This Week Was A Really Good One

Elders Decker, me, Nelson and Mitchell

April 24, 2017

Hello Everyone!

This week was really good one. I had found out last week that I'd be staying in Drammen for this last transfer. So I'm REALLY excited to be here for that! It's sure been enjoyable, and I'm looking forward to enjoying these next weeks here in such an incredible city!

From the top of the ski jump

Last Monday we went out to the Vikersund Ski Jump, and it was so cool!!! There were a couple families we went with, and it was just so awesome! So Vikersund is where the world record has been held for the last few years for the longest ski jump, and it just got broken there again in March. It's at 253.5 meters. ITS SO FAR!!!!! It was insane to climb up. I can't imagine trying to jump off of that myself. It'd be so intense. It was a lot of stairs to walk up too. 1,078 steps. Uphill. Luckily my legs didn't burn too bad because of it! It was a lot of fun and then we went and had lunch all together. Real enjoyable!

Me at the bottom of the ski jump

Elder Nelson and I

Elder Nelson and I at a giant fire pit thing

So our entire district stayed the same this transfer. Weird because normally someone moves. But we all stayed so it was a bit of a shock, but at the same time really exciting because there's an extra sister missionary here too. So now we have a bonus missionary!!! Woohoo!!!

We met with some new people this week. It was real great to meet them and hopefully we'll get to keep meeting with them in the coming weeks!

A view from the place where we rolled the giant rocks

We rolled giant boulders this week. Ok, by boulders, it takes like four or five guys to roll it across a yard. So take that as you will. But we went out and helped a member roll some giant stones he had behind his house across his lawn and over towards his deck for decoration. With a lot of yelling, sweat, and no blood, we managed to roll several over. And it sure looks good now! Plus I got a great picture from his house of the valley.

We had an INCREDIBLE stake conference this weekend. Elder Bennasar, an area seventy. He's from France, and is just awesome. One, getting to listen to the stake presidency here was awesome to begin with, but then you throw in another that is just as great. Wow. I don't really know what to say about it. Everyone just had wonderful talks about how to help us spiritually in life. And it just was centered around doing the basic things to build our testimonies. I just loved it. It was all really well put.

I hope you all have a great week! Thanks for being awesome!

Sincerely,

Elder Mickelson

Woke up this morning and there was 4 inches of snow on the ground…

Happy Easter Everyone!!!

Telemark Zone (Our Largest Zone)

April 17, 2017

Happy Easter everyone!!!

I hope you all had a great vacation and weekend and stuff! Something that is pretty cool here is that in Norway, people celebrate Easter week. So everything from Palm Sunday, to Good Friday and Easter. Even today, being Monday, is the second day of Easter. So, it's different celebrating more than just one day for Easter. I think it's pretty great!

It was quite an eventful week! That's for sure! We helped a member in the ward paint his house, and it's looking pretty good if I do say so myself haha! It was real fun though. I got a bunch of paint on my jeans so we'll see how well it goes trying to get it off. It'll be an adventure nonetheless.

A ton of people from the ward got together to play soccer over Easter break and we went and played with them. There was a couple dozen there. Proper sized teams. Us Americans suck at playing soccer. Luckily, because of my time in Sandvika and here in Drammen, I've gotten better. I'm not completely hopeless. Just somewhat of a lost cause. But no, we did alright haha! (Still lost though, but just barely).

Speaking of soccer, one afternoon we spent the evening with a family, and after dinner us and their kids all headed out to this little soccer field and played soccer. It was a blast, but we still lost to their kids. I'm not that great after all. Oh well.

No weekly email would quite be the same without the train update. Well, the trains are still running, and I'm still catching them. This week I went on splits to Tønsberg. And it was a lot of fun. I was with Elder Rogers again and it was a blast seeing him again. We got to go help an older couple with some yard work too. I can thank my mom for teaching me how to clean out flowerbeds! :) Thanks mom!

We spent Easter yesterday over at the mission home with the mission president and his wife, along with some other senior couples and a bunch of other missionaries. We had a nice dinner (the food was amazing) and we sang a ton of songs together. A really nice way to spend Easter afternoon!

Elder Mickelson is playing the piano

Well we are headed out soon to go climb Norway's biggest ski jump, so that'll be fun!

Hope you all have a great week! Happy 2nd day of Easter!

Sincerely,

Elder Justin Mickelson

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for

his friends." John 15:13

Elder Decker with our super small shopping cart :)

Elder Mickelson and Elder Mitchell spent the morning 

teaching the missionaries how to keep their “line in the water.”

There are wonderful large windows around the top of the Drammen Chapel. They let in lots of light 🙂 We were happy to have a visitor Eivind Top join us for the day!

I Hop You All Had A Great Week...Because I Sure Did!

Elder Mitchell and I

April 10, 2017

Hello Everyone!!!

I hope you all had a great week. Because I sure did!

