September 9, 2013 - Stor Uke! (Big Week!)

Kjære venner, (Dear friends)

This week is the best week of my whole life. I have never felt this much joy and happiness in my whole life.  It all began with two weeks age. Me and Elder Bird a traveling ap went contacting together. We found this girl named Karoline who seemed really cool and we scheduled an appointment with her. That day we had scheduled our appointment she didn't come and texted me that she was sick ( she had gotten sick from eating wheat!! she has celiac!! I share a lot of gluten free treats with her!!) so we rescheduled  for the next Monday which was this last Monday. During personal study I really pondered and prayed about what she needed to hear. I know she was not just a normal girl we would be teaching. Before the lesson she had told us that her friend in the USA had told her the day before she met me and elder bird while we were contacting  that she needed to talk to people who believed in God. She told us if her friend had not said that she would not have stopped and talked to us! We decided to teach her Alma 32 about how faith is like a seed. The lesson went great!!  Not only that but 6 months ago she decided to quit drinking alcohol also she believes in being modest and the of chastity. An hour later she texts me and tells me she read Alma 32 and that she understands it all! The lesson after that we taught her the plan of salvation. The lesson before we had given her a pamphlet and she read the whole thing! She pretty much explained the plan of salvation to us.  Her grandma had died but had left her a bible that was handed down from her great grandma and great great grandma. I told her It is like all of them are saying come with us come to heaven with us we all want to be there! It is just the coolest thing. She was very close with her grandma. We had invited her with a soft commitment to be baptized and told her to pray about it. Because me and my companion figured she is so golden that we want her to figure it all out herself. She came  with us to church on Sunday and after Relief Society tells us that she wants to be baptized! She chose September 28th because September 27th is the day her grandma was buried. Pretty much the happiness and joy I feel can not be explained. It is just the best feeling I have ever had in my entire life. We were talking about priesthood in relief society  and I was sitting next to Karoline and just kept thinking this priesthood, this power of God, is what will make this precious girl this dear friend sitting right next to me completely clean. It is the pure love and power of God and it was just magnificent it was glorious! it was herlig (lovely)!!!! I have never felt that power of the atonement outside of myself. I have never felt the power of the atonement for another. It was the  coolest feeling because I just felt overwhelming gratitude to my Savior. To give this beautiful girl a brand new chance to come back to Him and feel overwhelming love. 

This girl before we met her did not believe in God she is a normal Norwegian and she is the cutest girl in the whole world. 

Missionary work is just about planting seeds and nourishing them that is it!

Some cool things I learned this week from an institute teacher every child(investigator) is a seed it will grow itself but you just need to nurture it with the spirit. But there are a lot of other influences that can nurture the seed it you let the world nurture the seed it will not be what you want. 

Everything is given from the Lord You are never taking. Will you take a spouse or will you receive one?

The order of the priesthood is to receive all that the father hath. When you choose worldly things you are letting the world be your companion. When you choose spiritual things you let the Lord be your companion.

Also we have quit language class where we teach forevers Norwegian. Ever since then we have had 3 new normal Norwegians super interested in the gospel. It just stood out to me that you get what you expect! If you ask the Lord for foreigners he will give them to you but if you expect more He will give you equal to you expectations dream high!!!!

love you all!!

søster shaw 

September 2, 2013

Kjære søsken!

Wow what a week. This week we had the opportunity to hear from Elder Kearon. He is a part of the 70 in Europe.  It was amazing so amazing it is difficult to describe in words. The spirit was so strong and I learned a lot. I learned a lot about how Heaven really will be like. It is just a lot happier than I thought. Christ is much more personal and caring then I think of Him to be. The whole point of our existence right now is to be happy to have joy. We are not supposed to be perfect we are not supposed to be robots but we are supposed to be happy. Heaven is happiness. I think a lot of the time I expect myself to be perfect to be absolutely perfect. That I forget to be happy just truly happy.  I learned that the gospel of Jesus Christ is happiness and in every thing we need to represent that. My companion and I have recently been asking people on the streets what gives you the most happiness. It has been really cool to here peoples reply and tie it into the gospel and show them how the gospel can just increase there happiness. 
 

