Well this past week has been a blur!
We had a whole bunch of time to work in our area it seemed like. we had done a lot of the prepartion for the Bednar conference the week before so we just kind of had a week to work as a missionary. We got back into the swing of finding super fast and had lots of success getting out on the street and teaching people. That was a huge blessing for us, we needed the vacation from the office work.
But once the weekend hit that was all over. We became full-time travel agents. We ran a taxi service that covered more than half of the mission. We just drove people all over the place and made sure that things were running smoothly for the conference. That being said we did a good job with all of that. Everyone made it to both meetings and got home without missing any flights. So that was just a miracle in and of itself! I felt super grateful that it all worked out.
Because of all this preparation though I was able to have an awesome time throughout the meetings. I was totally dialed in and just loving every second of the experience.
We had a combined stake conference in Oslo where pretty much all of the members in Norway were present. The area seventy was there and he gave the opening remarks. I had been given the opportunity to sit down and talk with him several weeks earlier as I was attending a missionary preparation course for the youth to sit down with him and talk while eating dinner. His name is Elder Yotnes and he comes from Finland. He is a wonderful man I learned a lot from his testimony.
After that we heard from the Stake Presidents. They both gave very powerful testimonies that struck the heart. They focused on the first principles and ordinances of the gospel and the need to do missionary work.
Finally Elder Bednar and his wife finished. they both gave great talks. Elder Bednar gave some pretty clear prophecy about the future for norway and closed out his talk with the words, "Welcome to the future!" That got all of us missionaries super excited of course.
We started heading to the Church then and waited until Elder Bednar had arrived.
That was probably the most spiritual moment for me. I just got to sit and recognize all the things the Lord had taught me thus far. It was an amazing experience. the meeting with the missionaries was special as well. he gave us time to do answer and question and he asked us a lot of questions. It was amazing to see an apostle teach in that way and learn better how I could teach.
Because of his schedule he did not have personal time with any of the missionaries or members. So no pictures or handshake. But I know that he is a Prophet of God and His servant. That was one of the most special things about the experience.
On top of that we had our article come out into the newspaper! It was super well done and had great photography. I have emailed the photographer and asked for the pictures, we will have to wait for her response though.
All of Norway saw the Article! I had members in Trondheim talking to me about it when I saw them there. So it was actually a bigger deal than I had anticipated. I felt super blessed to be able to bear my testimony in that way to Norway. It quoted me in the article saying that I knew this was the only right and true church. So that was special for me to, that I could fulfill my call in that way.
I have several copies of the article that I am going to take home with me.
I really can't describe all of the blessing and lessons I have learned. I don't think I have adequate language to describe it anyway. But this much I can say, I know that God lives and that this is his church!
I don't have time to write much else. But this week has been one of my favorites thus far.
I love you so much!
Elder Jones
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