BIRTHDAY BIRTHDAY!!‏

  (Finland – Week 33)

25 Aug 2015

This week was fantastic! And as a matter of extreme importance, I am now an incredibly mature 20 year old. No more punk teenager. I'm 100% adult! Hence the incredibly mature and selfless balloons I treated myself to for my birthday (see attached picture). The second picture I have to give credit to my companion, she'll see cool sunlight, tell me where to stand, and then snap away. In this shot we were in downtown Helsinki waiting for a couple of sisters to go on exchanges with.

This past week I had a really unique experience. A sister left the mission field by herself, and she couldn't go to the final meetings and devotional alone, so my companion and I went with her! So at only my halfway point I have been to a departure devotional. At first it felt a little strange, even my companion only has two months left while I still have nine months to go. But it turned out to be wonderful to see such great examples of missionaries, such dedicated servants to the Lord. While there I was thinking about a recent convert here in Espoo, due to a pretty intense language barrier we teach very very simply. Through pantomime and broken french (on both ends) we communicated the question, how do you think it will feel to go home to your Heavenly Father, and literally be wrapped in His arms? I have since pondered this myself, and I thought of the verse in Alma 5:16, "I say unto you, can you imagine to yourselves that ye hear the voice of the Lord, saying unto you, in that day: Come unto me ye blessed, for behold, your works have been the works of righteousness upon the face of the earth?" In the MTC I read this scripture, and all I could imagine was going home, and having my family say something like this to me. While I still hope they do, I've since realized that there is so much in each of our lives, and my true going home will be that final day, when I meet my Heavenly Father in the flesh. At this departure devotional I felt such intense desire to hear my Heavenly Father say those words to me, I can't even imagine how amazing that will feel. Every time that I feel the Holy Ghost I get a glimpse of the joy, and that makes me want to share my testimony of Jesus Christ even more.

I hope you all have a wonderful week!

Much love, Sisar Mendenhall 

All of those scenes in movies that are super beautiful, were probably filmed in Finland 

(Finland - Week 32) 

18 August 2015

This past week we went to interim! That's a 3 day training meeting for all of the missionaries that have been in the field for 5-6 weeks. Normally the sister training leaders don't go, but since these new missionaries are all sisters we did! I was in charge of the kieli koulu, the language school, that was exciting. I got to tell my story about how every word is useful in bringing others to Christ. For example, I learned "to vomit" and thought that would be totally useless. The very next day we visited an elderly woman and learned that she needed help because her dog had vomited all over the house! Yay for Finnish vocab! We were able to teach and serve this woman as well as her dog (we created some less-abrasive-on-the-canine-stomach meals thereafter). 

I've been thinking about the desire of Alma to be an angel, so that he could proclaim the gospel to everyone, Alma 29:1-2 reads, 

"O that I were an angel, and could have the wish of mine heart, that I might go forth and speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people!

Yea, I would declare unto every soul, as with the voice of thunder, repentance and the plan of redemption, that they should repent and come unto our God, that there might not be more sorrow upon all the face of the earth."

I love why he wants to share the gospel, so that there might not be any more sorrow on the earth. The world teaches that there is nothing that works for everyone. No law without exception, no person everyone can love, no right way or even wrong way. All that is just really confusing. It's wonderful that the gospel really does work for everyone. We meet so many different people everyday, and always whatever they say to us relates back to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Yesterday was had a training meeting with about 40 missionaries and we asked how the Book of Mormon motivates them to keep working. It was amazing. For so many different reasons--inspiring stories, good examples, feeling the Spirit whilst reading--the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Christ has helped all of these missionaries to keep going. The Book of Mormon truly contains the fullness of Christ's gospel, I'm so grateful for it every day. 

I was exceedingly happy this morning about the size of our apartment. It's so small that I can plug the vacuum in one spot, and vacuum the whole place!

I just love Finland. 

Much love, Sisar Mendenhall

Mini Missionary and Huge Testimony

                                      (Finland – Week 31)

10 Aug 2015

Our week with our mini-missionary was awesome! She just loves life so much, and she loved being a missionary for the week. We put her on the train back home and she wanted to wear her name tag all the way back. She taught me a lot about appreciating what I have and how to have joy in everything. She reminded me of this scripture in 2 Nephi 5:27, "And it came to pass that we lived after the manner of happiness." At the mini-missionary closing meeting it was wonderful to see how much each of the mini-missionaries had grown. Just a week of really focusing on the Lord and His work had built each of them so much. The Finnish people are wonderful. They truly stand as lights to their nation. For example, in Finnish culture you do not say hi or talk with people you do not know (trust me, we get lots of weird reactions to our openness with people). Seeing the bravery of these little missionaries as they went against social norms to share the good news of Jesus Christ was awesome. I love Finland, it's good to see that this country will always be in good hands. 

