Monday, January 25, 2010
Moi Moi
Ahh, I love e-mail time. I love you all. I love getting mail. I love reading mail. I love hearing from all of you. Love Love Love. :)
So, lets just dive into it shall we? haha . . . . .
Splits were this week. We had one with the Zone Leaders and one where we drove 2 hours to Kuopio, because my comp is the DL and . . . .yeah. They were so much fun. I learned so much from each one of those Elders. They are all amazing missionaries. I was contacting with one Elder Kääriä from Sweden and amazing at Finnish, and he had me do a lot, I was scared. On one he said your turn. I walked up to a college guy, said as much as I could, then Elder Kääriä took over. We walked away from that one and he told me we have a teach at the chapel with that man in an hour. WOW. My first official nonmember teach. It went pretty good. I could feel the Spirit and I hope something good comes out of it. We just talked about the Restoration and I talked about the Book of Mormon. During Splits with the ZL's we gave away so many pamphlets and cards and 2 or 3 Book of Mormons, and all in a matter of hours. They are soooo good. It was awesome. I hope all those people call us up soon because we couldn't get their numbers. But they have ours.
We've been working with the members and less actives more this week. We had a teach with Toni Lampinen who I told you about earlier. Being off drugs has really effected him. He seems more depressed and bored. So I think our weekly teaches with him help out. I hope he sticks it through.
Last night we were trying to visit less actives and could only get a hold of 2. Both older people but really nice and both let us in. One said he only joined the church because of his wife, and now that she has passed on he has stopped. He was really nice. I think he even has some daughters that are active that are trying to activate him but he's quite stubborn. The other man has a disease that effects his memory and health so that combined with a non member wife equals no church. They talked to us for a while but no luck yet. BUT WE HAVE FAITH and CONFIDENCE!!!! haha
A member lady in the ward who is a retired teacher has started to help us out with Finnish every Tuesday morning. She's really nice so I hope shes a good teacher. I think she taught english and teaching your native language is always hard. So we'll see.
Zone Conference is this week waaaaayyyyyy up in Oulu, a 6 hour drive away. Buses and trains are hectic and expensive, so yep, ROAD TRIP!!! hahaha, love it. We also drive to Savonlinna on Wednesday for Splits and then Zone Conference is on Friday. We have to spend the night at a church then finish the drive Friday morning. Then spend the night and drive back Saturday. whew, should be fun. :)
My talk went well. I chose to write on 'The Members' Role in the Church' because our branch is slacking in home teaching and basically everything. I was bold and told them what needed to be done in broken Finnish. Hope they caught on. I said we need to work together. They can't be part time Sunday members, but need to be Full time members just as we are full time missionaries. Glad that's over though. I was nervous, haha.
I'm kind of glad you haven't sent the package off yet because I have some requests. :)
-Macaroni and Cheese (the craft kind, not the all natural bluuuch kind) :)
-Good ol skippy Peanut Butter, none of that here
-Reeces Peanut Butter Cups
-Space Pen (Eden, sorry, I used it ALL MTC and when I got to Finland I lost it! )
-i think thats it . . . . .:) Kiitos!
Well, I'm glad you got the pictures!! I was out of time so I only sent a few. I'll try and send more. Isn't Joensuu tosi kaunis? There is a river that runs through so I took a picture from the bridge. Then from the shore I got a sunset pic. Then we have an AWESOME apartment. It's COLD here, no matter how many layers I have on it always gets through, haha. But the field is LITERALLY white all ready to harvest!
Thank you everyone! Sounds like life is busy and fun back in the good ol US of A. Glad to hear it. Can I have the Jackson's address so I can write Ben? Tell him and Matt Dobbins good luck for me, and that Matt should shoot for Provo! It's worth a shot, hey, haha, I got in, so can he.
Thanks everyone! Rakastan teitä! A new awakening is coming to Europe and this is the year of change, I can see it already and I'm sure you can too. The church is tosi totta! Moi
Oh, I attached some pics, not enough though, I know! But Dad, can you use one of these for my missionary plaque picture? I like them better. :) Cut it up or something so it fits and slide it in. Kiitos!!
-Vanhin Watson
So, lets just dive into it shall we? haha . . . . .
