Toveruuden voima‏

(Finland – week 13)

31 March 2015

And we're back! Into winter that is. But you know what they say, April snowstorms bring May flowers!

Companionship power moment: I was talking to a lady on the bus the other day who was not Finnish, she spoke rather loudly, Finns are very quiet. We were having a good conversation about families, I even showed her a picture of my family, and then she asked me a question that I did not understand at all. I was a little panicked because our conversation had been going so well. I glanced to the side of her and saw my Finnish companion staring me down from across the aisle, she mouth "joo" (yes) and I exuberantly replied "Kyllä!" (also means yes). The lady was happy and we continued to talk for several minutes. I'm so glad that my companion had my back, and that the lady I was talking to was loud enough for my companion to hear. Double blessing! 

This week I've been studying the enabling power of the Atonement. Lots of times we focus on the power of Christ's Atonement to receive forgiveness for our sins, and we forget that the Atonement also allows us to become stronger, and to grow. One of my Dad's favorite quotes is that the Atonement makes "Bad men good, and good men better" I used to think this just meant everybody sins, even good people need to repent. That is true, but this also means that the Lord can strengthen us to stretch farther than we thought possible. There's a wonderful example of this in the Book of Mormon in 1 Nephi 7, when Nephi's brothers tie him up. He prays not to have the bonds removed, but to be strengthened so he can break the bonds himself. "But it came to pass that I prayed unto the Lord, saying: O Lord, according to my faith which is in thee, wilt thou deliver me from the hands of my brethren; yea, even give me strength that I may burst these bands with which I am bound." (1Ne 7:17) Nephi showed God his willingness to do his part, he humbly and realistically said, 'I promise to work, please just help me with this one part.' Then according to Nephi's faith, the Lord gave him the strength, "And it came to pass that when I had said these words, behold, the bands were loosed from off my hands and feet," (1Ne 7:18). We can do exactly the same thing, by giving our all we show we aren't taking the Lord's work for granted, and we are enabled to grow. I'd like to end with one of my favorite quotes, "Sometimes God calms the storm, and sometimes He just calms the sailor" (I'm not sure where that's from...) I love this. We don't have to be in a perfect situation to grow. We don't have to wait until tomorrow. With the strengthening and enabling power of the Atonement, we can start right now to become better, stronger, more dedicated disciples of Christ.

A lot of this is from a talk by Elder Bednar called, "The Atonement and the Journey of Mortality" I highly recommend it! (https://www.lds.org/liahona/2012/04/the-atonement-and-the-journey-of-mortality?lang=eng&query=strengthening+and+enabling+power) 

In other news, WE FOUND TWO PUZZLES IN OUR APARTMENT AND I AM BEYOND EXCITED! I get ready so fast in the mornings now!

Much love, sois fort (throwback to youth conference in Belgium:) ),

Sisar Mendenhall