November 10, 2014 - The Sun Begins to Set, to Come to a New Dawn

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Where do I even begin?

The journey has been incredible. The ride fantastic and the memories never forgotten. I just feel so satisfied with my mission. I feel satisfied with who I have become. I know God has been with us. I have seen God's hand and incredible miracles. I have learned. I know I am an agent. I am needed and wanted and loved. I am a vital servant. 

I have loved my time. I have loved the people. I have loved this gorgeous country. I have gotten to know God and I feel so satisfied and unbelievably joyful. The atonement is there; it changes, it cleanses, it allows me to become. 

I have learned to just be me. 

To leave this place will be excruciating but I know God will carry me. 

Me and Sister H created a title of liberty or how we feel as missionaries

Ålesunds title of liberty

We are disciples of Jesus Christ  as we lean on Gods presence nothing is impossible. We will show dilligence unto the end. Our sufferings are not comparable to the glory we have been promised. We will cast out our fear with perfect love. Those that war against us  are nothing. We will fear not for the Lord our God will be in our midst. He will not leave us comfortless. He will come to us. Whatsoever we ask in the name of of our Savior will be given.  As Christ walks  with us we will help others walk with Him.  Now we carry the light of Christ in us. The darkness has begun to lift and the light is filling the city. We are missionaries from the church of Jesus Christ  and our banner is clear. 

Miracles: my mission has been a miracle

November 3, 2014 - Among Men the Sun Shines

Kjære alle sammen,

This week has been incredible. Wow, the Lord is the giver of all the best gifts.

Miracles: This week we had a baptism in the fjord and it is freezing here. The days leading up to the baptism the weather was really bad and really cold. We were really worried he (Eirik)  would freeze. As we were running out the door we felt the weather and it was so so so warm. It was so warm we didn't even need our winter jackets which that has not happened in like a month. Seriously that was probably one of the coolest miracles that has ever happened in my life. It was incredible. Eirik had prayed for that and God  answered his prayers!! He has such strong faith!! 

We were waiting for Christopher, one of our investigators, and we were worried he wouldn't come. It was the first time we  took Eirik on a teach as a member and so I didn't want his first teach to be a no show. We prayed and told God that if Christopher wasn't gonna come we wanted Him to provide someone else we could teach. he did just that. He gave us two opportunities to teach someone. Another investigator and a less active. 

It was incredible to see a good friend enter the waters of baptism and become closer to God. Life could not get better

I know that God is there. I know we can trust in Him. I know we will never fall.

My mission has just been incredible!!! The journey has been magnificent. I feel so utterly satisfied. I know God is the giver of all the best gifts and I know that He has made such a greater life for me than I could have ever even imagined. I love God. I am joyous and I love Norway!

October 27, 2014 - Among Men we are Glorified

Life could just not be better.

This week we experienced the worst weather I have ever experienced. We had to walk a mile in it to get to a very sweet lady named Y. As we were walking and we couldn't even walk anymore because the wind was so strong and we had to hold on to the iron bridge. I realized just how far Christ is willing to go to show us His love for us. I know that Christ is ever aware awake and present in the storms of our lives and He will walk miles in the storms of our hearts to find us rescue us and bring us home. I love my brother. 

When you break an egg from the outside then you are ending a life. If it is broken from the inside then it is the beginning of life. Don't let circumstances break you from the outside. But bring life from the inside. Christ gives us the ultimate life and when we rely on Him then can we bring an abundance of life. 

Some things I learned this week. 

You can go anywhere to find information, you can only go to God to find truth. 

Be confident in your desires. 

have a great week!

This week I am excited to see this kid EIRIK get baptized in a fjord! I am excited to hit it up in trondheim and to roam the streets with this cool lady named sister heywood She is so great!!!!

October 20, 2014

This week Sister Heywood got in. And wow I am so impressed!!!!! She is so helpful she always helps me with everything and I can't even believe it. It is hard being in a branch because we have to do so much work but she just helps me with everything I ask her too. It is kind of incredible actually. I love it.

