ANYWAYS, Back to business:
Hi!
Fall has made it's way to Oslo, Norway. It was a bit of a WA-BAM, IN YOUR FACE kind of transition, but hey I like the fall so this missionary is a happy camper!
So here are the highlights of the week:
- Got new investigators named Irene and Chris
- Had a Zone Workshop on planning
- Elizabeth came to all three meetings of church!
- Miracle: Marcel
We met with Irene a week after we first knocked on her door. She told us after we first came by, her brother (who lives in the upstairs of the house apartment) was like, "WHY WOULD YOU TELL THOSE MISSIONARIES TO COME BACK?" To which she responded, "I'm curious and want to know what's so different about them." Irene decided at age 16 she doesn't believe in God but she likes reading about different religions. We mainly talked about who God is and what we can do to build our relationship with him. She had a cool breakthrough when she realized that the reason she lacks a strong relationship with God is because she hasn't been reaching out to Him. We invited her to pray and she refused to so we invited her to read a chapter in the Book of Mormon and watch "Patterns of Light" on lds.org by Elder Bednar to which she easily accepted to do.
The other investigator, Chris, was one that Sister Olsen met before I got here. He's from Hungary and loves nature. We met him in a park that he works in which was GORGEOUS. He is so spiritually receptive! He asked us what makes us different from other Christian churches which lead us into the restoration. At the end of our discussion when we invited him to pray about what we talked about and to begin reading, he was more than willing. He said that he's seen so much both good and bad, and is still looking for something. Christ then looked right at us and said, "You have such a bright light in you." It was a small but powerful reminder to me that people really can recognize the spirit that around us missionaries.
This week we had a zone workshop all about........... wait for it............... PLANNING! Yes that's right. It actually was an incredible workshop for me. As missionaries we have something called Weekly Planning that we use to fill in our planners for the next 10 days, talk about what the needs of our investigators are, and set goals for the week. A good weekly planning session prepares you for a good daily planning session so you already know what you're going to teach, you just comb through to get all the details down. This leads you up to companionship study where you and your companion can have the time to practice how to get the best result possible for teaches. Being a planner, I absolutely loved it and just the last few days of applying the principles I learned for daily planning and companionship study, I've experienced an excellent uplifting change! These times together with your companion really do help you to sync with one another. It's the best!
The last two highlights happened yesterday at church. Elizabeth came and enjoyed all three meetings! She even studied for the lessons in Relief Society and Gospel Principals!! Holy cow, she's the best!
And as for the miracle: When Sister Olsen was on splits with Sister Ausen, they met Marcel and taught him on the street. Even committed him to baptism and he accepted! We had an appointment with him but something happened and we ended up not meeting. We then go into Gospel Principles and Sister Olsen sees him and is like, "Marcel! Good to see you!" To which he replied, "Yeah! I couldn't get a hold of you guys so I thought I would come to you since you gave me the card with the church information." HOW AWESOME IS THAT?? He even brought a friend with him to church! FANTASTIC right??
As for my spiritual thought: With the zone workshop being about planning, I spent a good amount of my study time on specifically goal setting. When we take the time to think not only on WHAT the goal is but also HOW to get there, you're blessed with the result of things ACTUALLY happening. Like the Lord said, "For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it (Luke 14:28)?"
I would like to close with something that Elder M. Russel Ballard Said:
“I am so thoroughly convinced that if we don’t set goals in our life and learn how to master the techniques of living to reach our goals, we can reach a ripe old age and look back on our life only to see that we reached but a small part of our full potential. When one learns to master the principles of setting a goal, he will then be able to make a great difference in the results he attains in this life.”
I have been learning this principle and I am gaining a stronger testimony every day as I learn how to set and work towards goals. So I would like to invite each one of us to set a goal that we want to work towards to next week. Ponder it, write it down, and put it somewhere you'll see it everyday. It takes time, but it is worth it!
I love you all so much and thank you for your examples. You're all the best and I wish you the best!
Love,
Søster Buhler
1) This is a picture Elder Edwards (my MTC brother) requested of him in knight's armor, on a unicorn, fighting a dragon. I figured I would do the complete opposite of what he actually wanted.... Totes adorbs! :P
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