Favorites!

A Few Favorites

This was interesting - cucumbers displayed next 

to the fresh bread in the grocery store.

This is why.  One of my new favorites - a slice

of bread with a little Selskaps dressing, a slice of 

that wonderful brown cheese and cucumber slices.

Delicious!

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Dåpsdagen

Magnus was considered a "golden contact". 

 He was baptized by Atle and taught by 

 Søsters Peterson and Williams.

We are so happy for Magnus!

The ward celebrated! 

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 The annual Relief Society trip 

to the Temple is coming up.

Since the temple is in another country, Sweden, the

missionaries are not able to attend.  

We know, when we get home, we will appreciate,

 more than we have before, how blessed we are

to have temples so near.

*****************

My partner, Bjørghild, was out of town so

Eldste Nelson and I enjoyed

visiting Anne Marie.

Jim took a picture of this picture hanging on

Anne Marie's wall.  It is her adorable grandson

and her two "adopted" grand daughters.

Aren't they the cutest?

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Kim and his friends came in to the center.

It's always a good time when they come visit!

More fun times when Cecile came in with

her bottle of Julebrus to visit with Hannah and us.  

This Christmas drink comes to the stores in November and

is gone after December.  It is loved!

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Some lucky birds even have a cute, 

thatched roof house.

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I have enjoyed so much studying the Book

of Mormon with Creed every day!

*****************

Morning walks with my companion.

We are definitely going to miss our cool, 

refreshing walks in the woods!!

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I stared at this email for a few seconds, thinking,

"Really? Already?"

It became so real - that our mission is coming to

an end soon, causing many mixed emotions.

We did have a very enjoyable Skype session with this

wonderful couple who will be blessed to serve in

Kristiansand when we leave. We are excited for them!

They will soon be making their own favorites!

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You Can't Get It Right All of the Time!

I wanted to make a special treat - something different
and Fallish to serve during FHE while we were decorating the
center for Halloween.  I already had a can of condensed
milk so thought I would make Tonya's yummy carmel popcorn
balls.  We went to the only store that carries Karo syrup and
paid the 109 Kroner, ($11) because I thought it would all be
worth it.  I was so wrong.  Most Norwegians like their popcorn salted.  Only salted.  One of our YA's tasted it and said, "This tastes
weird.  There's too much carmel."  What??  

Lots of popcorn balls left over.
(It was a good thing the missionaries liked them!)

*********************

Recently, the missionaries planned and organized
a fun Kultur Kveld, (Cultural Evening) for our ward. 

Søsters Williams and Peterson, Eldste Sogla,
Even and Eldste Jefferies finished setting up and
decorating.

Fourteen countries are represented by the members
in our ward.

The Primary children marched in, each carrying a 
flag from one of the 14 countries, singing 
"I Am A Child of God".

Dinner included, Elgkarbonader, (moose patties), curry,
empanadas, Brazilian rice cakes, special holiday salad from the Phillipines, Danish desserts and aebleskiver, chicken and rice,
 pasta, Chilean soup and many kakes for dessert.

Over seventy people attended, including
10 non members.  

Aida and Joey danced as part of the entertainment.

It was a big success!!

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Another successful Relief Society activity at
Anne Svendsen's beautiful 100 year old home.
The sisters, again, brought dough to form and
 then bake in the open brick oven.

Delicious pizza was also baked and enjoyed
by candle light.
***********************

Second Annual Halloween Party at Senteret

How about this good looking group!

Eating doughnuts off a string

They love musical chairs!

Pumpkin bowling was a hit but also a mess!
The only pumpkin we could find had a rotten spot --
so there was splattered pumpkin all over!

Even and Magnus racing their spiders.

Monster Mash - trying to pop balloons tied
around the ankles.

Atle scaring the senior sister.
Fun times!

*****************

Winter must be coming - Eldste Nelson has
gotten out his woolen, moose socks.
They sure feel right!

Senior Couples Conference

President and Sister Hill hosted a gathering of all the

 Senior Couple Missionaries 

serving in Norway and it was wonderful!

The Lemons, Brostroms, Nelsons, Cardons, Hills, Olsens,

Rappleyes and the Whitakers.

Some of the mission cars - "the blueberries".

A lot of delicious food was shared -

- along with experiences, ideas, recipes, successes, 

failures, tears and lots of laughs!

We visited the Fram museum, home of the

polar ship, Fram, which explored both the Arctic

and Antarctica.

Eskimo Søster Nelson

Jim exploring the icy bow where, we guess,

the corpses were stored.

Impressive statues honoring the polar explorers  

Two of these statues aren't like the others...

Two of these statues don't belong!

The Whitakers, serve in Stavanger and have access

to a base commissary.  They surprised us all with

hard to find items - cream of chicken and mushroom soup;

vanilla and condensed milk.  It was like Christmas!

Me along with my new forever friends!

Cute ladies!

Søster Larsen, who served in Kristiansand, was in Oslo 

so we got to see her!  She is a favorite! 

 We love the missionaries - young and older!!

We sure love Pres. and Søster Hill too!

The New and The Old

Senteret now has a piano!  Remember Even, who works

at a recyclable place?  He got it for us! It's old, 
but new enough for us!  Yay!!

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What a beautiful hike we had to Årosveden,
The Beacon at Åros.

Kystvedene i Vest - Agder. 

The Coastal Beacons of Vest - Agder.

"In ancient times, people kept watch from the best lookout points along the coast.  When hostile vessels approached, great fires were lit to give warning and mobilize a defense." They were coniform

timber erections with heather and other inflammables at the center.

A beautiful place to watch the sun go down.

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Checked this off our list - we hiked to the Søgne sign.

There is a mail box, with a notebook to sign,

showing that you made it to the top.

The views of Søgne, (the city where we live),

 and the ocean were beautiful!

*******************

Elder Jon Erik Madsen returned from his

mission in England.

We are so happy to have him join our YSA group!!

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Eldste Jensen, one of the Zone leaders, recently

visited Kristiansand. He will be returning home in 3 weeks 

and I couldn't help but notice his shoes.

"How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, thy God reigneth."   Isaiah 52:7