As missionaries we send scriptures to our investigators to send them some spiritual upliftment  and to help them out. This week Eirik sent us a scripture.
 isaiah 41: 10 ¶Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. 13 For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.
This was so comforting. I know God's love is there. I know He is with us. I know we dont need to fear. We can always feel secure in His love and in His arms. 
I love God.sister shaw

October 12, 2014 Among Men We Are Alive

kjære alle sammen,

God is awake. He is conscious. As we come closer to Him we also become more awake. The more celestialized we become the more conscious we are of who we are and the people around us actually are. In John 17:3 it says  3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. 

If life eternal is to know God. Who is God? It says in doctrine and covenants 38:1-2:1 Thus saith the Lord your God, even Jesus Christ, the Great I Am, Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the same which looked upon the wide expanse of eternity, and all the seraphichosts of heaven, before the world was made;

 2 The same which knoweth all things, for all things are present before mine eyes;

As we learn more about God we become more like Him. As I have served a mission I have really learned that I have become more awake and conscious of the realities that go on around me. I understand greater the consciousness of God because I too have become more conscious. 

I know God loves us because he is fully aware and conscious of who we are, our potential and the reality of our life. 

I am so grateful to be a missionary and to wake up. I am grateful I have come to have a greater understanding.

this week we got to go to Trondheim and visit some members. That was really fun. We also got to go and visit Eirik's church. This the church was so beautiful it is insane!!! 

October 6, 2014

hello everyone,
Many miracles have been happening. God is with us.
miracle one: Bente our new convert talked to her friend about the gospel. It turns out she needs God, we will be meeting her today. We are both very excited. God is with us.
We got to see the priesthood conference session with Eirik. I loved it. I loved quentin L. cooks talk about making decisions. So good and so powerful. 
We have had a great week. I love being a missionary. I love Norway. This is home. I love my savior Jesus Christ. 
have a great week
sister shaw

Septermber 29, 2014 among men the storms encircle, among God we are free

kjære alle sammen,

The weather here in ålesund has been awful and both me and sister hornback agree it is the worst weather we have experienced in our entire lives. We have been soaking wet for the past three days friday saturday and sunday. Most of my thoughts are centered around the weather. 

On Friday the weather was awful. The wind was blowing and sometimes it was hard  to walk. As sister hornback and i were walking to an investigators house, the wind became calm  but I recieved a prompting to link my arm with Sister Hornbacks, shorty thereafter the wind picked up. We walked together in a straight line, fighting against the winds blowing at us. We were a team, we were together. Our force connected was enough to withstand the storm and not be tossed to and fro  by the strong winds. It reminded me of when Elder Bednar talked in our last conference of being yoked with the Saviour through our covenants. As I held tightly to sister hornback I realized that as I yoked myself to the saviour through my covenants, it doesnt matter how strong the winds blow.  I would walk in a strong straight line to my destination, to my home. I was also reminded of the words of paul in ephesians 4:13-15

13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

 14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men,and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

 15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

Let us no more be tossed to and fro by every enticing strong wind encircling about us, but constantly be yoked with the savior, Jesus Christ walking in a straight line to our eternal glory. 

As we were walking through the pouring rain  and everyone we met was rejecting  the message of Christs love. I was reminded once again of Christ.  As we walked through the streets in the storm , I was reminded that christ is always available to us  through both the storms and sunshine of life.  He will always be walking through the streets  of our hearts patiently waiting for us to accept His message of love. 

because of jesus christ is sadness only temporary, happiness is constant becuase of our brother.

true success in this life comes in consecrating our lives-that is our time and choices- to Gods purposes in so doing, we permit Him to raise us to our highest  destiny, Elder D. todd Christoffersen.

Christ did not show complete obedience to law,  He showed complete obedience to love. 

have a great week. 

søster shaw 

I LOVE MY MISSION. 

