Monday, March 17th, 2014

We had a really awesome experience with an investigator on Saturday. We had a chapter that we had planned to read with him from the Book of Mormon, but Elder Reber got the feeling that we should ask him if he had any questions or anything he would like to read about. He did not have anything in mind, but he just started sticking a contacting card we gave him into his Book of Mormon and found some different chapters and said that does not feel right. He eventually got to Ether 3 and said this feels right. The chapter felt really personal for him and it was the first time he felt that the scriptures were really for him in particular. It was so wonderful to see the Spirit guide him to what it was he needed to read. I know that Heavenly Father loves and is mindful of each of us, and I hope and pray that each of you can feel how much He loves you and wants to help each of us. We need to remember that that love never changes. It is always there. We need to find the pavilion that conceals His hiding place and find Him. I know that doing so will bring each of us such joy and strength, especially as we rely on the power of Christ’s atonement to help us to grow and improve.

We went to have a training conference and splits in Tromsø, so we were there all day Wednesday and Thursday of last week. Tromsø is a really awesome place. It is a lot different than Alta. There is much more of a downtown, so it is a lot easier and more effective to go and contact people. It was nice to be able to do that more again. I have done it some here, but I would usually do it for a couple hours at least every day in Oslo. I have been let in to teach lessons to people two times this week while being out knocking on doors. I think I had been let in while knocking on doors two times before that my whole mission, so it has been a really wonderful week.

I found out that I will be staying in Alta with Elder Reber, which will be great. I know a lot of good things are happening and will continue to happen. It is crazy how fast the sun has come back. It is now out most of the day every day, but when I came it never came up at all. It has also gone back to being a little bit colder this week, but it still is not too cold. We also got some new snow, which is nice. I know that Heavenly Father is guiding us and that there are people who are prepared to receive the gospel. We were going to begin our family history course yesterday, but only one member had come and we have not invited to many people yet because we want to be sure that it will be a secure thing that people can come to. We are still trying to figure out all the details, but it will definitely happen and begin soon, possibly this Sunday. Our ward mission leader is really excited about it and has been a wonderful help. The Norwegian word of the week is snø, which means snow.


Love,
Elder Ankenman