ELDSTE DALLIN JONES

Hello there!

Well it is super wierd that I am email here from Oslo.  It has been just a crazy week.  Sounds like it was just as crazy up there with taylor and riley leaving and what not!

I guess I can talk about trondheim first though.  I had my last week there.  I got lots of stuff done, visited with M and S (his two baptizees there) and had my last goodbyes with them. They are both doing so well, I am so proud of them and what they are doing.  It makes me so happy to see that they really are living the gospel of jesus christ, and receiving blessings because of it.  It is wierd though, S just got accepted in Military Officier training so he is leaving in two weeks.  He will be travelling up to the far north of Norway where there is no congregration, so I think the only contact he will have with the Church is through skype.  I really hope that he can stay strong and do what is right.  He bore powerful testimony the last time I saw him so I have faith!  M is doing good to, he is staying in Trondheim and has plenty of friends in the ward, so I think he is going to continue to grow!

For New Years we went to the M's house and hung out there the whole night.  It was super awesome, we played games like stratego, charades, the new wedd game and others.  Finally when it was the new year we sent off fireworks with the rest of Norway.  When I say the rest of Norway I mean literally every house in Norway.  The sky was just fill with light, I don't think I have ever seen anything like it, or ever will really. It blows even the forth of july out of the water.  So that was a memory that I will not soon forget!

After that we just kind of worked and tried to get as many things locked down before I left.  We even had some lessons with Elder J's new companion there before I left on Friday.  So I am stoked for the Trondheim and I know that it will be in Good hands!

Finally I got here to Oslo. I didn't have any time on Friday when I got here, I kind of just went through weekly planning with Elder B that night and collapsed into bed after a day of Travel.  That day I arrived in Oslo where i was supposed to pick up a greeny and get him on the right train.  Elder C was somewhat late so we had to book it to catch the train.  We were literally running the last 50 meters with all of our luggage and where the last ones to get on the train.  That was an adventure. But we made to our destination safely so all was well.

The weekend here in Oslo was pretty good.  We had a Juletre (Christmas Tree) party on Saturday that was awesome. All the missionaries sang songs for everyone and we all danced around the tree together.   It was a ton of fun.  We also had a ton of good food. I think that food will be something that I get plenty of here in this city haha. 

Finally I had church sunday.  It was kind of an interesting experience.  I have learned that I was successful with learning my dialect, because everyone got a kick out of my language.  When I introduced myself in priesthood everyone was laughing and the same in Sacrament meeting.  The bishop was even cracking up on the stand.  I was told that it was convincing enough that I sounded Norwegian but it was just funny because no missionary ever learns dialect like I have.  So I think it will be an advantage to me, everyone will want to hear the missionary with the wierd language haha!

So ya, Oslo should be pretty great, it will be a lot different than anything else that I have experienced.  This place is huge!  There is a opportunity to have so much to do that we might not have to proselyte. So I think it will be a great time to learn and a great time to help out the ward.  I have to learn more though before Elder B leaves, because he will only be here for about 4 more weeks.  This transfer is really short to get us back on schedule.  Elder B is my companion and he is also the other zone leader.  We are back to Normal here in the east zone, one zone leader companionship and then a district leader in another companionship.

My address is
Pilestredet park 19 #501, 0176 Oslo

My apartment is alot like my apartment in Bergen, small, one room with everything in it. I like it though, it should be nice.  The zone covers not to much space, I won't have to take planes will I am serving as zone leader here in the east.  I will take trains everywhere.  I have about 20ish missionaries in the zone, so it is about the same size as the North.  But ya, I am way excited to be here, I think it is going to explode!

So yep.  I think that is about it.  I hope that things are going well there and that you are having a great new year!

Jeg elsker deg!

Eldste Jones