Voi että

Vau, I love this new e-mail format. They reformatted eveything and now everything is just like a gmail account, haha, sweet.

Hyvää Syntymäpäivä Shannon. I'm glad my package made it to you on time, I made the box myself, haha, could you tell. Well, I'm glad you had a good day and that you like the chocolate, it's all I can do . . . . .really, haha.

Another busy week has come and gone. Where to start . . . .

On Tuesday we visited 2 less actives that lived way outside the city. They both let us in and we talked for a while. Veli Lampalainen and Veli Kakkonen. Both have been less active for a long time. One is basically a 70-something year old hippy, headband, long hair and all, haha, and the other was in a turquoise pajama one-piece, haha. I got a picture with the hippy, i'll try and attach it. We were able to visit with them for a while and remind them of the church. With one of them we watched Finding Happiness. Later that night we had a teach with a guy who told us to come back when we tracted into him. He isn't really religious at all, but he had a copy of the Book of Mormon that some missionaries gave to him a while ago. It was an old translation, but since then they have come out with a better Finnish translation so we gave him one. He asked good questions and we watched Finding Happiness with him too. He asked some deep questions though. For example, How is Christ's Crucifixion much of a sacrifice when he knew that he'd be resurrected 3 days later? It's like me sacrificing my tv for a few days then getting it back. So we tried to clear that up with him.

On Wednesday we made chocolate chip cookies for a less active whose birthday was that day. There aren't any chocolate chips in Finland so we chopped up a chocolate bar. :) They were delicious and she was very grateful. Later that day we hopped on a train to Helsinki where I'd be going to language school, Kielikoulu, with my MTC group. It was awesome seeing them again. We stayed the might in Haaga with Vanhin Bate and Vanhin Schollenberger. Then on Thursday we caught a train to downtown and we all met at the Mission Office. It was fun. We got to ask questions about the language and do some language activities. I got to make a shake, while the rest of the group tried to instruct me in Finnish how to make it. We were interviewed by the language coordinator, Vanhin Quinn, then he made a report on our progress and stuff to give to President Brown. That night we finally made our way back to the train station and caught our trains home. Helsinki is HUGE. After being in Joensuu for so long then going there it was a shock. Fun Fun.

On Friday we looked at our possible investigators sheet in the area book that the Kuopio Elders made when Joensuu was their visiting city. We called up the people who we only had a number for. We saw that two of them spoke English, so I called them. One was from Africa, said he's interested, and that he'll come to church, but he didn't show up, so we'll work on that. :) The other was a college kid from Russia. He was too busy with school but he wants to meet on March 15. So the 2 calls I made were a success, and the ones my comp made were not home and not interested people, haha.

Saturday morning we woke up at 4:30, drove to Savonlinna to pick up those Elders, then drove to Kuopio for District Meeting. Pres and Sis Brown were both there and so were the Zone Leaders. It was awesome. Pres told us that Europe grew 20% last year in the Church, the highest in the church. 2nd place was only 6%. So Layne . . . high five/fist bump. :) My Zone in Finland had 53 investigators last month, and the mission had 106. Woah. On Fire. Sweet.

In my interview with president reviewed the language school report with me and told me I was doing a great job and to keep it up. He said I have a gift. A gift of thought. He said I am a thinker and compared me to Jacob in the Book of Mormon. Did you know basically all of 2 Nephi is from Jacob? I didn't. Anyways, The interview went well and president is awesome. After District meeting we went out for Pizza and Kebab and drove home. We got in at 11:20. I was beat. Lots of driving so far in my mission.

Well, not much time left. But I'll try to attach some pictures. It's been cold here, We saw when we were driving the other day that it was -35 degrees celcius. ouch.

Gotta go, mutta, tiedän että tämä on tosi tärkeä työ. Lähetyöstyö on mahtava. Tiedän että tämä kirkko on totta. Jeesus Kristus on meidän Vapahtaja ja Lunastaja. Hän elää. Se on minun sanoma. Se on totta. Kiitos perheni. Rakastan teitä!

