June 23

The work never stops.  Baling hay at midnight.  It's funny that I get more sleep as a missionary than I did when I was at home.  I've been sleeping in until 6:30.  But! I did have to get up at 5 on friday because we had to drive 3 hours to Stavanger for our Zone Conference.  It was the PRETTIEST drive of my life.  Norway is magical.  

Monday evening we took the bus out to a neighboring city to go knock on doors, and then we walked back to the bus stop to catch the 8:20 bus back to Arendal.  We waited at the stop for a couple of minutes until the bus came.  It came, but it didn't stop, it just kept driving past us.  The next bus wasn't coming until after 9:30 so we started walking.  After walking a while we saw a sign that said 6 kilometers to Arendal.  We had no idea how we were going to make it back before 9:30 but all we could do was keep walking.  After almost an hour of walking a member was driving by and stopped to pick us up, and then drove us home.  And we made it right on time!  Tender mercy. 

On wednesday the sister training leaders flew in from Bergen to come on splits with us.  We had a busy day planned with as many appointments as we could since we had 2 companionships to work in our area. So me and Sister Mourik thought we had a full schedule until all the appointments cancelled right before, so the back up plan was knocking on doors!  And that's what we did.  All day.  The thing about knocking on doors in Arendal is that to get to each door requires climbing a mountain or a whole bunch of stairs, or both.  So we were dead tired by the end of it, but it was awesome because while knocking we met this man who was blind from an accident when he was younger, but he's always been Christian and we just had a really incredible conversation with him about God's plan and about the Book of Mormon.  But of course we couldn't just give him a book of mormon because he can't read it, and there's no audio book in norwegian online, but Sister Mourik knew about a bishop in Skien, another area she'd served in who had made his own recording of the book of mormon in norwegian, so she told him about that, and it turns out this man is just visiting family in Arendal and actually lives in the ward boundaries of this bishop in Skien. So he gave us his number and address and wants to meet with the missionaries down there.  So cool!

Friday we went to Zone Conference in Stavanger.  it was amazing! one of the best zone conferences ever.  The theme was the Book of Mormon.  We talked mainly about using the book of mormon to answer questions of the soul.  I love the Book of Mormon!! 

We also had "burnimonies" where all the departing missionaries share their testimonies.  Which is kind of difficult because after a year and a half of incredible life changing experiences and life lessons what do you say? I decided to just share a simple experience from the beginning of my mission, I'm sure I've already mentioned it in an email, but it was over a year ago so I'll just repeat it.  It was my first transfer with Sister Pace in Oslo.  We went to mlc with the zone leaders and assistants at president's house.  I was a little greenie amongst experienced leaders of the mission and when it was time for our practical we were odd numbers, so I had to go with president and practice teaching him the restoration.  I was kind of intimidated, but I taught him about Joseph Smith and at the end he gave me some feedback.  I thought he would give me some language advice or some teaching skill tips, but instead he talked about eye contact. He said to look my investigators in the eyes while I teach them, and especially as I testify of the restoration. I've never forgotten that advice my whole mission.  It's pretty simple, but there's so much power in you're teaching when you're able to look your investigators in the eyes and tell them that you know this church is true, that joseph smith is a prophet, and that the book of mormon is true.  And so I'm grateful for the testimony that I have, that I am so sure this is true and am able to bear my testimony to people with confidence.

Jeg er glad i dere! 

love, Søster Knapp