Eskimos, igloos, penguins and ICE?!

 Hei alle sammen!

To start out this week we had "first transfer" training which was super fun. I got to see my mtc buddies again which is always a good time :). We got to take some pics at the palace and then learned a ton of information that I can't say I remember haha. Then again... short term memory loss. But we will learn it eventually :).

I also got to do splits this week with Søster Tessem! It was so much fun! We got to help out with språkkafé (language café) and played some soccer. One of the things I learned this week is that there is a reason why I swam and played tennis. I can not play soccer but it's okay because on our way to soccer we had fun trying to walk on ice:). If any of you have seen Cool Runnings, the part where the team is trying to learn how to walk/run on ice... yep that was me haha. Basically trying to walk down a hill of ice with shoes that have no traction... it's a fun experience . Also I was able to talk to someone on the subway on my own in norsk! Conversation wasn't very long but guess what... progress:).

This week I started to read through and study hymns,  particularly sacrament hymns. I think hymns have a special way of saying something so simple but with it having such a powerful meaning. One hymn in particular I read was "Thy Will, O Lord, Be Done" (I invite you all to go and read it). I love how it says that "the king of kings left worlds of light... he counted his own will but naught, and said,  Thy Will,  O Lord,  Be Done." I think it's so important to remember how much the Savior sacrificed (his home, comfort, security, etc.) to come down to earth. And then saw His own desires/will as something not important. It was the Father's will that He wanted and was willing to follow and because of His willingness, humility, and love He gave the biggest sacrifice that ever could be. How willing are we to put the Father's will first as Christ did? It's never going to be easy, it wasn't supposed to be, but we can find strength through our Savior. 

I hope you guys all have a great week! Keep me updated!

Kia Kaha and just keep swimming!

- Søster Twede :)

Where's my hammer?⚡

 Hei alle sammen!

So this week was super busy! We did a lot and had some exciting stuff happen, so we're just going to get into it. We had a baptism!! His name is Tony and it was one of the Elder's friends and he got baptized on Saturday and it was awesome! Søster Bell and I also had one of our friends come to church on Sunday. Her name is Iselin and she has been taking lessons and has been really liking the idea that we have a prophet and leader that help guide us today. So we will see how lessons continue with her :). Yesterday we did some street contacting and we had a little miracle:). We went to serve this guy that needed help with picking up food for him but unfortunately we couldn't pick up the food, BUT we ended up running into a woman when we were there. She was soooo nice and was super open to meeting up with us again to get to know her better, woot woot!

As for language, I am starting to understand a little more and speak a little more (progress:). I'm still doing really well at smiling and waving but you know that's just how it is :).

We also had a mission conference and that was super fun to see my mtc buddies again :) and also to meet more people from the mission. Elder Phillips came and spoke to us and it was really cool! One of the things that he talked about that really stuck out to me was about how we can't just do things because that's just how things were done. The way we do missionary work is much different now. I know I've kind of had a hard time doing a lot of Facebook work, but I've been praying to try and have a better attitude towards it so I can better appreciate it. This helped me realize that we need to always remember why we do things. One of the goals we have as members is to help bring the light and love of Christ into people's lives. Many times it's not going to be easy, but we just need to trust in Him. He will give us strength and we will see that it was all worth it. Maybe not now but in the long run absolutely. 

Hope everyone is doing well and keep me updated!

Kia Kaha and just keep swimming!

Søster Twede :)

(Also in the pics, that is unfortunately not Thor's hammer but it was still pretty cool)

THIS...IS OSLO!

 Hei alle sammen!

NORWAY! I finally made it and it's hard to believe that I'm actually here now! So far I've learned that it is definitely colder here in Norway (which isn't a huge surprise haha) and that they don't use concrete for roads and sidewalks. So, when you shovel snow, you don't shovel till get to the ground,  you shovel till you get to solid ice.  And when you're walking on the sidewalk, some of the times you are walking on solid ice and trying not to fall . But it has been so fun here in Norway! My first area is right here in Oslo which has been very busy, but very fun. The language hasn't been too bad, I definitely have a lot to work on but I was able to bear my testimony on the Holy Ghost this week in a lesson. And I've been able to pick up on words people are saying, woot woot! Not quite sentences, but words so progress! My new companion is awesome! Hey name is Søster Bell and she also loves math so we've been getting along great!

