Hei Hå nå er det jul igjen!!‏

December 14, 2015

Kjære Fam!

Oh man! A lot happened this week!  First of all, TRANSFERS.  Oh boy.  I said good bye to sweet Søster Firth, sent her off to take care of Drammen Ward, and picked up Søster Peterson! I had never met her before and she was only 6 weeks behind me in the mission.  That's not common here.  Usually you meet pretty much everyone in the mission.  You guys.... WE ARE THE SAME PERSON! Like, I'm not even kidding.  This girl is going to be a friend for a LONG time. I'll just sum up Søster Peterson for ya.

-She did choir and musicals in high school and LOVES to sing.

-We have the same coat... no one has this coat out here.  

-We're both short.... though, she kinda makes me feel like a giant! haha! Yup! She is a towering 4'10" :)

-Get this... cup stacking... she does it too! We were talking about random talents that we have and I go , "I was really into cupstacking when I was in high school", and she goes, "NO WAAAYYY!!!!!" That about sums up every conversation we have had this week.

-Same sense of humor.  Everything.  Movie quotes, weird puns, and just the good ole dry humor!  I've never laughed so hard in all my life! Where has this Søster been all my mission!

-She went to Copper Hills High School and has 4 younger siblings.

Yup! It's been an awesome week.  Since Søster Peterson and I like to sing, we got asked to sing at the special Christmas Eve church meeting we'll be having.  And then again the Sunday after.  And at the next Zone Conference.  Tis the Season eh?  but on the upside, I'm not sick anymore, so singing is finally possible!

The Christmas season is in full swing and I love it!!  Though, I have to say, Christmas as a missionary here is hard.  I'm getting so much dejavu from last year.  Investigators to busy to meet, people on the street rushing to get their shopping done, trying to fill up the planner, etc.  It gets a little rough.  So we've been trying to find some better ways to find people to teach and starting this week our district will be going caroling.  Power of music!  

There is no snow here.  And that's weird.  There is however the thickest, coolest layer of frost on the ground, and it's like walking on crystals!  Hopefully we'll be getting some snow soon! *Cross your fingers*

The awesome lesson of the week has to go to an awesome less active member that we've been visiting.  The last time that Søster Firth and I went to go and visit her, she told us that she wasn't ready to come back to church and that she just needed a "break".  We left feeling pretty sad.  Well, søster Peterson and I decided to visit her again this week and show her the Christmas video, En Frelser Er Født. (A Savior is Born). Near the end of the lesson, søster Peterson pulls out this lovely quote from C. S. Lewis, “He died not for men, but for each man. If each man had been the only man made, He would have done no less.” Isn't that beautiful?? It really hit me this week what the Atonement was.  Christ didn't suffer a collective pain of all the world.  He suffered EACH of our pains.  He didn't just feel what it is like to suffer the death of a loved one, but He felt what it feels like for that specific person to go through that.  

Maybe I need an example to get what I'm saying across... bear with me here... let's see... Let's say there is a girl named Anne.  Now Anne has an okay life. She's got a cute little family, a sweet husband, is going to school at a great university.  Suddenly one day, let's say her Husband gets in a car accident and dies.  She's going to go through quite a lot of pain.  Jesus Christ felt that.  He didn't just feel the pain of having a spouse die,  he felt the pain that Anne felt.  He felt the pain of having to tell her little kids the news.  He felt the pain of suddenly having to support a family and pretend everything is okay.  He didn't just feel pain. He felt OUR pain! He knows us and how we feel perfectly.  There is nothing we will ever go through that He hasn't already experienced for us.  He makes it possible to overcome.  Because He overcame.

On a slightly lighter note, This is our favorite Norwegian Christmas song. :) We're trying to memorize it so remind me, and we'll sing it for you when we skype next week!

Julen, julen, julen den er her
med julenek og grønne juletrær.
Sneen faller hvit og lett
og blinker lunt og lett, kokkett.
Bjeller klinger over bygd og by
nå er julefesten her på ny.
Sang og spill i moroland,
der hører vi vel hjemme.

 Hei hå, nå er det jul igjen

vi lager jule-gøy og går på ball igjen.
Hei hå, bli med å syng min venn
for her er Per og Pål og julemenn
og nisser, troll og spillemenn.
Hei tomtegubber, ta i ring
vi koker julegrøt og danser rundt omkring.
Hei hå, det er vel ingenting
som kan la vær’ å være glad når det er jul!

 Jeg gikk meg over sjø og land,
der møtte jeg en gammel mann.
Han sa, han så, han spurte så:
Hvor hører du vel hjemme?
Jo, jeg hører hjemme i klappeland,
i klappeland, i klappeland.
Og alle de som klappe kan,
de hører hjemme i klappeland.

 Hei hå, vi er i klappeland
og de som klappe kan,
er hjemme i klappeland.
Kom så går vi rundt om en enebær busk
tidlig en lørdags morgen.

 Hei hå, nå er det jul igjen,
nå kommer nissen frem i fra sitt skjul igjen.
Hei hå, bli med å syng min venn,
for her er Per og Pål og julemenn
og nisser, troll og spillemenn.
Og HEI! nå er det jul igjen!
- nå er det jul, igjen!

Love you family!! The church is TRUE!!!!

-Søster Heywood

Two of my favorite members, Cora and Ana.  It was their last Sunday before going back to Brazil. 

I'll have to say that one of my favorite traditions is that they light a candle the four Sundays leading up to Christmas.  :) They light one more each week, so by the week of christmas, all 4 are lit. 

Søster Peterson and I in our matching coats!

No snow on the ground... just ICE CRYSTALS!!