This week we've been studying the example of Abinadi, and how motivated he was to do the work. Abinadi knew that he was going to be killed for his testimony, he had no motivation to keep going other than his personal testimony of Christ. I love his testimony part of which can be found in Mosiah 15:6-9,

6 And after all this, after working many mighty miracles among the children of men, he shall be led, yea, even asIsaiah said, as a sheep before the shearer is dumb, so he opened not his mouth.

7 Yea, even so he shall be led, crucified, and slain, the flesh becoming subject even unto death, the will of the Son being swallowed up in the will of the Father.

 8 And thus God breaketh the bands of death, having gained the victory over death; giving the Son power to make intercession for the children of men—

9 Having ascended into heaven, having the bowels of mercy; being filled with compassion towards the children of men; standing betwixt them and justice; having broken the bands of death, taken upon himself their iniquity and their transgressions, having redeemed them, and satisfied the demands of justice.

Abinadi is such a wonderful example of relying on the Lord completely. He knew without a doubt what he needed to do, and he needed no other motivation than the knowledge of his Savior, Jesus Christ. 

Have a wonderful week!

Love Sisar Mendenhall

Wow! You are so______!   

(Finland – Week 30)   

04 August, 2015

Well, it finally happened, a Finn has finally told me that I sound ____ . Twice in a week I was called the same thing, finally I looked it up, it meant fluent. Funny how I was being called fluent but did not understand the actual word fluent. I assure you that these were very kind Finns, I am not fluent, but I will work on that so that one day I may be, SUJAVA! (that means fluent, I think, I hope I spelled that right...) 

This week we have a mini missionary!! It's the coolest program ever, for a week teenagers come and live with the missionaries, eat with us, teach with us, and be officially representatives for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints! They are so excited, I love it. Our mini missionary is 15, like my wonderful sister Leisel! We have taught together, talked to so many people, and had a lot of fun. I helped teach the 5-hour "mini MTC" and watched them all be told where they were going, they are all really prepared. It's awesome to see the testimonies Heavenly Father gives, we don't need to have years of experience teaching or anything to have bright testimonies that stand as a sign for the nations. 

This week a scripture was brought to my notice in Jeremiah 16:16,"Behold, I will send for many fishers, saith the Lord, and they shall fish them; and after will I send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks." Someone pointed out that the huge apartment buildings all over here in Finland would have looked like giant mountains in Jeremiah's time, and that each apartment would be like a hole in the rock. This made all of us missionaries feel super epic, hunting out God's children across the land (probably with epic music in the background), and it reminded me how much I love what I am doing. I never thought that I would love the fact that I have sore feet all the time, because every time I feel my feet, I remember that that's because I told 100 people that day that Christ is their Savior. I love my Savior Jesus Christ, and I love how the scriptures apply to us today. They are meant for us, to strengthen and enlighten and inspire. I love studying the scriptures, it is always worth the time. 

I hope you all have a most wonderful week! Much Love!

Sisar Mendenhall

The Mustard Seed   

(Finland – Week  29)

28 JUL 2015

Hyvää iltäpäivää! 

This week we have been finding the famous Finnish wild berries! Berries grow everywhere here and you can just go into the forest and harvest whenever you like. We don't spend much time running through the forest, but we walk down a lot of streets and the berries grow on the side of the road too! We were walking a family to church and lost the children for a minute, turns out they were stopping for a mid-afternoon snack of blueberries! My companion and I have feasted on the delicious roadside berries ourselves. We have found blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries! The strawberries are so tiny and sweet they taste like candy. I feel like a true Finn now.

