Happy Halloween!

Creepy teddy bear in a cemetery in Narvik

October 31, 2016

Hello Everyone!

Happy Halloween! Even here in Norway, Halloween is a thing. It's becoming more popular as the years go by (so I'm told anyways. I haven't lived here long enough to quite say) but people still get dressed up and some go trick or treating! We delivered in our pant today and bought a Bad Limes soda and Lefse to celebrate Halloween. Lefse is like a potato tortilla with cinnamon butter on the inside. It's really delicious :D Elder Dawes picked himself up some smågodt (just small candies) for Halloween too. So we are having a good time celebrating with that. I know it's not a bucket full of goodies, but hey, Norwegian chocolate is better (and I've got some of that back home :D).

A small creek running through
the cemetery with the
creepy teddy bear.

Last Monday, we flew up to Narvik for splits. It was good getting to spend some time up there, enjoying the Northern lights, with good company, in a cozy little city.

Let me attempt to paint this picture for you all. Feel free to just go look it up online. That will do it more justice. The Narvik Airport is no doubt, the smallest airport I've ever been to. Imagine your local gas station. That's the terminal. Everything is practically in the same room. Actually it is all in the same room. IT'S SO COOL! haha Now, because it's just this local airport, everyone shows up early because you just live a couple minutes away. And there's only like 10 people on the average flight. So we show up early, because I'd hate to miss the last flight of the night leaving Narvik and try explaining that one. But we get there. And everyone shows up early too. Our flight is supposed to leave at like 8PM. But everyone is there at about 7:30. So we all board and we are in the air a half hour in advance! We landed in Bodø at about 8:10, 10 minutes after we were supposed to have taken off.

One great perk about flying with Widerøe, aside from their planes being prop planes, is that you get free chocolate on the flights!!! It's the best. :D haha

Other notable things, yesterday, Elder Dawes gave his first talk. It was on Family History, and it went pretty good. I'm pretty sure positive he made some people cry. But that's alright :)

Yesterday we had daylight savings. The sun now goes down at 3:30PM. So that's weird. Mørketid is on its way!!! Bring it on!

Well I hope you all have a wonderful week! Take care and enjoy your Halloween!

"Whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions." -Alma 36:3

Sincerely,

Elder Mickelson

This Week Has Been Crazy Busy!

Zone Leader Conference

October 24, 2016

Hey everyone!

This week has been crazy busy! It's been such a blast though all at the same time.

Monday night we flew out from Bodø headed to Trondheim for a Zone Leader Training. Anyways, we had a bit of an incident when we flew in. Normally we just take the train from the airport in Trondheim to get to the middle of the city where the missionaries live.

We bought our tickets there after getting out of the airport and we sit down to wait for the train. About 5 minutes before it was supposed to come we walked out onto the platform to be ready and not miss it. An announcement comes over the speakers. (paraphrased) "the train headed towards Trondheim has been delayed for one hour".

Let me make this point, the train was supposed to be arriving at 9:30PM. We now were delayed for another hour. We sat down, and we checked the board about 20 minutes later. There was a local train that would be stopping soon. Lucky for us, it was headed in the right direction! So it pulled up and we hopped on. So instead of getting in at the apartment at like 10, it was a bit after 10:30 that we were able to make it in.

The conference was really good and I learned a lot. Ironically enough, the train we wanted to take on the way BACK to the airport was delayed TOO! We barely made it through security in time. We ran up to the gate about 1 minute before people got let onto the plane. It was a really close call.

Later in the week I bought Elder Dawes his first kebab. It's a tradition that the trainer buys the trainee their first kebab. So we found a local one and picked him up one. Luckily, no kebab regret.

This week we spent a little time out at a cemetery taking pictures of grave sites to upload onto findagrave.com It was pretty cool trying to decipher was was originally engraved because the names weathered pretty bad and it was near impossible to read, BUT WE GOT IT!

Elder Dawes with his first kebab

We made some rolls for some members here in Bodø too. We spent an evening delivering them, and we couldn't find a house so we ended up walking in the same circle like three times trying to find it (it was dark, and you couldn't see too well) and after a few hours we gave up and went home. We went and finished delivering the next day. Needless to say, we missed the road by one block... Well, you live and you learn. The rolls weren't too bad either. But we did get some apple cake at one house fresh out of the oven. WOW! Seriously some incredible cake. It was really good. So in one sense, it was good we couldn't find the houses we were looking for because it all worked out in the end.

Today we did get to go to the Airplane Museum here in Bodø. It had a bunch of military planes from WW1 and WW2 there and some more modern ones. It was pretty great to see how much of a difference aircraft made in the wars. Way fun history we learned today!

