Miracles

Miracle week!!

ya ready dere!?

I got to go back to Trondheim on Tuesday and Wednesday to renew my visa! It was such a treat and a blessing! Ah man I missed that place and my people. It was a beautiful snowy day before I left. We went contacting and were able to find 2 postive potentials! I am was so grateful to do missionary work with Sister Peterson and Sister Gates one last time. I felt very grateful to be in that beautiful city one last time..

I returned back to Drammen Wednesday night! I reunited with my companion, Sister House! She got to spend the last two days in Nordstand/Oslo, which was mine and her greenie area! She felt very grateful to have the opportunity to go back and see what has changed!

Thursday morning, Sister House and I were eager to get to work! Drammen needs us! We were ready to make miracles happen! We had an appointment with a former investigator. The spirit was so strong as me and her bore simple testimony of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon and the prophet Joseph Smith. Later that day we got to eat dinner with a member family.

Friday was such a spiritual day!! We visited the old norwegian man we found while knocking my first week in Drammen. We brought a member on the teach, Sister Weggersen. You guys, she is amazing. She is a mother of 12. She is one of the most spiritual people I have ever met. Sister House and I planned on teaching the restoration with him, but it just didn't feel right. Both of us were at lost for what to say. We felt like Sister Weggersen needed to talk. She bore solid testimony about the Book of Mormon and the Plan of Salvation. He started crying. I started crying. I was just enjoying the moment and the spirit that was so thick you could cut it with a knife. I will not forget that experience.

Saturday we got to go street kontacting for a bit! Success! We met some awesome potentials on the street. Then we went to a dinner appointment with the Elders. Later that night we had a teach with a new convert.

Sunday was our miracle day! It was fast sunday and our dinner appointment cancelled. We were wondering what we were going to do because we didn't have much food at our house. A member came up to us and asked if we needed a place to eat! An answer to our prayers! We had a great dinner with them and afterwards told them we were going to go knocking on doors. We asked if they had any referrals we could try. They had one, so we said a prayer with them and left. We drove to the address they gave us and started knocking on a few doors before we tried the referral. We got a new investigator on the second house we knocked! He is so cool! After that we tried the referral, but they were not home. We contined to knock on that street and found 3 more postive potentials that said we could come back!! Then we went down another street and found 2 more postive potentials! I don't think you will understand how amazing that is. That was one of my most legendary knocking sessions I have had my whole mission. I cried as we left each house because I was so grateful and full of the spirit. We called the members we ate dinner with to tell them what happened! Such a good missionary day!

I hope you all know that God loves His children. I see it so clearly with spritual eyes as I serve here in Norway. He answers prayers and has a plan. I am so grateful for that.

Glad i dere!
-Søster Allen

Elders and their kebabs..

Leaving Trondheim and Arriving in Drammen

From the mom:  Jessica got transferred to Drammen last Wednesday.  She is so excited.  They say Drammen is like Zion in Norway.  It is a big city near Oslo with a big ward and lots of great members.  She will finish her mission in Drammen.  She is in a trio for now and knows and loves these two sisters and is very excited to get to know them better.  She says this is the COLDEST place she has served in her mission.  There are pictures on her blog from last week and we will be putting up more pictures from this week.  It definitely looks cold in her pictures.  

Her new address is:

Sister Jessica Allen

Tomineborgveien 47

3011 Drammen

Norway

I made it to Drammen! It was an hour plane ride and an hour train ride, but my plane was delayed so I missed my train. Anyways, I finally made it after struggling with my 3 suitcases. :)

Drammen is soo different from my other areas. It is like America. We have a car, so we drive to appointments. We have dinner and sometime lunch appointments everyday!! The ward is huge. It feels like I am in Utah again. It is also way freezing! The coldest I have been my whole mission! Drammen is way colder than Trondheim. Like the coldest was negative 29 degrees... yikes!

This will be my last area on my mission. It was very hard to say goodbye to Trondheim. I miss Sister Peterson, my district, the Rappleyes, awesome members, and people I met while being there. It will take some time to feel adjusted here in Drammen. I miss my home and family in Trondheim. I did tell some of them I am coming back in June. :)

My last days in Trondheim = bittersweet.

On Tuesday we visited Majken (cutest member!) and we said our goodbyes. I will miss her so much!

Aaron, Majken, and Olivia!

 We also had an awesome lesson with an investigator. The spirit was so strong and I was able to share a personal story with him. I saw a change in his eyes after I shared that. I won't forget that lesson.

Then we visited Elin and Kenneth! Elin is a member we have been visiting every week in Trondheim and we have become really good friends! I will miss her too!

