terrrrrrrrve

No niin . . . .Terve Terve y'all. Once again all the e-mails were quite enjoyable, so a deep and profound THANK YOU to you and you and you. :) . . . . and you.

Well, like I said in last weeks e-mail I was kinda sick recently. For the rest of the week I didn't feel too good, but I am doing a lot better right now, besides the constant sniffles and occasional coughs. I was the whole week in Kuopio with Elder Pond. Elder Ranzenberger and Elder Gorringe went together to Helsinki for a set of training meetings. I am now part of a dying breed of missionaries in Finland that still haven't been to that meeting (there's been 2 now). haha

Kuopio was a different experience . . .the first time I have served in another city. It's twice the size, so there's a ton more people to talk to. Elder Pond and I did a lot of finding and found a few potentials for them to work with since their teaching pool is kinda shallow because they had 2 recent baptisms. Elder Pond and I are from the same MTC group, so we were pretty dependent on each other language wise. I found myself stepping up my game and leading a bit more, which was a weird feeling, but apparently it helped because Elder Ranzenberger has already told me that my Finnish and my teaching is better. :) In Kuopio we tracted into a guy with a tube in his throat and he was only wearing a towel. He was pretty angry at us so we just left and went to the next door . . he watched us, then angrily told us to leave and stop disturbing people and proceeded to escort us out of the complex. Elder Pond said that it was 2nd time he felt like hitting someone on his mission, haha. The man was pretty rude and with the tube and all, he was pretty hard to understand Finnish wise, haha. Nevertheless, a child of God. :)

We had one scheduled appointment and we didn't have a member yet to come along. It was a half hour before the teach and just then we got a text message from a younger member in med school there in Kuopio asking us if we needed help that day . . . . .YES. haha My comp and Elder Gorringe had a similar experience that same day when they were taking the train back home . . . Turns out they hopped on the wrong train and ended up traveling all day to fix it. They didn't know what to do because the mission office was closed so they didn't know the train times or anything, It was then when a member here in Joensuu texted them and just said, Do you two need some help? She just felt inspired to randomly text and ask . . . .YES. Wow, the church is true. Love it.

So my comp and I didn't get back to Joensuu until around 8:00 Saturday night . . . then a member picked us up and hurried us to their house for a DA because their fridge broke earlier in the day and all their food was going bad, so they called us up for 'help' to eat it all . . . . this is just an old couple here. So we scarffed down a fridge worth of food then hurried home to get there in time for curfew . . carrying our luggage, and not to mention our stomachs, with us.

Yesterday in church I had to give a talk. Since I was in Kuopio all week I didn't get a chance to write it, until yesterday morning, haha, whoops. Once I repented I was able to whip out a decent talk about the Book of Mormon. I got compliments afterward from members about how clear and well I spoke. yeeeaaah :)

Well, back to P-Day . . . always in a rush.

Oh, we'll be back in Kuopio this weekend to see Yleiskonferenssi (General Conference)!!!!!!!! We'll miss the last session Sunday :( and the rest will be all screwed up because of the time difference, but I can't wait!!! Best time of the year!! I can't believe it was this time last year when I was in a hotel room with 2 throwing up sisters, a crying baby, and a grumpy ol man . . .haha, just kidding Dad. :P Love you. Pray for you. Miss you.

''Let us realize that the priviledge to work is a gift, that the power to work is a blessing, that the love of work is success.'' -David O. McKay I love this work. Happy days and crunchy leaves to all. Moi

-Vanhin Watson

Kiitos teille!!

