Always Amazing Ålesund!

Little Norwegian phrase for you all: Jeg er så gla i dere. 

Translation: I love you all. 

Texas Translation: Love y'all.

That's crazy to think I am pretty much fluent in three languages now. Norwegian, English and the most celestial language of Texan(;

This week has been something else. It's actually gone by pretty slowly but that doesn't mean we haven't seen many miracles along the way. Going around and talking to all the people around Ålesund has been such a testimony builder for me. I love talking to the people around here and learning something from every single one of them. We end up talking to people from Poland, Thailand, Lithuania, Congo, Italy, etc. Pretty much we get to talk to a ton of people from all over the world and not only am I learning Norwegian but I'm also picking up some Swahili and Italian on the side. I love to hear their stories and who God is to them personally. Since we have about two active members in Ålesund, you could say that the majority of the people we stop on the street aren't LDS, but some of them have such strong testimonies in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. I've learned so much from all of their experiences and it helps to strengthen my testimony as well. 

Our investigator from the Congo.  He is teaching me Swahili.

This week I read my absolute favorite General Conference talk entitled "Safety for the Soul" by Jeffrey R. Holland. For those of you who have not had the chance to read it, I would invite you to take a second and read it. It is such a powerful testimony given to us from an apostle of God on the Book of Mormon. As missionaries we get to go around and talk to all those different people I mentioned earlier about this amazing book. Sometimes the people are prepared to listen while other times they aren't so open to it. This week while out street contacting, Søster Ralphs and one of our recent converts Alida stopped a man and his girlfriend and began to talk about this amazing book and what joy it has brought to their lives. He proceeded to lecture them for 45 minutes out in the freezing cold that they were dumb and that the Book of Mormon was not God's word. In a challenging situation like this, our recent convert Alida did an amazing thing. She began to bear testimony of the Book of Mormon and how she came to know of it's truthfulness for herself. Sometimes people are not always kind but that does not mean that we can just stay in our apartment and stay quiet. What a powerful example Alida was to us all that day. Simply bearing your testimony on the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon invites the Spirit and people's hearts begin to be softened. At the end of the 45 minutes, he had agreed to read the Book of Mormon.

Something that one of my fellow missionaries included in his weekly email that I really loved was focused on time. We were given this time on Earth to prepare to meet God. We have our lifetime here on this Earth and then we have an eternity to think about it. What we do with our time really matters. I hope and pray that we all will take this time we have been given seriously. I would encourage all of you to first gain a testimony of the Book of Mormon for yourself and then when you are converted, go out and strengthen your brethren and sisters. 

I am so thankful for this opportunity to be a full time missionary. I know that life is not always easy and sometimes we are thrown challenges that we think we can't endure, but I know through Christ we can do hard things. I know this because the Book of Mormon has taught me who I am and who I can become. I hope to echo that of Jeffrey R. Holland when he said, "I want it absolutely clear when I stand before the judgment bar of God that I declared to the world... that the Book of Mormon is true." Thank you all for your prayers and the love I have felt from each and every one of you. 

Stor klem,

Søster Blankmeyer

Alida's cat she is so soft and reminds me of my cat Molly.

Cheeto Tree

Norway is Dåp!

Friends and family, what is up??? I am here in the beautiful and wonderful country of Norway.

My first area is Ålesund and it is stunning. It is just me and my two companions (Søster Bender and Søster Ralphs) over the entire area which is actually pretty big but we also just got a car so we are now able to teach people that live farther away from us.

Søster Blankmeyer, Alida, SøsterBender, Søster Ralphs on the ferry on our way to go banking/tracting.

The west coast here is a bit different from the "west coast" we are used to, but both are very gorgeous places to live. It was snowing on us the other day but really the weather isn't too terrible just a bit colder than back home. Ålesund is a very interesting area and I'm still trying to figure out why President was inspired to send me here but I know it's for a reason and I can't wait to find that out. It's interesting here in the Norway mission in the sense that even before meeting us our President has to decide where to send us. Usually, mission presidents have the luxury of meeting the new missionaries and then deciding where they would best fit, but our president has to work off divine inspiration as they have to plan flights and other transportation so that we can be off to our areas ASAP. Ålesund is something I have never really experienced before and it's already taught me so much.

