This Week Went Pretty Great!

February 15, 2016

Dear Family & Friends,

This week went pretty great! It actually was really awesome. We got to go to Sweden to help a member with a service project! Super fun! It was really nice to be able to go do some more service! We helped do some work on their attic. It was so great! Afterwards, we ate dinner together. It was absolutely delicious! I think that anytime someone else makes food for you, it tastes tons better than if you tried to make it yourself. I'm not quite sure why that is, but it's true!

River in Fredrikstad

The sister missionaries in Sarpsborg had a baptism this week! It was so great to see another baptism here. The woman who was baptized is SOOOOO awesome. She knows so much and is so kind. She's going to be so wonderful at furthering the work of the Lord here in this ward. It was a really wonderful experience to have.

Because Valentine's Day was yesterday, here's a scripture on love. John 13:34

34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

River in Fredrikstad

I believe that if we take that counsel, and love those around us like Christ loves us, With a Perfect love, that we'll find not only ourselves happier, but also more of those that we come in contact With.

Love,

Elder Mickelson

This Week Has Been So Fun!

Me with a random cat that lives somewhere by our house. The cat likes to follow us around sometimes too.

February 8, 2016

Dear Family & Friends,

This week has been so fun! This last week was an "English fast" where we tried to go the entire week with just speaking Norwegian. It was really fun. Now that it's over, I've realized that I can speak Norwegian more fluently. It isn't as rough as it was when I started. It was quite good to see how much Norwegian I actually know. I was told before my mission that at about the 6 month mark is when you finally start to figure out the language. Surprisingly enough, they were right! I've been out for nearly 8 months now, and I think I'm getting a hang of it. Of course I still have tons to learn and will keep improving my pronunciation, but I can talk to most people now, actually understand them, and be able to respond. I'm marking that one up as a success.

We had a very cool miracle story this week. We were walking up and down the streets this week. We had walked past this woman on the street and we thought she would not be interested at all. We kept walking and stopped other people and tried talking with them. We saw the lady again later, just sitting down and upset. We thought she would probably just want her space. As we turned the corner, Elder Mitchell and I had this feeling that we needed to talk to her. We knew that she needed to hear our message. We had gone back and she wasn't there anymore. Still feeling the need to talk with her, we searched the streets trying to find her. After a few minutes, we had seen her coming towards us. As we stopped and talked with her, she talked about all of these different problems she was having. She talked about how she's been trying to find some direction in her life. It was really great to talk with her and help her out. If it hadn't for feeling a prompting to talk with her, we probably wouldn't have been able to help her when she needed it.

Big news! We, the four of us missionaries in Fredrikstad, will not all be in the same cozy little apartment together. Now, we will just be a snowball's throw away. We are getting a second apartment now, so each set of missionaries will be in separate apartments. The apartment is just next door so it works perfect. We can just lean out the window and talk to each other! One plus of having gotten the new apartment means that I will be sleeping on a bed now instead of a fold down couch! It's pretty exciting! Today, Elder Mitchell and I put together the bunkbed for the other apartment. The big move will be here in a couple of days!

Have a great week everyone!

Love,

Elder Mickelson

All Of The Snow Finally Disappeared!

A spot where an ancient Roman Tower used to stand here in Fredrikstad.

February 1, 2016

Dear Family & Friends,

All of the snow finally disappeared! We had several days of warmth and sunshine. Then, just a few hours ago, we were reminded that it's only February.

This week has been full of adventures and loads of fun. We were able to visit Sweden again. We had dinner with some members there. We had a wonderful time. It's always a blast getting to visit them.

I've started trying to find out where exactly my ancestors come from in the last week. I have family that comes from Norway, so I've started finding which farms they grew up on. I think it would be really cool to figure out where those places are in relation to me. Maybe someday I'll get to visit where they grew up!

Me and my stocked up candy for awhile.
A mix of American and Norwegian candy.

We have had a couple birthdays here in Fredrikstad this last week! You know what that means! More food and sweets than we've seen since Christmas! We had made up around 60 or so cookies this week. It's a good thing that they taste good! Speaking of good food, Elder McIntire made up some enchiladas this last week. Delicious. I was impressed, especially because we didn't have any enchilada sauce. As missionaries, we get pretty creative and somehow we manage to pull off making pretty good food.

Overall it's been a great week. I'd like to share a last thought to end the letter. In James 2:17-18 it says,

"17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my Works."

We start with faith, just a little bit of it. We have a hope for things. Then, over time, we build that faith and it is strengthened by keeping the commandments and trying to be more like the Savior. We must have faith in Christ, and then continue to build on that faith by showing by our works what we believe. We express what we believe through our actions. I hope that we remember this, and strive to be better everyday, and continue to try to be good examples for others. Obviously, none of us are perfect, but we can continually try to be better over time.

Have a great week everyone!

Love,

Elder Mickelson

We Have Had Quite The Eventful Last Week!

