I thought I was called to Finland!!??

I thought I was called to Finland?!? The whole week the weather has been clear and sunny and temps close to 90. My companion and I are always outside and when we went to Helsinki earlier in the week so he could go to Language School, everyone was commenting how tan he was . . . haha . . . . We're both pretty burned. We even had to take an emergency trip to the store to by some sunscreen and aloe vera. With the Europeans STILL living in the stone age here without air conditioning, we had to by a fan last week and it's been on whenever we are home. Yay for sweat. yaaaaaaaaaay :P jk Luckily, yeasterday night and today it's been POURING rain, and I mean POURING!

Anyways, it's been one of the best weeks of my stay here in Kouvola this past week. I'll get right into it and tell you why. . . . . . .We found a ton of new people to teach, one already a new investigator, we set a BAPTISMAL DATE, we had splitz with our District Leader, and we taught all of our investigators, AND still went to Helsinki so that Elder Edelman could go to Kieli Koulu. No, I wasn't able to go to the temple this time, I got off the train in a city called Kerava and worked for the day there with Elder Christensen, while his companion, my companion's MTC companion, hopped on the train and they went down into Helsinki together. It's always weird doing missionary work in a city other than your own. When I got back to Kouvola it really felt like I was at home again.

So, after Church yesterday, our investigator, the one who has been investigating for just over a year now, Olavi, came up to us and told us out of no where that he finally wanted to be baptized!!!!!!! I'm so excited for him and I know he will make an awesome member. We set the date for the 29th of this month, but it may have to be pushed to earlier because he wants the Elders who first found him to be there too . . . and one of those Elders is about to head home . . . on the 30th actually . . .so that'd be kinda hectic for him. But, kuitenkin, it's going to happen!!!!! Since we only have a small rental space here for a chapel, we don't have a font. So it'll happen at a lake by a members' cabin. There's a good chance that I might not be there to see it. I have been here for 5 transfers and I could be leaving the day or 2 before if I get a change call. But, we'll see, maybe Pres. Brown will let me stay to see it or maybe I'll just stay for a 6th transfer, haha. As, Olavi was walking away after church, we watched him walk away and it was like a scene from a movie . . him walking into the horizon . . . and I couldn't help but be overwhelmed with gratitude to my Heavenly Father for the man who wants to follow Him.

So, with one on his way to the water, we had to find someone to fill his spot, and we found him! A young man who let us in when we knocked on his door. He will be a perfect example of how the gospel can change lives. His hair was long and greasy, the place was a mess and smelled of BO, claims he's seen the devil's face, and to make things worse, PORN ALL OVER THE PLACE. He's willing to listen though and after some questioning and teaching, we know he's interested. I had to ask him though to take down the porn in a certain spot so that when we come again, we can look at him and not at it. . . . which, thankfully, he did do. We also found a young man at a bus stop with gum stuck to his shoes, a girl cleaning a hallway, and a whole lot more this week. We've been blessed. We've been praying and fasting for this to happen because we haven't found anyone new in a while.

Well, I'd better go. As the scriptures read, Seek not to counsel the Lord, but seek ye to take counsel from His hands. Whether that be in the form of His servants here on earth, heeding to the scriptures, or focusing and DOing His will rather than our own, I know it to be true. In the end, His path will be the only one without a dead end.

Rakkaudella,

Vanhin Watson