Mämmi and Epic Salad‏ 

(Finland – Week 7)

17 Feb 2015

Hyvää ystävän päivää!! Happy Friend's Day! Finnish Valentine's. We had a lot of fun talking to people about God's love as they walked by with roses and chocolates. A woman at church gave us a chocolate cake! I love ystävän päivää!

This week I had exchanges for the first time. It was really fun, the Sister Training Leaders came and stayed at our place, and then one went with me for the day and one went with my companion. We tried really hard to schedule double appointments for that day, but as things go we ended up with only two. So with the STLs we did lots and lots of contacting. It was a lot of fun, we talked to so many different people, and heard so many stories. I don't catch a lot of the stories yet, so my contacting is a little sporadic, but that's pretty good. When someone totally shuts us down I'm still smiling! For all I know they could have promised me a chocolate cake (ok that's a lie, I would recognize "chocolate cake", I have my priorities). We gave one man a card that he said he would pass on to his roommate, and then we got a call, he actually had passed it on to his roommate and his roommate wanted to come to church! My companion is 2 weeks from going home and she says that has happened only twice. 

We just got back from buying "epic fruit salad" ingredients (as deemed by my companion) so I was thinking, when we go to the store we often look for the best. The best product, best for our money, best gift, etc. When Christ came to earth, He wasn't looking for the best, He was looking for the imperfect, the downtrodden, the ones that needed the most help. And help them He did.  There is a wonderful scripture in Romans 8:39, "Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." I love this!! No matter what we do, we cannot be separated from the love of God, nor can we go so far from it that we can't find it again. We have had a really rough week as far as people listening to us, but knowing this gives us the strength to talk to people even after rejection. God's love can be found everywhere, people just don't know how to see it yet. Helping them see it is the most rewarding thing on earth, and then we all come together as the most epic-not-to-be-eaten salad.

I can see the ground! It's getting so warm! 

This picture is me trying mämmi for the first time... I like it now but not so much the first few spoonfuls.

Hyvää päivän jatkoa!

Sisar Mendenhall    

Can't Top This‏  

(Finland - Week 6)  

10 Feb 15

Tomorrow!!     

(I said that the other day in greeting, I was trying to say "morning", huomenna vs huomenta, oops!)

Well this week was probably the best ever. It started off with three days of interim training at the mission home with everyone from my MTC group, their trainers, the Mission President and his wife, and a few other missionaries. We all stayed there, it was a full house with constant piano accompaniment. It was so great to see all of the missionaries that I started this amazing adventure with! Then it just got better as we talked about the pure love of Christ, "But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever, and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him." (Moroni 7:47) and how we can all live more like Him. The three days flew by in good food and great company. Such a good refresher and inspiration to keep working. The only thing I couldn't handle was how clean the mission home floors were, I can't tell you how many times I took corners too fast and reenacted running for the train. For a person as short as I it is surprisingly easy to topple me over. 

SATURDAY was even better, our investigator was baptized, and then SUNDAY he was confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and given the gift of the Holy Ghost. It has been so wonderful to teach this man, he has truly embraced Christ. After he was baptized and confirmed there was a different light about him, he has always been a good person but now he's different. It's so wonderful to see him take the name of Christ, and promise to always keep his commandments. In the book of Mosiah in the Book of Mormon there is a group of people that were so excited to be baptized "they clapped their hands for joy, and exclaimed: This is the desire of our hearts." (Mosiah 18:11) This man isn't very expressive, I was definitely acting more excited than he was, but I know he knows it's true, and that's just wonderful. I probably did enough clapping for both of us anyway. 

Another bonus of this week, I got home from interim and found a bar of chocolate in my bag, thank you wonderful MTC companion!

AND look what I found this week! Yes, minun ystäviä, that is the sun, shining down on Finland, and making a mini miracle. (This was the second time I saw the sun since coming.)

Much Love!

Sisar Mendenhall

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

Sisar Indiana Jones 

Finland – week 4  

01/27/15

Moi! Hei! Terve!

