Welcome to Your Future!

Our first month in Norway has just sped by!  I guess that's what happens when you are having fun, staying busy and having many new experiences.

We already had our first, (and hopefully our last), visit to the emergency ward.  Coming home from Mandal, (about an hour away), with the Elders, Jim suddenly started having bad pains - really bad ones!  We took him to the emergency room where after only a 5 minute, if even that, wait, they took him in, ran a couple of tests, diagnosed kidney stones, gave him a pain shot that worked and sent him home with some pain pills.  Total cost, $45.  Imagine that!  The next morning, Jim was in pain again - the pills not working.  So we met our new family doctor.  He was great, ran a couple of tests, gave Jim more shots and a prescription for pain pills.  Total cost, $85.  This socialized medicine isn't too bad!!   

Thankfully Jim got feeling better after a couple of days because we were leaving for Oslo to the all Norwegian conference with Elder Bednar.  It was an amazing experience!  A public hall was rented for the meeting because about 5,000 members and investigators attended. It was also transmitted to ward buildings throughout Norway.

Sister and Elder Bednar were wonderful.  We were all so spiritually uplifted!  Elder Bednar spoke mainly to the investigators, teaching all about the restoration,  beautifully, simply and powerfully. He also taught the rest of us, how better to teach, just by listening to him.  He also told us to enjoy being weird - because that is how people see us, at first.  He said, "just live the Gospel and be weird".   People will begin to ask us why we are weird because our weirdness will become attractive to them.  He said, "they will see and feel your goodness."  We were reminded, the Lord is hastening His work, not us.  He i and we need to keep pace with the Lord's hastening and do our part to help Him.

One of Elder Bednar's responsibilities is to over see the Church in Africa where 100 new wards were formed last year and will probably be doubled this year.  He told of many wards where Sacrament Meeting consists of the Sacrament and then confirmations - up to 35 each Sunday.  Leaders asked him if they should hold special meetings for the confirmations.  He answered, absolutely not.  Just think, you don't have to listen to those boring Sac. Mtg. talks.  He told the people of Norway, "Welcome to your future!"  This will happen here - that wards and branches will have so many confirmations during their Sac. Meetings - there will be no time for talks.  

He closed, invoking a blessing on the people there and on the country.  He blessed that their simple faith would increase, that each would joyfully live the Gospel and it will be attractive and others will be curious.  We were told, never hesitate to answer when asked, "Why are you like you are?"

That afternoon, all the missionaries, the young and the old, had the privilege of meeting with the Bednars in a special 3 hour meeting. Elder Bednar just visited with us. He asked questions and answered questions.  All during those 3 hours, I kept thinking what a great experience this was for the young missionaries to be taught by one of our Heavenly Father's apostles, up close and personal!  It was for Jim and me also!  We are so grateful for our lives in the Gospel!

Oslo

Since we flew to Oslo Sat. morning, we decided to see all of the city we could.

Vigeland or Frogner Park.  This is the home of 200 sculptures
by the Norwegian artist Gustav Vigeland.

The granite Monolith - carved in one piece.

Vigeland's bronze fountain.

Vikingskipshuset - the Vikings museum

The museum holds ships and other finds, discovered
from Viking tombs around the Oslo Fjord

This very decorated cart was amazing.  It along with tools,
 textiles, implements and household utensils were found. 

We also visited the Kon-Tiki Museet.

In 1947, Thor Heyerdahl, with others, sailed across the
Pacific Ocean in this balsa wood raft.

He also made many other expeditions on reed boats.

A view near down town Oslo.

It was a fun day!  But these two older people were worn out, running all over, trying to find our way around, figuring out which bus to take where etc.  We were so tired, hungry and thirsty at the end of the day, we went into a restaurant and had our first $80 pizza. It was worth it!