My second week here in Kristiansand has been one for the books, and that may have something to do with the title but I'll get to that later. As far as teaching investigators in Kristiansand, things have been a little slow. We have spent most of my time here hitting the streets trying to find people to teach and when we're not out on the streets we're "banking" knocking doors. It's been quite the adventure. We spend long days out in the dark and cold with the occasional rain or snow or even hail. Now, you read that last sentence and you may be thinking to yourself that that doesn't sound like the most fun or exciting thing to do here in Norway. I will admit that this Texas girl prefers the sun, but I am so thankful for this opportunity to be a missionary and sometimes that's exactly what missionary work is. We wake up early in the morning and don't get back home until nine at night. We walk and we walk and we walk all day long, all over the city to try and find those people who want to learn more about this happy message. Some days no one is interested and some days we get a few people to listen but no matter what we wake up every morning and we go out to find those people in search of the Gospel.
The other day we went out to our usual path that we walk and I remember saying a silent prayer to my heavenly father asking him to put someone in our path that was ready to hear the gospel. We were actually on our way to go knock on some doors but decided to walk to "The neighborhood" and talk to some people along the way. We had stopped a few people, and although they were all very kind, none of them were really ready or that interested in what we had to say. But of course we just kept going. We had just crossed through this tunnel when I saw a man walking in our direction. I stopped him and asked our go to question, "what is something that makes you happy?" His response being, "to see that others around me are happy." Now I have asked this question to pretty much all of Kristiansand and this was the first time I had ever heard an answer like that. For the most part people would say their families and their friends make them happy. We did get an occasional answer of food or even a couple Pokémon Go's. But this was the first time I had heard this answer and I just thought that was beautiful. How completely unselfish, how kind of this man to find joy in other people's happiness. I was obviously pretty excited about this new opinion and told the man how I had asked this question about a million times but this was possibly my favorite answer.
His answer told us a lot about the person he was and quite frankly taught me a little bit more about the type of person I want to become. I was so excited and we promptly began to share with him what makes us happy and that is the gospel of Jesus Christ. We asked him if he would be interested to learn more and he said, and his exact words, "actually yes!" He told us that he was a bit busy with soccer training. But that we could send a text and see what we could do. We have since texted him and set up an appointment with him for Tuesday this next week. We are so excited and honestly so thankful that our Heavenly Father put him in our path.
With Thanksgiving being this upcoming week, I just can't help but think of all the wonderful things I am grateful for this year. I am first and foremost grateful for my Father in heaven, his son Jesus Christ, and the gift of the Holy Ghost. These three members of the Godhead have brought such hope, peace, and direction to my life and I really don't know where I would be if I lacked the knowledge of them and their existence. I am also so very thankful for my family. Erik, Rhoberta, Sophia, Eliza, and Erik jr as well as grandma and grandpa Blankmeyer and Conger and the rest of my extended family. Thank you all for shaping me into the person I am today and for continuing to love and except me no matter what. I am so very thankful for all of my friends and all of those I have been able to associate and learn from. I am thankful for this church and I am truly thankful for the happiness it has brought into my life. I am thankful for prayer, and scriptures, and all the many resources we have been given to help us through this life here on earth. I am thankful for this time I have right now to be a missionary and just share this message with the people of Norway. I am thankful for all the members, less actives, investigators, companions, and all the Norwegians that I have come to know and love. I am thankful for my weakness and for the fact that I am not perfect but can continue to be better every day. I'm thankful for my talents and everything I have been given. Jeg Er bare så takknemlig!
I'm thankful that we could learn about being thankful in the Scriptures and I just would like to share a couple with you all the first comes from Alma 26:8 which says, "blessed be the name of our God let us sing to his praise, yeah, let us give thanks to his holy name, for he doth work righteousness forever." The other comes from doctrine and covenants section 59 verse 7 which says, "thou shall thank the Lord the God in all things." Short and sweet but always a good reminder.
I'm also very thankful for the package I received from grandma and grandpa Conger! What a fun surprise! Last but not least, I am thankful that I could serve here in Norway and that one of our YSA's gave us the chance to eat a whale steak #Blessed. Even though everyone else was saying that it tasted like liver, it was quite the experience and I am glad that I can now say I've tried whale Crazy things go down in Kristiansand. I hope you all have a wonderful week and a wonderful Thanksgiving break and that you all can remember everything you are grateful for and keep the spirit of Thanksgiving alive throughout the week. Thank you all again for all that you do for me and for others and thank you for taking the time to read my blog. You all are the best.
Klem,
Søster Blankmeyer
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