Saying goodbye to Elin and Kenneth in Trondheim!

Blizzard in Trondheim! 

The next day I packed up all of my stuff and as the Rappleyes pulled into the church to drive me to the airport, all of the missionaries in the district came out to say goodbye. I won't forget it! I felt soo loved!

Leaving Trondheim! :( 

Saying goodbye to Elder Miller and Sister Peterson. Heavy black heart

The farewell. So dramatic.

Missionary life in Drammen:

We have had so many member visits! There are some awesome people here in Drammen. Our district is pretty cool too! Elder Crump who was in my greenie district in Oslo is in my district again. It will will be fun to get to know all of these people and build friendships!

Friday night we went knocking on doors and it was a miracle night because we got let in by 2 people! That has never happened to me my whole mission! the first was a muslim family and they were super nice! The other person that let us in was this old norwegian man. His wife recently passed away and we were able to share the plan of salvation with him. It was a very spiritual and tender experience. We went back the 2nd time to teach him the restoration last night. He still wants us to come back and teach him more. He said he loves reading! I am really excited about him and I can't wait to see how the gospel can bless him. I hope he acts on faith and recognizes the truth. :)

We have been knocking on doors a lot here in Drammen, and people are actually not that mean. So that is a plus. That is how we teach lessons and find investigators. We are also trying to work closely with the members and find investigators that way as well. That is the best way to find. Converts found through members are the ones that stay converts forever.

Church was really good! I got to see one my friends, Torunn! She was in the Trondheim ward, but moved to Drammen. It was nice to see a familiar face! There are a lot of people I need to get to know. I am excited about this week!

We also had a worldwide missionary conference on Wednesday and Elder Andersen said that we should always have Jesus' name on our lips. If we don't know what to say than we should talk about Christ. It really changes the tone and spirit when there is a focus on Christ. He is the reason for our faith. He should be our foundation. I am grateful for Christ and the hope and peace He brings to my life.

Jeg håper at dere ha en fin uke!  Jeg er så glad i dere!

Kjærlig Hilsen,
Søster Allen

This is where we live!  Me and Sister House!

Sister Firth got stuck in her seatbelt! haha  

Running in a open field of snow! 

Visiting a member that lives in the cutest norwegian house! 

Look at her door! 

Cold day in Drammen. :)

Birthday Girl

Most freezing week of my whole mission. 

We were in the -15 C.. 

We sure did feel it. 

However, we didn't feel our toes or fingers. 

People on the street told us it was too cold to talk. 

Us Warming Up Our Cold Bodies... Språk studium

Highlights of the week:

- We met with a former investigator on Monday who hadn't met with missionaries for 5 years. 

It went really well and he was super interested again. 

We explained the Book of Mormon to him and he wants to read it and is eager to meet again 

and learn more about the purpose of life. 

So we got new investigator! Wahoo!

-We helped Målfri (90 yr. old member) move her husband's stuff to the nursing home. 

He had move out because he was suffering from dementia. 

She wanted to make sure his room felt like a home. 

It was sweet to watch and I was touched to help with that. 

-We learned about Family History this week by the Family History Training Sisters. 

As I was reading my family history stories, 

I was reminded about my 5th great-grandfather and how he like 3 missions in Norway. 

Also, about how he met my 5th great-grandmother here in Norway! 

She is from a city called Stavanger (a popular missionary area). 

-Last night we went contacting in the freezing cold and we weren't having much success. 

We are on our way home and Sister Peterson stops this guy. 

He doesn't believe in God and is not sure about Jesus Christ. 

I asked him if he needed evidence and he said no I just need an explanation. 

We told him about the Book of Mormon and he said he had one! 

We asked him if he wanted to meet to learn more and he said yes! :)

-Today is my birthday! 

I am 24. :) 

Sister Peterson is good at making you feel special. 

She decorated the apartment cute and gave me a cute card and a small study journal. 

Then she had a surprise planned for me. 

So we took a bus somewhere and it was at a pizza restaurant 

and our whole district was there. 

It was a good time. 

I love my missionary friends. 

Gifts from my peeps

Glad i dere!

Kjærlig Hilsen,

Søster Allen

Christmas Fun

We went to a cute cupcake place last P-Day

Bety & Pelle

Lillejulaften - It is big in Norway too

Went on a hike (It was around 3pm in this picture)

Christmas Eve Dinner

Christmas Eve!

Sunrise on Christmas Morning

 Smile it's Christmas!

Christmas at the Rappleyes!

Dinner at Maria's on Sunday!

Sledding today for P-day

Fun Times in T-heim

Visiting Magnus and Inger for Christmas

Dinner at Pelle's