February 20, 2012

Sunrise in Tonsberg

Hallo Familie,

Time is flying by and is starting to get warmer!!!  It has been in the mid 30s this last week and summer is coming fast.  We had a lot of traveling this last week again. On Tuesday we took a train to Sandvika (2hrs) and arrived at about 11pm.  We stayed the night there with Elder Bolt and Davis.  The next morning we went to Oslo for Zone Conference.  Zone Conference was amazing like usual and I'm going to miss President Johansen a lot when he goes home in June.  I don't know how anyone is going to compare to him.  I'm sure he will be called to the seventy or something.  President started with some unfathomable statistics and talked about obedience.  He was a bishop of a singles ward before he became President.  He told us the problem with Pornography today.  He told us about 1/2 of returned missionaries were involved with it.  It is a very wicked sin and Satan will never back down.  We have to always watch what were doing and do those important things that the prophets have told us to do.  Read the scriptures and pray everyday. 

Eldste Davidson and I have been filling the funnel up this last week.  We've had a lot fun contacting and we meet all kinds of people.  It's really interesting to see how different people view different things.  We met with Victor this last week.  He gave us a referral to a guy named Shola.  He is studying engineering in Porsgrunn and he is from Nigeria.  He is a cool guy and he came to church this week.  We gave him a tour of the church and our MMK didn't come to church this week so i taught the investigator class.  It was so much fun and i ran out of time before i could say everything i wanted to.  I taught him the Plan of Salvation and i drew out the whole plan on the white board. 

We met with the Bishop and he was telling us some goals they have set for Skien area.  The Bishop is very goal oriented and very organized.  We get along really well.  They have set a goal for 25 baptisms for 2012 which is a pretty high goal.  Last year they had 1 baptism.  They also have a goal of opening another ward in Porsgrunn in 2020.  The Bishop has set up a g-mail account for the skien missionaries that i like using a lot.  Its kind of like an online missionary planner.  I'll probably use something like that when i get back from my mission.  If i go home in March 2013 then i only have about a year left.  WOW that is crazy!  Time goes by really fast.  This summer is going to go by fast and i can't wait for the weather that is coming.  It is paradise!  We have been eating so much food here in Skien.  Its a good thing we walk everywhere. 

We took a bus last night to Tønsberg to do a felles p-day.  Today we will be visiting this old light house and I'll have to send some pictures next week.  It will be a lot of fun.  They live across the street from the beach so Elder Davidson and I went and took some sun rise pictures this morning.  Tomorrow we're going to have District meeting in Tønsberg and then Elder Morris and I are going back to Skien for splits. 

I know this church is true!  I will never regret the decision to serve a mission.  I have had so much fun and have learned so much.  There is still so much to learn.  If i didn't have the church in my life i don't know where i would be.  I know that God and Jesus Christ visited Joseph Smith and called him to be a prophet to restore Christs church on the Earth again.  Joseph Smith was an amazing man and i can't wait to study more about his life when i get home.  This is the Lords work and i'm so grateful to be a part of it.


Next week you will have to send more pictures of the house and send some of Marks too.  I don't know how down the economy will be when i get home but I'm going to have to get right into business so i don't miss some of the deals.  I got your package and i thought that it was for my birthday ha ha.  I really don't need anything.  I have a lot of ties but if your going to send me more then send me some paisley ties.  What I really want is a personal letter from all of you!  You could send me some more socks like the ones you sent last time.  I don't need any food.  Thanks for everything in the package.  What we ate was in fact real seal ha ha.  I hope Jake had a good Birthday.  I miss St. George a lot and my future wife and I are going to visit there often ha ha. 

I love you guys and i look forward from hearing from you all next week.

Eldste Godfrey