This week has been very slippery. As in literally the roads and walks have been slippery. Here they put down gravel on top of the ice rather than trying to melt it, I think that's because whatever they did the roads and sidewalks would still have ice. The other day we realized we were about 30 seconds late for the train (as often happens) and my companion decided that we were not going to miss it! She dashes up the stairs in a way only someone accustomed to 10 lbs. of winter gear can, rounds the corner onto the track and splat! She epic-ly lays out on the station floor. I, in a great impression of Indiana Jones (at least that's what I looked like in my head), leap over my fallen companion in an effort to just punch the open door button. I didn't notice that my companion was getting up and my purse (containing an English Book of Mormon, Russian Book of Mormon, Finnish triple combination, and English quadruple among other things) smacked her in the head forcing her back to the pavement. I figured I'd apologize later, ran to the train and punched the button just in time to have it pull away. About then is when I realized how ridiculous we must have looked, and we've laughed about it for the whole week. It turned out much better that we missed our train. I think we probably made the days of a few people at the station too.

This week I've been thinking a lot about how the gospel really is for everyone. No matter who or where we are in life, we can be helped. It's wonderful because there are so many different kinds of people, and we usually think peace between these peoples is just the wishful thinking of beauty pageant queens, but peace really is possible when we bond over the gospel. Ether 12:9 says, "Wherefore, ye may have hope, and be partakers of the gift, if ye will but have faith." Anyone can partake! We pass out cards with our number and the invitation to come to church because everyone is welcome. One of the students from our school presentation last Monday came to church Sunday and it was awesome! Church is really a great way to rejuvenate for the week. I appreciate church so much more now that I'm here. I'm telling you all this so that you don't have to come all the way to Finland and knock your friend in the head to learn this. Church is very meaningful, go with a question you've prayed over and you will receive answers.

Word of the week: tulentekotaito = the ability to make fire! Obviously that's a word I use every day. 

This is me revolutionizing the work atop my noble pig steed. There are lots of random animal statues here. I'm not sure why.

I love you all! Keep warm! Or cool! Whatever your climate demands.

Much love and prayers,

Sisar Mendenhall    

High School and Mexican Food  

Finland - Week 3

01/20/15

Moi ystäviä! This week has been wonderful, so many fun things.

Yesterday we gave a school presentation to a class of 17 and 18 year-olds. I was pretty scared at first but it was actually a lot of fun. They asked really great questions and we got to talk about things people don't usually know or ask about, like our humanitarian program. They asked a lot about families so I got to tell them how we normally did Family Home Evening, opening push-up war and all.

One of our investigators is just the coolest person you will ever meet. He invites his friends to church, he talks about the church as "our church", he reads the Book of Mormon on the train even though it's not translated into his native language, and he just gets along so well with everyone. However he didn't start off doing all of this, we had to bug him for a bit. It's wonderful to see people grow and change in the gospel, sometimes you don't expect certain people to be very wanting to change, and then they just are! That's why it's so great to always be thinking, who can I share the gospel with next? You don't have to stress a lot, when you're really trying to find the Lord will give you opportunities. We find here that the more people we talk to on the street, the more referrals people give us! We have yet to meet someone on the street that wants to be taught, but still the more we try the more people we find in other ways. I found a super awesome scripture this week, 2 Ne 5:27 "And it came to pass that we lived after the manner of happiness." It's simple, to the point, and tells of the joy we get from living the gospel. I love to share that with people and tell them, I'm telling you this because it makes me happier, and it will make you happier too.

I eat way more Mexican food here than ever before. I guess I didn't really eat much before so that's part of it, but my companion loves Mexican food and everyone here is like "You're American you love Mexican food!" A Russian lady made us really great Finnish food, I guess everyone just likes each others' food.

I've found I really like yogurt-covered raisins, I ate like a pound this morning. On the bright side I will go through them quickly and then have no more temptation! Also I found the best looking chocolate so I attached a picture. 

And I found this squirrel in a tunnel one day, Finns don't like the word "squirrel", it's hard for them to say.

It's still snowing here and it's so beautiful! I really love the snow, I'm a little worried about it melting soon, it's gotten warm enough that I'm only wearing one pair of thermals rather than two.

I hope everyone has had a great week!

Sisar Mendenhall

Missä on sinun sormet?‏   

Finland – Week 2

Moi!! 

Week 2 has been great! I've been speaking more Finnish which means more laughs for my companion. I asked someone without gloves where their gloves were the other day, they laughed and said "Well I sure hope I know where they are!" turns out I asked where their fingers (sormet) were, not their gloves. 