Aircraft Museum

A thought I had earlier this week when I was studying the scriptures was how God hears our prayers, and He does all He cans to assist us. It doesn't always happen in the time frame or manner we'd like it to be in, but it works out for the best as long as we do our best to turn to Him.

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

Sincerely,

Elder Mickelson

A soldier with skis to be faster

Beware the blast from behind the jet engine

In the case of an emergency, please read the following to eject with your seat out of the plane.

A little stuffed goat with painted horns as representing

the mascot for some soldiers back in the war

A way cool poster

A huge bomb that's roughly translated to

"Make your city safe"

From the air traffic control tower

Crazy Week Of Travel & Picture Taking!

Lofotkatedralen

October 17, 2016

Hello Everyone!

Crazy week! But definitely one to put down in the books. So we started off last week by catching a morning bus to Narvik... A city 6 1/2 hours to the North by bus plus a ferry ride in the middle. Yes, we bused it all. It was so much fun though. I started running through my camera battery quite quickly. But hey, I still got some great pictures so that was great!

A tiny little community out on 

the edge of the fjord. 

I definitely considered options of 

how I could live out here.

After arriving, we spent P-Day with the missionaries in Narvik by doing a little fishing (sadly, I didn't catch anything. But hey, it's called fishing, not catching.)

The next morning (Tuesday) we headed out the door, walked down through the town, and made it over to the local mall/bus station and hopped onto another bus headed West through Lofoten.

After weaving between mountains, climbing hills, travelling through every little town, going through some tunnels, and up over some bridges, and taking PLENTY of pictures along the way for quite some time (like 7 1/2 hours), we eventually came to our destination.

How would you like this as your backyard view of the beach?

By the way, on this bus trip, I started talking to this guy in front of me from Belgium. Way cool guy that just decided to last minute, fly up here and bus through/camp/hike Lofoten for a week. Talk about being spontaneous. But hey, why not?!

Now all of this really did have a reason for all of the bus travel! We were visiting a member from church that lives WAY out in the tip of Lofoten, but the problem was is that to get there to visit, it requires a very extensive bus trip to get out there (as you probably have noticed). But it was so worth it! We showed up and we were warmly welcomed in and got to visit with her for a few hours. (Yes, she made DELICIOUS food. I'm pretty sure just everyone here in Norway makes incredible food. We had some trout for dinner in case you were wondering.)

Å, one of the most popular cities in Lofoten 

just because of it's name. 

Å is the last letter in the alphabet,

plus the last town at the tip of Lofoten

After a wonderful visit, she drove us out to the tip of Lofoten to a town called "Å". Such a cool place. It was dark so we couldn't see much, but I still got a picture of the town sign!

Well, after driving to Å, she drove us to the ferry which would bring us back to Bodø. We said bye and hopped onto the ferry which took us on a 3 hour trip back to Bodø.

Fun fact/side note, the whole bus/ferry trip cost us nothing because we could ride on our bus passes which work in a giant part of Northern Norway! 18 hours of travel, seeing some of the most beautiful parts of Norway, a dead battery from taking so many pictures, some cramped legs, and getting sick and tired of eating peanuts and chocolate, priceless. Definitely the trip of a lifetime.

Needless to say, when Tuesday night rolled around, I was happy to be home. Home sweet home. Back in good ol' Bodø. The familiar streets, people, sights, and everything. Always good to be back.

Have a great week everyone! Take care! Kos dere!

Sincerely,

Elder Mickelson

I Had A Fantastic Week!

We took on the ferry in the middle of the trip from Bodø to Narvik by bus

October 10, 2016

Hey Everyone!

I had a fantastic week. Wow. What can I say? Most of this week has been spent with talking to some really great people on the street and knocking some doors.

Nothing too much has been out of the ordinary, talking with people, teaching some others, and service for those around us. What I would really like to share with you all is a bit of what I've learned in this last week.

These last couple of weeks has allowed me to learn a lot more about myself, and even more about our relationship with God, and more specifically, how we strengthen our relationship with Him.

I believe there are a few key principles that play into how we come closer to Him. Many wonder how it is possible to get to know someone you can't see, and that is where I will agree and say that most likely in our lives here on Earth we won't see God. But, we still get come to understand more about Him. I believe for us to come closer to Him we need a few different things.

Trip from Bodø to Narvik by bus

1) We need to exercise faith in Him. Faith is what drives what we do in life. Everything we do, is done because we believe that we will have a specific end result. We go to school believing we can learn. We go to work believing there will be a paycheck at the end of the week. etc. It is the same with God. We follow Christ's example for us, because we believe that it will allow us to life our lives to the fullest, that it will bring more happiness than we've experienced. By exercising our faith, we come to trust God more and come closer to Him.