September 22, 2014

Kjære alle sammen,

WOWWWWWWWWWWW, My life has never raced so quick before my eyes in my entire life. I really wish I could have some sort of brake to slow down time, going by so quickly. I love my mission. I love Norway. I love that it gets dark, I love that it rains, I love that it sometimes takes so much effort  to just walk in the rain and contact people, because after moments like that after a million nei takks, you just realize I am doing this for Christ. and  I am doing this for my brothers and sisters who NEED to have the peace and hope that comes from the assurance of Gods all encompassing love. 

Eirik he is doing well, we are still shooting for November 3rd as a baptismal date. He is having a hard time giving up the state church. I know that as he has more experiences with prayer, he will come to know the truths of God. 

This week we had the opportunity to go to trondheim for a meeting and I lost my wallet!! That was crazy..... I organized everything so it would be OK, but the biggest miracle i think that has happened is I got two amazing packages!! both from my family and the relief society giving us loads of food!! Which is so needed because ya, we are pretty low on money. That was like the biggest miracle in the world!! Thank you so much. I know the Lord is always there especially in the nick of time. 

We are all wonderful agents, we can bring about great goodness in the lives of many of our brothers and sisters around us. 

I know God listens. He is there.

søster shaw

Septermber 15, 2014

Hello everyone,

This morning we took the time to go to the mountain of the Lord. We woke up and climbed to sukker top. As we were climbing up I was reminded of this symbolising of our personal journey to come closer to the Lord. As my physical body was taken to greater heights my spirit was lifted and I noticed that my thoughts became more clear and centered on Christ the higher and higher we walked. Not only that but I was thinking of a negative mentality I had and thought as we were going up why cant I just have this mentality? It would just be so much easier to stay the same. As we were walking up the path though I was reminded there is only one way to make it to the Lord and His presence, and even though it is hard. It is always more worth it to be in His presence. 

As I have thought and pondered more about Elders Bednars conference I have learned more things. 

I have learned that when we "perform" we are being objects. When we are just ourselves we are agents. 

When we compare and measure ourselves against others we are objects.

As agents we can reach the higher potential God has for us. We can serve Him and learn and grow at the pace He wants us to grow. 

This week we have contacted a lot and that has been great, but it mostly has just been great to talk with sister Hornback in between the contacting pauses when no one is out and realize how I\we can become agents for good in this world of confusion. How we can choose the future we have and truly reach our potential as agents in Christ. It has been really a blessing to take a step back and look at what is possible and realize the kind of person and the people I can choose to surround me as being an agent. 

Eirik is one of our investiagtors with a baptismal date and this week we met with him. He really likes his church so he still was not sure if he would be baptized.  We taught him that he is an agent. If he wants to find out this is true he can. 2 days later we got this text message... it is translated from norwegian so be patient...I am thinking over if I will be baptized in your guys church. I have thought about it and have not managed to defend my church. I prayed to God and said is this church sister Shaw and sister Hornback are so glad in true? and god showed me that your guyss church is true! I am so glad!

this was the biggest miracle from this past week probably the coolest thing that has happened on my mission. Hopefully we will have another fjord baptism:) 

I love ålesund. I have learned so much about being a leader, we have to do a lot in this little branch, but it is amazing. I also have learned a lot about music. I have to help with everything. I even had to sing in sacrament meeting yesterday. I have gotten much better with my musical skills:) 

I know that I truly can change because of the atonement. I am an agent!

have a great week love you all!

Sep. 8, 2014 yesterday I shook an apostle of the Lords hand

this past weekend was incredible. I have had the best weekend of my life. I have learned so much and I am so grateful to be on a mission. I LOVE MY MISSION. 