January 25, 2016

Dear Family & Friends,

A sign of the city next to us, Sarpsborg,
that is celebrating their 1,000 year mark.
Yeah,1,000 years, that's a long time.

Warm weather is great... until it creates a slushy mess over the entire city haha!

We have had quite the eventful last week! Elder Arveseth got transferred to Oslo. We miss him, but it will only be a few weeks before we see him again at a Zone Conference. Elder McIntire came to replace Elder Arveseth. I'm still with Elder Mitchell, so that is exciting!

There was a worldwide missionary broadcast which we got to watch this last week. The focus was helping bring people to baptism. One thing that stuck out during the broadcast is that as missionaries, we "teach repentance, and baptize converts". We helped people become converted to Christ. It is after they become converted to Him, that we help them become baptized. One reason baptism is so important is that it allows us to receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost, by the laying on of hands. With that, we can have the Holy Ghost with us allows as a comfort and a guide for us in our lives.

We had a really fun experience this week. We met with an older lady this week for a lesson. She is one of the COOLEST people ever. She has practically been everywhere, seen everything, and done next to everything. Super cool lady. Anyways, we sat down to talk and she loves to talk a lot haha. But that's ok. It was really awesome to talk to her and teach her some more about the Christ's gospel. She has a desire to keep learning, so I'm really excited to see what happens!

This week's scripture comes from the Book of Ether in the Book of Mormon. In Ether 12:27 it says,

"27 And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them."

I really like this scripture because it helps me see why we have our weaknesses, why we have our trials, and why we have our struggles. They help us become humbled. It is only in humility that we can grow and learn. When we think that we have it all figured out and are perfect at it, we quit trying to progress. In humility though, and with faith, what makes us we will become our strengths.

Pictures (sorry for the lack of pictures this week):

Love,

Elder Mickelson

Zone Leader Training In Oslo This Last Week

The Fredrikstad State Church

January 18, 2016

Dear Family & Friends,

We had Zone Leader Training in Oslo this last week. It was a lot of fun! I got to see some of the guys from my MTC group, and I got to visit with everyone. We spent a lot of time talking about family history and how we can better be inviting others to do their family history work. It helped me realize how much we can learn about those that came before us, and the impact they made on why we are here.

We had an awesome experience this week. We were preparing for a lesson that we had. We weren't quite sure what we wanted to teach, so we decided that praying about it wasn't a bad idea at all. So with prayer and study, we both just felt a clarity on what this person needed to be taught. When the day of the lesson came around, we showed up, and throughout the lesson, the Spirit could be felt so strong. Hopefully, more progress will come because of it, but our testimony of receiving guidance by the Holy Ghost was strengthened because of it.

The river by our house with the sunrise and fog.

Norwegian driver's license! I'm now signed up to be taking my driving test in a couple months. Hopefully I get it, because that would be one of the coolest things to get, my very own, foreign driver's license. I'll just need to keep practicing. It's definitely interesting to see how it goes. As for now, I will just be waiting for the day to show up so I can take it!

I've thought about a part of the scriptures a lot lately. At the end of St John (ST John 21:, the resurrected Christ speaks to his apostle Simon:

" 15 ¶So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.

16 He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep."

There are many things which we have the opportunity to do. We have many opportunities to serve others. I believe that we should take some time and think about what Christ told Simon to do. What can we do to feed Christ's sheep? What can we do to lift another? What can we do for others to show our love for not only them, but for Christ? I believe that if we think about it, we will think of something that we can do for others.

By the way, transfers is this week, I'll be staying with my companion Elder Mitchell here in Fredrikstad for another transfer! Really excited for this transfer!

Love,

Elder Mickelson

Snow! 8 Days Of Snow

Kids ice skating in the city

January 11, 2016

Dear Family & Friends,

Snow! It has snowed for the last 8 days, and it has barely ever stopped! It definitely feels like a proper Winter in Norway. I started asking around, and I guess that Fredrikstad doesn't normally get so much snow. There are spots that the snow is basically up to my knee. Although, most Places isn't too deep. It'll warm up every once in awhile and the snow will settle a bit. This last couple days have been above freezing, so naturally, we are walking around in a giant slush pile. It has made some great fun though having the snow. I got to go sledding! Super fun! It's been awhile since I've just thrown myself down a hill in hopes to go as far as I can! Such is life though. It's a blast here in Fredrikstad.

Overlook of Fredrikstad from
the top of the King's Hall

Elder Mitchell and I have been doing awesome here. It's been a blast this transfer. Our next transfer is next week. So we'll see how it all goes!

Now that Christmas is over, and New Year's is over, work has been picking up. We've been able to talk With more People and meet With others. It's really nice just to get back into the swing of things.

Tomorrow we'll be headed to Oslo for a Conference. It'll just be a short one so just a day trip! I'm realizing now, that when my mission is over, I will have no problem traveling anywhere. I'll be used to driving anywhere, flying anywhere, and taking any form of public transportation. With as much travel as we do here, I'm set for life!

