Bonjour mes amies! 

(Finland – Week 5)  

02 Feb 2015

You know it's been a fun week when you sit down for language study and say "Yay! We only have to study one foreign language!" I taught my first lesson in French this week, well mostly my companion taught. She majored in French and now it is proving quite useful. We have a bookshelf in our apartment full of Books of Mormon, but there's only 2-3 of each language. There are lots of immigrants here and we love to find them and promise them a book in their own language. They usually get really excited, it's really special that missionaries teach people in their own languages. That really shows how much the Lord loves people, He wants everyone to hear the gospel not just anyway, but in a way that can speak to their hearts the best. 

This week I've thought about appreciating the little things, here's a few joys I found this week:

I've learned that you can really learn to love anything. I now love raisins. I've always avoided them like the plague and now we've eaten almost a kilo in a week. That's a small example, but really people can change. 

Our answers to prayers are often small, and often not answered how we think they should be but they always are answered. This week I really wanted a hug from a friend that was always so good at putting me back on my feet. That night my companion said some things that sounded just like what that friend would say, and then she gave me a big hug. I don't usually like hugs, ask my Dad how hugging goes for him. But then it was exactly what I needed.

These are only two examples, everyday there is a lot to be grateful for. Often we look for the big things that might not be there. Sometimes the thing we imagine we need is so big it blocks out what we have. Gratitude is really my favorite emotion, it expands and fills you up. The gospel is such a joyous message! I was talking with a Russian lady the other day and she was very impressed to hear how joyful our message is, why wouldn't it be? God is our loving Heavenly Father, "Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy." (2 Nephi 2:25)  

Finland is wonderful, I was also worried about the snow melting, it's getting warmer. this picture shows I had nothing to fear, in the slightest. See if you can find the road.  

Hyvää päivää!!

Sisar Mendenhall