Hyvää Huomenta Perhe!

Hyvää Huomenta Perhe! 

Items of business first! I finally got the package with the skirts and sweaters in it, thanks mom! :) and the Rostrom’s sent me their Christmas card so thank them for that. I will be Skyping in on Christmas day sometime between the hours of 17.00-19.00 (8am-10am Utah time) I am so excited to see you all!! :) I love hearing about when you run into Koreans Nate, and skiing, and bringing home the bacon, and dances, and of course the world-famous Willow Creek 7th ward choir Christmas program- featuring all the best from the Brown and Wunderli families, to name a few. Wow, that is going to be great :) 

Well, it was a great week! Keeping busy in the Christmas season, spreading Christmas cheer everywhere we go. It is finally getting cold enough for some snow (you would think that of all places you would be able to get a white Christmas in Finland but Helsinki is right next to the ocean and thus much more mild than the rest of the country). I still have hopes for a white Christmas though! It happened last year so it can happen again. We had a big zone conference this week where Elder Dyches (member of the presidency of the area 70) came and spoke to us. It was amazing and I learned so much. It was also great to be with a lot of missionaries I hadn’t seen in a while. The best reunion was that of my MTC companions! Nearly one year after we first became companions, Sister Harris, Sister Jordan and I were finally reunited! Super fun. 

I am still loving being with Sister Jones, she even trimmed my hair this week (first time in 9 months haha) and the work is going well. We were supposed to have a baptism this week but our investigator from the Congo, after having some personal problems, decided she didn’t need the church anymore.. :( we were heartbroken! I still am... She was so close but things just didn’t work out. I have faith she will find it again in the future, it was sad to talk to her and see her back to her saddened state, the way she was when we first met her. But, we are keeping our heads up and doing the best we can to find people! 

I think one of the biggest things I have learned on my mission is how important the simple things are. I have such a deeper testimony about the types of answers that are given in primary: read, pray, come to church. The significance of those answers is huge! When I need a spirit-lifter (besides eating Fazer chocolate..:)) I know that I can turn to the scriptures and just feel happy by simply opening them up! When I need strength, prayer is my first, and completely reliable, source. And when I want to be better and feel like turning a new page, I know that I can feel renewed as I talk to the members and take the sacrament on Sunday. Not too many profound things and yet they mean so much. So, it is the simple things in life that keep us going :) 

I think that is all I’ve got for this week! I sent a Christmas package which should get to you a few days before Christmas (hopefully). OH and I thought you would like this fun fact mom: I regularly play the accompaniment on the piano for our District meetings. Ya, I play the piano haha. But those piano lessons have officially paid off! So you can feel accomplished about that :) Well, I love you all! sooo much!! have a great week!!