This week my comp and I had a really cool experience with a girl that my comp found on Facebook. We were originally going to just meet up and get to know her. But, when we sat down with her, she just asked us about what we believe. She was so sweet and we ended up teaching her about the restoration and it was so cool! She wants to talk to us again and I just can't wait to see how it will go! 

I also just want to say really quick that the Lord knows you. I have seen so many tender mercies through the week that have helped me know that I am not alone and that He will never leave me. He wants to be part of our lives, we just need to let Him in. I know He loves us and I know that He lives.

Kia Kaha and just keep swimming!

Søster Twede

We have our heading, HERE WE GO!! ✈️

 Hei alle sammen!

Yep I got my travel plans this week! It feels like I just got here, but it also feels like I've been here a while, haha. But, either way I'm super excited to head to Norway tomorrow! I am also a little nervous just because I know I am most certainly not fluent in the language, but you know you just have to take it one day at a time. This week in general was pretty good. We had SYL and that was mostly pretty good, although we did have to do some push-ups for saying something in English:). 

This week I read a talk by Elder Holland called "Fear Not: Only Believe!" I think this week the reality of leaving to Norway started to settle in and I got really nervous and was not feeling the most confident. But, this talk and also 2 Nephi 32:2-6 help me to remember that I am not alone. Christ knows me and even if we don't have confidence in ourselves. We just need to have confidence in Him and know that we don't have to fear, instead we just need to believe.

I hope you guys have a great week and wish you the best!

Kia Kaha and Just Keep Swimming!

- Søster Twede

P.S. from Dorrie's mom: Søster Twede arrived safely in Oslo today! Before they left Salt Lake, Elder and Sister Stevenson saw their district and took a picture with them. What a fun send off! 

Also attached are pictures that her mission president just sent us of their arrival in Oslo and dinner at the mission home. And thus begins the adventure!

Surprise Salt Lake send off from Elder and Sister Stevenson!

First dinner at the mission home.

Søster Twede with President and Søster Montague

"One [week] more!" 🎶

 Hei alle sammen!

So this week wasn't super exciting. I feel like the days are all kind of blurring together haha. But this week we were able to make more progress in the language! Woot woot! (maybe not a ton of progress but nevertheless progress:) So my district and I have become really good friends with the Danish and Swedish district which has been so fun because their languages are super similar to Norwegian. This week the Danish did their SYL (Speak Your Language) week and so it was really fun being able to mostly understand their Danish and then also speak to them in Norwegian. My district and I are now more excited for SYL week this week :).

Lesson learned this week that when you are sleeping on the bottom bed of a bunk bed, make sure to duck your head enough so you don't have to experience pain on your noggin. (yes this did happen, and sadly it had to happen twice for me to learn this lesson sufficiently:).

This week I feel like we talked and heard a lot about repentance which doesn't always have the most positive feeling to it but this week helped me know that it is truly a blessing. Repentance isn't the lock and chains that bind us,  it is the key that frees us and Christ is our deliverer. Mosiah 14:5 says,  "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." I know that His gospel is a message of good news and that repentance is a gift. I know that Christ suffered for us because He loves us and that through Him we can be cleansed.  Hope you all are doing amazing!

Just keep swimming! Kia Kaha!

Søster Twede

Cute Comps!!

Need More Chocolate!

 Hei alle sammen!

This week was kind of crazy so we're just going to jump right in! 

This week we've continued our studies in Norwegian and let's just say... there's progress! My comp and I taught our second lesson in norsk this week and we made it through! La oss gå! We also have been starting to work more on grammar, tones, pronunciation, etc this week which has been a little overwhelming but we're just taking it one day at a time :).

