A REAL FINN   

MTC - Week 6

Terve ystavatni!!!

I love Finnish!! Sometimes it feels like Willie Wonka explaining calculus in Alice's wonderland, but it's starting to really make sense! Like why wouldn't "purple" have 17 letters? It has to be conjugated the right way or obviously the force would be unbalanced. My companion and I have started practicing Finnish by translating hymns and it's super fun. It is kind of tiring, the other day my companion said, "I think I would seriously die without food." She is absolutely brilliant, that just shows how tired our brains get. We have Speak Your Language (SYL) days during which if we do not speak in Finnish (or if taking to missionaries that don't speak Finnish if we don't translate everything we say to them into Finnish) we have to write every English word we spoke in five different sentences. Our charade skill level gets +50 points every SYL day. 

At the MTC we eat every meal in the cafeteria. So because we have eaten many many meals there, my companion and I have developed fabulous getting-up-from-the-table routines which have sparked a fad. Much like synchronized diving, getting-up-from-the-table routines are critiqued on unity and complexity. Our newest routine involved the cups song (with Finnish words of course). Also at the MTC there is a thing for holding open doors. To avoid contention my companion and I both open a door, then run really quickly through the door that the other has opened so that both of us can feel good for serving. 

This week my companion and I...SYKPED A REAL FINN IN THE REAL COUNTRY OF FINLAND HAVING A REAL CONVERSATION FOR 40 MINUTES!!!! We ran out of the skyping room and just prayed in thanks for the gift of tongues. We had so much fun talking to our Finnish sister and cannot wait to get to Finland!! We said words wrong of course, but with some laughs and help we were able to communicate our message. The biggest thing they teach here about the language is that you have to just try and have faith that the Lord will provide. And then He does and it's just the best!! Lots of times when we want to help someone, or help ourselves, we think we are just too far behind to even start. Maybe we are far behind, but most likely we just need to stick our necks out there and give helping a try. If we show the faith to say, I need help, the Lord is so happy to give us the help we need and want. I LOVE CHRISTMAS TIME!!! And I love it because, "we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ...that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins." 2Nephi 25:26 Such a great time of the year!! I love my Savior, and I love you all!

"What's a fish's favorite Country? Estonia." --Said by the Estonian Missionaries next door. The real answer is Finland. Finland is every fish's favorite country.

Onnellinen joulu!! (Happy Christmas!)
Sisar Mendenhall

Pictures: Enjoying the December heat, and my view 9 hours a day (which I love because the gospel and Finnish are both pretty amazing)