2) We need to pray. Prayer should be more than just a repetitive thing we say at the end of our day or when we need some help. Prayer is communicating with our Heavenly Father, a Father who lovingly listens. Prayer helps us open our hearts to Him. It allows us to turn to God and not need to rely purely upon our own strength to take on the world. Prayer helps us feel closer to God, and open up to Him. Prayer makes it easier to trust God.

3) We need to become more in tune with receiving answers from Him. I've learned lately that God speaks to us in A TON of different ways. It is not always so common to hear the voice of God, but He does speak to us. He speaks to us in our hearts and minds. He makes the world around us clearer than before. He illuminates the way before us, guiding us along the path of life. We need to study and ponder and understand greater how God speaks to us, and how we can better listen to what He has to tell us.

Another picture from Bodø to Narvik by bus

Those are just a few thoughts I have on strengthening our relationship with God. One thing that I have come to a greater knowledge is we truly do have a loving Heavenly Father. The lines of communication between man and God are just as open today as they were in the times of the scriptures. He loves us, and wants us to follow the way back to Him. I hope that we all find that way and help each other along the path, not passing by those that need that helping hand up.

I hope you all have a wonderful week. Thanks for all being so great!

I'm typing this in a city North of Bodø called Narvik. We are on our way to Lofoten to visit a member there, so we are mid-trip! Look it up on the internet. It's gorgeous!!!  

Have a great week!

Sincerely,

Elder Mickelson

This Has Been Such An Uplifting Week!

Another beautiful sunset

October 3, 2016

Hello Everyone!

"All of us are seeking to be converted" -Elder Robert D. Hailes

This has been such an uplifting week! Well, I guess that naturally happens when getting to listen to General Conference (a semi-annual worldwide church conference where several general authorities of the church speak on different subjects to help strengthen our relationship to our loving Heavenly Father). If you didn't get a chance to hear it or want to listen/watch it, it's on www.lds.org/general-conference Check it out! it was really great!

Elder Mickelson & Elder Stephens

In this last week, Elder Stephens moved away from Bodø. It was really sad to have him leave and say goodbye to everyone, but on the bright side, I was staying! Bodø is a great city, I love being here.

After Elder Stephens left, Elder Dawes flew in. Elder Dawes is fresh from the MTC, so it's been so much fun having him as a companion. He's from Springfield, UT and just graduated this last spring. He's a tall guy! He's like 6' 2", I'm pretty sure my tallest companion so far. There has been a couple close ones, but I'm pretty sure he's the tallest. He's a really fun guy that is really smart with Family History, so this is a great place for him! Especially considering that we have a family history center here. So that will be great. Hopefully I'll get a lot better at it now!

The new missionaries that just came
in and where they are going.
Elder Collett, Elder Briggs and Elder Dawes

General Conference was such a wonderful way to end this previous week. There were so many good talks! I can't just pick one to suggest for you all or one as my favorite.

In the Priesthood session of General Conference, Elder Holland gave some wonderful counsel when caring for others in need. He said that we need to love and listen until the sun rises in their lives.

I think that it an amazing principle. When we are trying to assist someone who is struggling or needs to be helped back up upon their feet, we need to love them and listen to them. Many times, that is what people need, someone that cares and will listen to them. And that is something that they will need in until the metaphorical suns of their lives rise again.

One last thought that I really liked from conference was something that Elder LeGrand R Curtis Jr. said. It was that faith is strengthened during adversity. During the bumps in the road of our lives, that is when we begin to see our faith become more concrete, strengthened, and grow greater than it would along the smooth sailing points along that same path. I just hope not ALL of the points of life are bumpy, but that those times of adversity can strengthen my faith. I do believe that in adversity, we really do become strengthened by the hand of the Lord.

I hope you all have a wonderful week! Thanks for all of you and what you do!

Sincerely,

Elder Mickelson

Elder Mickelson and Elder Tangen on splits.

Blood pancakes (really tasty by the way)

A view from a place outside of Bodø

Our group run on splits in Mo i Rana

Cool shoes picture

Another view of the fjord

Elder Stephens with a WW2 weapon

A little pond with ducks swimming around 
(maybe you can't see the ducks but they were there)

Rocky shoreline

Elder Dawes seeing the northern lights for the first time.

Wow! Packed Week!

Rainbow clouds/iridescent clouds (I saw them, it's a real thing. Google it if you don't believe me. My picture didn't even come close to truly capturing it though.) I took these pictures on the train ride to Mo i Rana

September 26, 2016

Hello Everyone!