On the more fun side of things, my district and I learned a lot more about the food in Norway this week! Apparently, the chocolate is amazing and as I quote my teacher, "When Norway decides to do something, they do it right." So now my district and I are super excited to try the food in Norway! However, now the MTC food is becoming less appealing (not like it was in the first place) but that's okay because t-minus 2 weeks til we're off to Norge! Woot woot!

So, this week we had Bishop Causse come and speak to us and it was amazing! He shared a lot about instead of focusing so much on the language, and to focus more on learning how to speak the language of the Spirit and allow yourself to have more experiences with Jesus Christ and His Atonement. He said that when we first learn the language of the Spirit and allow Jesus Christ and His Atonement to work within our lives, the language will come. 

"God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called." -unknown

At the end, Bishop Causse played an arrangement of Come, Come, Ye Saints on the piano and it was amazing! While he played it, I read through the lyrics and I invite you all to read through them because hymns are truly amazing and the wording is very powerful. I know that if we remember to keep the focus on Christ we will be blessed and everything will work out.

I hope you all are doing great! Keep me updated!

Kia Kaha! Just Keep Swimming!

Søster Twede

What do we do?? JUST KEEP SWIMMING! 🐠

 Hei alle sammen!

Hope you all are doing great! This week we started language immersion with Norwegian and that has been quite the ride. The first day was actually not too bad. Since then, it has had its moments where everything is going in one ear and out the other. Buuuut, it has been getting better slowly but surely and my comp and I got to teach our first Norwegian lesson which turned out pretty well (didn't really know what the person said a good chunk of it but the spirit was there so we'll count that as a win:). 

So this week we had Elder Bassett come and speak to us on Tuesday and that was amazing! He didn't have anything prepared and just went by the Spirit and tell you what, the Spirit was definitely there! He talked a lot about just relying on Christ and remembering how Him and our Heavenly Father sacrificed so much because they loved us so much. When we have to make sacrifices to follow Christ we have to ask ourselves: Is a sacrifice a sacrifice or is it a privilege? Remember that you are never alone and that when there's no one else, nothing else, and nowhere else to turn to, Jesus Christ is right there ready to help us carry our burdens. He is the one that gives the comfort and strength. Him and our Father in Heaven love us and are cheering for us every single step of the way. 

2 Nephi 31:20

"Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life."

Hope you are all doing well! Keep me updated! Love y'all!

Kia Kaha! Just Keep Swimming!

Søster Twede

Do you want to build a snowmaaaaannnn?? ❄️

Hei alle sammen!

I have now completed my first two weeks of MTC and it's been quite the ride so let's get going!

My first week was online and that was just 6+ hours of zoom calls everyday, but now I'm at the provo mtc and am having a blast! My comp is awesome! We have had lots of fun getting to know each other and have had lots and lots of laughs. It's been so fun getting to know my district! We've been able to really help each other out with adjusting to missionary life and so that's been such a blessing.

The comps

The district

So I would like to share a quote each week on one of the main things I learned, and this week's is:

"The joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives." - President Russell M. Nelson 

To be honest, the beginning of the week was kind of overwhelming and there have been times where I got really worried about lessons, the language, etc. But there was one night where I prayed to Heavenly Father to just give me peace and guidance. Then that was when I woke up the next morning and realized I hadn't even been there a week and still had time to get the hang of things 😂. But in a discussion I had with my district I remembered that joy is not the same as happiness and that we can have joy even in the hardest of times as long as we look to and focus on Christ. When it rains on us (or snows in this case, refer to pictures:) we are going to get drenched no matter what so it's our choice whether or not to sulk and be sad or dance and have joy and remember that flowers can't grow without the rain. 

I know that Jesus Christ loves us and is very mindful of us and I know that if we focus on Him we can find joy in any situation.

Kia haha! Just keep swimming!

Søster Twede

Stacking challenge

Nap time