Hey everybody!!!
THis week was a good one. Reeeeaaaalllyyyyy long though. Not really sure why. THere was a lot of good stuff going on. We got a few new investigators so that was really good. The light is definitely taking some getting used to. ITs so weird. Its hard to tell whats sunset and whats sunrise any more. They both seem to happen around the same time. The sun is gone though. IT doesnt come above the mountains anymore so thats sad haha. But we took its power and stored it in a light on our desk. ITs supposed to help. WE'll see what it does. haha. ITs good though because there are lots of good picture opportunities. I love this place so much. ITs so pretty and im feel like im getting a lot more done than i did in moss. We are having quite a bit of success. ITs great. Its pretty cold. It usually is around -10 C i dont know what that is in fahrenheit. But it sounds like you guys are about the same! Its so weird. IT feels way colder. I guess when youre out in it all day its different though. Its worth it though. Last night we were trying a few potentials. On the way up to a door there were northern lights and we saw a really bright shooting star. THen we saw a shooting star on the way back down as well. It was fantastic. It got us really pumped. We are having a good time up here. Me and elder p get along well. But he is dying soon... but hes doing good. I love the district too. THe elders in tromsø are all awesome. Im scared theyll be changed out next week though. THatll be sad. Theres a lot of good things up here in northern norway. President keeps telling us its our badge of honor to be in alta during mørke tid. Im told the sun will completely disappear this week though. Thatll be cool. :P This last week was good though. We had zone leader training in trondheim on wednesday. That was way good. We didnt get to overnight though. so four more flights in one day!We were trying a lot of try backs this week. We got two new investigators from that. We knocked on a formers door and he said no thanks. We are all heathens here. THen a lady in the back asked who it was. She saw us and started crying. SHe had been praying for help. So they invited us in. It was interesting. THey were all drunk and smoking. THey talked about how they used week now and then because its good. hha it was interesting. But they invited us back and we are going back tomorrow. Hopefully they are sober... ha We have a few other investigators we are working with. One named *. I think i talked about him last week. Hes english and way cool. We are meeting with him tomorrow. The branch is doing really well. WE are meeting with a few of them this week. We are driving up to hammerfest this week too. ITs up even farther north. We only get to go there once a transfer or so. So it will be good. Theres a few inactive members and our mission leader live up there so it will be good. Sunday, November 23, 2014
11/16/14
11/9/14
Hey guys!!! Wow only 45 days.. THats so weird!!!! ITs hard to believe how fast time flies... Christmas will be awesome. THe member we lived with promised us lutefisk... So i will get to try it! whoo! haha sounds like you all are doing good. Good to hear from jacob for once haha. except what is this about leaving before i come home???? ill take that up with him personally.. haha I started applying for utah state. I hope i did it all right. I dont know if i should go to utah state. They have nothing to do with architecture but suu does.... It would be a lot easier to just live with you guys too. dang it. I thought i could get by with another major before going to u of u but i dont think that would lead in to it very well. Maybe ill apply there too... but anyway. Alta is still great. its pretty small. Contacting isnt really good for much. But we knock on doors a lot. So thats good i guess. We get some success with it up here. The people in the north are a little more friendly. So its awesome. I love it up here. It hasnt gone completely dark yet... But the sun is pretty much gone now. ha It snowed all day on monday and tuesday, theres still quite a bit here. Wednesday was really cold. We had the travelling assistants visiting on splits. When we woke up the member below us told us it was supposed to be -19. I only saw it get down to -14. But it was still really cold. We had a lot of cool things happen though. While on the streets a guy from england walked up to us and asked if he could get a book of mormon in english. ME and elder p taught him on friday and he was awesome. We are going back this week. We worked really hard all day with the travelling aps and got a lot of things going so that was really cool. One of the aps really wanted to see the northern lights before he went home so hed been praying for it. When we were banking we saw a little bit and he was a little bummed but figured hes still seen more than most people. Later that night we were all getting into bed and he went to go close the window and just started freaking out. The sky was just covered in lights. It was amazing!!!! They were dancing like crazy and had lots of colors mixed in with the green. It was the best lights show id seen. It was so pretty!!! We were all really excited to see it. I tried taking pictures but I couldnt get any thing good. Turns out my cameras not too good with northern lights pictures. oh well. Ill steal some from my comp. but the lord hears our prayers!!! even if its to see the northern lights. haha I dont know what else i would need for my package.... i bought some vitamins earlier. I got two bottles on sale for 100 crowns total. so that wasnt bad at all. They should last me my time up here... I think. BUt other than that im doing really well!!! Sorry i was applying for school and stuff so i didnt have so much time.... Ill have to tell more stories later. I love you guys!!! Thanks for your prayers. :) I hope you all have a good week!!!! Love Elder Newey
11/3/14
Hey Everybody!!!!