Wow! Packed week! I don't even know where to start. I guess I can begin with the beginning of it all. Early this week we took the train down to Mo i Rana for splits. I cannot begin to express how incredible the sights were. It's about a three hour train ride, but holy cow, that is the prettiest landscape I've seen in Norway yet. It's a train ride that winds along the edge of Fjords, climbs up unbelievable mountains, and comes down betweens hills winding along a river. Words can't describe the trip. (I did get some pictures, although they don't do it justice)

Elder McIntire (in Mo i Rana) while we were on splits

Well we got into Mo i Rana that night and the Elders were kind enough (actually quite kind) and made us an AWESOME salmon dinner. Haha perks of Norway, casually just getting salmon when you want some.

Havman (the famous Mo 

i Rana statue in the sea)

We had splits and it was way cool. We had met some way awesome people while knocking on some doors. It was a lot of fun spending the day with them.

We got back from Mo i Rana on Thursday, and right as we got home, Elder Arnold from Narvik showed up in Bodø because he his companion had to fly down South for a visa appointment. So, Elder Arnold got to be with us for a couple days. That was really good having him here to help with missionary work.

Yesterday we found out that Elder Stephens will be getting moved. He'll be leaving Bodø, but I'll get to stay and be getting a new companion. It'll be exciting! Sad to see him leave as it always is, but it'll be good. We've had blast these last few months and now he'll be moving on to his next area!

A picture with me and the statue which has been nicknamed the consecrated missionary. (the statue isn't of a missionary though, just throwing that out there. I know he's dressed like one but he isn't)

After everyone had left, it had come to Saturday, which was the beginning of mission conference here. So all of the congregations in Northern Norway had a conference here in Bodø. There were so many people at the church meetings Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday, we had a family history meeting and that was really cool because the member who gave the presentation went into a lot deeper of detail on how to more effectively to do family history. It was just a really great conference overall.

A wonderful talk was held yesterday in church about service. I'd like to share some of the points that were shared yesterday that really struck me.

-To serve others with all of our hearts is the most selfless thing we can do.

-We should ask ourselves, "What are my intentions with what I do?" Are we kind to others because we really want the best for them? Or do we just try to be good people so others can just see what we do?

-To serve others from our heart, we must think of others first.

Selfless service is how we find ourselves serving others with no ulterior motives. That is when we find ourselves truly happy because we are enriching someone else's life and doing it because we care about them.

In the Book of Mormon, in Mosiah 2:17, it says, "And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God."

It is my testimony for all of you that if we really want to serve God, it is by serving others. In the Bible in Matthew 25:34-40 it says,

" 34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."

Serving God goes beyond loving Him, but rather it is deeper. When we are serving and loving and helping His children, all of those around us, that is when we are serving God. A person cannot be truly happy and at peace in a state of selfishness and greed, but they can be when selfless and charitable.

We don't have to look far or long to find someone who needs a helping hand, or a friend, or someone to talk to. Many times in our own lives, knowingly or unknowingly, we are that person who needs the help, or needs a friend, or needs someone to listen. So why should we turn our shoulder to those who need it, if we also at times need the same help.

I remember an experience I had several years ago when I had just began driving. Winter had come around and that is all fun in of itself. But, there is one downside with ice, it makes it extremely slick. I was driving on a dirt road, covered in ice, had turned a corner, and my truck began to turn sideways. Without any to do, and moments later, I found myself and my truck stuck on the side of the road. Stuck in the snow and on a downhill slope I tried backing up, trying to have my tires grip something to help me get back on the road. When the tires kept spinning I tried sticking branches under the tires to gain some traction. It helped, but not enough. I was stuck. Couldn't go anywhere. No matter what I tried I couldn't move it. Stuck with nowhere to go, I hoped that someone would drive by that had a tow rope or something. After waiting and still attempting to get out on my own, a couple of guys that I went to school with came by on some fourwheelers, saw that I was clearly stuck, and offered to help. They rode down in front of the truck and they both began to push me out with the front of their fourwheelers while I drove in reverse. With their help, I got back onto the road really quickly. It was an act of service that only took a couple of minutes, but helped more than they would know. Something as simple as offering some help made the world of a difference. They could have rode past, but they didn't, because they understood helping others. They didn't expect anything out of it. They helped because they wanted to help. They saw someone in need and did what they could to help. Something that all of us should do.

I hope we all find our opportunities to help others. Even the little things we do for others can make a big change and help them.

I hope you all have a wonderful week! Take care!

Sincerely,

Elder Mickelson