I Hope You All Had A Great Week, Because I Sure Did!

Elder Hoopes (my current companion) and I

January 9, 2017

Hello Everyone!!!

I hope you all had a great week, because I sure did!

There's the saying that when it rains, it pours. I'm saying that when it snows, it dumps. It finally snowed here in Drammen. From what people have been saying, there hasn't been snow since November! So many people were happy that it finally snowed so that can go hit the ski slopes and others to head off to the woods and cross country ski. As long as it stays snow and doesn't turn into slush, I'm happy! So great so far!

This week we we went to President and Sister Hill's home for dinner. A bunch of missionaries from around the area were invited over for a late New Year's dinner and to play some Minute-To-Win-It games. The games ranged from trying to move an Oreo from your forehead to your mouth, a balancing/stretching game to get as low to the ground as possible (I found out I was flexible enough to kiss the ground), and eating as many dry crackers as possible in a minute (I managed 4 and a half). It was so much fun and really enjoyable!

We were also able to help out with the young men's activity this week too. We helped out with their family history activity. It was real fun helping them look through really old church books. Often, you can hardly read what was written because it was in hardcore cursive. Still really enjoyable!

We took a train up to Sandvika, one of my old areas, to go visit their district meeting. It was real fun just to be back visiting the old area and see it all again. We had a lot of fun, and afterwards we grabbed a quick bite at the pizza place there which had an ALL YOU CAN EAT BUFFET!!! I got my fair share of pizza for sure!

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

Sincerely,

Elder Mickelson

"True happiness is not made in getting something. True happiness is becoming something." -Marvin J. Ashton

At new missionary training

Godt Nytt År! (Happy New Year!)

The morning light hitting the other side of the city

January 2, 2017

I hope you all had a great time this week, because I sure did. This last week was what is called Romjul, there's not a name for it that I know of in English, it's just the week between Christmas and New Year's.

We had loads of fun though. We started out on Monday by playing soccer with a bunch of people from the ward here in Drammen (we lost, not terribly, but ya. The others were pretty great, to say the least).

A lot of this week we were visiting people and more of getting to know others. There's a lot of people in the congregation here in Drammen, so it is a lot of people for me to get to know, and this week has been great for me to get to know them.

All of us in Oslo (Sister Hill's picture)

We got to drive up to Oslo (it's not that far away) on Thursday for a little fireside. A lot of the missionaries from the surrounding areas (mostly those around the Oslofjord were there. It was a way great little meeting. Practically everyone went and got kebabs right afterwards, and it was delicious!

I got asked what Christmas and New Year's is like in Norway, and it really made me think about how I could explain that. And I think that the best way to explain it, is that everyone just gets together, ALL THE TIME. So for like two weeks straight, family and friends are getting together for giant, incredible, delicious dinners, and just enjoying each others' company. Of course, days like Christmas Eve, and New Year's' Eve, you have your larger parties, but still, everyone just gets together all of the other days. Most people don't have to work much at all during the last couple weeks of the year. The time is spent mainly with family.

Our view of the fireworks on New Year's Eve

(the really bright lights were the fireworks)

New Year's' Eve is the COOLEST in Norway. Basically everyone in the country lights off loads of fireworks for the night. So it's practically a nonstop firework show from 11:30pm until 12:30am. Our apartment is on the higher side of the city, so it overlooks most of the everything. So we had the most incredible view of the fireworks. Tons of fireworks going off everywhere! I'll add a picture of some of the fireworks you could see. They were going off everywhere around us!

New Year's Eve and New Year's was so great, in addition to this whole week. Take care and I hope you all have a great week! Keep up on those New Year Resolutions!

Sincerely,

Elder Mickelson

"Tomorrow, is the first blank page of a 365 page book. Write a good one." -Brad Paisley

Happy New Year!