Splits were this week. We had one with the Zone Leaders and one where we drove 2 hours to Kuopio, because my comp is the DL and . . . .yeah. They were so much fun. I learned so much from each one of those Elders. They are all amazing missionaries. I was contacting with one Elder Kääriä from Sweden and amazing at Finnish, and he had me do a lot, I was scared. On one he said your turn. I walked up to a college guy, said as much as I could, then Elder Kääriä took over. We walked away from that one and he told me we have a teach at the chapel with that man in an hour. WOW. My first official nonmember teach. It went pretty good. I could feel the Spirit and I hope something good comes out of it. We just talked about the Restoration and I talked about the Book of Mormon. During Splits with the ZL's we gave away so many pamphlets and cards and 2 or 3 Book of Mormons, and all in a matter of hours. They are soooo good. It was awesome. I hope all those people call us up soon because we couldn't get their numbers. But they have ours.
We've been working with the members and less actives more this week. We had a teach with Toni Lampinen who I told you about earlier. Being off drugs has really effected him. He seems more depressed and bored. So I think our weekly teaches with him help out. I hope he sticks it through.
Last night we were trying to visit less actives and could only get a hold of 2. Both older people but really nice and both let us in. One said he only joined the church because of his wife, and now that she has passed on he has stopped. He was really nice. I think he even has some daughters that are active that are trying to activate him but he's quite stubborn. The other man has a disease that effects his memory and health so that combined with a non member wife equals no church. They talked to us for a while but no luck yet. BUT WE HAVE FAITH and CONFIDENCE!!!! haha
A member lady in the ward who is a retired teacher has started to help us out with Finnish every Tuesday morning. She's really nice so I hope shes a good teacher. I think she taught english and teaching your native language is always hard. So we'll see.
Zone Conference is this week waaaaayyyyyy up in Oulu, a 6 hour drive away. Buses and trains are hectic and expensive, so yep, ROAD TRIP!!! hahaha, love it. We also drive to Savonlinna on Wednesday for Splits and then Zone Conference is on Friday. We have to spend the night at a church then finish the drive Friday morning. Then spend the night and drive back Saturday. whew, should be fun. :)
My talk went well. I chose to write on 'The Members' Role in the Church' because our branch is slacking in home teaching and basically everything. I was bold and told them what needed to be done in broken Finnish. Hope they caught on. I said we need to work together. They can't be part time Sunday members, but need to be Full time members just as we are full time missionaries. Glad that's over though. I was nervous, haha.
I'm kind of glad you haven't sent the package off yet because I have some requests. :)
-Macaroni and Cheese (the craft kind, not the all natural bluuuch kind) :)
-Good ol skippy Peanut Butter, none of that here
-Reeces Peanut Butter Cups
-Space Pen (Eden, sorry, I used it ALL MTC and when I got to Finland I lost it! )
-i think thats it . . . . .:) Kiitos!
Well, I'm glad you got the pictures!! I was out of time so I only sent a few. I'll try and send more. Isn't Joensuu tosi kaunis? There is a river that runs through so I took a picture from the bridge. Then from the shore I got a sunset pic. Then we have an AWESOME apartment. It's COLD here, no matter how many layers I have on it always gets through, haha. But the field is LITERALLY white all ready to harvest!
Thank you everyone! Sounds like life is busy and fun back in the good ol US of A. Glad to hear it. Can I have the Jackson's address so I can write Ben? Tell him and Matt Dobbins good luck for me, and that Matt should shoot for Provo! It's worth a shot, hey, haha, I got in, so can he.
Thanks everyone! Rakastan teitä! A new awakening is coming to Europe and this is the year of change, I can see it already and I'm sure you can too. The church is tosi totta! Moi
Oh, I attached some pics, not enough though, I know! But Dad, can you use one of these for my missionary plaque picture? I like them better. :) Cut it up or something so it fits and slide it in. Kiitos!!
-Vanhin Watson
Monday, January 18, 2010
Hei no terve
Moi perheni!
So, I'll just dive into the e-mail because I can't think of a good way to start, haha.
