I had this overwhelming love for the people there. I just wanted to tell them the truth!

just a really pretty building.

Hey!

Last week we had an open house at the church and the members brought a couple friends! That's my favorite thing. We talked to one of the friends named Monika for about 20 minutes after the open house and she was so friendly and had lots of questions. She reminds me a lot of myself. We went to the member's house, Anne, with Monika and had dinner and a lesson last week and then we went to Monika's house yesterday after church again. It was great! She always asks us about our missionary rules and she is so respectful and open about everything we tell her. She hasn't been able to come to church yet, but we are working on getting her there because I know she'd really like it. The gospel just resonates with people and they feel little bits of truth as you teach them. We watched a Mormon message with her and she quietly said, "Oh, such nice words." You could tell she was feeling the Spirit.

On our way home we took the t-bane the wrong way on accident (you would think I know how to get back to our apartment by now...) but we switched back to the right one and then when we were walking to our apartment we ran into another one of our investigators, Svein, on the street. He was headed to a different church service (exactly what the missionaries want to hear) but we asked if we could come. He was very happy that we wanted to come and we were excited to see what it was like! In the words of Sister Frampton, "Their 'chapel' was more like an auditorium and reminded me of being at BYU. The first 30 minutes of the service was a full on concert. Lights, live instruments, and beautiful voices. Not a gospel choir though, it was a bunch of young, hipster Norwegians singing about Jesus in a Mumford & Sons kind of way. I was loving it, and was disappointed there wasn't a CD to buy afterward!" It was a pretty fun church! But I was looking around and noticing that almost all of the people there were my age. Usually the people that will listen to us on the streets are around our age. The age group in the church that is growing the most right now is YSA age. I think it's really interesting that people are trying to find the truth at the time in their lives when everything is all about choices and decisions. I had this overwhelming love for the people there. I just wanted to tell them the truth! On the way home Sister Frampton and I talked about how you just can't deny that the Book of Mormon is true. It is constant and it is true. If you know that it is true, then everything else is too.

We also got to meet with Anton again this week! Remember him? Maybe not... but I met with him when I first came to Oslo in September and we haven't been able to get ahold of him for a while. We are meeting with him again tonight. We're planning on talking about the Restoration again because it's the most powerful thing we have to teach! God speaks today!

look for this girl at Temple Square! Her name is Sis. Isaksen.
she is the RS president's daughter, and she is coming today!

Yesterday was the relief society president's daughter's farewell. She is such a cute girl. I cried through the whole thing as I thought about all the things you feel right before you leave on a mission and then I thought about how grateful I am to be here and how grateful I am for my sweet family and friends that are supporting me. I am so so grateful.

I was talking to the senior couple here, the Rasmussens,and they have a really neat story! But Elder Rasmussen was talking about how the more he has questioned and dug to find answers, the tighter the doctrine gets. There aren't any loop holes or missing pieces. It knits together tightly. I know that that is true! 

Sometimes we get confused and let our doubts take over and I think that the best thing to do is to just hold on. Light and understanding always come. There are sometimes dark periods, but they don't ever last.

Jeg elsker dere! Sees snart!

<3: Søster Pyne

It's because it's God's work.

I don't really know how to describe it.
It's so beautiful and you just have to take it in.

Hei på dere!

I have a hard time every week figuring out what to tell you. I have lots of moments where I just sit there and try to take in the moment but there's really no way to explain it. I've never felt so much and so little, I've never wanted someone to listen so badly and I've never read the scriptures like I do now. I've never observed people or been told by my heart to speak to them like this. I've never missed like I miss and I've never seen things like I see. But somehow it all wraps up into something that testifies to me that there is a God, that this is His church, and that it's all going to be okay. And I have this underlying peace that only comes through a testimony of Jesus Christ. I think that is one of my most favorite blessings from the Gospel-- peace. I studied it this morning and read in Isaiah 31. A couple of the verses really taught me. "And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance forever. And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places." Those are the blessings of living the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Last night we were calling previous investigators and one of them answered and sounded hesitant about talking to us but asked if we could have a lesson on the phone. He asked deep doctrinal things about God and Jesus Christ. After about 15 minutes he said, "Ok, well, when can we meet and can I bring a friend?" I love the bring a friend thing. We are going to meet with him tonight. His name is Andrei. Sometimes I think about how we just randomly call people from all over the world and meet with them and talk to them about where we came from and it's a miracle to me that it all works out!

I just love Sister Frampton...