I was recently studying the mustard seed. We read in Matthew 17:20, "If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you." I've read that a lot and thought, wow, my faith isn't even as big as a mustard seed. Recently I've been thinking about this a little differently. A mustard seed is tiny, not much weight, not much to look at, really nothing at all. When a mustard tree grows to completion, the seed has become over 10 feet tall, birds lodge in the branches, and it is the biggest of the herbs. The seed really doesn't have value, except in it's potential. All of us have times when we have tiny faith, tiny as a mustard seed, and we feel that our faith has no weight. The wonderful thing is that we are not limited to perpetual tiny-ness. We grow, we find our divine potential, and we can become a great mustard tree. We don't need to be the tree now, we just need to trust that one day we will be. Trusting in the Lord that we can and will become something better, takes a lot of faith, a miraculous amount, and that is when we move the mountains. I love finding hope in the scriptures, if there is something that seems to bring you down in the scriptures, look at it again and find the hope.

Lots of Love!

Sisar Mendenhall

Happy Birthday Mom!  

(Finland - Week 28)  

21 July 2015

This week we:

·   Witnessed a crazy intense thunder storm. Whilst on the back porch the air flashed and the thunder followed right after, I am now endowed with the power of lightning. 

·    Had exchanges in east Helsinki, were late getting out the door, and booked it to our train with suitcase and cups of soup in tow. We missed the train, but we had delicious soup.

·    Could not find said sisters in east Helsinki, so my companion started whistling "Called to Serve", shortly thereafter we heard the tune being whistled back! We found the sisters.

·    Contacted a man on the street who had been praying to know what to do with his life earlier that day. We walked him to the temple which was conveniently around the corner, and he said "Thank you, I'm going to go pray there now." 

Most amazingly, this past Saturday two of our investigators were baptized, confirmed members of the church, and given the gift of the Holy Ghost. They were a mother and daughter and wow, the Spirit was incredibly strong. They were so happy, there was such a light in their eyes. We sang this together at the end of the service, 

"I have a fam'ly here on earth.
They are so good to me.
I want to share my life with them through all eternity.
Fam'lies can be together forever
Through Heav'nly Father's plan.
I always want to be with my own family,
And the Lord has shown me how I can.
The Lord has shown me how I can."

I am so grateful for my family, and that Heavenly Father has made it possible for me to live with them forever. No one has a "perfect" family (honestly though, mine is pretty close, well perfectly awesome, maybe not perfectly perfect) but everyone has a perfect Father, a Father that lives and loves them. Yesterday a fellow Sister taught me more about how important that is, that we literally have a Heavenly Father. We literally cannot do anything to stop His love. If we take one step and think we should have taken ten, He doesn't care, He's clapping like it's the first step of a newborn child. I love my Heavenly Father a lot, I'm grateful for everything that helps me get to know Him better. 

Much Love from Suomi! (Where one can find the gate to Narnia, here is photographic evidence)

and, HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!! Everyone go tell my Mother Happy Birthday! Love you Mom!!

Love Sisar Mendenhall

Beautifully Busy!  

(Finland – Week 27)  

14 July 2015

Heimoitervetoivottavastikakketteidänviikotmenivathyvin!! <-That was my last week! Busy busy busy! And my goodness it's just the funnest thing. I have had to find new ways of coping with excessive tiredness (see attached picture) and then coping with the subsequent problem of having no milk in the house. In a blind moment I almost had oil on my granola. Thanks to my companion for saving me from that lipid lunch. 

Last Tuesday I traveled from 0700-1030, hopped off the train, and didn't stop running for a few days. Normally a set of Elders go get the new missionaries from the airport, but since only sisters arrived last Tuesday we got to! It was so fun to be with these sisters for there first time in Finland. They all were way tired but way more excited to get working. We took them on a tour around Helsinki, a walk around the temple, and then to the Mission Home. We then stayed with them there overnight, helped in a trainers' training meeting the next day, shipped everyone off to their areas, ran home, dropped off my bags, grabbed a quick bite, and then ran to a lesson. The rest of the week was full of adventures, I've never slept better. 

Espoo is a wonderful place full of BUSES (it feels good to be back on a bus) and wonderful people. We are teaching an amazing family right now, the mother and daughter are both planning on being baptized this week! At church this past Sunday (where my companion explained that my Dad's position in the army involved karate chopping and secret agent work) we were picking out baptismal clothes and the mother was just smiling away. We asked why, baptismal clothes are not known to be the most fabulous wear, and she said that she just felt so good in her heart. That's my favorite thing about being a missionary. When people realize how close God truly is, when they can feel His hand in their personal life. We are literally God's children, He wants to be in our lives as much as we allow. This family reminds me of how grateful I am for my family, and that we get to be together as a family even in the next life.

I've had a wonderful week, I hope you all have too! Hyvän viikon jatkoa!

Rakkaudella, Sisar Mendenhall