After I sent off the e-mail last week we went out and bought a hair-buzzer and we cut our own hair. Haircuts here are really expensive. It was a first experience for me, haha. I just went into the bathroom, put it on a desired setting, and I cut my hair. I was so worried it was going to look horrible but actually, it really isn't that bad. I think its the artist in me. :)
I am now an official resident of Finland. They sent me my number from the magistrates office. :)
We taught two lessons this week. The first was on Wednesday with Toni Lampinen. He was an inactive member who has been on drugs for the past 10 years. He wanted to change his life around for the better and he has been doing well. He has been off drugs for 10 months now and has stopped smoking for I think a couple weeks. On Wednesday he invited us over and right away he asked for a blessing. My companion gave an awesome blessing and I was just there to lay my hands on his head. After that we gave a short lesson about the importance of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the faith we must have in it. I couldn't follow most of it, haha, but I was able to testify when I could. My companion said that I said the perfect things and just what he needed to hear. The Spirit must have been working through me because I was lost and was hoping and praying I could say something helpful.
Our other teach was basically at a tea party with three old mummos (grandmas), haha. Only one of them was a member and she invited us to this. They are all friends. We sat down and basically had a tea party, my first one. :) Hot chocolate, bread and butter with eggs on top and little cookies, complete with the tea cups. After the meal, we all sat down and we were able to teach about the gospel to them for a little bit. We gave the other two mummos a Book of Mormon and some pamphlets which they willingly accepted. Hope they read through them. We haven't heard back yet.
At church the other day a non-member friend of a member came. She is going to see what she can do to set up a teaching appointment at the members house and he husband will come too. I hope it works out. The branch here has set a goal for at least 2 baptisms this YEAR. We plan on blowing that out of the water soon so they have to reset one. :)
Tracting and contacting has still brought no luck, but we are still confident. Weekends are the worst because its when the Finns are in the Sauna. So some of them answer the door hardly dressed or not dressed at all (I, thank goodness, have not experienced that yet). Joensuu just shuts down early during the weekends and even during the weekdays it seems hardly anyone is walking around when it gets to 5 or 6 oclock. So that makes it a little harder. Last night we were crossing the street when an old man that passed us looked back and said in Finnish, "Where have I seen you before?" It was in the middle of the road and a car was coming so we said I don't know and tried to talk to him but couldn't because of traffic and he just kept walking. We were joking later about how we could have responded. Like, maybe you had a dream last night about two young men trying to come talk to you and stuff, or another one was, Well, let us tell you about something called the Pre-Earth life, haha. Finding is hard here, but it's fun and we're confident. Pres. Brown has titled this year The Year of Change. And he quoted Elder Rasband of the Seventy or presiding bishopric who said recently, "A new awakening is coming to Europe." Finland is one of the only growing European missions right now and we are pumped to keep it going.
My Finnish is slowly but surely getting better. At our bishops meeting the other day I said the closing prayer and when I finished the bishop looked up shocked and said, "Vanhin Watson, your pronunciation is sooo goood!" It made me smile and more confident, although I think I still have a looong way to go. I can't say much or talk much yet. We had a DA last night at a member families home way out in the woods. They have horses and a nice house and an Audi, which are everywhere here in Finland . . . . sooooo nice. When people find out I'm from Alaska and not Utah like everyone else they get so excited. So this family had me build a fire in their fireplace\furnace. I did and it lit like a candle. :) They were impressed. After some laughs and food we gave a spiritual thought and they complemented me on my Finnish because I read a little bit. They all know english so the whole time we had a mixed Fin-glish going on, haha. We almost got lost driving through the woods back home.
I give a talk this next Sunday! I get to choose the topic. It has to be for 10 minutes. AHH, haha.
A few of you asked about my companion and the city. My comp is Vanhin Ryan Struthers from Lehi, Utah. He went to UVU before his mission and is transferring to BYU when he gets back. He lived by Micron and stuff and knows about Kohlers, haha. He has been out a year and a half and I am his 3rd greenie. He's awesome. Knows Finnish. Funny.
Joensuu is a lot bigger than I expected. A university or two with a nice downtown area that puts Anchorage to shame, haha. Quite the mix of ages of people here. Some Russians since we're so close to the border. I'll tell more later because I'm out of time!
Well, it sounds like you all are doing well. Thanks for the e-mails and uplifting thoughts. I can't wait to get the pictures and package. Are you sending a recorder so I can listen to it or just a tape? Just a thought.
I wish I could write each of you but I don't have much time. There is only an hour limit at this library and I still have to write my weekly letter to the President.
Rakastan teitä! Still rakastan lähetystyöstä! No Reeses or peanut butter here or good pizza so I love ya more than that too!
-Vanhin Watson
So, I'll just dive into the e-mail because I can't think of a good way to start, haha.