It's because it's God's work.

Gustav came to church on Sunday finally! Getting people to church sometimes is ridiculous. We are personal alarm clocks and babysitters. But when they come it's worth it. By the way, be reverent in church, please. You never know when someone has an investigator sitting behind you. We met with him after and reviewed the restoration. He is beginning to understand more and more and he soaks in all the knowledge. We gave him D&C and he said he'll read it and meet with us on Friday again. Pray that he will continue to understand and feel the Spirit!

this is how people go for walks... and everyone just goes cross
country through the parks. they all walk around the city
carrying ther skis. it's magic!
 

It snowed for four days straight here morning and night. It was so much fun! I felt like I was living in a snow globe. I love how Norwegians deal with snow. They go about their normal life and do everything as if there isn't any snow. Including driving... Sister Frampton and I drove to a couple appointments and it's a miracle we're alive. I don't remember the last time I saw the sun, but the snow helps make things lighter.

I love you I love you! Have a wonderful week, my dears.

With love,

Søster Pyne

You can look forward to the promised land.

Hey there!

Hope everyone had a really good week. I miss you guys and love you so much!

I have made it through one pregnancy (9 mos). Another one to go! Sometimes it feels like it's been two seconds, sometimes it feels like it's been forever.

Heavenly Father is trying to teach my something. Well, He's always trying to teach me a lot of things, but I think this last month He has been trying to teach me something really important and I am just now beginning to understand.

A few weeks ago I read about the brother of Jared and how they crossed the ocean to the promised land. They "got aboard of their vessels or barges, and set forth into the sea, commending themselves unto the Lord their God." So they knew to an extent what they were getting themselves into and they trusted in the Lord and did it anyway. And "God caused that there should be a furious wind blow upon the face of the waters." But he didn't just leave them alone. He gave them stones to give light unto "men, women and children that they might not cross the great waters in darkness." And the wind that he caused "did never cease to blow towards the promised land." And "they were many times buried in the depths of the sea, because of the mountain waves which broke upon them, and also the great and terrible tempests which were caused by the fierceness of the wind." But "they did cry unto the Lord, and he did bring them forth again upon the top of the waters." Because "there was no water that could hurt them, their vessels being tight like unto a dish." And "they did sing praises unto the Lord...all the day long; and when the night came, they did not cease to praise the Lord."

We get asked almost every day, "If God exists, why is there so much suffering? Why do people have to go through the things that they do?" And I've never really had an answer for it. I honestly, don't know. I just know that God exists. But I'm learning that we can just expect hard things in life. God doesn't cause the hard things to happen, He lets natural consequences of agency happen because he respects our ability to make choices. Those are the furious winds that blow us toward the promised land. And He doesn't just leave us alone. He gave "light unto men, women, and children." I know that that scripture is worded that way for a reason. And you do get buried in the sea sometimes. You do have waves that break on you. But when you pray, He brings you out. Every time. And that's the process of life. If your testimony and conviction that He really will help you is "tight like unto a dish" then you have nothing to fear. You can look forward to the promised land.

I didn't do a very good job of explaining that, but I know that God loves us because He gives us hard things. We can just expect them and then move on. I also know that Jesus Christ lives and that we're not supposed to make it without Him. Sometimes we forget that and we think the world is ending. He overcame it.

We visited a member this week that met the missionaries when she was a young married lady. She has been through two divorces because of alcoholism and adultery, she is too young to have all the health problems she has, and she is very lonely. She asked us to fold some sheets for her and then as we put them in the closet she stroked her temple dress and said, "This is what I'll wear when I go back." She thanked us for coming to Norway and told us that we are doing a good thing and our lives will be blessed forever. She told us that the Gospel means everything to her and she is so happy. She understands that Heavenly Father's plan is bigger than us. It's bigger than the waves that toss us around.

I am grateful to be learning this. I know that all of it is true. It testifies of itself over and over and over again in different ways as you grow and learn. I love Heavenly Father and I trust that the Atonement is enough to get us to the promised land.

I love you! I pray for you every day!

Love,

Søster Pyne

2014!!! i think this is the best year yet!

2014!!! i think this is the best year yet!

Hei hei!

How are my people doing? I've been praying for you!
I have to think really hard about everything that happened this week. Let's see...

all the oslo missionaries. the senior couple was so nice to let
us be loud and have a little party at their apartment.