We had the opportunity to go to Oslo for a sisters conference and go to stake conference with elder bednar we then got to have a meeting with just us missionaries with elder Bednar. We had three hours with the apostle and his amazing sweet wife. It was great!

first  the sisters conference...... all the sisters came together on the Saturday before and we all had the opportunity to talk and chat and learn about how we can be better. It was fantastic and so much fun to see the sisters I truly have missed while I have been up here in the north with 8 other sisters. who I also love dearly but I miss the sisters in the south too!

the stake conference with elder Bednar was amazing the spirit was so strong and his wife is so sweet. They are just such cool normal nice good people. That was a amazing. He taught the first teach and directed towards all investigators there. It was perfect and we learned so much

Our conference with Elder Bednar was unreal. Him and his wife are so good. I learned so much. 

I learned we are agents not objects. God put us as agents. Because He has made us agents, our deep desires what we want are good. We can make what we want happen as we pray and act. God desires to give us the gift. We must just act and show Him faith to obtain the gift. 

As agents we will be inspired to help others in the way they  need. We will be inspired to help ourselves in the way we need.

Because we are agents we are loved, our spirits, our personalities are beautiful in the Lords eyes and because God has made us agents, he wants us to shine. We are enough and beautiful and loved. God wants us to thrive and to trust ourselves trust Him and trust others. 

We never need to apologize for who we are or be different around different people. We can be ourselves all the time. That is the thing I liked the most about elder bednar is that he was so real. He was just himself he called things weird and certain choices people can make stupid because they are just that. He didn't stand up there and act all spiritual because the spirit was just there and, he was being himself. He acted the same way as he would act at home. Elder bednar is just a cool person, his wife is just a cool person. They are both very real. 

 The only reason we are on this earth is to come home. Everything that takes us away from this mindset is a waste of our time. We do not need to be caught up with who had better clothing or who is prettier or who has more things. These thought don't help us to come home, so we don't need to think them. 

I was one out of a couple missionaries who got to shake elder bednars hand and it was so great. I am so grateful to have experienced that.

I love God. I am an agent. and I am on His team. We are fighting a winning battle.

Sep 1, 2014

We don't have so much emailing time so this will be fast. That makes me so sad because this has literally been one of the best weeks of my life. We had a baptism in a fjord we were witnesses to our ex brach presidents wedding we went to trondheim and I got a saving package from my best friend ashley.

1st we went to trondheim for zone conference I got to see majken.

2 we got to witness at our previous branch presidents wedding and I was the photographer! We were also bridesmaids. I am not exactly sure how legal that was but it was so much fun!!! I got to be a part of a wedding too this week. It was in a court hall but ya know marriage is marriage.

3 this week we completely ran out of money (like the whole mission ran out of money for some reason)...... We had absolutely no money to buy foods or any necessity. I mean for dinner one night I ate rice with peanuts and soy sauce and I gotta admit it was not bad. But ya we had absolutely nothing. After we got home from the exhileration of witnessing at a wedding we see that I got a package from Ashlee Rupp. We go and get the package and we open it and I just started crying because there is so much gluten free food in the package. I ate mac and cheese and annies crackers and all sorts of dried berries. It was the biggest miracle from the Lord. I know that was meant to come that day. 

4 We had a baptism in the fjord. Not only was it an amzing baptism but it was so simple and the spirit was ever present as bente made this choice to follow God. It was so calm and simple. I cant even put it into words. I am so grateful for bentes example to me and for her strong spirit. 

two things that I have pondered this week.

perfection is completion. When God sent us to earth he never told us that we should become more unlike ourselves or that we should rip ourselves apart. He loves us. The process of becoming complete is becoming more ourselves. If we are kind we need to use our kind intelligence for good if we are clean we can use the intelligence of cleanness for good. There is no way you can really change anyone or even change yourself accept if its through the atonement of christ. So we need to realize our personality is complete we are jut learning how to enhance our personality here on earth. 

Christ was sent so that we would be helped. He was sent because we cant do it alone. If we get done with life and we [don't] turn to christ and we have accomplished everything. What have we really accomplished?

Love is paying attention to and desiring to meet other peoples true neeeds and wants. Not your own wants enforced on the other person. 

