I love this life!

Kjære alle sammen,

I would just like to announce that I love my life.

Highlights of this week:

We were street contacting in Sandvika Sentrum and we talked to a 17 year old Norwegian whose name was Jakob, but it may as well have been Korihor. He was trying to convince us to go a week or a few days without believing in God. But how could I be justified in Denying the very power that makes it possible for me to live and love and the have given me everything? I cannot deny the existence of a God or Christ. The blessings and confirmations I have experienced are too great for me to reject. Everyday my faith is tried and in so doing becomes stronger. I feel like being on a mission is like training for the Olympics or something. Your spiritual muscles go through extreme training. I love it. I am on God's team.

Our investigator B is heaven-sent. He is SO willing to change and come to Christ! We met him in the library one day this week and helped him with the Norwegian language. He is teaching his self- amazing. He loves his daughter , and brings her to church. Pray for this guy! He is preparing to be baptized.

We had President Evan's grand-daughter with us for a whole day this week! She is so adorable. 15 years old and preparing for the future. I am so impressed with the youth of this church. Our lessons were in Norwegian, but occasionally on the street, we would talk with someone that spoke English and she was so ready to bear her testimony to them! Wow!

I am learning about the depth of the atonement and how great it actually is. That was the theme of our lesson yesterday in church and there was a comment made that if we were to live completely perfect lives and never make any mistakes, we still would not be able to make it back to our father in heaven without the atonement of Jesus Christ. It makes me think that this life is not just to have fun, and a vacation away from God, but it is a time to take it to the next level. We are not going back to where we lived before after this life, but we are continually progressing to attain a higher state of living. And Christ's atonement is the only thing that can perfect us to become glorified creatures one day. The Gospel is a lifestyle that brings happiness and an eventual god-like life. I love it and I know it to be true. I love the invitation at the end of the Book of Mormon given by Moroni: "Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.  And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot." What a beautiful promise! I add my testimony that this is true, in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.

Med Kjærlighet,

Søster Stephanie Joy Williams

ps I can feel your prayers and love. Please pray for J A (he needs help with his testimony) and B, and the missionary work where ever you live in the world! :)

pic 1 us and sister grand-daughter...

pic 2 asker sentrum in the rain. where all the magic happens!