After I sent off the e-mail last week we went out and bought a hair-buzzer and we cut our own hair. Haircuts here are really expensive. It was a first experience for me, haha. I just went into the bathroom, put it on a desired setting, and I cut my hair. I was so worried it was going to look horrible but actually, it really isn't that bad. I think its the artist in me. :)
I am now an official resident of Finland. They sent me my number from the magistrates office. :)
We taught two lessons this week. The first was on Wednesday with Toni Lampinen. He was an inactive member who has been on drugs for the past 10 years. He wanted to change his life around for the better and he has been doing well. He has been off drugs for 10 months now and has stopped smoking for I think a couple weeks. On Wednesday he invited us over and right away he asked for a blessing. My companion gave an awesome blessing and I was just there to lay my hands on his head. After that we gave a short lesson about the importance of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the faith we must have in it. I couldn't follow most of it, haha, but I was able to testify when I could. My companion said that I said the perfect things and just what he needed to hear. The Spirit must have been working through me because I was lost and was hoping and praying I could say something helpful.
Our other teach was basically at a tea party with three old mummos (grandmas), haha. Only one of them was a member and she invited us to this. They are all friends. We sat down and basically had a tea party, my first one. :) Hot chocolate, bread and butter with eggs on top and little cookies, complete with the tea cups. After the meal, we all sat down and we were able to teach about the gospel to them for a little bit. We gave the other two mummos a Book of Mormon and some pamphlets which they willingly accepted. Hope they read through them. We haven't heard back yet.
At church the other day a non-member friend of a member came. She is going to see what she can do to set up a teaching appointment at the members house and he husband will come too. I hope it works out. The branch here has set a goal for at least 2 baptisms this YEAR. We plan on blowing that out of the water soon so they have to reset one. :)
Tracting and contacting has still brought no luck, but we are still confident. Weekends are the worst because its when the Finns are in the Sauna. So some of them answer the door hardly dressed or not dressed at all (I, thank goodness, have not experienced that yet). Joensuu just shuts down early during the weekends and even during the weekdays it seems hardly anyone is walking around when it gets to 5 or 6 oclock. So that makes it a little harder. Last night we were crossing the street when an old man that passed us looked back and said in Finnish, "Where have I seen you before?" It was in the middle of the road and a car was coming so we said I don't know and tried to talk to him but couldn't because of traffic and he just kept walking. We were joking later about how we could have responded. Like, maybe you had a dream last night about two young men trying to come talk to you and stuff, or another one was, Well, let us tell you about something called the Pre-Earth life, haha. Finding is hard here, but it's fun and we're confident. Pres. Brown has titled this year The Year of Change. And he quoted Elder Rasband of the Seventy or presiding bishopric who said recently, "A new awakening is coming to Europe." Finland is one of the only growing European missions right now and we are pumped to keep it going.
My Finnish is slowly but surely getting better. At our bishops meeting the other day I said the closing prayer and when I finished the bishop looked up shocked and said, "Vanhin Watson, your pronunciation is sooo goood!" It made me smile and more confident, although I think I still have a looong way to go. I can't say much or talk much yet. We had a DA last night at a member families home way out in the woods. They have horses and a nice house and an Audi, which are everywhere here in Finland . . . . sooooo nice. When people find out I'm from Alaska and not Utah like everyone else they get so excited. So this family had me build a fire in their fireplace\furnace. I did and it lit like a candle. :) They were impressed. After some laughs and food we gave a spiritual thought and they complemented me on my Finnish because I read a little bit. They all know english so the whole time we had a mixed Fin-glish going on, haha. We almost got lost driving through the woods back home.
I give a talk this next Sunday! I get to choose the topic. It has to be for 10 minutes. AHH, haha.
A few of you asked about my companion and the city. My comp is Vanhin Ryan Struthers from Lehi, Utah. He went to UVU before his mission and is transferring to BYU when he gets back. He lived by Micron and stuff and knows about Kohlers, haha. He has been out a year and a half and I am his 3rd greenie. He's awesome. Knows Finnish. Funny.
Joensuu is a lot bigger than I expected. A university or two with a nice downtown area that puts Anchorage to shame, haha. Quite the mix of ages of people here. Some Russians since we're so close to the border. I'll tell more later because I'm out of time!