I dont think I like having the sun setting when i come out of church at 2:00 . Its so weird... Im trying to get used to that. Ill have to go buy those vitamins. Theyre so expensive here though. Ill get them though. ITs better than being depressed. We are going to have a district meeting about keeping up our motivation and energy this week. SHould be good. THis last week was way good. We had zone conference in trondheim on friday. But we live so out of the way that we took a plane the night before and came home on saturday so we were gone for a few days. Trondheim is a way cool city. Id love to serve there some day. It was cool to be around other missionaries again. Its so weird to be so isolated. haha district meeting over skype is weird. Kinda unfortunate. But the conference was really good. WE talked a lot about working with the members. THat will work great up here... haha jk president mentioned something about if it doesnt apply too much where you are use it later. IT was really good though. We can still use it on our few members. After the conference we went and got kebabs with some missionaries down there. It ws good. There were a lot of people dressed up because it was halloween. But then we went back to the church and had game night with the ysa in that ward. It was fun. We left about 10 the next morning. I had to take 4 planes this week. Crazy. One the way down, we had to fly all the way to oslo then back up to trondheim. It was a lot of travel time. I think about 7 hours til we were finally where we wanted to be. The way back wasnt so bad. WE just went to tromsø then alta. It was good. Planes arent bad at all. Ive been on about 26 or so i think now on my mission. FLying is cool. We really are trying to find new people up here to teach. We have a few investigators but nobody is really progressing too much but we are trying to find more. WE got an office referral this morning. So that will be good to follow up on tonight. hopefully it was real haha. I still love this area. The branch is doing well. Testimony meeting was good yesterday. Almost everyone there bore their testimony and we filled the entire hour. We dont have to do too much in church actually. We set up the sacrament. A new convert blesses it usually. I have spoken two of the three sundays here. But thats just cuz one was testimony meeting and the other was my first sunday. SO not too bad. It would be good for me though. I need to learn how to talk in front of people. haha ITs really good though. The members are good people. We just need more of them. Its pretty cool, theres actually been 4 baptisms here this year which is incredible. 2 of them moved though to other parts of norway. The other two are active and have the priesthood. One from nigeria and one from the ukraine. pretty sweet. I love it. Its been snowing pretty much all day today. we came home to snow on saturday so we have a bit haha. The light is so weird. When the sun goes down it makes a weird glow. Everything is kinda yellow. I got a good picture of it yesterday. But everything is going great. Light
Hey Guys!!!!
SO I still love this area. Im starting to get used to the cold now... But its been warmer the last couple of days. Today is raining. Unfortunately the clouds mean no northern lights... But we saw some really cool ones earlier in the week. Its crazy. Theyre so cool to watch. Green is the most common color. But earlier this week we saw some yellow and a little purple. They didnt last too long though. They go fast. THat night we ran in to get our cameras they were gone when we came out. I tried getting pictures the next night but its hard to get a cool picture. Theyre so amazing. I got an email from deanna that i thought was really cool. SHe mentioned how Christ is a light. WHich was really cool because i have been thinking about that a lot lately. During conference in elder uchtdorfs talk he talked about strengthening the light in others. At least thats the biggest part i got out of it. But i started thinking a lot about how i need to strengthen others lights. And that is my reason to be here. To strengthen the light in those around me. So i started praying and studying how I could do That. I found a lot of help. Not only in study but in conference. Elder Eyring talked about doing it with love and trust. I think ive said a lot of that before. But I kept studying, and i realized that to strengthen the light you have to be a light. So I started studying some more and I noticed how often Christ is referred to as the light. It amazes me still How many times I started seeing it. But Christ really is the greatest example of strengthening the light in others. We all have light. in varying brightness and areas. But there is a light in everyone. Christ always found that light and strengthened it. When he strengthened the light, he brings light to another area. I am really enjoying studying light! Christ is the light. So I decided that really, being like the savior is the best way to strengthen your own light to strengthen the light of others. Im still really studying this trying to figure out how i can best do this, cuz I feel very strongly that that is what I am supposed to do! strengthen the light! But Deannas email talked about how Christ is the light. And she compared it to the northern lights. And how He moves in his majesty and power. Cuz they move too. They dance. they move around. Where ever they are there is beauty. I couldnt help but just stare at them as they jumped around. Its amazing. ITs how it is. The lights in the sky dance around with majesty and what could be considered power. But Christs majesty and power is so much greater. The people here seem not to notice the lights too much. They dont seem to notice Christs light either. THey are too distracted by other things around them. But one day the light of Christ will touch them. Whether it be from us as missionaries or from a friend, family member, neighbor, random acquaintance or what ever, it will touch them. Christs light really will grow. Til it touches every part of the earth. ANd then all men have to choose whether to accept the light or crawl back into the darkness. I just want you all to know that i have a testimony of this light that is Christ. He lives. ANd he loves every single one of Gods children. I watched "because of him" and read mosiah 16:6-9 the other day with a new convert. That is my testimony as well. He is the light and the life of the world. A light that is endless. and unlike the northern lights, it is never to be dimmed.10/20/14
Hey guys!!!
Alta is awesome. Its so different here but i love it. Im going to really enjoy being up here. THe city is pretty small, but the branch boundaries are bigger than all of denmark... We cover a big area... but we dont go to most of it. There were 9 people in church on sunday. 2 missionaries, an investigator, the branch president and his wife, a less active member, the mission leader and the member lady and her son that we live with. It was awesome. Its so different! we meet in a little tiny building that we rent out on sundays. THey have to have 20 people that come regularly for 3 months or so to get a building to ourselves. So we are working on that. THeres 40 people on the list though. so we have a lot of people we can reactivate too. Our apartment is the loft of a member lady in the ward. She has a 50 year old handicapped son. HEs super talented with music. He plays piano writes music and plays guitar and the baritone as well. He loves the missionaries. HE makes it fun. The house is on a farm. I feel like im at grandma and grandpa neweys house. Its way cool. Theres a couple dogs and a bunny, and they dont have any other animals themselves but they let other people use it so theres sheep and horses out sometimes. ITs super cold. At least it feels like it. ITs been about -5 C. Its snowed a couple times. BUt theres not too much left right now. I guess the night before i came the northern lights were really strong. I saw a little bit last night. It was so cool!!!! I live in the arctic now! ITs so crazy. I love it though. Im definitely using my coat now though. ITs not too dark yet. IT starts getting dark around 5 now. Im told by the middle of november the light will be gone.. THat will be fun. I should probably find some vitamin d to start taking... The new companion is cool. His name is elder P. HEs a cool guy. HE goes home at the beginning of january. SO ill probably be his last companion. District meetings are weird here... we have to do them over skype because we are so far away from the other missionaries. Next week we get to do it in person because i have to go to tromsø to interview their investigator to be baptized. ITs only elders in the district. ANd a senior couple. There all cool from what i have seen. Elder k and s were in the mtc with me and theyre both in tromsø. ITll be good to work with them again. THis week was awesome. It was a good week to start off the transfer. We had a challenge from the zone leaders to go out and not come back in until we found a new investigator or it was time to be inside. So we decided to double the goal and go for 2 new investigators. WE had geir pray for us and then we went to go try a tryback before banking the rest of the day. The tryback let us in, introduced his family of 4 and then we taught them. ANd they told us we could come back! So we found 4 new investigators. We were way excited!!! the next day we found a former that told us to come back too. So we are really hoping they all stay positive. Im loving this area though already. ITs so cool up here. I really hope that something in the gospel interests the family though. THey told us to come back, but they also said they werent planning on changing religions. But thats what they all say at first i guess :) SO we will be fasting and praying for them. BUt thats how things are going here. THanks for all the love and prayers! love you guys!!!! Have a great week.
Love Elder NEwey
10/13/14
Hey Guys!
I'm emailing normally again. haha It shouldn't happen too often like last week.. ha .
This next transfer will be interesting. Alta will be way cool. ITs a long ways up... Ill be flying on wednesday. SHould be fun! I talked to the elder im replacing there and he said the northern lights are already shining. So im excited. But then he said that its going to be really cold and its already snowed. Yeay...ha it'll be good though. Im pretty excited actually. I should probably buy that vitamin d soon..
Glad your stressful week is over mom. Thats always nice to have that over with. I'm stressing about flying a bit. Weight limits and stuff are stressful! But i'm sure it will work out. Thats awesome you guys get to go to arizona this weekend though that will be fun. Not for very long though. I miss temples!!! That will be way cool to go see.
I probably haven't thought about school as much as i should be? i dunno. I should take some time to really think about it. Missions make it hard to think about what's going on at school! Maybe i'll have more time in the north.. .haha everyone i heard is just depressed and drinks up north. Im kinda excited to see how it is. At some point i'll have to apply though to utah state. If i'm going there. I don't even know what id have to do for suu... I don't remember any of those passwords or anything. Ill get on Utah state soon anyway just in case.. I'll see what i have to do at least. I Just hope I can still get the same scholarship they offered the first time. That would be good to be able to give you permission to handle it though.
Sorry for the worry though last week. I figured that could happen haha. We had just decided to do it not too long before hand.. hah But it was fun though. I don't know how much i like museums.. haha IT was still pretty cool though. Oslo is an interesting city.
