonderful people here! I have learned so much in this small town and I have made memories and friendships I will never forget. WHAT a blessing! Tusan takk alle sammen! Jeg er så glad i dere! Du er en STOR velsignelse til meg og jeg er så glad i dere! Jeg kommer til å savner dere veldig mye!

Well my family and friends, I love you all so much. Thank you for your support and love!

Gud vær med dere til vi sees igjen!

-Søster Neilson