This is our apartment.

 shoe and coat rack

our work space

study wall

bathroom

kitchen

bedroom- mybed is the one with the black iron frame.

In Ålesund there aren't many people just out on the streets so even though it's a big area, it feels as if no one but us lives here. Instead of a big church group or ward like we are used to back in the states, we have just a tiny branch here in Ålesund. The church building is an old bakery and church is only 2 hours long instead of the typical 3. We have about 2 active members a few less actives and then we supply the investigators. Church this past Sunday was a stake conference broadcast. We had one of our investigators show up at the very beginning before the conference had even started. Her name is Maria and she is from Spain. She absolutely despises Ålesund and is what president likes to call "intense" but also way down to earth. Anyways, she came to church and then as soon as the conference started she left as it was being broadcast in only Norwegian and her native language is Spanish but she's also very fluent in English. After she left it was just Søster Bender, Søster Ralphs and myself until we had about 30 minutes left of the conference and then Elias showed up. He is a 4 foot tall 19 year old boy from the Congo and is actually a blast. He speaks very good Norwegian and is one of the more active members of the Branch. He comes from a large family but is the only member. That is such a testimony builder to me, to see Elias be so strong in the gospel with not much support from his own family. Anyways, so our Sunday was pretty chill and the conference was really amazing.

On Saturday we went to Stranda to go "banking" which is Norwegian for going door to door knocking. We went with a recent convert Alida who was baptized just a couple weeks ago in a fjord. (Sister Hill has pictures of her baptism and more pictures of Ålesund on her blog if anyone would like to check it out: thehillsinnorway.com) Søster Ralphs and Alida took one street and Søster Bender and I took another. I was actually pretty nervous as the language is not quite like the language I was taught in the MTC and also the dialect sometimes throws me off. Either way, we pressed forward. Our very first house we taught a lesson and got a return appointment which was such a blessing. It helped to relieve some of my stress and kept me motivated for the rest of the time we would be banking. In Norway people do not like to talk about religion and so we get a lot of "Nei Takk's" which is just "No Thank You" but usually seems a lot more mean than that. Throughout this first week I hadn't received one "Nei Takk" while contacting people on the street. I got a lot of people saying they didn't have time or other excuses but no real "Nei Takk's." While banking in Stranda I got my very first "Nei Takk" and also a few doors slammed in my face. It can make things hard but we had been told so many times in the MTC and beforehand that the people in Europe wouldn't be receptive to our message or we wouldn't get many baptisms so I guess I was mentally prepared for not much success.

Of course I was not going to take that as an answer. We spent hours in the cold knocking or just talking to every single person we saw. It is hard when people don't give you the time of day but you are reminded of why you left your family and the comforts of home when you run into people like Ben. Ben is one of our investigators also from the Congo. His life is like a straight up Hollywood movie. From what he has told us, he has not had an easy life by any means and it's honestly a miracle that he is even alive today. He is such a golden investigator though. He truly gets it. He understands the importance of this gospel and the need to have that relationship with Christ. He truly teaches us probably even more than we teach him and even though those people have told us that baptism is impossible in Norway I'm here to tell you on my first week in the field that Ben is getting baptized!! His Dåp (Norwegian for baptism) date is set for May 7th and I couldn't be more excited for him. Ben has been a real turning point for me this first week. Although I don't understand many people and am fresh out in the field, my second lesson with Ben really helped me to remember why I am here. Ben is trying to quit smoking and just kept telling us how weak he was feeling. I felt inspired to share with him Ether 12:27

"And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them."

not only was that one of the first times the Spirit had really prompted me to open my mouth and share something I hadn't planned to share but also Ben asked us to write that scripture down for him. He loved it!! 