Well, the sweet senior couple here in Oslo invited all the missionaries over for New Year's Eve. We started our party after everyone had planned for the next day and got permission to stay up until midnight (and then die the next day). They live on the sixth floor in a little apartment with a balcony and Norway knows how to do fireworks! 2014. I am so excited!

I think that I've talked about Umar before... he's really cool. He just wants to know what the truth is. He has been meeting with us for about 2 months now and we have been trying to help him understand the importance of prayer because he has to get his answers directly from God. He says he has always wanted to know the truth. He finally agreed to pray with us on Thursday night and it was so powerful. We asked him to kneel with us and he was so nervous! He kept saying, "Okay, I just need a minute to think. Okay. What if you think I say a weird prayer? Okay. I'll just do it." We just sat there with our eyes closed waiting. He said the most beautiful prayer that was completely from his heart. He said, "I know that sometimes I forget you, but I know you never forget me." We weren't even sure if he believed in God and after that prayer, we knew and he knew. We all just kind of sat there and of course Sister Frampton and I had teary eyes. He said, "I don't know why I'm just sitting here." And I said, "Yes you do. It's because of how you feel. You feel safe and warm and you don't want to leave." And he shook his head and said, "But... Yeah. You answered my question." We testified to him that God hears our prayers and that what he was feeling was the Spirit. I love being able to point out what the Spirit is!

We got to visit the oldest active member in Norway too! He is 94 and completely healthy and happy. He says people ask him what his secret is and he says, "Live the Word of Wisdom." He and his wife got married a few years ago after both of their spouses died. Their families had been friends their whole lives and then they just decided to get married! But they made sure to tell us it was in the temple but only for time. Haha I had never heard of that. He is an opera singer and she said, "Now you play the piano, right? Could you play 'Deilig er Jorden' so he can sing?" It was 

so glad i got to be with this girl through all the holdiays!

such a neat experience! His voice was stunning and the Spirit was so strong. He asked us if we had set goals for the new year and encouraged us to do that. And then he told us that his goals are a little different cause he doesn't know if he'll live through the whole year. But he said being old is a wonderful experience because you have all of your memories. They fed us all these fancy little finger sandwiches and these beautiful homemade Norwegian waffle cone things and ice cream and chocolate and oh my... they just kept giving it to us.

Speaking of old people, we were knocking the other night and we got to this confusing apartment complex. The trick when you're knocking in Norway is to find the front door. It's always complicated. So we rang one of the doorbell things and the door just buzzed and unlocked to let us in. But we didn't know which apartment we had rung. So we started walking up the stairs and this old man came out with a fat belly sticking out of his unbuttoned shirt and told us that none of the people in the building were interested. Thank you, grandpa. We found nice little families to talk to in the same area though, so it was okay.

The ward had their Christmas tree party on Saturday. Our investigator, Gustav, the one that read half the Book of Mormon last week came with us. He told us about how he agrees with the Book of Mormon and he is amazed how it agrees with the Bible. He is really starting to develop a testimony of it and he has a lot of questions. The ward danced around the tree and sang and we ate a bunch of hot dogs and bread and cheese and cookies. Gustav even danced and sang with them! And the missionaries added some American Christmas songs.

they had a tree party at the church and they really
do all line up and dance around the tree and sing!

I'm learning that being a missionary means so many different things, but really all it is is loving people in every form and teaching them that life is happy and good. I found this Mother Tereza poem the other day:

life is an opportunity, benefit from it.

(just orange soda)

life is a beauty, admire it.

life is a dream, realize it.

life is a challenge, meet it.

lite is a duty, complete it.

life is a game, play it.

life is a promise, fulfill it.

life is a sorrow, overcome it.
life is a song, sing it.
life is a struggle, accept it.

life is a tragedy, confront it.

life is an adventure, dare it.
life is luck, make it.
life is life, fight for it.

I know that Jesus Christ lives and that is why life is happy and good. I am so grateful for Him. Share the knowledge and have a good week. I love you!

Love,
Søster Pyne

Norwegian Christmas!

look at the cute apron Sis. Hall sent me! Sis. Frampton's
mom's rolls were killer!

Hi!

It feels like forever since I have talked to you. I don't know why since I just saw you on skype like 5 days ago. It was so much fun to get to see you and hear your voices. I was so happy to see home and know that it is still there. It's become just this imaginary thing in my head. I have faith you exist though! 

norwegian kids. they only make them in norway, unfortunately.

check out Eline's bonad! this is their traditional
norwegian dress.

