Syttende Mai i OSLO!!!!!‏

May 18, 2015

Wait... hold on... was it seriously a whole week ago that I emailed last? I feel like SOO much has happened since then... WELP! Let's get started!

Goodbyes in Stavanger were WAY hard.  There are so many families there that I feel so at home with. (we did LOTS of member visits my last two days... haha!) Then the dreaded Tuesday night came when I had to say goodbye to Casper.  We had Tegnspråk class as usual and when it was over, we took LOTS of pictures then finally had to say goodbye.  Though, I think I prefer saying goodbye in Sign Language because I don't have to worry about my voice shaking when I cry :) Casper has changed my life.  He's SO GOOD! GAH!

I left the BEAUTIFUL Stavanger on Wednesday, said goodbye to the Hobbit Hole and my beautiful companion and hopped on the 8-hour train to Drammen.  I HATED that train ride.  the train was pretty much empty, and I couldn't even call and make appointments or anything.  I felt so unproductive.  Way weird, but eventually, I made it to Drammen.  It is beautiful here as well.  I'm pretty sure all of Norway is just gorgeous!  We live a good distance from the city center which is way different from my other areas and we have to hike up a big hill in order to go home at the end of the day, but we live in a much bigger apartment than the Hobbit Hole! haha! there is a HUGE river that divides the city in half, so we like to go contacting on the bridges a lot :)

One of the first appointments we had was with a lady named Møyfrid.  Søster Smith told me that this was her make it or break it lesson.  In other words, they were planning on dropping her if the lesson didn't go well.  we read a little in the Book of Mormon with her like missionaries usually do, then we brought up baptism.  She started talking about how she had been baptized in the Norwegian State Church as a baby.  We then asked her if she believed the Book of Mormon was true.  She told us she didn't know, but it made her feel so peaceful whenever she read it. After reading Moroni 10:4-5, we asked her to pray right then and there to find out for herself. She sat and waited for a little while, then said a very simple prayer.  after she was done, we just sat in silence and felt the spirit.  It was one of the strongest times I have felt the spirit on my whole mission.  We asked how she felt, and she said, "This is true. This is right." It was SO COOL!!! So make it or break it worked out ok :)

We found out that since we live so close to Oslo, we would get to go there for Syttende Mai!!!! (Norwegian Independance Day) Dreams come true family! We watched the parade from the palace grounds, waved to the king, and sang the Norwegian National Anthem! It was AMAZING!! then we went to church in Oslo, then to President's house for a barbeque, then to the Solbergs house for dinner! Rewind to a couple days earlier...... when I found out that I would be in Oslo for Syttende Mai, I texted Eline, and asked her if she would be in Oslo that day.  Then she offered to feed us dinner.  We both thought... uh..... Is that allowed??? So we called President, and he said it sounded like a GREAT Idea :) :) :) I was SO happy! It has been about 8 months since seeing Eline, and now I get to go to her house!!! 5 years waiting, and I finally got there :) Like I said... Dreams come true! ;) when we got there, Eline, Brede, and Eva all ran out to give me a hug!  It was almost like a mini homecoming! haha!! It was so fun to be able to talk to them in Norwegian too!

There was lot's more that happened in the week, but I don't have much time, so I'll write more next week I promise :) Oh! and before I forget, here's my new address:

Tomineborg 47

3011 Drammen

Norway

Værsågod! Have an INCREDIBLE WEEK!!! And tell Åse Marie and Søster Buhler hi from me!! :) :)

-Søster Heywood

#1- Me and Casper

#2- Palace grounds for Syttende Mai!