I learned a lot about the point of our existence on this earth. The point of our existence is to meet God. This I always think of is a stressful thing, but it is not. How will we be prepared to live in a world that is happy, joyful, and loving if we are tearing ourselves down for everything we do everyday. Elder Kearon told us to just let go of the negative thoughts in our heads because they are all a bunch of rubbish. -he is British  Usually it is Satan trying to keep you from doing something your really good at and you have a God given gift and talent for it, but of course he doesnt want you to do it. Of course not because then you would be helping others to be happier. So ya right now I am working on trying to enjoy life more and not be a robot. It has been really good and I am getting better and better every day!

It has been a miracle week. We have been trying to work with members more now and we had the oppurtunity to go to the bishops daughters birthday party. It was amazing and we are meeting with 2 new people because of it! Also the cook there was gluten fri she gave me a glutenfri baketri I can go to and she made glutenfri cake and I had glutenfri pizza! The Lord is watching me! I feel so blessed. I can not go to the baketri they have bread and cakes and everything!  

Cool things that happened this week:

I got to meet a guard that was guarding the palace and I shook his hand. I found out afterwards it is illegal to talk to them. Oh well!

We got to go to a farm today and pet the cows!! It was so much fun!

I love my new district. We get stuff done.

I love my companion. 

This week as we were heading home from one of our investigators houses who wasnt home we met a lady who really needs the gospel. She is like the coolest lady in the world.

love you all!

søster shaw!

August 26, 2013 - First week in Oslo

Dear Familie,

It has been an amazing faith filled week. I know these people are really prepared. Wow where do I even start?  This week I got transferred to Oslo. It is beautiful here just like Bergen! But it is a different kind of beauty! It is like old European city beauty mixed with a bit of new. My new companion is great! We work really well together !! But we are still getting used to our different kind of contacting styles. Her name is Sister Bradley.

The spirit is so strong and I have learned so much. In the mission I am considered the contacting demon! Even the aps have heard about my contacting skills. 

There are a lot more Norwegians who are open to talk to us here and it has been so cool to contact in this beautiful city. We went banking and we got 2 return backs with families who love there families so much and want to learn more about how they can be together forever! The miracles here so far have been so amazing. Sometimes I wish that you guys could just follow me and see all the miracles that happen.  We also are meeting with a lot of teenage Norwegians this week! I am remotivated in this new area and once I landed here in Oslo it felt like home. 

Funny stories:  we contacted this man and asked him if he believes in God he said no and then we asked him what does he believe in he said he believes in his dog who had died. I then proceeded to tell him that he could be with his dog forever. Long story short I couldn’t keep my face straight because I am testifying to this guy his dog is in heaven and he is going to meet his dog again. My companion had to take over. We got an appointment from him.  

We went to  a return back family and they were not home. We knocked on her door  and all these children were playing outside. They were not home and these kids ended up taking around to different peoples homes in the neighborhood and bonked on the doors for us! Out of the 4 houses we banked we got 2 appointments!.

Anyways we have had a lot of success here. I know this area is really inspired and there are many people to work with.  Many  faith spirit filled contacting sessions here!

Søster shaw

August 19, 2013 - Chloe's getting transferred from Bergen to Oslo

Dear famile,

This week has been incredible. On Saturday as we were getting to our center to prepare for our next lesson and my companion had an impression that we needed to talk to a normal looking Norwegian lady. We stopped and talked to her and we had a conversation about how the atonement can change her life. She cried and so we will see how it goes with her. Her name is anita but I will be leaving

We also met with three sweet Asian girls who are really open

Familie the love I am developing for these people and my companions is indescribable. 

We proselyte at a big pond and go contacting there we rarely go bonking. The language is coming along really well. I am really learning a lot that is kind of hard to explain. My testimony has really grown. Me and sister aasen have contacting times together where we go up and talk to people and I am on the edge of tears because the atonement is so real. People really need it. I really like contacting with sister aasen we push it to the edge where we can not do it with out the lords help and we always open people up by just listening to them and serving them. I am really going to miss sister aasen she has honestly become my best friend. I feel so comfortable with her. She truly is an example of Christ to me. I have gotten so close with her. We are so obedient also and we expect miracle.

fUNNY MOMENTS Last week I talked to someone on the bybanen for like 20 minutes about the difference in taste between french water and Norwegian water. It was probably the coolest conversation of my life.

Also I do not think I realized how Scandinavian we all look until we got here. Literally Bryce looks like he belongs in the streets of Norway. Same with Grace audrey and rose. Mom and kim you both look so Scandinavian and grandma. I also feel like I look so Scandinavian. It is so flott!!

Tell julie her letter was the sweetest and I am trying to write back but it might take like a couple of months.

