Poro! 

(Finland – Week 58)  

16 Feb 2016

This week I had some really great poro at a member's house! The poro was in a sauce for salmon. I felt so Finnish. Reindeer sauce on salmon. Wow, it was way good! Here, Santa travels on a bike, so no worries about us eating his reindeer.

This week I was thinking about how I seem to always write about public transportation. I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but wow, I talk a lot about public transportation. I was thinking about one bus stop the other day, and all of the wonderful stories we have from this one stop. There is a member here who was found at that bus stop. Once we were talking to a woman, at this same stop, who was so interested she asked if she could give us her contact information. The other day I started talking to a woman at this stop, and a man about 10 feet away turned, walked over and asked if he could listen too. We had a great mini lesson with these two strangers at the bus stop. I think back on when I first came to Finland, public transportation terrified me. I didn't understand what anyone said. I knew I was supposed to talk to people, and didn't know how. I was so scared to ride the bus, but even more scared of bus stops because everyone could hear me even if they weren't in my conversation. I'm so, so glad that my perspective has changed! I wouldn't have had all of these great experiences if I never had been able to get over that fear. I know that Christ really does strengthen us to conquer all fear, all trials, all challenges. He cares about our concerns, whether they are great or small. And through Him, our trials don't necessarily become easier, but we become stronger and have greater capacity to face trials. I love the example of Nephi in the Book of Mormon, "And I said unto them: If God had commanded me to do all things I could do them. If he should command me that I should say unto this water, be thou earth, it should be earth; and if I should say it, it would be done." (1 Nephi 17:50) Nothing that we struggle with is meant to be hard forever. We don't ever have to think that we have gone as far as we can, with Christ we can always go farther. We never have to give up or in. Even death truly has no sting. I'm so grateful for my Savior every day.

I know I send a lot of pictures of trees, but these are really great trees. Trees here are just so tall, and the blue sky with the snow is just amazing.

Have a wonderful week!! Love Sisar Mendenhall