Setting World Records!

The weeks just keep getting better! It's crazy! Out here in the mission field you think you've hit an all time high, but every week just keeps getting better! We are blessed with so many opportunities and blessings and I am just so grateful for the chance that I have to be a missionary at this time. This week was kind of all over the place but also just such a blast. We were able to fly to Oslo this past Wednesday for our zone conference. 

                                                             Reunited with Søster Dransfield!

We were privileged enough to be able to have Elder Kearon (a member of the Quorum of the 70) come and visit us and talk to us. Let me just tell you, these men are truly inspired men and servants of God. I think everything Elder Kearon said was exactly what myself or one of my fellow missionaries needed to hear. He's also just an outstanding human being. Before we began the conference, Elder Kearon walked into the room, we all stood up as he proceeded to the front of the chapel and then he stopped and just gave us a good smile and took in the moment. He then took the time to shake everyones hand and quickly but kindly got to know a little bit about every person at the conference. When it was my turn to go and shake his hand, I went up and we started to talk about my mission and where I come from. We got to talking and I asked if he knew our family friend also serving in the quorum of the 70, Kevin Hamilton. He totally knew him! It was really awesome to hear about him talk about Elder Hamilton and their friendship. Sometimes I think I forget they are real people too and it's always so fun for me to see their personalities. They really are just such amazing leaders and examples to the rest of us though and I hope to one day achieve the spirituality and relationship with my Father in Heaven that all these wonderful men have. 

I just wanted to highlight a few of the things Elder Kearon said during the conference and I hope they mean just as much to you all back home as they did to me. After all, we are all missionaries, ikke sant? The first quote that really struck me was one that I believe Elder Holland actually said but Elder Kearon quoted it as well and it states, "It takes a good conference to last past Tuesday." For those of you who grew up in the church you will understand that, but I'm just going to take a minute to explain. General Conference comes twice a year and it's a time where we get to listen to our living day prophet and apostles and other various leaders of the church talk to us and give us counsel on our lives and what we should do to make our lives that much better and that much more in line with Christ. I have really grown to love the messages that are shared but sometimes I fail to take action from what I have been taught, and that's where this quote comes into play. It's very much like life as well, we can have the desire to be healthier or happier and we can sit and think about everything that has been written or said about achieving that goal, but until we actually put it into action those words are of no use to us. Pretty much, Elder Kearon was telling us to take action. If we want to BE better we have to DO better. We have to take what we learn and actually apply it to our lives and that's when the real change will occur. Another thing Elder Kearon helped put into perspective was that we are doing our best. He said, "Be flexible, creative, and NORMAL. Just be kind. Just be you. Do it your way." I think that easily could apply to any situation as it does to missionary work. We just need to be ourselves. Just be kind. Go out and make relationships and build each other up. The world is hard enough. Go out and be a friend. I think that's what I would challenge all of you reading this week. Go and strengthen your fellow brothers and sisters in this journey that we call life. 

There were so many wonderful things that were mentioned at that conference but never enough time to write down all my thoughts so I'll just leave you all with those. I was also able to meet some more of my fellow missionaries here in Norway at the conference, including Søster Etchells from Castle Rock, Colorado! It's always fun to meet up and get to know the missionaries here in Norway. They are all such spiritual giants and just wonderful people! I'm lucky to be serving among them. 

Me and Søster Etchells 

Another really incredible experience here in Ålesund, Norway this week was the world record..... *Drum roll please* ...... Bonfire! We got permission from our President to stay out a little bit later and watch the world record bonfire which was beyond cool. I wish the pictures had turned out a bit better but it was way fun to see this massive tower go from being built to being burnt. It is pretty incredible that it all worked out. They spent weeks building this massive tower and finally it was tall enough to beat the world record. They started to burn it at 9 and everyone around here was out to see. I hadn't seen this many people outside since the 17th of May (Norway's Independence Day).There were fireworks and everyone was out in their boats to go and watch this massive fire. We were able to talk to a few people and we even ran into our friend Francesco!

 He's leaving soon to go back to Italy and was talking about his long layover in one of the airports here in Norway. He said he had a book to read but we gave him a better book just in case(; The bonfire night ended up being way fun! It made me think of the many bonfires I've had with Annika, Saryn, Kayla, and all the Plano crew. I'm so grateful for all of my amazing friends back home and I'm so glad to have made so many memories as well. I look forward to the plethora of memories I will make here in Norway and I can't wait to share them all! 

One fun thing we did this morning was go and see Geiranger as a district. Let me tell you, the pictures do not do this place justice. If you are ever in Norway you have to come and see this place! It's absolutely stunning and I feel so blessed that I'm here living in Ålesund at the moment and can go and see one of the Lord's wonderful creations. This country really is breathtaking! There is a story behind the Geiranger mountain as well. Apparently, some odd years ago part of the mountain split off and fell into the water and wiped out a few of the nearby towns. The other part of the mountain is slowly slipping and any given day it could fall into the fjord and take out thousands of people. It's a little bit scary but luckily the Lord was on our side today and we just got to go and enjoy the beauty. It really is breathtaking. Alright well I hope you all enjoy the pictures and thanks again for all the support!

I just want to take this time to give a shoutout to Rebecca Dover for the kind letter! I loved hearing from you and I just love the Dover family! Thanks for thinking of me! 

 I'll leave you with a fun Norwegian saying before I go. In America we sometimes say, "See you later Alligator." With the response, "In a while Crocodile." Here in Norway they say, "Ha det på bade dine gamle sjokolade." With the response, "Vi sees i kveld dine gamle karamel." If you try and translate it, it really doesn't make any sense but enjoy!! 

Love,

Søster Blankmeyer

P.S.  The VW pics are for family friend Jon Argyle. I thought he might appreciate Norway's taste in cars.