January 16, 2012

Skien

 

New Norwegian sweater with Elder Abrams

Church in Evje

New apartment in Skien

On the road to Evje

Downtown Skien

Hei hei,

How is everyone doing?  I've had a lot of changes this last week.  I'm in the city of Skien now which is a little more inland.  Its a beautiful place, just like everywhere in Norway is.  I'm going to miss Kristiansand and the people there but I know that I'm going to like Skien too.  I felt like I was leaving home again in a way when i left Kristiansand ha ha.  Kristiansand will always be my birth place.  Skien has been a little colder than Kristiansand and they have a little bit of snow but not much.  It has been in the mid 30s most days.  The city is pretty small and I pretty much walk everywhere we go.  We take a bus if its to far away.  The people here seem very nice and Skien doesn't have that big influence from the states like some of the other cities have.  They speak a different dialect in Skien and it's a lot more clearer and easier to understand.  Each area you go kind of has their only little dialect and they use different words.  They have a ward here in Skien so its a part of the stake.  They have a really nice church building here right on the river.  The ward has about 70 members that come every week, so it's a little bigger than Kristiansand.  The church functions so much better when its in a stake and I'm excited to use the excellent resource we have here.  The members are amazing like usual and we have a dinner appointment almost every night.  The apartment is a lot bigger than in Kristiansand.  I really like it and its just right outside the city.  We have a back patio that looks out at the big state church ha ha.

The area of Skien has struggled with success last year and only had one baptism.  I'm excited to get things started up here and to really see some success.  Elder Abrams my new companion is a great Elder from Star Valley Wyoming.  He has been out two months.  He is really excited to get things rolling as well.  He tells me he was the home town hero being quarterback on the high school team and breaking all the records.  He was also a Student Body Officer.  We have started working out together and so I'm extremely sore from lifting... its been a while ha ha.  We have also started running in the mornings three days a week.  

We have a big list of potentials that we will be going through and finding out which ones are the elect.  Elder Abrams has never experienced being bold and committing people to repent and act.  They have a girl named Tone here in Skien.  She has been going to school in Finland where she met the missionaries.  She has been in Skien since November and goes back to Finland in February to finish school.  She has been coming to church every week and the missionaries haven't taught her.  We got an appointment with her on Tuesday and we will begin to start teaching her.  I feel like the investigators and the potentials don't realize what we do as missionaries and where we see them going. I'm excited to be here in Skien and to be working with Elder Abrams.  We will have a good transfer

Side Notes:
MITT ROMNEY FOR PRESIDENT ha ha.  That will be so cool if he becomes the next president.  The Superbowl was always one of my favorite sundays.  I hope the Jazz are rock solid when i get home.  The house is coming along fast and it looks really good.  What color are the windows? How is the theatre going to be set up?  I would put the house up for sale before school gets out so people will see it every day.  Do you know how you can sell our house for?  What are the plans for the house underneath the other garage and the family room down stairs?  Can you tell that big of difference between the north davis and the other and is the price worth it?  Are you putting brown or white crown moldings in the inside?  Boise Idaho will be a great experience for Jordan before he heads off to Mexico.  I'm so grateful for the opportunity i had to serve in Louisiana.  There is not a week that goes by without thinking about my experience in Louisiana.

I love my mission and I'm so grateful for these two years that i have to become the person that the Lord wants me to become.  I wouldn't trade my mission for anything.  I can't get enough of the scriptures and there is so many things we can learn from them.  I love you guys and i look forward to hearing from you all next week.

Eldste Godfrey