life is like a box o choc-o-lates . . .

Wow, I love you all so much. I love reading your e-mails and when I'm done reading all of them I am so sad, it's like watching the best movie you've ever seen and then it just ends out of no where.

This week has been . . . . missionary work, haha. I would take the usual approach to these e-mails and tell you day by day about what we did and what happened, but it literally takes up all the time I don't even have, so I'll keep it short, but goood . . . toivottavasti.

I'm sure with each of you on your missions you found yourself saying the same thing at every contact, at every door, to every person. This past week, I've tried to defeat that norm and change it up, allowing by mind to open, and my heart to be in tune to what the Spirit knows what that particular person should hear. Missionary work is all about teaching short, simple truths, because that is what the Gospel of Jesus Christ is, is it not? I have come to found that it's actually a lot easier said than done, haha. My goal has been to try and keep it short and simple, not long, confusing, and saying everything, or anything I know about the topic I chose to teach to the person in front of us. My brain is not as gifted in the area of coming up with these short, simple, truths in a understandable way, so I did what I should have done from the start . . .I turned to the scriptures and the resources in front of me. wow. I have a testimony that when one 'seeks' they shall 'find.' The Lord helps those who help themselves . . . a quote I know, but don't know who it is from. I studied up various subjects in the gospel and things I could say that would be powerful, yet clear and short . . . because as most missionaries have come to find, you only have 10 seconds after you stop that person to get their attention and their interest.

This past week was all over the place. We had fun trýing to contact some referrals that we received. Most of them didn't even live in the same place that we had written down, so the hunt was on. Some good stories came out of it, along with some laughs and some scares. One couple let us in. Another talked to us at the door, while their little baby daughter snuck through and started running off and around. The mom asked me to fetch her. If any of you know, missionaries can't hold babies (legal issues, accidents, etc), so I was in a rut. I tried cornering her and motioning her back to her parents but she thought it was a game and started running around the car and away from me, all the while my companion is still talking to the couple at the door. Finally I cornered this baby as she was running toward me, then, it happened. . . . .I saw my mission flash before my eyes as this baby girl tripped and face planted right at my feet, bursting into tears. I hurried and picked her up and brought her to her parents where she quickly stopped crying to my relief and everything was ok. whew.

As we were going to visit an investigator, we were walking to his building when the cops pulled up and dropped him off. He had a huge gash on his head and blood on his knees. Turns out he got in a drunk fight in the woods . . . . Tervetuloa Suomeen.

Antother thing before I go, there have been some huge music festivals here in Joensuu this past week, bringing in 20,000 more people to this 52,000 people city. So it's been hectic. Drunks, athiests, blasting music, people camping in the parks and in their cars, etc. Fun Fun.

Investigator 'N' works in the film producing business, so she was away all week, but she came to church yesterday and is doing well. We have some new ideas we are trying to put into action with her and get this baptismal date set.

Well, out of time. Eden, Seth, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! I sent you both a lil somthin somthin, but Eden, you won't get it for a while obviously.

Well, I love you all more then air conditioning, home-made cookies, and a fan, which we still don't have. Turns out it's a EUROPE-WIDE drought of fans because this side of the world is burning up. Luckily it's been cooler lately, but hey, I've found out that on a mission, yes, there is such thing as back sweat. :P

Moikka . . . . safe travels to all.

Vanhin Vatsön

kittos

Wow . . . Monday mornings are the best . . . .I guess for both of us, haha, I get to read all of your wonderful e-mails, then the same morning but hours later, you get to read mine. I'm so blessed to have all of you. As always, it was both refreshing and nice to read and hear from all of you.

Well, I forgot my planner . . .the first time on my mission so far. That thing is my life. Without it, I'm like what Dad looks like when he sees all the bug splatters and dirt on his new car. :)

It's been quite the week . . .I think . . .my planner knows. . . . anyways . . . We picked up another new investigator. He's a nice, single, middle aged man who's also an artist of some sort, he paints and takes photos and stuff. We met him contacting, got his number, then called him up at the beginning of the week and invited him to a church tour and he came! It went pretty well. He was asking questions and even let us teach him again yesterday. Sure, the first 45 minutes were him showing us all of his paintings and photos, and us getting plastered in Dog hair . . . literally, but we were able to teach him at the end and build a friendship with him.

Our Investigator 'N' is still the same as ever . . . .won't commit to a date valitettavasti. She always says, 'In time'. She said that she wants to be baptized, she's already made the decision, even a year ago she said she knew, but she is still waiting for an answer on WHEN. So, that is a work in progress right now.

Remember a few months ago when i told you about the 'interesting' member here who lives an hour away and we spent 6 hours there at an event she put together for her nonmember neighbors? Well . . . . .sheeeeee''sssss baaaaack! We had another one the other day, but fortunately this one was a lot better. It was kinda a ward activity because most of the branch was there. It was outside by a lake. We made makara and sang hymns and socialized and . . .alll in all, it went pretty well. It was a beautiful day and was an awesome location. Before we all could leave though, she just had to shwo us her 'special rocks' in her yard, haha. Awesome member, great missionary too. Our Investigator 'N' was also invited and came too and had a good time.