Well, it sounds like you all are doing well. Thanks for the e-mails and uplifting thoughts. I can't wait to get the pictures and package. Are you sending a recorder so I can listen to it or just a tape? Just a thought.
I wish I could write each of you but I don't have much time. There is only an hour limit at this library and I still have to write my weekly letter to the President.
Rakastan teitä! Still rakastan lähetystyöstä! No Reeses or peanut butter here or good pizza so I love ya more than that too!
-Vanhin Watson
Monday, January 11, 2010
Moi
Moi perheni
Sooo, I just wrote a nice long e-mail and right before I go to send it, it kicked me off and I lost everything . . . . .ug. So this will be shorter, sorry.
So, long week of tracting, contacting, and finding. Anything from streets, apartments, homes, etc. Still no investigators but we're confident we can find people this week. Opening a new city with no investigators or anything can be hard.
District Meeting was this past Saturday and here in Joensuu. Pres and Sis Brown and 4 other Elders came in and we met in our church building. An elder there gave a spiritual thought on Ether 12:4. It talks about good works and making a better world. Kinda coincidental because earlier that morning we were driving and an old lady slipped and fell crossing the road in front of us. Pres Brown and I immediately got out and helped her up and walked her across. She was very thankful. So that scripture and that kinda made me feel good. :)
Pres Brown gave a lesson on a talk from April conference this past year by Kevin W. Pearson titled Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. At the end were 6 Destructive D's we all need to watch and be aware of. It was very good and you all should look it up.
After conference President had a special meeting for the 4 of us that opened a new city. He gave us some tips on how to start out well and get going. It was very helpful. Afterward, he and Sister Brown came and saw our nice apartment and were quite impressed. :) I'll try to send pics in another e-mail after this.
Branch Conference was this past Sunday. Pres and Sis Brown both spoke and so did Pres Brown's counselors and our branch president. Afterward, one of Pres Browns counselors gave a lesson in a combined meeting. It was on missionary work. YESSS. He opened the members eyes on missionary work, how we do it, why we do it, how they can help and so on. It was awesome. The members got really excited and now we have 4-5 Dinner appointments this week so they can talk to us. Hopefully this excitement leads to some referrals.
In my interview in District Conference on Saturday with Pres Brown he complimented me and gave some good advice. He said he could tell I was here for the right reasons. My comp said later that he thinks Pres Brown really likes me and to keep it up. :)
Well, gotta go. Shopping and errands to do and laundry. Our washer sounds like a jet engine powering up, haha, kinda loud and funny.
There is a sale here on suits for as low as 65 Euros. European Suit anyone? haha
My comp taught me how to drive stick\manual. So now I drive more. :)
I love you all! Rakastan teitä! Pray for me for the gift of tongues and interpretation of tongues. I can notice improvement and the Lords hand in what I am doing here. I love this work and I love Finland. I love you all more than snowy, warmer days and old ladies riding bikes while wearing awesome furry hats.
-Vanhin Watson
Sooo, I just wrote a nice long e-mail and right before I go to send it, it kicked me off and I lost everything . . . . .ug. So this will be shorter, sorry.
So, long week of tracting, contacting, and finding. Anything from streets, apartments, homes, etc. Still no investigators but we're confident we can find people this week. Opening a new city with no investigators or anything can be hard.
District Meeting was this past Saturday and here in Joensuu. Pres and Sis Brown and 4 other Elders came in and we met in our church building. An elder there gave a spiritual thought on Ether 12:4. It talks about good works and making a better world. Kinda coincidental because earlier that morning we were driving and an old lady slipped and fell crossing the road in front of us. Pres Brown and I immediately got out and helped her up and walked her across. She was very thankful. So that scripture and that kinda made me feel good. :)
Pres Brown gave a lesson on a talk from April conference this past year by Kevin W. Pearson titled Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. At the end were 6 Destructive D's we all need to watch and be aware of. It was very good and you all should look it up.
After conference President had a special meeting for the 4 of us that opened a new city. He gave us some tips on how to start out well and get going. It was very helpful. Afterward, he and Sister Brown came and saw our nice apartment and were quite impressed. :) I'll try to send pics in another e-mail after this.