I am so grateful for this opportunity to share this gospel with the people in Ålesund. I know I am here for a reason and even if my only purpose here was to help Ben quit smoking and get baptized, I'm happy to be able to do that. I challenge you all this week that if you feel prompted to open your mouth and share something to OPEN YOUR MOUTH! It is easy to just sit back and let others talk or even just let people walk by without sharing this glad message but this is eternal life we are talking about. We can't just stand back and keep others from this happiness. For those of you reading that may not know much about this gospel I hope you will go to mormon.org and find out for yourself what this is all about. Maybe even just let the missionaries in, I know they really appreciate it. Especially in freezing cold Norway! Thanks for all that you all do and keep up the good work.

Love you all and until next time,

Søster Blankmeyer

Oh my goodness I forgot to mention I saw my first group of cats while banking! Søster Bender and I turned down one street and no joke saw a million cats.  They started following us door to door.  It was way funny to see two missionaries and then just a trail of cats following behind.  That was a tender mercy though as it reminded me of Molly and home and made me happy.  

The car ride...I frequently look out our car window and marvel at the beauty!

Wow! This is it! In just a few days we will be traveling to the magnificent country of Norway! In just a few days we will break free of this wonderful MTC and the glorious food, bunk beds and daily shower concerts. In all seriousness though, this MTC experience has been both a very difficult one but also a very rewarding one. We just finished up our last temple trip for the next 17 months and how sad it was to leave the house of the Lord and realize you won't get to come back for another 17 months. I think all of us in the district shed a tear. I urge all of you that live nearby a temple to take advantage of that and try and attend at least once a month. We are able to learn so much in the house of the Lord and the Spirit we feel there is indescribable. Of all the privileges here at the MTC, I will miss the temple the most and pray that we can do our part in bringing one to Norway. 

First of all it's an illegal picture we forgot to include our companions but his name is Wolfgang and he was also in my ward summer term at BYU and he is serving in Paris

My first relief society president up at BYU and was also in my ward in the Fall too.

This is my BEST friend here at the MTC! He doesn't speak English but is so sweet and always graces us with his smile everytime we see him. 

Wolfgang is friends with Elder Groseclose on the far right who Sister Hutchings and I have made friends with as he is across the hall from us during class time.  He will be serving in Poland. 

What a crazy last week this has been. The Danes left us this Monday and after our last session of Conference the whole zone got together and the Danes bore their testimonies and we all sang "God Be With You 'Till We Meet Again" which by the end of the song there was not a dry eye in the building. One of the Danish Elders, Ældste Keller, was so moved that after we sang and knelt in prayer together he was not able to stand back up. What a touching moment it was as his companion dropped down to the floor with him and just hugged him. The Spirit was so strong as Ældste Foulger gave Ældste Keller what we believe to be a blessing or just a simple prayer. Like I've said before, we love the Danes and have missed them and their wonderful spirits this last week here at the MTC but we know they are bringing many people the wonderful message of this gospel.  

 The background for this picture is that this was our last night with the danes before their little testimony meeting and out song

That is Eldste Foulger hugging Eldste Keller after we finished our prayer. 