We have been so blessed this week. The members here are so generous and kind. They let us come to their homes every night this last week and we have been stuffed with so much Christmas food and presents.Christmas Eve we got to go to familien Strand-Amundsen. They are the most beautiful family with four little kids and it was a dream! I have never seen anything like it. They were dressed in their traditional Norwegian clothes, everything about the decorations belonged in Anthropology or something, and the music and food and traditions were to die for. 

they really do dance around the tree!

They danced around the Christmas tree and sang holding hands (yes. all of them), they gave each other gifts, Santa came. My face hurt from smiling so much after.

the sweet Austenaas had us come to their house on "lillejulaften"
which is on the 23rd.

Osbjorn thought he was being sneaky and
sticking his fingers in the ris krem.

I should probably start from the beginning. I just get so excited. On the 23rd, familien Austenaa let us come to their house and decorate the Christmas tree and eat ris grøt. It's like rice oatmeal kind of and you put lots of cinnamon and sugar on it. They hide an almond in the bowl and whoever gets it has to finish their ris grøt with the almond in their mouth. And then they get a marzipan pig. The Austenaas put lots of almonds though... so we all got some.

this is the church we got to go inside.

During the day on the 24th we went to a church service in the dome kirke. It was the neatest thing I have ever heard! The ceilings are so high so it has the most beautiful acoustics. We got to sing Christmas hymns with thousands of Norwegian people. It was so interesting to watch them come with their families to church for the traditional Christmas Eve service. But they don't actually believe it. It made me want to run around and say, "Meet me outside after! I'll tell you a good secret!"

On Christmas we got to have dinner with the twins. We had Swedish meatballs and potatoes and way to much food. But so good.

We also had a zone conference this week. President and Sister Evans are so wonderful. They always tell us that they love their kids, but right now we are their kids so they love us more. They work so hard and put in so much extra effort to make sure they know all of us personally. We had both stake presidents there and they talked all about how we can help the members do their part. I have a lot of passion about member missionary work and I don't know where it came from, but I feel so strongly about it! It's so important.

Ooooh then we had a moves call. I'll be in Oslo another transfer with Sister Frampton. President said he can't promise anything after that, but I'll take what I can get. I'm really happy to still be here.

This week Sister Frampton and I submitted ourselves to drinking fruit flavored fish oil from a spoon every day. Except it sort of tastes like the bubble gum flouride at the dentist. We've only been taking it for a few days, but all of the sudden we can feel a world of difference! I didn't know that dark did things like that to you... but we have energy and I don't feel like my brain is dark. Norwegians are crazy. I don't know how they do it.

norwegians love decorations!

Ah man. So much to say. We met with a man this week named Andreas and he told us he wanted to bring a friend the next time we met. We had forgotten he said that, but then he showed up with a friend who really wanted a Book of Mormon and said he loves to read. We asked him to read the introduction and he said, "How many chapters?" And we said, "Oh, just the introduction" and showed him. He agreed to do it. We texted him the next day and invited him to church and he told us that he had been reading book by book and was in Alma! He said he noticed a very special spirit when he read. What?? Those are the kind of stories you hear about but they don't actually happen. It was really exciting. I cried a little when I read the text.

Last night Sister Frampton and I took the senior couple car out for a little spin. We drove it to a dinner appointment. Driving in Oslo is scary! But we got to drive right along the fjord as the sun was setting. I just wish I could really explain or show you these things, but it's just something I have to experience and be so grateful to Heavenly Father for. Norway is beautiful. On the way home we accidentally got on the wrong road with no exits and we were driving to Sweden! We finally turned around, but somewhere in the stress of driving, I lost my phone. We can't find it anywhere and it's so frustrating because we need to contact the people in it! Pray that I'll find it!

decorations everywhere!

We were talking to a grandma at church yesterday, she's 90 something and speaks perfect English and she and her husband live in their little home all by themselves. She said, "I know it's not always fun to visit elderly people, but we can surprise you! You play the piano right? My husband, he sings. So we will have some fun!" We're going on Thursday and I'm real excited to have some fun!

That was really long and really random, but I had to get it all out. Enjoy New Year!! 2014 means that I will get to see you! I know that the Book of Mormon is true!

I love you dearly.

Love,

Søster Pyne

christmas trees! we helped a member pick one!

treat table!

check out this dinner table! can you imagine? i was in heaven!!

i got a baby for christmas!

norwegian family Christmas!

ris krem

this is in Eline's house too. she belong's in a
magazine!