Branch Conference was this past Sunday. Pres and Sis Brown both spoke and so did Pres Brown's counselors and our branch president. Afterward, one of Pres Browns counselors gave a lesson in a combined meeting. It was on missionary work. YESSS. He opened the members eyes on missionary work, how we do it, why we do it, how they can help and so on. It was awesome. The members got really excited and now we have 4-5 Dinner appointments this week so they can talk to us. Hopefully this excitement leads to some referrals.
In my interview in District Conference on Saturday with Pres Brown he complimented me and gave some good advice. He said he could tell I was here for the right reasons. My comp said later that he thinks Pres Brown really likes me and to keep it up. :)
Well, gotta go. Shopping and errands to do and laundry. Our washer sounds like a jet engine powering up, haha, kinda loud and funny.
There is a sale here on suits for as low as 65 Euros. European Suit anyone? haha
My comp taught me how to drive stick\manual. So now I drive more. :)
I love you all! Rakastan teitä! Pray for me for the gift of tongues and interpretation of tongues. I can notice improvement and the Lords hand in what I am doing here. I love this work and I love Finland. I love you all more than snowy, warmer days and old ladies riding bikes while wearing awesome furry hats.
-Vanhin Watson
Monday, January 4, 2010
Terve perheni
Moi Perheni!
Vau (wow) what a week. I don't know where to start. Awesome is the word I'd describe for it. I don't have time to write everything, but in short, Pres Brown is awesome! We spent the night at the mission home Tuesday night and then in the morning we went to the mission office in downtown Helsinki. Vau. Cool city. Seems straight out of Pixar. The old ladies ride bikes and scooters, and every Finn has their own unique hat that makes me chuckle. The stoplights turn yellow before they turn green, and they are placed in the most random spots, and there are no stop signs, just yield.
At the office we went through some opening orientations and stuff then we went downstairs where the Neitsytpolku Branch meets for church and we had more opening orientations but this time our trainers were there. We didn't know whose was whose though. After lunch we finally found out our cities and trainers!! I AM IN JOENSUU (look it up, haha) and my companion slash trainer is Vanhin Struthers from Lehi. He's awesome, he's been here are a year and a half and he knows Finnish really well, yessssssssss. :) We have been shotgunned (both are new to the area) and will be opening the city to missionary work. It has been closed for about a year and a half or so. :D
After we found out President Brown sent us out into the streets for 30 mins to tract. I love Finnish, haha, it sounds awesome but they speak really really fast. No luck, but it was fun.
After coming back we said our goodbyes and set out for the train station. Our ride was for 4-5 hours and for most of it we had the whole cart to ourselves, which was fun. There was no one on the train it seemed like. We stayed the night in a city called Kuoppio where we are stealing the elders car there, since my comp is a District Leader too. And we get a new cell phone :) We stayed the night there and in the morning we set out for Joensuu, about 130 km away.
Our Pispa (bishop . . . . haha, you'll like that one dad) Jarvinen (who has had his calling for 9 years) met us there and showed us our apartment, which is said to be the nicest in the mission . . . . . and it is!! Sooooo nice. Newly painted, big, and new furniture and everything. Most of the stuff is from IKEA, totally unexpected. I'll send you pics. We looooove it.
I loooove Finland. Awesome food . . . .most of the time. The Juice and cheese are awesome, the people are awesome, the language is awesome. Just toasted bread and cheese is awesome. Bread is in every meal here.
We've been trying to contact members and tell them we are here and trying to get referrals. Most of them are old, but funny. One old man has a smile ALWAYS on his face. He's hilarious even if I can't understand him. He reminds me of the guy on the Pixar short film where he is playing chess with himself. Imagine that guys smile ALWAYS on his face, hahahaha. Love it.
At one members apartment, t(hey are all apartments here, no homes), she got her neighbor friend over and had us sing. We sang 'I Believe In Christ' in finnish. They loved it. Whew.
Last night we knocked on a members door, she looked out her window, saw two black, bundled up shadows and left and never answered the door, haha, I think we scared her.
Church was fun, only two hours because it's so small a branch. They speak so fast and just flow it all together, but I was able to pick out some here and there, but was lost most of the time. They already assigned us to speak in a couple weeks. Yikes! haha, no topic yet.
Last night we had dinner at the Pispa's. He almost fed me raw swordfish, haha, but we aren't aloud to have raw meat . . . .worms. eeeewwwwww
Sorry I'm speaking all over the place, not much time.