 Mom I am going to oslo and I am stoked this is where my great great great grandma comes from. I just feel so much apprehension I know big things are going to happen. I feel so so at home here. The other day as we were wondering through the streets of beregen I just felt like my ancestors were totally with me. I know they care about these people and there descendants that have not accepted yet. I feel such a great joy in my soul about going to oslo it is hard to describe. I know it is where I am supposed to be.I knw the ward is big and there is a lot to work with. i am excited to get close with the young women. I am so excited to go to the exact same city where my ancestors came from. To look at the archaic buildings they have there and know that my ancestors were a part of that. It is so real. Eternal families are so real.

sister bradley will be my new companion. Bergen has been great.

søster shaw

August 12, 2013 - Pictures

August 12, 2013 - In the Land of the Midnight Sun, We Never Stop Running

Dearest Family,

This week has been so powerful! We got 6 New investigators last week 2 of them are really normal Norwegians!! Knut and Kristin are there names.. Kristin has a Family and we taught her about forever families and she thinks the bible and book of Mormon are good "how to" books!! Which they totally are! Also knut is way cool and we had an extremely powerful lesson With him.  This week we are just focusing on keeping them investigators and turning them into investigators that gir fremgang. We have been working really hard.

During zone leader Conference this week. They went over the fact that as missionaries we are representing Christ. I had heard that before I received my Call and it hit me pretty hard. But this time is the first time that it hit me specifically applying to Norway. It hit me for the first time that as missionaries we are representing Christ in a land, to a People who do not know Him. They do not know of His love or they would be reaching out there hand. They do not know of His Grace and Divine Power. They need this powerful overwhelming love. For the first time it hit me that everyone we meet , it could be there only encounter With that opportunity to feel that Christlike  love. I know that through the Holy Ghost people can feel that and this New realization makes me just want to work that much harder so everyone here where ever I serve can feel His great all powerful love.

We have had significant miracles this week. I know that we are so literally preparing the way for Christ to come. I know it is Norway's time.

I have thought a lot about Elizabeth Bradshaw this week as I have been working and how strong she is. How she never gave up she is a powerful example for me and she along With come come ye Saints have been stuck in my head this entire week.

"The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting Our aim too high and in falling short but in setting Our aim too low and achieving the mark."

Michael Angelo

This week I listened to I believe in Christ. The question hit me I believe in Christ so what am I going to do about it because I believe?

Familie!!! I am so glad you all could have such an enjoyable time together it looks just fun!! I love you all!! I am so grateful that we are an eternal Family! I am glad that the Fathers plan is so real. I am so grateful for all Your guyss love I feel it so strongly and literally here! I am so Grateful for everything again I am Grateful we are an eternal Family that we do all love each other and that we have that beautiful blessing to look forward to. To spending eternity together!

søster shaw 

August 4, 2013

Dear Familie,

Ok this week I have no time for emails. We are still working with less actives and it is going really well. All the less actives we work with really have a desire to come back to church and we have been planning goals with them to get them there. W e really need to strengthen them to strengthen the church in Norway and keep the church going strong here. They are the future generation. I feel like this is where the Lord needs us. I know that as we take this approach the Lord will bless us with our efforts to accomplish His will and give us new investigators. Keep up the hard missionary work family!! Way to go grandma!!! 

It is raspberry and cherry season here I pick berries where ever we find them. There are a couple berries next to the church. That is cool. Also this week we visited some members who gave us cloudberries!! I got so ecstatic about them that he gave me a whole container!!! That was sweet! 

Someone on the bybanen thought I was from Sweden!!! That is really cool so language is improving for sure. 

San Diego looks like a lot of fun!!! Eva is getting big!!

It starts to get dark at night and that is so weird!! I love that it is always day here. 

I am learning so much!! I have had some really cool experiences this week. I know that because I am a new missionary so I am still trying to get the grip on how to appropriately ask questions and teach investigators. It is cool because sometimes I will mess up but I will just try my absolute hardest to be the best teacher I can be, and the Lord makes up the difference. 

We have some new positive investigators åsko and annette. Åsko is a very normal Norwegian boy who is atheist. But is pretty open and willing to do what he says. I know he would be an assett to building the church in Norway. He is way cool! Annette is from tanzenia and has a family here! She is really interested in the fact that we are the restored church today! She is super awesome and asks us really good questions. She has helped me so much to be a better teacher. 

Love you all!!!