My First Month in Norway
Hello Everyone!
I apologize for not getting a post out sooner, as I know you have all been on the edge of your seats the past couple months 😉 I knew I would be busy here but I didn't realize how busy it would actually be! I'm grateful though. Being busy is much better for me than being bored.
The first 6 weeks of my mission were spent in Utah at the Missionary Training Center (MTC). At the MTC, our days were filled with classes and studies. We had religious classes, classes on how to teach, and language classes. There were 9 of us in the Norway group. It was great to have such a small, personal environment for our classes. I'm grateful for the time I had there and for the friendships and connections I made with the other missionaries! I learned a lot in those 6 weeks that will apply to not only my mission, but my personal and professional life as well.
Once I got to Norway, I was assigned to the Tromsø area. I LOVE it here. Tromsø is located above the arctic cirlce, which means that the sun doesn't set during the summer and it doesn't rise during the winter. When I arrived, Tromsø was still in the "midnight sun" phase, where the sun doesn't set. It took some getting used to! I'm looking forward to experiencing "mørketid" (dark time) as well in a couple more months.
The summer time in northern Norway is beautiful. The weather was a perfect 70°F or so. We (the other missionaries in Tromsø and I) took advantage of the good weather and went on a few hikes. They were breathtaking! I receive constant reminders of how lucky I am to be serving in such a beautiful place. It's such a powerful experience to be looking out over farms, fjords, and layers upon layers of mountains. To me personally, it is a testament of an all-loving, all-knowing, and all-powerful Creator.
As far as the missionary work goes, we spend a lot of time doing service for people, hosting activities, and helping people find hope and peace through Jesus Christ. It has been so cool to meet so many people from different backgrounds and cultures. Tromsø is pretty diverse, so we have people from all over the world that we get to interact with. My favorite activity so far has been our Språkkafé events. It's basically just an opportunity for people to come learn and practice Norwegian together. It has been a great tool for me to work on my Norwegian with people who are trying to learn as well. It has also been a great place to meet people and make new friends!
*Please excuse the bad editing - blurred out some people for privacy reasons.
I am so grateful to be here in Norway serving God and His children. I have already grown so much in the past few months and I look forward to seeing where I'm at when my 18 months are through.
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me. You can reply to this email or go to ayleeandersen.com and contact me there. Thank you for being on this journey with me and for all your support and encouragement!
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Aylee's Norway Newsletter
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