Wow, thank you everyone for all the wonderful e-mails and the birthday wishes!! 2 decades and counting . . . . .woa. Everything went well and smooth and I enjoyed celebrating it in the service of the Lord, as a representative of Him . . . that's the greatest present. Not very many people knew it was my birthday, which was nice because it made it a day to focus on the work. At a DA after church with our branch president and N, who was invited along, V. Ranzenberger told them on our way out and so they all sang to me. Another member gave us a small cake on Saturday as we stepped off the train. Then, last P-Day we bought a small cake at the store. Both were delicious . . . I took pictures. :)

Well, guess what?! I'm writing you from Kuopio . . . not Joensuu! No, no transfer, haha. There is a leadership meeting for all the mission leaders in Helsinki this week, so, our DL invited my companion along for this one, since last month he and his companion went to the same meeting. So, we're kind of having splits for the week, and now I am in Kuopio with Vanhin Pond from my MTC group!! It's a nice refresher for a little bit, haha. Vanhin Ranzenberger was really excited to go to Helsinki . . . . . could mean he's training or going District Leader soon . . .just my guess. :P We woke up at 5:45 this morning to catch a train to Kuopio, then V. Gorringe and V. Ranzenberger got on the train to Helsinki.

About this past week:

-2 new investigators, both from let ins while tracting. Both are pretty nice. One of them we met the next day in the building next to theirs. We met her there and she took us to the 2nd floor and into this huge private library . . .and there we taught the first lesson. Sweet.

-It's been raining off and on, which means we get stuck in it while tracting, which means we get soaked. Yay! Weather is changing already. I have now seen Joensuu in all the seasons.

-We had a Specialized Training Meeting in Oulu last Friday, which means that we spent most of Thursday and Saturday traveling to and from home. It was a really good experience though. We're learning how to teach the Fundamentals of Preach My Gospel more simply and powerfully. No new lessons, just training. I like it. :)

-After the meeting on Friday, the Oulu Zone Leaders overbooked their schedule, so my comp and I had to go to one of their teaches for them.

-We taught the lesson in Priesthood yesterday.

-We had 3 investigators in church yesterday!! It was the first time for one, and she cried for most of it. Yeeaah! She made really good friends with one particular member, too bad that member was visiting from Helsinki, haha. But, Sunday in general was a good day for church, very spiritual and welcoming.

Sorry, I'm getting kind of sick, so I can't concentrate right now and I still have to write Pres Brown his weekly letter, so I have to go.

Not too much info for ya this week, sorry. But I was glad to hear from all of you. I'll attach some pictures . . . I got some good ones. :)

Rakastan teitä. Moi.

-Vanhin Watson

p.s. Alright, the pictures weren't sending . . . sorry, I have some good ones, but you'll have to wait for next week!!

Syksy on täällä

Fall is here. Leaves are changing. The days are cooling. The mummos are scootering. Ahh, Terveluoa Suomeen. Another week of chills and thrills has come and gone. And now, I'm back at the library with the hour that I have to give a shout out to the wonderful family and friends that I have. . . . here goes nothin. . . .

N has been having a rough time lately as far as the family situation goes. After a tough phone conversation with her dad, she felt impressed (what else is new, haha) not to hang up, but wait. As it turns out, her dad forgot to hang up and put the phone in his pocket and proceeded to talk to his wife, her mother, all the while bashing their daughter and the church she wanted to be a part of . . . with this same daughter hearing the whole thing. Words cannot describe how horrible that would feel. N being N, she has toughed through every storm and every trial thrown at her, but she is struggling to find direction on what to do about the burdens that unceasinly seem to be piling up on her back. Of course, the Gospel of Jesus Christ has and always will be the answer, and we are in the process of showing that to her. She is still as ready as ever to be baptized, but she's waiting for reasons only known to her. On another note, she made us muffins and gave us a note written like it came from the pen of the prophet himself, haha, very hreartfelt and appreciative of what we have done with her. :)

As time is of the essense, here goes the list . . .

-tracted into a man that no limbs, all amputated, he hobbled to the door on his stubs, interesting experience

-contacted into an Olympic athlete, a Finn who competed in cross country in Salt Lake, got 4th. . . has been caught doping 3 times since . . . ouch

-had a DA yesterday with a pretty wealthy family who fed us steak . . . .yes, it's true, STEAK on a mission :P . . . . .and I sleep on a queen size bed, haha

-yesterday I ran over a HUGE thorn on my bike, yay for repairs

-this weekend we are heading to Oulu, but not for Zone Conference, but a Specialized Training Meeting . . . we can't wait!