Speaking of the wonderful message of this gospel, how great was General Conference? For those of you that watched it or were even privileged enough to go and see it at the Conference Center (or even get a wave from Thomas S. Monson in the special parking lot. You lucky roomies!), you know what I'm talking about. I think this Conference in particular was such a moving experience for me. Instead of being at home with my family in our living room, I was in a makeshift auditorium surrounded by hundreds of fellow missionaries who all were spiritually prepared to hear the words from our prophet and apostles. I think there was something in every talk that pertained to me and I am so grateful for the opportunity to have a living prophet to help lead and guide us today in a world of ever changing values and standards. It was especially cool to hear from a few speakers that had spoken to us here at the MTC as well. We have a devotional every Sunday and Tuesday night here at the MTC (something I will definitely miss while out in the field) where they usually bring in a member of the 70 or we have even had Elder Ballard come and speak to us from the quorum of the 12 apostles. I look forward to any opportunity I get to listen to these wonderful men. As fun as studying and classwork is, there is something extra special about being able to listen and learn from our leaders and be spiritually enriched. I think that's why they refer to General Conference here at the MTC as the equivalent of Christmas. I have never appreciated Conference as much as I have this time around and I hope to always cherish the opportunities we get to listen and learn from such amazing men and women in our church. For those of you reading that may not have seen General Conference, I urge you to go to lds.org and watch or listen to the talks that were given. Even for those of you who may have missed a session or slept through a talk (it happens even to the best of us) I would urge you to go back and rewatch or really focus more on the words and subject matter that the speaker decided to present. I know that by doing so we will not only learn more but we will have a stronger testimony and ultimately a stronger relationship with our Father in Heaven. My favorite session of conference was the Saturday morning session which I feel could easily be overlooked as we are frequently busy on Saturdays and have lots of things to do, but thankfully our church has given us the opportunity to go back and watch those wonderful talks either for the first time or maybe even the second or third. I love conference and am so very grateful for the blessings I receive from simply listening and acting upon the impressions I have felt while watching. I know that Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of God and I am so very grateful that God continues to speak to his children and I hope and pray that we will always remember what a blessing that is in our lives.

We leave this MTC this upcoming Monday and so although there is a lot to do these next few days, we are also trying to make the most of it. We have come to know and love many people here and it's making saying goodbye that much harder. Us Nords have become really good friends with everyone in the zone. We have made friends with people going all over the world or even that came to the MTC from all over the world. We have made friends with the zone across the hall that is headed to Poland, one of which is from the Ukraine. It's really fun to make new friends but also really hard to leave them and not know if you will ever be able to see them again. One of my favorite friends I have made here at the MTC doesn't speak very good English but is a crazy volleyball player and is always ready to give us a happy smile and a wave whenever we see him! It's also been really fun to catch up with old friends I've seen around the MTC! A couple people from Summer term at BYU and the one and only Alex Jordan as well! I've been blessed with the people I've been able to meet and catch up with as well and I just know that the Lord put them in my lives at this time for a reason. Now I am so excited to go out and make a ton of new friends and lifelong friends out in Norway.

Elder Jordan and his companions with me and Soster Hutchings

So yes, the MTC is not always easy and you really should steer clear of the orange juice, but it's also an experience I will remember forever. I hope you all know how grateful I have been for all the DearElders and letters and packages and prayers and words of encouragement. I really couldn't have gotten through the hard days without those and I am so grateful for the friendships I have been able to have with each and every one of you. Know I love you and I will be seeing you in just a quick 17 months!! Oh yeah by the way, 1 month down, 17 more months to go! Love you all and see you all soon. I'll be thinking of you and praying for you from Norway! 

Until next time,

Søster Blankmeyer

Home stretch at the MTC!

Hello Friends and Family,

I don't have too much time to email today but of course I am going to try my best to hit all of the highlights of this week for all of you back home. First off, I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter!

We were privileged to hear from Elder Ballard that morning. There is something about being in the same room as an apostle that just really brings the spirit. It was a way cool experience and I really appreciated his remarks. One of the best Easters I have had thus far as I not only got to hear from an apostle of the Lord but also was really focused on Christ and the reason we celebrate Easter. Granted, we did have an Easter party that night with the Swedes as we all ate lots of chocolate and treats that our families had sent us. We also decorated some Chalkboard material Easter eggs with a variety of colors of chalk. Thanks to everyone who sent me packages for Easter! Special shout out to the Williams family and my favorite 5 year old, Ava, for the wonderful Easter package I received yesterday. I am so grateful for your friendship and your kind hearts. I love all my friends and family back home and you all are the reason I get through the weeks here at the MTC!

 This wild week started with my companion escaping the MTC and leaving me without a companion for a day. That sounds as if she actually was able to break out of here (and although we have all concluded that breaking out wouldn't be that difficult) in reality, she was flying out to San Francisco to meet with the Norwegian consulate about her visa. It all worked out though, and while she was away I was just put in a trio with Søster Hess and Søster Hutchings. It actually ended up being a fun day as we helped to host and welcome the Senior missionary couples that would be entering the MTC this week. It was rainy and cold but boy did the Seniors put a smile on our faces. I could just sit and talk to them for hours. Sadly, that's not allowed and as soon as we were done helping them out, it was back to study time for us. Of course, Søster Dransfield is quite the jokester and when the front desk called my Sister Training Leader for me, Dransfield had convinced the front desk lady to tell me I had been reassigned. Unfortunately for her, I had already had this joke pulled on me before and quickly knew I was being messed with. The Danes all escorted me to the front desk to go and pick her up and then we decided to just hop in a room and take turns playing the piano and just enjoying ourselves. The Danes are leaving us next Monday for Denmark and boy are we all going to miss them so much. The Danish Elders have been my favorite zone leaders by far and I knew I could just talk to them about anything. Also Søster Landeen a solo Danish Søster has been such a blessing in all of the Norwegian Søster's lives. Denmark is one lucky country to be receiving some of the best missionaries here at the MTC!

Tuesday we had a wonderful devotional by Elder Vinson of the 70. He is a convert to the church and man did he have one of the strongest testimonies I have ever heard. I have such a respect for converts and their testimonies of this gospel, as they have truly felt what it is like to live without it. Elder Vinson was probably my favorite talk this week. He really just testified of the power of the Book of Mormon. I think a lot of the times, I take the scriptures for granted because it's just a book I grew up reading with my family every night. It's really cool being a missionary and being able to see how much that book can change lives. I have always been able to recognize the Book of Mormon helping me in my life through the hard times but it really does change the lives of so many people. What a blessing it is to have this book in our lives. I challenge you all to really come to know and love the scriptures and really read them and ponder them daily.

One of the coolest experiences here at the MTC is teaching members of the church in Norwegian. The MTC has a program where every Friday we get to teach members who either are here in Provo that speak Norwegian or we get to skype members currently living in Norway. That is always a highlight of my week. I love talking to members and being able to discuss the gospel and how it has affected our lives, and we get to do all that in the great language of Norwegian. This past week, we got to skype the members in Norway and after Søster Dransfield and I had finished our lesson, we headed back to the front room when we glanced at Eldste Nelson's computer screen and saw that there were other missionaries on skype with him! The member he was skyping was skyping from the church building and all the missionaries were hanging out there too, so we all popped in on Eldste's skype call and got to meet some missionaries currently serving in Oslo. What a cool experience. It was amazing to hear them all speaking fluent Norwegian and it just got us all so excited to be able to go to Norway! Speaking of going to Norway, we get our travel plans tomorrow and we couldn't be more excited! 

Alright, one quick funny story before I go. Last night Søster Dransfield and I were teaching a lesson to our investigator Erland. We were teaching him about the Book of Mormon and how ancient prophets wrote the Book of Mormon and then we were going to explain how we have a living prophet today and invite him to watch general conference this weekend. The lesson was actually going very well until we got to the part about Thomas S. Monson being our living prophet today. Apparently, instead of saying the word for "living" she used the word for "waist" needless to say, our investigator was very confused and I quickly had to clarify we had a living prophet. The rest of the lesson went smoothly until the very end when Søster Dransfield was trying to ask him when we could come back, but instead of asking him that question she accidentally said that we were going to get on his back. You got to love the language mistakes that happen here at the MTC. Seriously though, this language is coming along very nicely and our skype friends or just Norwegian speaking friends here at the MTC are always so impressed at how much we have learned in such a short amount of time.

Alright, well I really have to get going now but I hope you all enjoy General Conference this weekend and truly cherish the words that the prophet and apostles bless us with. I'll give you all the same challenge we gave our investigators this week. Go into conference with a question you need answered and really listen for the Holy Ghost and the answer he will give you through the Lord's prophets and apostles.

Love you all so very much and can't wait to hear from you all!

Sincerely,

Søster Blankmeyer