It's COLD here. it was -28 C yesterday and the sun rises at 10 and sets at like 3 or 4. The cold is different from Alaska, it BITES you, haha, I don't know but it's really really cold, haha.
Well, Finnish is hard but it's definitely possible to learn, I am lost most of the time but that is what companions are for. It's District Conference this week here in Joensuu so Pres Brown will be here. Then this Sunday is Ward Conference so he will be here then too and speaking, in Finnish, yep . . . .he knows it too.
Well, I gotta go. Love you all. Glad the funeral went well and you were all together. Can't wait to see pics.
-Vanhin cold bottoms, language confused, happy Veli Watson
Vau (wow) what a week. I don't know where to start. Awesome is the word I'd describe for it. I don't have time to write everything, but in short, Pres Brown is awesome! We spent the night at the mission home Tuesday night and then in the morning we went to the mission office in downtown Helsinki. Vau. Cool city. Seems straight out of Pixar. The old ladies ride bikes and scooters, and every Finn has their own unique hat that makes me chuckle. The stoplights turn yellow before they turn green, and they are placed in the most random spots, and there are no stop signs, just yield.
At the office we went through some opening orientations and stuff then we went downstairs where the Neitsytpolku Branch meets for church and we had more opening orientations but this time our trainers were there. We didn't know whose was whose though. After lunch we finally found out our cities and trainers!! I AM IN JOENSUU (look it up, haha) and my companion slash trainer is Vanhin Struthers from Lehi. He's awesome, he's been here are a year and a half and he knows Finnish really well, yessssssssss. :) We have been shotgunned (both are new to the area) and will be opening the city to missionary work. It has been closed for about a year and a half or so. :D
After we found out President Brown sent us out into the streets for 30 mins to tract. I love Finnish, haha, it sounds awesome but they speak really really fast. No luck, but it was fun.
After coming back we said our goodbyes and set out for the train station. Our ride was for 4-5 hours and for most of it we had the whole cart to ourselves, which was fun. There was no one on the train it seemed like. We stayed the night in a city called Kuoppio where we are stealing the elders car there, since my comp is a District Leader too. And we get a new cell phone :) We stayed the night there and in the morning we set out for Joensuu, about 130 km away.
Our Pispa (bishop . . . . haha, you'll like that one dad) Jarvinen (who has had his calling for 9 years) met us there and showed us our apartment, which is said to be the nicest in the mission . . . . . and it is!! Sooooo nice. Newly painted, big, and new furniture and everything. Most of the stuff is from IKEA, totally unexpected. I'll send you pics. We looooove it.
I loooove Finland. Awesome food . . . .most of the time. The Juice and cheese are awesome, the people are awesome, the language is awesome. Just toasted bread and cheese is awesome. Bread is in every meal here.
We've been trying to contact members and tell them we are here and trying to get referrals. Most of them are old, but funny. One old man has a smile ALWAYS on his face. He's hilarious even if I can't understand him. He reminds me of the guy on the Pixar short film where he is playing chess with himself. Imagine that guys smile ALWAYS on his face, hahahaha. Love it.
At one members apartment, t(hey are all apartments here, no homes), she got her neighbor friend over and had us sing. We sang 'I Believe In Christ' in finnish. They loved it. Whew.
Last night we knocked on a members door, she looked out her window, saw two black, bundled up shadows and left and never answered the door, haha, I think we scared her.
Church was fun, only two hours because it's so small a branch. They speak so fast and just flow it all together, but I was able to pick out some here and there, but was lost most of the time. They already assigned us to speak in a couple weeks. Yikes! haha, no topic yet.
Last night we had dinner at the Pispa's. He almost fed me raw swordfish, haha, but we aren't aloud to have raw meat . . . .worms. eeeewwwwww
Sorry I'm speaking all over the place, not much time.
It's COLD here. it was -28 C yesterday and the sun rises at 10 and sets at like 3 or 4. The cold is different from Alaska, it BITES you, haha, I don't know but it's really really cold, haha.
Well, Finnish is hard but it's definitely possible to learn, I am lost most of the time but that is what companions are for. It's District Conference this week here in Joensuu so Pres Brown will be here. Then this Sunday is Ward Conference so he will be here then too and speaking, in Finnish, yep . . . .he knows it too.
Well, I gotta go. Love you all. Glad the funeral went well and you were all together. Can't wait to see pics.
-Vanhin cold bottoms, language confused, happy Veli Watson
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