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HELLO! I am just so happy right now. The sun is OUT today. It is the first time I have seen it since Christmas Eve and I am welcoming it gladly. It is amazing what the sun does for us, and how much you crave it when it is taken away. This is the first day in a long time without it snowing. The buildings, the people, the streets just seem to be beaming today. It is wonderful.
This afternoon, one of our super sweet investigators, Monika, took us ice skating in the center of Oslo. It could not have been a better day for ice skating outside! It was a dream. I am so bad on skates, I seriously looked like a toddler learning to walk. Monika was doing tricks and skating backwards.... And then there was me holding on to the wall and taking baby steps. After a while I actually got a hang of it! My confidence started to grow. Then, an elementary school class field trip came and joined us on the rink. Five year olds were racing and turning and jumping! I decided to get off the ice and stop embarrassing myself after that. I will be surprised if Norway doesn't win the ice skating in the Olympics this year...Keep me filled in.
Well, the bad news has come. Søster Pyne is getting transferred to Bergen on Wednesday! I am staying here in Oslo and will get my new companion. Her name is Søster Oldham and she has been serving in Sandes. She has been out about 9 months, so I will still have a little crutch on the language. As hard as it is to see Søster Pyne go, I know it is just part of the mission. And I am so happy to be staying in Oslo for many reasons. Some reasons being that I have made such good relationships with members in the ward, I know the city, and the other being that there is no weird dialect or accent! So, I am guaranteed at least one more transfer in Oslo, and then we will see after that.
So I will tell you a little bit about Monika right now. She is 20 and her parents are from Poland. She came to Norway when she was little so she is perfectly fluent in Polish, Norwegian and English. She is so cute and just fun! She was one of those people that you connect with instantly. Søster Pyne and I met her through a member of the church and have taught her a few times. The other night we watched the Mormon message about Stephanie Neilson and it really touched her. Monika explained that the feeling she felt after watching that reminded her of Austrailia. When we asked her to expound I was in awe. Monika lived in Australia for a year for a foreign exchange student. One of the best friends she had made in Australia was a Mormon and Monika would be over at her house almost everyday. She would have meals, scripture study and family home evening with them. She said that she became really, really close to this family and it was hard for her to leave. Well, the day before she traveled back to Norway the father of this family gave her a priesthood blessing, and Monika said it was the strongest, warmest feeling she had ever felt! It was an amazing opportunity Søster Pyne and I had to explain to her that that was the Holy Ghost and confirmation that God knows and loves her so much!
