Jeg griner, hver gang jeg føle Helligånden

Well, this week was pretty uneventful. So hopefully this will be a shorter email, but knowing me that’s probably at least 5 pages…

I’ve been pretty sick this week, I felt like I was getting better around last P-Day, and then I stayed home Sunday because I was running a temperature of 101, occasionally 102… fun! But all is well now! I am on the recovery, went to the doctors told, they told me that I was just on the downward half of it so it wouldn’t make sense to give me medicine for the sinus infection and that I will just have to “wait it out” syggggg (basically sickkkkkkkkk). So I just waited it out, had a terrible sore throat, found some meds that actually help. 

I also got a blessing for the sickness, however, it ended up impacting me more emotionally/mentally than it did physically which is okay. I had my companion annoint me, and Elder Madsen bless me. He said two things that really encouraged me that my efforts have worked. He said: “The Lord was proud of me,” and also “to return to health quickly so you can be a leader for your district.” These really helped me to know that others thought of me as a leader, and that what I’ve tried to do is helping. I’ve returned good enough back to health that I can go to class and work hard, but I still have a pretty sore through. Hopefully I’ll be better by Monday which is when I leave for Denmark!

Speaking of leaving for Denmark, yesterday morning it kinda just hit me. I’m not going to be in America any more… Speaking a language… I kind of know… I’m so EXCITED! And NERVOUS! And EVERYTHING! But I’m overall excited and ready for the change from this faux missionary work with our teachers, to actually sharing the Gospel with real people, with real situations, with real lives.  I’ve kind of enjoyed the MTC but to be quite honest it’s been a slow process for me as it is not really how I learn a language, the people are great, but I still have this vibe from High School/Junior High that I’m not particularly enjoying. However, I'm so thankful for the strong Spirit that is felt here. But I’m really excited for a place where our Mission President will expect the highest maturity, the hardest workers, and the greatest fun. I find I enjoy my surroundings more when I progress and help others to progress, but here I feel landlocked. It’s hard to explain fully about it, but it feels slow learning here and I know being submerged into a language will help me grow exponentially.

I think the funniest thing that happened to me this week, and probably the only story I have for this week is about the title of this email. I was in a lesson with my teacher, and we are talking about learning to feel the Spirit. We are talking about how the Spirit comes in a warm sensation, a burning in our hearts, and sometimes, especially for my dad and I, it involves occasional tears and a little bit of crying when we feel the Spirit. So I said, “Når jeg føler Helligånden, somme tider griner jeg lidt.” Which is just wrong… hahaha, basically what I said is “When I feel the Holy Ghost, sometimes I laugh a little” For some reason I thought that græde and grine look the same (first is pronounced grehluh, second is pronounced grehnuh) For some reason I thought cry contained an n… and of course, my teacher had to tell the ENTIRE class about it, because she thought it was so funny (admittedly it was hahaha). And then one of the Ældste said “Well, the two time I’ve really really felt the Spirit, the first time I wanted to laugh and the second time I did” and I’m like, seeeee, at least someone has my back hahah. So maybe laughing is a proper response to the spirit (probably not)? I don’t know, if we were in a lesson and you felt the Spirit and just started laughing like crazy, I’d be just a little creeped out hahah.

Anyways, I’ll end in a Spiritual thought, so don’t laugh too hard. This week I’ve had a lot of study and personal thinking time because I’ve been sick. I’ve been reading the Book of Mormon crazy and I’m 30% done with it already (just started about a week into the mission). It is truly an inspired, translated book. I say inspired because I know that God inspired all of those prophets to help us in these latter days to have such a pure and plain book. I say translated because when you read it, there are so many different writing styles in it. Reading Mosiah versus Nephi is insanely different, and so I’ve been kind of looking for their “staple”, the one thing that makes Mosiah Mosiah, and Nephi Nephi - I’ve found a few, but I challenge you to go find the difference too. Two that I found that I’ll share for Nephi is his constant talk about murmurings. Occasionally other prophets would mention it, but he continues to mention it for a bunch of chapters, over and over, and usually when a prophet repeats something it is pretty important. I’ve also found that a big concept that is talked about a lot is the strait and narrow path according to the tree of life. This was originally his Dad’s vision, but he talks about it on two accounts, and continues using concepts from it throughout his books. Mosiah, well I’m currently in his books right now, but from the short time, I view his “staple” as, especially in Mosiah 4:8:

“And under this head ye are made free, and there is no other head whereby ye can be made free. There is no other name given whereby salvation cometh; therefore, I would that ye should take upon you the name of Christ, all you that have entered into the covenant with God that ye should be obedient unto the end of your lives” 

This scripture involves a very important concept that Jesus Christ is the way. The way to reach salvation, the way to feel forgiveness, the way to truly love. If He is the way, then we must choose to follow him in every way possible, to the best of our ability. I think the best way that we can do this is to follow his teachings, whether it be his ministry as a resurrected being in the Americas (Book of Mormon) or it be through his earthly ministry in the New Testament. Either way we learn the attributes of Christ such as faith, hope, charity and love, virtue, knowledge, patience, humility, diligence, obedience, and so many more. I know that the Lord is the way. I’ve found that when I look outwards unto Christ and unto others, using the pure love of Christ (charity), I feel more joy. He is the way to joy, to happiness, to knowledge, to so many many things. I don’t know how I would ever feel prepared to go to a place where I’ve been really speaking the language for 6 weeks, but I do. I feel ready, even though I’m a little nervous, I know who I have trusted in. I don’t think that I could learn the language like I have without divine intervention. He is the way I learned the language, but I know that for everyone, he is the way to feel peace, comfort, love. He can do all, and will do all if you truly believe. 

I love you all so much, and I miss you a bunch! I can’t wait to hear from everyone about how their summer is going.

Med meget kærlighed,

Ældste Salisbury