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

I'm Back In The Saddle Again!

One of my best games of bowling. A whopping 118!!! Yay for me! I also beat the 
high score at their little arcade thing at the bowling alley. Bumped it up to 111! from like 
80 or something like that up even more! Felt so proud of myself! haha

March 6, 2017

Hello Everyone!

Well, as the title suggests. I'm back in the saddle again! (Song reference anyone?) Actually, I'm still impressed I remember any music lyrics. So good for me I guess. Well, this week was a crazy awesome one, I got to go back to a land of fairy tales and the city that I know and love all so well. Sandvika! I'll talk more about that later, but it was loads of fun and got to see a ton of people I know.

This week, we went to a family's home for dinner, and then we were invited to stay with them for family home evening. They have the most adorable little kids and they're just such a blast. Anyways, it was the funnest little activity we played for it. It basically ended up being scripture charades. Now just imagine playing charades with a few little kids. It's REALLY animated and TONS of fun! I don't know, I might have almost gotten more into it than they did, but I guess that's what happens when you never really grow up huh? (It's a joke, I've kinda grown up. At least I like to think I know what I'm doing and think I'm responsible haha).

Elder Mitchell and I caught a train (Again, I feel like every week I'm taking a train somewhere, oh well, it's great!) to Sandvika for their district meeting. It was wonderful seeing them all and being a part of their meeting. Afterwards, we decided to go to this restaurant called Egon's and get their all you can eat pizza. Boy was I stuffed after eating! I think in total, the six of us downed like 3 or 4 pizzas. I know I had like 7 or 8 pieces. I guess that's what happens when you have like a bunch of younger americans, and you tell them that they can eat AS MUCH AS THEY WANT. At that point you don't just eat until you're not hungry, you eat until you're stuffed. Plus, I wanted my money's worth out of it. Restaurant's aren't too cheap in Norway! haha

A few days later I went back to Sandvika on splits. So I was with Elder Hansen. We had loads of fun! I had already gone on splits with him a couple months ago back when he was in Tønsberg, so it was a lot of fun getting to be with him again.

Being there was great. We even met one guy that had been baptized while I was serving in Sandvika, so it was wonderful getting to see him again.

I even had a chance to meet with our awesome landlords there. It had been a while since I'd seen them, so it was a blast to catch up with them and see how they were doing. They're awesome so we had a lot of fun.

Right before I came back to Drammen, we had all played soccer together. So it was us, a bunch of people from the ward, and a few other friends there. I got to see several of the youth, and reminisce on good times and try to school them in soccer. Sadly, I still get beat. I guess that's what happens when you don't grow up playing soccer a ton. Oh well, but it was great!

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

Sincerely,

Elder Mickelson

"Sometimes we can learn, study, and know, and sometimes we have to believe, trust, and hope." —M. Russell Ballard

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