LEAPING  

(Finland – Week 11)  

17 March 2015

Moi from the land of SPRING!! It's been sunny for SIX days in a row! A woman yesterday told me that in the month of January we had 3 hours of sunlight, this is a big deal. We just want to lie in it, in our jackets and scarves of course.

This week I played sähly for the first time which is indoor hockey with a wiffle ball. (Not so sure how to spell wiffle, wiffel?) It was intense. We had an investigator there with a variety of different sticks, I picked the red one rather than the white one. That's kind of like my knowledge of cars, there are white cars and red cars. My red stick did well. It was great for language practice! Apparently in Finland to say "go team" you say, "go team". Man I love it when that happens. Lots of Finnish words are English words with an "i" on the end. Apparently though "spooni" doesn't translate. Thus after just one embarrassing dinner appointment, I forever will remember spoon. Actually I think I might only remember fork and knife, oops.

I recently read this fun story of a man that couldn't walk in Acts 3:6-8:

 "Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God."

I love to picture this man and his weak ankle bones leaping for the first time. How joyous the love of Christ is, it can heal us from everything! Weak ankles, broken hearts, stubbed toes, you name it. How can we not leap for joy at that? I've been leaping for joy at the sun we've been having, literally. I can't tell you how happy it makes people here. We all have things that truly give us joy, let's take a minute to thank God for giving them to us. I recommend leaping and praising.

Fun news of the week: having two companions instead of just one means we can buy and carry a lot more jogurtti. I love jogurtti.

Keep smiling! Lots of Love,

Sisar Mendenhall

Transfers and Talks

(Finland – Week 10)

10 March 2015

Rakat Veljet ja Sisaret,

Transfer time! Crazy to think that I've already been here 10 weeks, and that I've only been here 10 weeks. The time has gone by fabulously and although my last companion has gone home, her legacy lives on, I took almost all of her clothes. I'm still in Haaga (pronounced with soft a's, like in avacado) and we have had a surge in interest, we almost don't have time to meet with everyone that wants to see us! My new companion is adjusting well, but we do have some lapses in communication, the other day I wasn't very clear so she mixed up who was the investigator and who was the member. That lesson started rocky but it ended well.

So this week a boy in the ward was baptized and guess who they asked to give a talk? My last companion! But of course she was going home so they asked me to do it instead. Thank goodness it was for an eight year old, then my simple Finnish sounded intentional. It went really well, the baptism was great (baptisms are always prime times to feel the Spirit) and ward members are trusting me a lot more with Finnish, it's really great to feel their trust, it gives me hope in improving more and more! I love celebrating small successes, they truly illustrate how the Lord's goodness is all around us, taking time to recognize it is the trick. My mom shared with me a few really cool scriptures on this principle this week, the first is in Psalms 145:9 "The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works." Simple, to the point, the Lord is over everything. I've been thinking a lot lately about how we can panic, agonize, and stress over something, and the Lord will take care of it. Or we can calmly and happily be patient, and the Lord will still take care of it. The latter is obviously much more enjoyable. Let us all try to "cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed." (D&C 123:17) True trust in the Lord is very difficult, but when we find it it is invaluable. 

Plot twist! My companion and I will be getting a third companion! She comes in tomorrow, is brand-new, and a Finn! So we will have her in her first transfer, me in my second transfer, and my other companion in her third transfer! Hopefully that means it will be as easy as 1-2-3.

Also, look at this crazy weather!!! It's beach season! In scarves, coats, and boots of course. 

I hope you all are doing well! Much love from Suomi!

Sisar Mendenhall

A Happy State

(Finland - Week 9)

02 Mar 2015

Rakat ystävät,

Well, we were given cake, mousse, pastries, brownies, chocolates, I thanked someone for being "well-behaved" (I was going for kind, apparently the word I used is commonly applied to dogs not people, oops), our friend answered the door to a house that was not his house, we mixed up the word "socks" for "kisses", we were given a motivational speech by someone on the street, and that was all just Thursday! