Ill start off by answering some of your questions:
The Omega 3 pills are fantastic. I feel a lot more normal now sense Ive been taking them. I could definitely feel a difference. We dont go to work till 12 noon for the first 12 weeks. They have a new program for new missionaries called The First 12 Weeks. The intent is to train you so that you're able to train after the first 12 weeks of your mission. Part of that includes an extra hour of companionship study. So you do personal study from 8-9, language study from 9-10, and comp study from 10-noon. Then we eat lunch and go to work.. After the first 12 weeks you go back to 1 hour of comp study. I don't know how I feel about the training though. It's all the same stuff we learned in the MTC. Just all over again. We watch the same video clips, read the same Preach My Gospel passages...just repetitive. I guess it really makes more sense when you can get out and apply it for real though instead of just to another missionary in the MTC. But they have this video series called The District that we have to watch clips from. Im not kidding its like Mormon reality TV. It mind numbing to watch. It's supposed to be an unscripted documentary type series on missionary work. But the Norway mission is a LOT different than the San Diego mission (where the district is based) and some of those missionaries just make me angry to watch. They totally teach for numbers and not for people. But I guess that can be good too so that you can learn from their mistakes.
So a typical day consists of studies till noon, contacting till about 8:30pm, and back home for planing (pres wants us home by 9-9:30, and its 20 minutes to ride the bybane back to our area and another 20 minute walk home.) Sometimes we can fit in member dinners or teaches in that 8 hour block of contacting time. There are also several activities we do with the YSA several nights a week. Mondays we have FHE at 7, Fridays we have Sport, Tuesdays we have district meeting at 11 and MMK at 6. We spend a lot of time on the streets contacting in the cold and the rain.
The sun stays up for 20 hours a day during the summer, unless you're in the North. Then the sun never sets. Also in the North is where the sun never comes up in the winter time. If you're still wanting to come pick me up in 2 years then there's a good chance you'll get to see the infamous endless hours of sun. Because transfers here are 9 weeks instead of 6 the mission is 23 months. you can volunteer a 25 month if you want. But that means ill be done in Aug of 2013. That would be a perfect time to see some of Norway. But Ill leave that up in the air until the time gets closer.
My ability to understand Norsk is a ton better than my ability to speak it. But my trainer says he has notices a HUGE improvement on my fluency. Interestingly enough some of the best speakers here said it felt like 6 or 8 months before it started really coming. They just memorized and studied their brains out and one day it just clicked. Im hoping the same happens for me. i just dont want to feel like Ive wasted months of the missions time and money, though i have noticed a ton of growth in myself. So it's not been a waste for me, I just dont want others to see me as a waste.
As for the members, they are awesome. There are a lot of old people, one of them is named Brother Rasmussen. He was happy to meet me. Hes extremely passionate and outspoken about the gospel. Its great. All the members get excited when they first meet me and see i have a Scandinavian surname. They all ask 'Er de Norsk, eller Dansk?' I tell em all its Danish. Theyre always thrilled to have Scandinavian missionaries so I was well received. We have a member named Helga whos a 50 something year old guy with a crazy obsession with ties. I think hes autistic, hes definitely slow, but hes super nice. He has like 10 thousand ties, not even exaggerating. He gives all the new missionaries a tie. Theyre usually ugly, but we all wear em anyway because we appreciate them. Mine is grey with blue and red flowers on it. The YSA are solid. They come to everything and make American YSA look extremely ungrateful. Members here love the Gospel. There are a few young couples in the branch. Theyre just like American young couples. They all take great pride in the church building here. Theres someone there every day cleaning, even if theres nothing to clean. They're very proud of the building.
As far as needs, all i need is patience. Im starting to itch for gaming time and movie dates. lol, (lol is short slang for Laugh Out Loud in case you didnt know. Ive noticed Ive used it a few times) But if there is anything that i need i will let you know.
We have moves next week. This transfer flew by! I dont know yet if ill be staying in Bergen or if ill be moving to a new area. i guess we will see.
So, New Years we spent at the church. We got permission to stay up til midnight. We just played games with the YSA and ate snacks (chopped up raw vegetables, chips, sprite, eclairs) At midnight we all went out and lit sparklers. The whole city was shooting off fireworks for like 20 minutes. It was like a warzone. They were everywhere. you could look 360 degrees and see em exploding in the air all over the place. I guess New years is the only time of year when fireworks are legal to buy so they go nuts. We also saw a lot of scantily clad women on the busses and the bybane. All going to parties no doubt. Its really sad that people think they have to dress like that to be noticed, and that they dont set higher expectations for themselves. Morality is super low here. I could go up to just about anyone here, tell them Im American and looking for a good time, and they would make sure to get me to the best parties, with the best women, with all the drink or drugs i wanted, and show me their idea of a good time. That is esp true for missionaries, theyd get a kick out of that. And it would all be free. They have this idea in their head that Americans party like crazy and that its like Sodom and Gomorrah there. Theyve all seen movies like American Pie and think that is how we all are. And so they model their parties like that trying to keep up. Its pretty sad. So any chance they get to party with an American they take. Im glad that aspect of this country is a well kept secret from the US because i know that plenty of people would came here to take advantage of it. Its in seeing things like this in the world that make me extremely grateful for the gospel and all the many blessings it brings us.
That being said, i should tell you about a guy the sisters are baptizing in Feb. His name is paul. He started cleaning up his life after he met the missionaries. Hes been struggling with drugs for years. Total narco man. The first time he came to an activity he said that he was happy for us who grew up with the church, that we never had to go through the things hes been through, but felt that he would be a negative influence to the church if he started coming. When we told him we wanted him here, that he could change and find the same happiness he just up and quit his substance abuse. Hes loving it here so far, and making some HUGE changes to do this. You can almost literally see the hand of Christ molding him. His countenance has changed entirely. It's pretty incredible. Most of the YSA members here are converts of the last 2 years. Only one has been a life long member, and 2 converted in the last 5 years and have served missions. So many incredible stories to tell. Blessings like this could not come from nowhere. It's evidence to me that Joseph Smith was a prophet and that this church is true. There is no way that it could be otherwise.
Well, Im all out of things to talk about...for now. Im looking forward to next weeks letter and hope that you have a good week. i love you dad.
-Elder Scott Rasmussen-
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