Dear Parents of Norway Oslo
Missionaries, December
2017
Greetings from Oslo! Winter is here, the temperatures are dropping, and we have
experienced significant snowfall in recent weeks. Christmas is magical in
Norway, and a perfect time to reach out to provide an update on our
Mission.
The most obvious thing to report is that our Mission is very young. For the
first time since the change in age for Missionary service in 2012, a large
group of Sisters and Elders departed this summer at around the same time. The
net result was that well over half of our missionaries have been in Norway for
less than five months. This has presented us with some challenges, but
also many blessings. The young missionaries bring great enthusiasm and desire
to work, and our more senior missionaries have been stretched with new
responsibilities. The result has been very positive, and we are already reaping
benefits from this transition. Thank you for preparing such wonderful
missionaries!
Our current assigned “complement“ in Norway is eighty missionaries. The
“complement” refers to the target number of missionaries the Church anticipates
assigning to our Mission. This number assumes twenty-eight Sisters and fifty-two
Elders. Currently we have seventy-eight missionaries, which will increase to
eighty-two in February. Since our arrival in 2015, our numbers have fluctuated
between a peak of ninety-two and a brief low this summer of sixty-eight. Given
our membership and number of units, this is a very reasonable complement.
Sister Hill and I are grateful that this number allows us to create individual
relationships with our missionaries and get to know them well. We consider that
a great blessing.
In addition, we are blessed to have seven senior couples serving in our
Mission. In the past year, we have been joined by Elder and Sister Robinson who
are the office couple from Orem, Utah; Elder and Sister Cook from American
Fork, Utah who are assigned to Kristiansand; Elder and Sister Jenson from
Provo, Utah assigned to Bergen; and Elder and Sister Bergquist from Weiser,
Idaho, who are assigned to Oslo. We love and appreciate these wonderful
couples, as do your daughters and sons. They contribute greatly to our Mission.
As you may be aware, this has been a challenging year for us with regards to
convert baptisms. Historically, Nordic Missions record around one-half baptism
per missionary per year. While there have been some peaks and valleys, this is
about average. This year, we will come in under that number, having been at or
above that target in the past two years.
In recent weeks, we have seen an uptick in the number of baptisms and the
number of individuals who have been committed to baptism. As a result, we feel
momentum is growing and we expect an increase in convert baptisms n 2018.
Please remember our missionaries and our Mission in your prayers as we work to
find those who are prepared to hear our Message.
Helping our missionaries to continue to have the “faith to find” is a central
focus of our efforts. We emphasize exact obedience, daily preparation both
physically and spiritually, “joyful” diligence, and an emphasis on finding the
“one.” At our recent Christmas Zone Conference, we challenged the missionaries
to examine themselves and identify one or two areas they could focus on to
become more effective and obedient missionaries. We also emphasized that the
Lord would help them to identify those areas and accomplish their goals. While
missionary service is challenging, we have found that our missionaries
experience remarkable growth as they consecrate all their efforts on their
missionary assignment. As Elder Holland has stated, the change that occurs in
our faithful missionaries is truly the “Miracle of a Mission.”
Thank you for your love and support, both of your missionary and our Mission.
We know you pray for us and our wonderful Norwegian saints, and those prayers
make a difference. Norway is a remarkable country, and a joyful place to serve.
We are grateful to you for raising magnificent sons and daughters who are
prepared, willing, and worthy to serve a full-time mission. They are the joy of
our lives, and touch us daily with their goodness and willingness to humbly do
their best to fulfil their callings.
We wish for each of you a peaceful, joyful Christmas, remembering our Savior
and His great love and sacrifice for us. We bear testimony that He lives, and
that He heads our Church. It is an honor to serve as the Mission President and
wife in Norway, blessed to serve together with our outstanding missionaries.
We look forward to a wonderful 2018!
Love,
President and Sister Hill
Norway Oslo Mission