Hope all is well. Thanks for the e-mails!

Vanhin Watson

Vau

Woa, the news about the Jenkins is amazing, and quite shocking. I'm glad they are alright. Vau.

Glad Grandma is doing a bit better, send her my love. I sent her a letter the other day so hopefully it gets to her soon.

So . . . . Happy late Valentines day! They don't celebrate it the same here, and they say, Hyvää Ystävänpäivä, or Happy Friends Day . . . .i know right, where is the love?! haha I hope you all had a nice heart shaped cookie for me.

Sooo . . . .lets start shaaalllll weee . . . . .I forgot to tell you that on Fast Sunday after sacrament mtg and after I bore my testimony the bishop's wife came up to us and told me I look like and remind her of Joseph Smith, haha, that made me chuckle, but, that's an honor people don't get to hear every day, getting compared to a prophet.

I have a new companion! His name is Vladimir Falk, and he's been out about a year and a half and yes, thank goodness, he knows Finnish. He's from Russia, but at around age 10 his mom died, don't know what happened to his dad, and he and his little brother became orphans for 2 years. They were at an orphanage until he was 12 when they both were adopted by a mormon lady in Utah. She loves Russia and has adopted kids there before. So now he has 9 sisters and a couple brothers. Vanhin Falk is pretty cool and it's been good working with him so far. We've already had cool experiences. Some of our recent tracting experiences: an old guy yelling at us telling us to get out of the building or he'll call the police, another guy telling us to get out or he'll call the police, some college drunk girls laughing histerically through the door and slamming and opening it behind us while knocking on nearby doors, a college girl dressed only in a small t-shirt and nothing else (but I'm not sure, I didn't look to clarify, haha), and, on a good note, we got a return appointment for this week, a nicer guy. :)

Last Thursday a member from the branch invited a few friends over and us to her house an hour away and we and the bishop got to tell them about the church. It turned out to be a 6 hour event that was really wierd and crazy. The bishop popped in a DVD with about 20 slides on it about the church and talked and talked and talked and talked, while the member interupted him here and there trying to place her view on what was being said. They were cutting eachother off and really just boring and talking these poor people to death and we didn't get to do anything. All the while we ate pringles and listened to christmas music and sang hymns. The lady wanted us all to have a conversation about angles and family. She also talked about how bad women priests were and polygamy. All in all, very awkward 6 hours and I feel bad for those people getting introduced to the church that way. Good intentions, but bad layout and planning. It should have been a one hour meeting with simple, short truths about the church.

I got to bless the sacrament in Finnish for the first time yesterday, haha, I made it through alright, but I was nervous of course.

Eden, I got those pictures!! Thank you! Wow everyone you all look sooo goood . . .and skinny, haha. Dad, keep it up, you're looking great. Oh, and nice watch by the way, looks familiar. :P

Seth, stop growing, haha, glad the ankle is better. Jacob looks great, lots of hair, hahah. You all looked great. Glad I got those pictures. Can't wait for more!

Well, I'm low on time and I still have to write President Brown my weekly letter. So I can't put in anything spiritual this week, haha, sorry . . .mutta, minä tiedän että tämä kirkko on totta. Jeesus Kristus on meidän Vapahtaja ja Lunastja. Rakastan teitä!

Sorry I couldn't write more and to each of you. I try! Thanks though for the e-mails, updates, love, and uplifting notes. I appreciate it.

Moi,
Vanhin Watson

Changes

Well first off, be sure to send my love to Grandma. My prayers are with her. And Layne, my sista, you know me better than that, haha. You got mail coming. And the Germany Doctor, he's also our doctor, and his wife is Finnish AND they are in Joensuu this week visiting her sister, WHO lives in the next building over from us. hahahaha - Small world. We might go over and visit. I'll put in a word for ya Layne. :) Feel better.