This week I've been singing a lot of hymns for several good reasons. One of which is that they speak fabulous Finnish, and another is that they really invite the Spirit and calm the atmosphere. People always say when you have bad thoughts or are discouraged to sing and hymn and honestly, it's great counsel. "A song of the righteous is a prayer unto me" is so true, and earnest prayer is the best way that we can really develop our own personal conviction that Christ is the Savior. So sing hymns! Hymns have the power to calm, to teach, and to testify. All of those are invaluable in a world that teaches you not to hope, there is always hope! I like to stop people on the street and ask them what hope means to them, often they don't really know how to answer. I'm so grateful for the gospel so that I can know what hope is and what to hope for, and I'm so grateful for hymns to bring that hope to light. 

On a completely unrelated note (pun 100% intended), we have a really great investigator with really affectionate cats. I'm finding myself grateful for all of my weird animal stories (such as when our school had a cat infestation in the ceiling and for a few weeks cats were raining into the classrooms) because they've been testing my vocab and helped with contacting! 

People here are very kind. Really, we're spoiled a lot. Lots of people tell me how good my Finnish is, but they always say it in a creative way that, ironically, I don't understand. If they just said, "Wow you have great Finnish!" I could say, "Thanks! I try." But instead they say, "your ability to communicate in the Finnish tongue is quite impressive" and then I say "I'm sorry, I'm new and don't understand Finnish" and my companion says "They just said you speak great Finnish" and then no one quite knows what to say. I don't even know the word for awkward.

Word of the week: tiskaan, which means, "I am doing the dishes" Hooray for Finnish efficiency!

Hyvää päivää!

Sisar Mendenhall

Suomissa  

Finland - Week 1

Wow a lot has happened! Christmas, New Years, and I'M IN FINLAND!! I'm literally in a library in Finland and it's the coolest thing ever (literally and figuratively). I guess I'm not that cold, I've got two pairs of thermals, two pairs of socks, a massive coat, a scarf, gloves, and an ear warmer. So I'm actually quite warm!

First off Christmas was awesome!! Elder Nelson came and spoke at the MTC, I sang in the choir (btw, angel choir went really well, I didn't fall or anything), we had talent show (featuring an Elder from my district and his yo-yo, definitely the best act), we woke up at 5am to do presents with all of the Finns, ate a sack dinner in the hall (which is a lot of fun), sang more (lots of singing), watched Ephraim's Rescue, and called home! That was really fun but I think my mom thought I was a different child of hers for a second. So, a very busy day that was wonderfully focused on Christ. He's truly the reason for the season. 

FINLAND!! I don't know where to start, it's wonderful! Our trip over was great, both of my bags weighed exactly 50.0lbs so the trip started with a miracle. I came at the perfect time to clean up all of the Christmas chocolate:) I've already told people that I am a car, that my family has sold a lot, and several other things that I wasn't trying to say. Finns are genius, our towel rack is heated.

My second night here I taught my first lesson! (That's when I said lots of interesting things about my family, thank goodness I have my companion to translate my Finnish into Finnish!) And it was a lot of fun. I didn't understand much past the food being delicious, but that's ok. We taught that same lady again yesterday and I already understood so much more. It's amazing how much the Lord will bless us, He really wants to help us.

I'm in Haaga which is an area of Helsinki so thankfully I'm in the warm part of the country. It's a wonderful area! We already had a miracle Sunday! Two of our investigators, two less-active members, and another non-member who just wanted to come were all at church on Sunday! Sometimes church seems like a small thing, we think that as long as we worship God in our hearts it's fine. Really though coming to church is important because we get to worship together and strengthen each other. The power of unity is awesome, particularly with hymns, I love hymns! Last night we visited an old lady and all she wanted us to do was sing with her, it was really great and definitely brought the Spirit.

In case anyone wants to hear Finnish, "The Testaments" movie is in Finnish! So if you have the DVD you can just go to the language section and change it, and if you don't I'm pretty sure you can request a free copy. Try mormon.org and lds.org. The movie is awesome, so if you watch it in Finnish watch it in English after.

Oh man I just love Finland! The bread, yogurt, people. I'm so glad I get to come here as a representative of Christ, it's truly unique and I just love it!

The picture of the snowy forest that you might recognize from Narnia, that's the view out my apartment window.

Thanks everybody for your love and support!

Rakkaudella,

Sisar Mendenhall