Entrance to the King's Hall

I'd like to share a really great scripture that I've thought about a bit lately. In Alma, a book in the Book of Mormon, in 7:11-12 it says, speaking about Christ,

"11 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.

12 And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities."

A cool picture from inside one
of the hallways of an old guard post

Many times in life, I feel as though we believe that we have to take on a trial by ourselves. Many times we feel alone, insecure, scared, uneasy, or whatever the case may be. We learn that we can have Peace. Christ came into the world to not only die for us, but to suffer that he would know how to succor us. So when the time comes that Our burden becomes too great to bear, and Our trials feel as though they will knock us over, we can turn to Christ. He suffered so he could understand us. He suffered because he loved us. Because he loves us, and because he has felt every physical pain, spiritual pain, and emotional pain, he knows how to heal us. He knows how to give the Comfort and Peace in Our lives so we can move forward, so we can continue in life With hope, With joy, and With determination. We live in a world that is increasing With Challenges, heartache, and sorrow, but it is through Christ, Our Redeemer, Our savior, that we can keep moving forward. No matter what we struggle With in life, Christ is there. He understands when no one else can. I've felt His love in my life. He's helped me find Peace in times that were not easy, and He can and will for anyone else. Christ waits for us With outstretched hands, it's just a matter of us accepting the help.

That's my thoughts for the week. I hope everyone has an awesome week!

Love,

Elder Mickelson

2016 Has Rolled In With...

Elder Mitchell, Elder Christensen, Sister Lowater and I for New Year's Eve.

January 4, 2016

Dear Family & Friends,

2016 has rolled in with fireworks, celebrations, and plenty of laughs. People all around the world have begun their New Year's resolutions, many of which are sticking to them, and in a few months time, most people will have stopped for one reason or another. But that is okay! We have a desire right now to try and make our lives better. To improve. To be healthier. To be happier. Whatever the case may be, we all see that there is something greater out in the world. There is something that we can achieve. There is something greater than ourselves that we cannot even completely understand. But at the end of the day, we still recognize that we have the potential to be something better, to be a part of something greater. I hope that all of us take our resolution, realize that we can achieve it, and put our minds to it and accomplish our goals. When the going gets tough and we don't want to keep trying, when we want to give up, or when we can't find the motivation to keep progressing, I hope that we all look back at why we wanted to start in the first place. Remember what we wanted to accomplish. Remember why we knew it would be good for us. Remember how it would benefit us. And then remember that we all had faith in ourselves. We knew that we could do it. After that, keep going.

I'm hoping that was pretty inspirational. It probably was cheesy, but that's alright. It's true though. I guess we try a lot in life to better ourselves. We try to be better today than we were yesterday, and better tomorrow than we were today.

This week was incredible. I had so much fun. We got to spend a lot of time with the members here in Fredrikstad. Much of our time was spent being with the members and helping out with whatever we could.

Our fantastic dessert after the
New Year's Eve dinner
(notice the Ben & Jerry's ice cream
on the back of the island)

For New Year's Eve we got to travel to Sweden and celebrate with a family in our ward that lives there. I never thought that I would be in Sweden during my life, but things happen, and we get surprised! We had so much fun there. All of us missionaries in the ward got to go and it was just a really cool experience. We played games (I did really well at Uno and managed not to lose any friends because of it. Some feelings were hurt though by the end) and had dinner together. We had dessert afterwards, and I was extremely happy. We had Ben & Jerry's ice cream. It was delicious! It's not very easy to find in Norway, well for a low price. I found some right across the street from where I live at a gas station. Expensive, but I might be buying myself some. It's the first time I have seen in in the last 6 months.

Every New Year's at midnight, to ring in the new year, everyone lights off a bunch of fireworks. It felt like the Fourth of July, just with smaller and fewer fireworks, but still, a ton of fireworks nonetheless! It's really awesome to be surrounded in another culture to celebrate New Years. It's just really cool to see how others celebrate differently than you, but we still are celebrating for the same reason.

Yesterday, Elder Mitchell and I got to teach a small lesson during Primary class in church. We joined in for singing time with all of the little kids (super fun) and afterwards, shared our little thought. We shared how the scriptures are the word of God. We all talked about how we use both the Bible and the Book of Mormon to learn about Christ and that if we follow what we learn, we'll have better lives. I think that is a really great though. If we read the word of God, and apply it in our lives, we will not only be blessed, but we will see a change in ourselves. Over time, we will find ourselves being kinder to others, having more patience, and living a better life. We need to be reading the scriptures to know how we can be better people. It's the beginning of the new year! We can learn in the scriptures of how to live a better life this coming year!

I hope all of you have a wonderful week, a happy new year, and keep up on your resolutions! Happy New Year everyone!

Love,

Elder Mickelson

Below are some pictures from a District Meeting Training on family search on December 30, 2015.

Elder Mitchell

Elder Mickelson, Elder Mitchell, President & Sister Hill