News Flash: Change calls came! They were Saturday night and we thought there's no way we'd get called, since we are both new to the area. We made Makara, basically big cheese filled hot dogs, and ate some delicious Aino ice cream, and waited by the phone. My companion, MY TRAINER, is leaving me!! But, he's going to be a Zone Leader in Tampere, while I stay in Joensuu. My new comp comes in on Tuesday, Vanhin Falk. All I know about him is that he'll be District Leader, he was born in Russia, lived there till 12, then adopted by a Utah Mormon family and now, wahlaa, he's here. Should be pretty cool from what I've heard. So my comp has to pack, haha.

We had another District Meeting this past week in Joensuu. We continues talking about the topic from Zone Conference: Teaching towards the Investigators needs and adapting and adjusting to them. The Zone Leaders came the night before and slept over at our place. In the morning we got to have Language Study with them, which was cool because they both know Finnish pretty well. District Meeting was really good and that night after they all left we went tracting in some student housing and we got in and got a teach at one door! His name is Henri, and he was asking all the right questions and it went pretty good. We gave him a Book of Mormon and set up a return appointment for tomorrow. So pray for that to go well.

We've been trying to visit all the less actives and the other night we got to get in and talk to a couple. They really have no excuse to not come to church. They are both awesome older ladies and really just stopped coming. So they need to be reminded and experience the feelings they felt at baptism and what is was like feeling the spirit and being a member. That's what we've been trying to remind all the less actives and members, the feelings they had when they joined the church and why they did so, and the related questions. So hopefully we can get some more people coming to church, because now there is only about 15-20 total.

Our less active, Toni, is doing well. We still teach him every week and he seems to be getting happier and more comfortable and friendly with us. We've been trying to get him to put uplifting pictures on his now bare walls and to listen to uplifting music, because now he listens to hard core rock and rap. Yesterday he came up to us and showed us a church picture book he just got and seemed excited to go through it. :) He's awesome. Pray for him. Being dependent on drugs for 10 years then just stopping is hard on anybody, so he needs to pull through it. I know he can.
Aaaaaannnnnd, my contact just fell out of my eye, hahaha, try typing with a blurry eye and a good eye. Random.

Our DA yesterday was at the church again because the lady lives too far away. She made us Tacos. :) We got to know her a lot better and she told us basically her life story. Sisar Kauppinen is so nice and good to us. She even gave us a bag of food to take home on top of the leftovers she couldn't take home with her on the bus.

Ahhh, never enough time here.

Random notes:
-Clay Holmes is now in the Provo MTC, going to Argentina, Buenos Aires. Sweet.
-I've had Lamb, Moose, and a mystery fish while being here.
-it almost hit 0 degrees celcius last week, but has since dropped to normal, haha
-I bought a shirt that has SUOMI written across it :)
-when Pres and Sis Brown got here in Finland, the stats were 1 investigator per comp every 10 months. In 2009 it changed to 1\comp\2 weeks. Already in 2010 its now .75 of an investigator per comp per week. Things are changing here in Finland, for the best. Europe's downward slide has finally started to turn up . . . .where it should be.

Gotta go. Man waiting for the computer. Moi

-Vanhin Watson

Tupla Roadtrip

Terve perheni:

Busy busy week this past week. On Tuesday i think I had the most disgusting meal of my mission so far. It was at a member's, she was going to feed us and help us with Finnish afterward. The meal looked like spaghetti but oh man it wasn't. She dumped a whole can, juices and all, of old tuna fish into a pan of old tomato sauce and the multicolored shell noodles. Sounds not too bad, but this tuna fish did not smell like tuna fish. She filled our plates and we gagged it down, then she picks up our plates again, of course, and fills them again. I was last to be served, which means she just dumped everything left in the pot onto my plate. It's apparently rude to have leftovers in Finland. She scraped that pot clean, juices and all, onto my plate as i gagged and smiled at my companion. I almost threw up. She told us she wasn't a good cook, then she invites us over for lunch. Not a good combination, haha.

