What I've Learned: JOY  

(Finland - Week 70)

10 May 2016

This past week has been wonderful!! Happy Mothers' Day to all of you mothers and to everyone
else as we celebrate our remarkable mothers:) It was wonderful to see my family! We also went to Suomenlinna last preparation day, it's a island castle fortress where people still live. The views were beautiful.

Part two of what I've learned, joy. The past 18 months can sound pretty rough if you focus on certain aspects. For example, I have never been so tired. But, the much more impressive aspect, is that never in my life have I felt so much joy. "Now have we not reason to rejoice? Yea, I say unto you, there never were men that had so great reason to rejoice as we, since the world began; yea, and my joy is carried away, even unto boasting in my God; for he has all power, all wisdom, and all understanding; he comprehendeth all things, and he is a merciful Being, even unto salvation, to those who will repent and believe on his name." (Alma 26:35) I LOVE this verse, we always have great reason to have joy. God wants us to have joy. He made us to have joy. Joy doesn't come from having a lot of things, or having time to clock out from responsibility, joy comes from actively doing good. We have fun with lots of these other things, I still definitely have fun from things, but I've learned what joy is, and it's better. It's more than just passing time in an agreeable way, it brings us closer to our Heavenly Father, and brings lasting peace and hope. It makes us better people on the way, and is independent of our circumstances. That means, we can create joy, we can create our own weather! My experiences here helping others find joy, has brought me more joy than I could have found on my own searching for my own.

Have a wonderful week!

Love Sisar Mendenhall