The Final Transfer

I still can't get over the title of this post. This morning we found out about moves for my final transfer. I will be finishing out my mission here in Stavanger with my new companion Søster Sorenson. I am way excited! No matter what happens, I'm determined to make my final transfer a good one. This past week has been wild but at the same time, it's been a really good one. Before I get into all the details though, I just wanted to take this opportunity to wish my little sister Eliza happy 18th birthday! Eliza turned 18 this past Friday, July 14, and I just can't believe it! I've been away from home for almost 18 months now and everyone has just been growing up and moving on with their lives, it's crazy!  You think I would be a bit more used to the fact by now but as a matter of fact, I'm not. It's still so wild to me and I'm sure it will be even more wild in a month when I'm back home and get to see all of you wonderful humans again. Anyway I love you Eliza and I hope you had an absolutely fantastic birthday. You deserve it. 

All right now on to the week! This past Monday for family home evening, we had one of the best volleyball games I have ever been a part of here in Stavanger.   It was literally so much fun! I think that Elder and Sister Gormley's grandson and his three best friends from America brought a lot of energy to the game. Everyone loved it. It was awesome one of my favorite family home evening's here in Stavanger for sure.  Tuesday we started off the day with a really great district meeting focused purely on our Savior Jesus Christ. We went around sharing our favorite miracle stories and just stories of the Savior. The spirit that was in the room was so strong and there were even some tears. I really like the focus on Jesus Christ. We also had a discussion about Christ's atonement and how we have been able to use that in our lives not only to repent but also to just find that peace that comes from it. That discussion reminded me of two quotes I had read recently, one from Elder Neal L. Anderson and one from Elder Jeffrey R Holland.  The first one states, "for those who are truly repentant but seem unable to feel any relief: continue keeping the Commandments. I promise you, relief will come in the timetable of the Lord. Healing also requires time." I love that! To me this "tells us how we can use the atonement to find that peace we were talking about. Elder Jeffrey R Holland stated, "however many chances you think you have missed, however many mistakes you feel you have made or talents you think you don't have, or however far from home and family and God you feel you have traveled, I testify that you have not traveled beyond the reach of divine love. It is not possible for you to sing for lower than the infinite light of Christ atonement shines." I thought those were just beautiful. I found peace after reading those and remembering that the atonement really is such a hopeful message. That's always a good reminder. 

Tuesday night we had a dinner appointment with such an amazing family in the world. They reminded me a bit of my family and so it was such a fun dinner appointment for me. For a spiritual thought we decided to stick to our mission focused and talk about the book of Mormon. We all went around the room shared what the book of Mormon was to us. It was very powerful to hear how different everyones experience with the book was and also at the same time how everyone had such a strong testimony of the book. At the end we gave this family a brand new copy of the Book of Mormon and ask them to write their testimony on the inside and then either hand it out themselves or give it back to us to hand out to someone and well it didn't take this champion of a family very long. Yesterday at church the father of the family informed us of their little miracle with the book. He said that it was actually really easy because he had prayed to God to know who was in need of this book and then suddenly a co-worker came up to him and was like, hey I need a Book of Mormon. Turns out this coworkers sister had been studying religion and this coworker knew that this member was a Mormon and they have been talking about the gospel ever since. How cool is that? That's a total miracle that just goes to show how that not only are our prayers herd but they are answered as well. That was such a testimony strengthener  for me and I'm sure for that entire family as well. Talk about blessings. 

On Wednesday we had the Oslo sisters here in Stavanger for splits. It was such a blast! Søster Crenshaw and I were able to feed some cats we've been watching, visit a less active, and talk to a couple of awesome Scottish people before having to meet up in the city to switch with the other two. Turns out we made the news as we were just standing out in the city so that's pretty cool. Then for the second half of the day I got to serve with my daughter again, Søster Davis.  That was quite the party. There's just something special about getting to go on splits with former companions. It's so nice! I love it! Thursday is pretty normal day and then Friday was our mission wide selfie day I was telling you all about a couple blog post to goto. If you go on Instagram and look up the #TheBookOfMormonOslo. You might see some pictures of me! It was such a blast. I actually really like the selfie days Saturday we played American football and then European football or sports. It was so much fun! I loved it so much! Then right after sport we caught an hour and a half bus as a district out to the members cabin to help with some yardwork. That was actually quite fun as well. After working all day we were able to go and see some nearby bunkers and tunnels and cannons that had been used during World War II here in Norway that was rad.  Literally so cool. These members had the special head light so we could see inside the underground tunnels and look through them and stuff. It was awesome.  A nice reward for a day of backbreaking service.  

Sunday was a nice day of rest.  We had such a fantastic day at church.  We decided to go to Young Woman's this time and we got to be a part of such a wonderful lesson.  It was about taking upon us the name of Jesus Christ.  Which I get the opportunity to literally do every morning when I put on my name tag as a missionary.  It's still so crazy to me that I only get to do that for another 6 weeks, but that lesson was a good reminder to me that even when I'm no longer able to wear my name tag that I can still take upon me the name of Jesus Christ each day.  In fact, that's what I should be doing and what we all should be doing.  For now though I get the awesome privilege of wearing this name tag for one final transfer and trying my best to be like Christ as I serve his and my own brothers and sisters here in Norway.  I would invite you all to try and find one way you can better take upon you the name of Jesus Christ this week and then do it.  I know you will be blessed by so doing.  I hope you all have another fantastic week and keep being awesome.  I love you all!

Klem,

Søster Blankmeyer