UPDATE FROM HELSINKI

Perhe!

 

Another week gone by as it gets colder and colder and darker and darker. I learned a lot this week as I do every week! Sister Thayne is now out of the training program so we don’t have to do an extra hour of studies anymore, so I am grateful for that haha! I have been dying to get outside more but patience is all a part of the journey :)

We have been working really hard on inviting and getting people to come to General Conference and the more I think about it the more amazing it is to me. We have a living prophet on the earth today! How amazing is that?? Definitely something worth watching, especially now that we only have 9 apostles, it is going to be exciting to see who fills those seats. Conference is like Christmas for a missionary! I am so stoked :) 

There are always many miracles and one particularly stood out this week! We went to visit a former investigator (his building door was locked so we said a quick prayer and someone opened the door right after) and we had been excited to meet him all day. This former investigator shook Elder Hollands hand! So he had to be pretty cool haha. Well anyway, when we knocked on his door we could hear that someone came and looked through the peep hole but then no one answered. Disappointed, we went on with our other activities of the night until it came time for the last hour where we went back near our apartment and talked to people outside. Right as we were about to cross a street a man walked up to us and told us that we knocked on his door earlier that day! And sure enough it was that former investigator. What are the chances?? He said he didn’t answer the door because he was tired from work but we were able to talk and he committed to come to conference with his friend. Super amazing!

God really places people in our path as we strive to do our best and do His work. As long as I am doing what I am supposed to do, God will work out the rest. I am amazed by His hand in my life everyday in helping me to speak, get over anxiety stricken moments and keeping me happy. There is a lot of work that needs to be done here! I am glad to be a part of it! Well... the church is true.

I love you all!! Hope everyone is doing well!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY ESSIE!! (not today of course, but on the 30th) I can’t believe how time is going by. Have a great week fam!! :)

TIME TO LOAD UP ON VITAMIN D

Hey Family!

What a great report from home! Way to go Nate! Return missionary and pro golfer, try not to get married in the next 10 months! ;) and it is good to here that people are still partying. Great stuff. I keep on thinking how a year ago I was at a Utah football game... One year ago??? That’s crazy!! The time on a mission is like a vortex.... the weeks keep getting faster and faster, I don’t even remember what happened last week! Hum...

I am still getting adjusted to being in Helsinki, I think the most different part is the public transportation. It makes it a little harder to plan out time because you never really know how long it is going to take or when the bus will come. But it is pretty fun and makes for some good adventures! Being a senior companion, I am able to see the gift of tongues more in my life and am super grateful for how Heavenly Father keeps me patient with it!

We are still big in the finding stage so we haven’t had too many lessons as of recent but we are getting there. A lot of walking and talking! It is getting darker for sure and it has been raining a bunch. We went probably 5 days this week without seeing the sun! And that was just due to the super thick clouds, I cant wait for winter when the sun actually just isn’t up haha :) Time to load up on vitamin D!

I have been learning so much about myself recently and what God thinks of me and the people around me. Everyone just wants to be understood and I often think that we as people forget that other people are people too! they all have challenges, hopes, dreams, experiences and what not. The lucky thing about being a missionary is gaining the ability to really see and recognize that. No matter what, something about the gospel will bless their lives. So things are going well!

Sister Thayne is such an awesome support for me, I don’t want to jinx myself but I sure have had some of the greatest companions! Finland may be an extremely hard mission but at least I get to work with great people :) well, I cant think of much else to report so... Till next week! love you all!! :)

SPREADING SUNSHINE IN HELSINKI

So lucky that our friends Debi and Antone
Frandsen from SLC, who also happens to be our
Bishop, were traveling in Helsinki!

Hey Family!

It was a great week in Helsinki! Super great being in a new area and learning a lot from the extra responsibility I have been given. It is different not being with Sister Harris mostly just because we were so used to each other that it was super easy for us to talk to people and teach without having to think about who is going to say what. We knew how to play off of what the other person said and make sure that we each did about 50% of the talking. Since Sister Thayne is still learning Finnish, I have to do most of the talking because she doesn’t understand what people are saying and we have to spend the time working out what she can say so she can participate. It has been a good experience for both of us.

Me and Sister Harris were best friends but Sister Thayne is so amazing too! We already have so much fun and work so hard together, I feel like we have been companions for months. God truly does provide miracles! :)

Photo taken by Bishop Antone Frandsen

The work is still moving forward, I actually witnessed my first baptism! It wasn’t one of our investigators, but it was still a great experience. Good motivation! The gospels gives more blessings than we can ever imagine and I am more amazed by it every day. It is perfect. I also got a visit this week from Antone and Debi Frandsen! They probably told you about that but that was really fun :) They asked a lot of questions about the language and the general work and it is when I discovered that i guess we still do everything pretty "old school" here in Finland haha. Tracting and contacting... Good stuff! Always thinking of new ways though.

Nothing much else to report, the church is true! I am more and more grateful for the opportunity I have to be out here and solidify my testimony and to be a true follower of our Savior Jesus Christ.

 Tiedän että Hän elää! Love you all! have a great week