I love you all have a great week.

this week I will see elder bednar

Aug 25, 2014

This week has been great. I would like to impart something I have been pondering about a lot. 

spiritual thought

 to sum up a lot of who Christ was is He was available. He never was too busy for anyone or anything. He wasnt stressed hurrying and doing things. He was just him there being there for anyone and everyone. Availablility is also the essence of love. It is not so much the doing that matters but the being that is what people need. I hope that the people I love can feel that I am available to them

This week Bente is going to get baptized like really. She is so utterly prepared. i AM SO GRATEFUL WE could meet her and teach he. . We got like 7 people cancelling on us  and then we finally taught a couple who are from nepal and love God that was really great. Church was really great and I am so excited to see Bente get baptized. we are going to trondheim on friday and we are going to get sorbet with Majken a member in trondheim:) Also we are going to see elder bednar in 2 weeks. This week was pretty crazy. Like every week is.

miracles, Bente is getting baptized there is nothing cooler than that:)

the funny thing that happened this week

We taught a spanish guy with using only five words in spanish and he only knowing 10 words in english. I could say I wish I had learned spanish from my mom. But that experience was so hilarious that I am really grateful I didnt:) I will learn spanish when i get home as well as icelandic. 

by the way being here in norway has allowed me to develop a deep interest in iceland. I would love to learn their language, it is legit. 

love you all have a great week

sister c shaw

Aug 18, 2014

This week has been really great. We have seen a lot of miracles. We had the opportunity to go to bergen. That was really fun.

this week: we had the opportunity to teach Bente about obedience. We looked at our watches and low and behold it is 845 and the bus takes 30 minutes to get back home. There was almost no way we would make the bus home. It left at 855 and was a twenty minute walk. But we looked at the time and realized we better go. We ran out the door with all our gear and started sprinting towards the bus. There were many points where both me and sister Hornback thought whats the point we aren't going to catch the bus anyways why cant we just walk. But we continued running. We ended up flagging down the bus and it stopped for us!!! That was a huge miracle. I know that when we are obedient we really are blessed and we were able to be home at 930 and have a great evening.

have a great week. I know being obedient brings miracles.

Aug 11, 2014 Among Men We Chase The Sun

Wow, what a week. This week was amazing. So many amazing things happened. 

Miracle: the trondheim sisters came down for a visit. I had this desire to pick sister chapman rips which is a berry she had never had. I thought that is a really dumb idea. But then I just thought why not we will be contacting anyways.  We got on the bus and as we got off sister oldham met a man that she had taught  a year ago that she has been trying to get in contact with for forever! We met with him later that night and the meeting went well. This is what happens when we listen to the good intenions of our heart. Our desires are good. This huge miracle happened because we wanted to pick berries. It was one of the coolest things that has happened to me in my life. 

Many miracles continue to happen. It is just me and sister hornback on this small little island and it is a sanctuary. I love ålesund! I know God lives and is waiting to give us what we want. 

August 4, 2014 - Among Men Picking Berries

This week has been amazing!!! . The cat story I told you all about led us to finding a new investigator, who ended up bringing a friend and now they are both planning on getting baptized on august 30th. I know that miracles are real and God puts cats in trees  to ultimately bring his children back to him. We have been eating a lot of berries and seeing a lot of slugs. There was a slug curled up attached to the top part of the stem of a weed. It was so gross!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I died. 

We also had the opportunity to come in contact with a hedge hog that crossed our path. It was so cute!!! It drank water and its little eyes were just the cutest in the entire world!!! Not only that but the cute hedge hog allowed us to be in the best mood when we taught our investigator. We have been really busy changing this branch into a ward, but still enjoying the time to enjoy the roses. I love my mission!!!!! I love this island. I love God and the many miracles he have worked while we have been here. We have found so many prepared people and most of the time it is because we do simple things like pick berries or save cats. I know that doing what we want to do is what God wants us to do and God truly wants us to feel joy and enjoy the magnifiscent places we are at in life. 