We had our weekly teach with Toni on Tuesday. He is progressing really well and I see a bright future for him. We are trying to get him to listen to better music and put uplifting pictures up on his bare walls. He seemed happier when we left and I stole my companions beenie when we were getting ready to leave and Toni saw me and chuckled. As my companion was looking for it I waved it at Toni and he laughed some more. I gave it back. All Toni needs is a good laugh now and then. :)

On Wednesday we trekked 2 hours south to Savonlinna for Splits. Vanhin Behnke, in my MTC group, and I were paired together for a few hours while the other 2 went our for errands and referral visits with the car. So two greenies were left together, haha. It was awesome. We would stop people and talk and do what we could. When we were walking away we'd be all like, Did you get any of that? Nope. hahahahaha It was fun. At one door we talked to a lady who we were actually able to set up a return appointment with. When she shut the door, as confused as we were with Finnish, we looked at each other and bumped fists and said to each other, "we greenies just got a return appointment!" We were excited. A half hour later we got another one while talking to a guy on the street, haha, we were in heaven. Two greenies on their first month in the country just got 2 return appointments, haha. It was awesome.

The next day we all packed up and the four of us drove 6 hours to Oulu for Zone Conference. It was long, but fun. Blasting Motab and church songs and singing along and having fun. Road trips are awesome. Zone Conference was better. Practically everyone stayed the night in the Oulu church building, that was a first experience for me. The theme for conference was: Teaching to the Investigators Needs and adjusting and adapting to them. The APs the ZLs and Pres and Sis Brown all spoke and taught and it was really good. Pres Brown had us listen to a talk by Elder Holland from a mission presidents seminar not too long ago titled: Teaching by the Spirit: The Divine Companionship. Vau. It was good, as expected, I mean come on, its Elder Holland, he's on a role lately. He talked about having and recognizing the spirit with us. He asked, Is the Spirit the Sr Companion, the Jr Companion, or even there today? He talked about the Principle of Three Witnesses. How a companionship is not just a twosome but a threesome. It happens all around the church, in the Godhead, the First Presidency and other presidencies, and the three witnesses to the book of mormon. It was awesome.He talked about other cool things. Pres Brown talked about it and let us ask questions and he answered them. Prayer was another theme. I wish I could keep writing about it but I'm running low on time. But all in all Zone Conference was really good. It was cool to meet other missionaries that are serving here and to be able to get to know them.

We stayed the night again then Saturday morning we set out again for our cities. This time I drove. The speed limit was 80km\hr, seems like a lot but that's only about 50 mph, no wonder it took so long. It was 8 hours to Savonlinna to drop off those Elders, then 2 hours back to Joensuu. We were pooped. But I drove the whole way. It was cool to see more of Finland. At one point everyone fell asleep so I had some quiet peaceful thinking time all to myself.

After church we had a DA and I had moose meat with mashed potatoes. haha, reminded me of home. :) They have a popular dish here called Kebab. Its not the one your thinking of. But we have it now and again. But no one really knows what kind of meat it is, kinda like hot dogs, haha. We think its sheep. But its pretty good if prepared right.

Well fam, you're all awesome! Thanks for the e-mails, I wish I could respond to each of them individually. Seth, get better! Thanks for writing me! Shannon, I typed your e-mail in wrong last week, sorry! Good luck my RS Pres sista. Mom and Dad, thanks for the updates and notes. Dad, Optifast must be working! haha, good luck, I kow you can do it! Eden and Lindz and Company, love ya all.

If you haven't sent the package yet I need deoderant, because here its expensive and small. Prefeeably the Gillette Arctic Ice kind. :) Kiitos!

I always feel like I'm forgetting something, then I have to wait a week to remember and tell you, haha. Can't wait for this long awaited heard of so much package, haha, with pics. I haven't seen any pics for a while. :(

Kiitos everyone, I'm out of time or I could keep going, haha. Love you all. Pray for me to have the gifts of tongues and interpretation of tongues. I pray for you!

Rakastan teit채. Moi moi

-Vanhin Watson