First, I want to send a shout out to my cousin SPEEN! (Spencer) for finishing his mission in New York this past week. That kids a stud and a great example to me and the whole fam. Can't wait to get back and shred some pow with him on the sleds and get er sideways! Love ya Speen!
P days are pretty boring now that we can't be around people and there aren't very many areas to hike here in Trondheim, so it's mostly baking, eating and playing card games. Today we did find a spike ball net at the church and we had some fun with it! Reminded me of when me and my boys were in Hawaii ballin out on Pounders Beach. Good times!
Some funny things that happened this week was we got a call from one of our friends we're teaching and he's from Iran and he just went off about how he loved America and how the middle east is worse than Corona, it made me laugh! Then we were taking a walk (for our 30 minute recess) and this chick had a Clippers jersey on and my comp is from LA and he's a Lakers fan. He wanted to compliment her Jersey... but I guess the word he used doesn't mean jersey it means costume so her reaction was so funny and we couldn't stop laughing after we figured out what it meant. The last funny thing is just the senior couple here serving with us who didn't want to go home so they stayed here in Norway to finish their mission! They are the nicest, funniest master chef cooking missionaries ever! They make us amazing food all the time and call us up and say, "Sup sport you want some grub?" And we get so hyped and head over to eat some amazing food. He also just teases and roasts me all the time, it's hilarious! Reminds me of my dad, brother and uncles. My dads favorite quote " If I don't tease ya, I don't love ya!" They're definitely helping us through these crazy times. Love them!
This week was pretty humbling, being inside has really taught me to be more patient and to be really creative! I was doing alright studying, finding ways to work and serve and then on Sunday night I got so frustrated! I was so fed up with being inside and not being able to go out and work so I decided to read about Joseph Smith's experience in Doctrine and Covenants chapters 121-123. I began reading and Joseph is in a pretty crappy situation, he's in a freezing cold jail with no light no bathroom and was getting tortured and fed human flesh. He starts praying to God and asking how much longer this is going to go on for! Then God speaks to him, and it just hit me pretty strong this time while I was reading it! He says,
" 7 My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment;
8 And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes.
9 Thy friends do stand by thee, and they shall hail thee again with warm hearts and friendly hands.
10 Thou art not yet as Job; thy friends do not contend against thee, neither charge thee with transgression, as they did Job. "
I felt like I was getting put in my place! He promised Jospeh Smith it was only going to be a small moment and that he would triumph over his hard times! And that his boys (friends) are backing him up and praying for him. Then He tells him he doesn't have it as bad as Job did because he lost everything and was also betrayed! I realized at that moment how blessed I am! I am in a warm apartment with food to eat and scriptures to study. I'm so blessed to have all my boys and family and friends praying for me. I received tons of messages from all my buddies who have been sent home saying, "Hey Spaddy, I love you bro and I'm praying for you!" Even tho they are the ones who were taken out of the countries they have come to love. I then thought about my good buddy Jackson Hill when It talks about not having it as bad as Job. My stud of a friend Jackson and his family had their world rocked this past week. Among all this craziness his angel of a sister Nicole passed away unexpectedly while he has been faithfully serving the Lord in OKC. He posted a picture with a strong testimony of how God has a plan for all of us and knows his sister is in paradise right now. It really touched my heart to see my buddy, in one of the hardest times in his life, turn to the Lord in prayer and bear testimony of our Savior Jesus Christ and testify to me that he is there to help us along the way! I was definitely moved by his strong testimony and was reminded that the Lord helps us through anything we go through and that we just need to rely on him. I've tried to use the extra time I've had here in Norway wisely and I've had the chance to read and study a lot from the scriptures and other writings of the prophets. President Russell M Nelson told us to study about Joseph Smith and the First Vision, I've taken this time to really study and learn about what a great man Joseph Smith is! I've read the first volume of the Saints, started the Marvelous Work and a Wonder, and read some other books written by prophets. And let me just say Joseph Smith went through A LOT! Everything from torture, betrayal,death of loved ones, chastisement, false accusations, massive amounts of stress and sleepless nights, hiding in the woods from murderous mobs, translating Egyptian, fighting off people who try and murder his family, being kidnapped, all his best friends turning against him and wanting to kill him, he went through it all. And there wasn't one time he denied that the Book of Mormon was made up, or that God wasn't real or that Jesus Christ wasn't the Savior and redeemer of the world. He wasn't perfect by any means and made mistakes of course but so does everyone else. But I have come to know without a single doubt in my heart that Joseph Smith was called of God and was the only man humble and willing enough to follow all of Gods commandments in order to restore this true gospel on the earth! Lay aside the fact that it was true and you can know it's true by the power of the Holy Ghost, there is no man who would go through what Joseph Smith did just to make something up. He did see God the Father and His son Jesus Christ. He knew it, God knew it and he could not deny it just like he said. And I know he did as well and I'm so grateful for the chance I get to be sharing this with other people, even if it is from my apartment through messaging random people and making videos to try and get people to talk to us. I'm sorry this was a novel but I really do know that Joseph Smith was a stud, he sacrificed it all for us to receive the blessings of exaltation.
This week we had some great lessons with our progressing investigators and some knitting and baking sessions, it's been awesome! The people we're teaching are actually listening to the sacrement meetings that are broadcasted as well so that's been awesome. Love you all and keep sending me emails pictures and videos they make me so happy! Keep mobbing and prepare for General Conference because its boutta get WILD! Haha I'm so stoked its going to be sweet. Have a good week! 🤘🏽
-Eldste McSpadden
Eldste Van Slooten and I
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