-this past Friday we had District meeting in Kuopio, yay for 3 hours on a bus

-I love my Family :)

-We had a DA slash teach at a less active's house where the father and the kids aren't members. The father is extremely Anti, but he was out of town so they invited us over. The whole time we were scared out of our minds that the Dad would burst through the door. We were ready to dash for the backyard fence in our socks at a moments notice, haha.

I still don't know what we'll do for my birthday . . . so weird that it's already here. But there's no better way to spend it than in the service of my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Love ya all TONS more than crunchy leaves and e-mails from loved ones. Moikka

-Vanhin Vatsön

P.S. in the pics. . . . yes, kangaroo meat in the store, haha . . . . .my comp has grey hair, hahahaha

History in the making . . .

So . . .I bet the fact that I am writing you all a day late has led to some questions . . . . .transfer or no transfer . . . . . . . . . .I, Vanhin Watson, in my opinion, am probably making church history . . . yes, me . . . .because I am STAYING in Joensuu for a 7th change. 7: the heavenly number. You know what this means? I will hit my year mark as a missionary in my greenie city, hahaha. To add to the history making, I am with the same companion!! hahaha You heard it right, 7 changes in the same city, and this'll be my 4th with the same companion . . . probably never heard of. When the change call never came Saturday night, we've been laughing ever since. Me jäämme!!!!

Well, back to business . . . . . I'll probably resort back to the list thing this week of all that has happened recently. Yes, it was another week full of stories and experiences for the journal pages. Here's the news from Lake Wobegone . . . .:

-our last P-day was DOMINATED because a member was teaching us how to knit for 2 and a half hours . . . .yay! No, I still don't know how. Tough stuff. Needles everywhere.

-We had splits on Tuesday, and the 2 Elders that came down were both in my MTC group, Vanhimmat Gorringe and Pond. It was a day full of teaches and fun. They even found a chinese man while contacting, set up a teach for later, and in that teach the man said,''well, if baptism is the first step, I guess that's what I need to do!'' This man was actually friends with our other chinese investigator that recently flew back to China. This investigator apparently told his friends about us, and 'the Book' and this one was interested, and BAM, missionaries stop him on the street. Wow, the church is true. . . . .the bad news is, is that he called us up later saying that he can't meet with us because his mom doesn't want him to break up their heritage and tradition as Buhddists. :( He's gone. But, from what we've been experiencing, China is soo ready to be opened!

-We gave a church tour to one of our new investigators and brought a member along. When we opened the doors to show her the font, she immediately put her hands over her eyes and said that she had just had a dream, and THAT font was in it!! She then, with eyes still covered, proceeded to describe what it looked like, everything being correct!!!! AHHHHH!!! The church is true.

-While on splits, the four of us elders went and gave 'N' a blessing, her first one. She's still amazing as ever. In a couple hours we are going to a teach with her, in which she requested that we speak about and draw out Jacob 5, and how she can apply it in her life. Amazing. Maybe I'll finally send you a pic of this amazing elect investigator.

-An older member couple took us out to eat . . . .it ended up being at a Food Kitchen slash shelter type of place. haha

-We had a couple experiences with drunk people . . . early sunday morning, a younger investigator called up wanting to meet and show us something. We went over, and it ended up her was drunk and proceeded to walk us through the cemetary. The other experience was a let in by a potential, but he and his friends were stoned.

-Just yesterday we gave a church tour to a potential. At the end we gave him a Book of Mormon. To show his appreciation for this free gift he sang some type of Finnish song of thanks or something to us right then and there, haha.

-Last but not least, we got J-Dubbed yesterday . . . mummos. Gave us pamphlets, told us to not be decieved, and started to walk away, but I flipped out a pass a long card and gave it to them before they could leave, haha. The battle is ON.

Well, there you have it, at least the parts I have time to write about. I loved reading your e-mails and updates this week, as usual, but it seems they just keep getting better and better. Kiitos teille! I want to write you all so bad to answer questions and stuff. I'm trying!! Hahahaha, I feel like the old rusty barbed wire fence President Hinckley once talked about . . . .still here. haha Love you all. Moi.

-Vanhin Watson

p.s. attached some pics . . . .2 are the same place, just diff seasons! Another one is my comp and 'N'