By way of announcement and keeping you all up to date with my weekly adventures, I did take a train. I was THIS *pinching thumb and pointer finger together* close to saying I didn't take a train this week. I was going to be quite impressed with myself for having had something change. But nope!

Me chilling on an elephant

We had ended up going to Sandvika for a meeting one morning, but aside from that, no train trips. This week I will though (of course haha). BUT! While I was walking through the middle of Sandvika, I saw a familiar face! One of my old neighbors I had when I lived there was walking by and I went over and talked with him for a bit. So it was way fun to catch up with him and see how life was going. Always nice to see friends!

I didn't have any really crazy foods, BUT. I did have some homemade chipotle sauce. Wow. Delicious. That's the best way to describe it. Delicious with a kick!

We were headed to over to a family's house for dinner one night this week, and as we drove past a little soccer area, we saw a couple of their sons playing there. And we had a few minutes to spare, so we parked the car and joined the neighborhood kids in soccer. Ya, I schooled like 10 year olds. Not really actually anything impressive, but it was fun at least! haha Everyone had a good time so it worked out well.

Elder Mitchell and I washed the car.

We had splits this week and Elder Mitchell (not the one here in Drammen) came from Oslo. It was a blast. We had visited several people and saw like a million people we knew along the way. So it was a way great time. And I didn't need a train ticket, so lucky me! haha

On Saturday we went out in the middle of Drammen with some tablets showing the new Easter video with people. It was a lot of fun and the sun was shining so there wasn't really anything to complain about. It had just been a blast! The video is just on www.mormon.org it's like the first thing on it. The video is called the Prince of Peace. It's a nice little 2 minute video about Easter. I liked it a lot.

Well I hope you all have a great week! Take care! And Happy Easter!!!

Sincerely,

Elder Justin Mickelson

John 3:17 "For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."

Countryside outside of Drammen #1

Countryside outside of Drammen #2

Countryside outside of Drammen #3

This Week Was Really Amazing.

Pic from the picnic (me, Elder Mitchell and Elder Decker)

April 3, 2017

Hey Everyone!

This week was really amazing. I don't know why, but each week gets more and more hectic. Maybe eventually I'll get a break. But who really knows?

Monday we spent the afternoon of our P-Day a bit more enjoyably. We decided that we needed to get out of the house, and out into nature... Or at least where the sun's shining. So in our lack of creativity, the sisters thought it'd be a great idea to go have a picnic. And because we couldn't come up with anything better, we said sure. It was really enjoyable and lots of fun. We bought a bunch of fruit, Elder Mitchell and I each got a Coca-Cola, and we went out to a park down by the river. We had our little picnic, tossed around a football (not a

soccer ball), and just had a good time. I even rolled up my pant legs a little bit to catch a little sun. Too bad it didn't do anything though. Still pasty white haha. That's alright, I'll live.

We had a little conference here in Drammen this week too. So that kept us pretty busy getting everything in line for that. But that went real well. It went smoothly so I can't complain any.

Right after the conference we, yes, got on a train, along with the missionaries in Arendal and Kristiansand because we were having splits with the Kristiansand elders. It was SUCH A LONG train ride. 4 hours. That's a long time to sit in one spot. I had to stand up and walk

around a couple times. But the train ride was real good.

Splits in Kristiansand was way nice. One, the city is like one of the most southern cities in Norway, so it's a lot warmer and it's just way cool. It's just a gorgeous place. Plus, I was with Elder Tangen who was in my MTC group, plus we served together in Sandvika, so it was a

blast. And a blast to the past. haha Just a lot of good reminiscing.

After splits, we took the beautiful, yet very rainy train ride the WHOLE 4 HOURS BACK! This time it wasn't so hard. Elder Mitchell and I each bought an 8-pack of boller, and a coke to make the trip. We ended having a way cool conversation with this lady on the train though. Fun story, her great great great something grandma was one of the last

witches burned in Norway. So, I met a descendant of a witch XD haha It was a pretty crazy story. I guess those witch trials weren't JUST in the US.

My lutefisk (sorry, didn't have bacon on this one).

LUTEFISK! Yes, so anyone still reading this finally hit the reason they wanted to read it. Yes, I finally had lutefisk. It was like one of the last foods on my Norwegian food bucket list! Now, for everyone who are turned away from the thought of lutefisk, or fish jello, or whatever you want to call it. It was DELICIOUS. Like, it was . Our landlords had made it, and wow. Good. I really liked it. I had it with some pea stew and potatoes on the side, with some bacon and grilled onions on the top. Boy was that good. If you get the chance, eat it.

This last weekend was General Conference. What a great opportunity to hear so many good talks. I loved it. It was hard to sit still for so long, but I managed! haha We're watching the last session tonight with a member here in Drammen so that'll be way fun. But I highly suggest watching it if you haven't!

I hope you all have a great week! Take care everyone!

Sincerely,

Elder Mickelson

"Walking with the Savior in priesthood service will change the way you look at others." -Pres. Henry B. Eyring