This week has been pretty good though. Well the last few days i guess. On thursday we taught seminary. THat was fun. I know how early morning seminary teachers feel now. Youth aren't too talkative in the mornings. haha But it was good. The rest of the day we visited a couple member families. We visited the mission leader and his family and another family where the dad is american. He actually went to moms high school in orem. Did you ever know a judson family. ha I think hes younger but maybe not.. Hes a cool guy. They were good visits though. Sad. The mission leader wasn't in church yesterday and i thought he would be so i didn't really say a good good bye . ah well. But friday we taught seminary again. And then we tried finding people.. and then that night we got elder g a new bed so he didn't have to sleep on an air mattress anymore. And we went to the H family again. I'll send a picture with them. THeyre awesome. One of my favorite families here. We had pizza night. It was good. The kids love us its awesome. haha Ill miss them . There really are some cool families in this ward. Saturday we had kino i kirken! Or Theater in church. We watched 17 miracles with the youth in the ward. It was way cool. Such a good movie. I think they all liked it too. Brother hwas there too and he was crying pretty hard. He told us to stop cutting onions during the movies! ( we watched prophet of the restoration ls week.) Sunday was good too. LAst one here in moss. It was fast and testimony meeting. So i bore my testimony. Then said good bye to all the members afterwards. Its a good ward. Itll be way different in alta. 9 people in church im pretty sure? ha itll be good. We went to bishops families house after church though. Theyre a cool family too. I wish I got a picture with them. We taught a afterwards with another member. IT was a really good lesson. She wants to be baptized, but she wont say it until she is finished with the book of mormon. Shes in 3rd nephi! So its coming! today we are having one last pday in fredrikstad with our district. SO that will be fun. And tonight we are going to the F's for fhe. Itll be awesome. THeyre a way cool family too. We were there last week and i felt like it was christmas for some reason..
Alta will be interesting. Way different for sure. I dont know what to expect really! Im way excited though. I will be district leader.. I dont know how that will go either. But we will have a car! Im pretty excited though. Northern lights and lots of other good stuff. Ill take plenty of pictures.
ANyway. Thanks for everything!!! I love you guys!!!! HAve a good week and have fun in arizona!!
Love Elder NEwey
Sunday, October 12, 2014
10/8/14
Hey Guys! SOrry its a few days late this week!!! We got permission to switch our pday to wednesday and we went up to oslo to see a viking ship museum and stuff. It was pretty cool. THings are going good here. Conference was amazing!!! I loved it. ITs so good to here from the leaders of the church. There were so many talks that i loved. I loved elder ballards about staying in the boat. Its so true! WHy would you jumkp out! Is sad when people do. I loved what elder Eyring talked about by being an example by showing trust and care from priesthood session. HE talked about the times he went home after being out with friends and would go and talk with his mom. It was the most choked up I've seen him and i was a little too.... It was a way good talk. I loved President uchtdorfs first one. I got a lot out of that one that I need to be going to strengthen the light in others. Everybodies light is at different levels. And It can be strengthened! SO thats what I want to do. It was really good I loved elder hollands. WE are all blessed with things that we can use to bless others! And we have to give our very best!!!! The sunday afternoon session was probably my favorite. Elder Scotts was so good. It felt like just a very simple, this is what you must do to be happy and successful! I really liked that one. The gospel should be prioritized over everything else!!! Then elder Godoys was maybe my favorite. Mostly because I've been trying to decide what to do about school... I realized that i have to decide soon because i heard deadline for applying to schools is in december and i have to reapply to utah state if i do that. I'm still trying to figure out what is best... But his talk just felt like it was made for me at the time! It was kind of a decision making process. Study the things you have been given like my patriarchal blessing and scriptures and of course prayer to decide what would really be the best thing to do. ITs definitely not an easy decision. SO im trying to broaden my vision and to figure out what would really be the best thing for me to be doing. .. BUt Its hard to think about that! haha but I'm trying to figure it out. Elder Bednars was awesome. There were just so many good talks.. I loved conference.
Im glad things are going good and fast! Everythings flying here too. Moves is next week. im moving.... Im going to alta. as dl. Ill be in the northern most mission area in the world... in winter. Which means i really won't see the sun!! Im kinda really excited. Northern lights!!!!! I have to start taking vitamin d though... thats important.
ANyway i hope you guys are doing great!!! I love you all! Thanks for the prayers. I hope that i can keep the things i learned in conference in my head. There was a lot i learned and want to start applying!!! Im so excited to see how i change!! IT's really what I've thought about a lot in conference. I just felt like God was trying to show me how i am going to be changed in the near future and what i needed to do to get there. I've been really happy lately. I love the mission. BEst thing i ever could have done. Take care of justin when you see him. HE says you guys are awesome. :)
Love Elder NEwey :)
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