We also had the opportunity to eat fresh crab and it was so good!

We work really hard and I love sister Hornback! She is a great companion. We are a geat team. 

have a great week everyone. 

sister shaw

July 28, 2014 - Among Men Saving Cats

the funny story of the week.....sister hornback wrote it.

"Once upon a time we were on our way to visit a member. We had been walking/contacting on our way to her appartment and had just arrived about 10 minutes early when we heard some distressed sounding meowing. We looked around for the source and eventually discovered that the meowing was coming from a frightened looking cat who seemed to be stuck in the high branches of a nearby tree. Being the heroic missionaries we are, we immediately dropped our bags and set about trying to figure out a way to rescue the poor creature. We considered having Sister Shaw sit on my shoulders and try to grab the cat, but we thought that might not be such a lady-like thing to do in a skirt (and we're both pretty short, so it probably wouldnt have been so effective anyway.). Climbing was also not an option, at least for the human species, so we resorted to trying to coax the cat down with soothing utterances of ''Kom ned katt!'' or in other words, ''Come down cat!'' And the cat must have recognized us as dedicated servants of God because it started making it's way down! When it got to the lowest branches Sister Shaw stood directly under the cat and reached her arms up in a beckoning manner. And then, as if in slow motion, this trusting cat leaped gracefully from the lower branches of the tree directly into the outstretched arms of Sister Shaw. We looked at eachother, realizing we had accomplished our endeavor, and then proceeded to laugh uncontrollaby for the next 5 minutes straight. It was by far the best thing that's ever happened on my mission (besides all the ''bringing people closer to Christ'' things.)."

other events of the week......This week was really amazing. We met some really cool people. One of which is from the phillipines and she started crying because she wanted to feel the love of God more in her life. That was a very neat experience. I have felt the spirit so strong here. Me and sister hornback are perfect companions. We work really hard but still find time to pick berries along the way. 

We also took the bus to meet this muslim man and then he didn't show. We started walking back and met this super legit girl. I mean so legit we taught her and the spirit was so strong. I am loving this place and I know the Lord is here. I also have been doing an activity where i think of all the reasons why god is grateful for me and the things I did that day. Maybe that sounds selfish but it is helping me to learn how much I mean to the Lord and to also be more grateful for those around me

July 21, 2014

hello!!!

I am moving to a little island called ålesund. I will miss trondheim. I feel in so many ways this city has been engraved on my soul. I know the Lord has been here and has been by my side every moment. I love this place. I will be so sad to leave. 

my new adress is 

Hellegata 1

6004 Ålesund

this is a link to a google maps view

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Alesund,+Norway/@62.462706,6.116523,3a,75y,90t/data=!3m5!1e2!3m3!1s72330314!2e1!3e10!4m2!3m1!1s0x4616da471047fb4b:0xe82562ee3bc08fea!6m1!1e1

This will break me I love trondheim with all my heart and I gave my heart to this area. I know the Lord knows all. I am excited to grow more. I love you all

sister  chloe shaw

ps I am also extending my mission and will come home on November 14th

July 7, 2014

The sky at midnight

June 30, 2014

Dear everyone,

I will be covering a topic this week the world needs to hear. It is a virtue that is forgotten in the modern world. It is the law of chastity. I love the law of chastity. It is the best law God has given us. When we follow this law we are able to experience greater joy and a deeper love for those around us and our future\current spouse. God has given us this law to allow us to have the greatest happiness. 

 10 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour oflove, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

 11 And we desire that every one of you do shew the samediligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:

 12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who throughfaith and patience inherit the promises.

 13 For when God made promise to Abraham, because he couldswear by no greater, he sware by himself,

 14 Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee.

 15 And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.

 16 For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife.

love you mom and soph hope you have a good fourth of july!!!

 17 Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath:

 18 That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled forrefuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:

 19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;

 20 Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made anhigh priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.