One Transfer Down!

Okay so moves call was yesterday morning, and I found out that I am going to be leaving Oslo to serve in Nordstrand. I know you have no idea where that is, but that is okay! Norstrand is kind of like a suburb of Oslo, and it is located on the east side of the Oslo fjord. I will be opening up the area because we have so many new missionaries coming in (13 this transfer, I think), and president doesn't know where to put them all! I will be serving with Elder Whitmer, who I know nothing about, but I am sure that we will have a great time together. It is going to be tough to get the area going I think, and it will be weird to be in Oslo but not in the city where all the people are, but I have so much faith that the Lord is sending me to where I need to be and that I will be able to reach those He needs me to reach. I will be picking up Elder Whitmer on Wednesday afternoon, and then we will head out to Nordstrand and start the work. Everything is so exciting!

As nervous as I am, I really am so excited to go out there and start working. I am ready to take the challenge and go for it, and I know the Lord will be with me every step of the way. I am also staying in the same ward, so I will still be able to be with all my friends here, and most of the really solid members live in Nordstrand, so we are in really good shape. It will just be really hard, but one thing we always say here is "sånn er det bare." That's life, right?

I love what it says in Doctrine and Coventants 58:3-4.  “Ye cannot behold with your natural eyes, for the present time, the design of your God concerning those things which shall come hereafter, and the glory which shall follow after much tribulation. For after much tribulation come the blessings. Wherefore the day cometh that ye shall be crowned with much glory; the hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand.” We can never see what is going to come in the future and we have no idea what our influence on someone today will do to someone in 20 years. The Lord is always doing His work, on His own time and in His own way. All we can do is keep doing what is right and pray for Him to consecrate our actions to our own, and others', salvation. Words cannot express the depth of my gratitude for the enabling power of the atonement that we receive everyday in our lives. Through Christ's sacrifice, we are able to become clean and choose to follow Him and His teachings. Through our Savior, we can make a difference in the lives of other people. Through Him, life gains purpose, and we are able to press forward, knowing that "the day cometh that we shall be crowned with great glory." The gospel is amazing, and I hope that we can all choose to make it a bigger part of our lives.

I love you all, and I am so grateful for everything you do!

MVH Eldste Childs