Kieli Koulu . . .Language School . . .was last week. We went down to Helsinki and spent the night with the veljet there smack dab in the city. I guess you could say I was in shock of how big Helsinki was, haha, compared to Joensuu. It was really cool. It was really nice to see my MTC again and see how they have been doing. Right after we had to catch the train home and it started raining HARD, even the Finns were in shock of how hard it was raining. People were hiding under bus stops and buildings because everyone was getting soaked. We stepped off the tram and literally ran for 10 seconds to the main train station. . . . .in suits and all (my nice grey, pinn-stripped one) (haha, Dad, I can see the look on your face now) . . . .anways, we got DRENCHED. It looked like we just jumped in a lake. haha, good times, goooood times.

On the train ride home I had a good laugh. On the trains, on one side of the isle the seats face one direction, then on the other it's the opposite. So the whole ride your basically just starring at someone whenever you look up. People already stare at us anyways, but since we were wet we got even more stares.

Well, I can't remember anything else right now, so I'll leave it at that because I have to go. I found a quote recently while reading a talk by Emerson that I really like, 'God is, not was, He speaketh, not spake.' Always like a good quote. :) I have a whole wall of them actually, by my desk.

Thank you all again. We got birthdays, travels, and fun times coming up . . . . .be safe, have fun. Don't change and grow up too fast without me. :P Love y'all. Hyvää päivän jatkoa! Moikka.

Vanhin Vahtsön

wow

Well, you all can imagine the shock as I opened up my e-mails a few minutes ago. Wow. I didn't think it'd be so soon. But it's incredible the peace that has come over me in these few minutes. When I left on my mission I left knowing that there would be a chance that I would return without any living grandparents, but I know and I'm so eternally grateful that I will have the opportunity to hug them and see them again regardless. It's actually quite strange, just this past week I started drawing a picture of her with the intent of sending it to her before she passed away. Of course I haven't had the time to finish it, but when I do I'll send it anyways.

Well, on that note, I'll tell you a bit about what happened this past week. Joensuu is starting to get a lot of success. We were let in 4 times on two days from tracting. 2 of those times we taught two people present. We almost got let in 3 other times but for good reasons we didn't, but they are all comebacks. With all these people added together, we would have received about 10 new investigators this week!!!!!! That's huge . . . . .here, haha. But, for now only about 4 of them really count. But the Lord's blessings have been bounteous this week.

Our investigator 'N' is still doing well. STILL no baptismal date . . . . she said, 'it will come with time.' ug So the next teach we are going to teach a bit about procrastination, haha. Yesterday she fed us and then we were able to have a teach. Her member friend from Helsinki, the one who referred her, was also there, which was nice. So she is still a work in progress.

We traveled up to Oulu to hear from Elder Causse of the Area Presidency and a Seventy. It was a really good experience and we learned a lot. He talked a bit about Desires, Being Bold, working with members, and then he opened it up to Questions. He even talked a bit about the temple in Italy ( for you Shannon and Layne) because apparently everything is going a lot smoother than expected. :) At the very end he played a musical number on the piano . . . .wow, he is very good at it. He played a rendition of Come, Come Ye Saints. It was awesome. It's cool to see a general authority in action and seeing his talents. At our lunch break inbetween just a few of us ate with him and answered his questions and asked some as well. I'm not sure, but he was a stake president in Paris around the time that Lindsey served there. You know him sis? Anyways, that was fun. Literally right after the closing prayer we went to the train station to catch our train. We slept the night in Kajaani with the elders there, then caught the 6:20 am train to Joensuu the next morning. But that night it was Elder Bradshaw's birthday! A couple really recent converts through him a birthday party and we were able to tag along. This converts were literally baptized a couple months ago and they are awesome. They are mother and son. The son really likes old fashioned Rock n Roll, like Beatles, Elvis, etc, . . . .he even dresses like it too. He has a toddler son who was there and he had his mini guitar and was jumping around while his dad played us some songs. All in all it was very nice of them and we had a good time.

Now, back in Joensuu. It's HOT. It's been in the mid 80's for a while now. Without air conditioning or fans, we have all of our windows open all day . . .so I woke up with a few mosquito bites, haha. The other day, before we left to Oulu, we were tracting out in a farther away area, just walking along, when all of a sudden we heard a HUGE, LOUD BOOM and cracking and stuff. It lasted for a couple seconds, then it faded away. We looked at eachother scared out of our minds and realized that we were almost struck by lightning, haha. The tag protects I guess, haha. The next morning we decided to do some yard work at our church building before we hopped on our train, because the building was looking horrible: weeds everywhere, lawn not fully mowed, trees and bushes over-grown, etc. So we made it look nice. :)

Well, that's all I got for today. It was great hearing from you all this week. Safe travels to all, and tell everyone hi for me! Wish I could be there for the funeral, but I know I am supposed to be here.

-Vanhin Watson

p.s. Give the Audis a Kiss for me :P hahaha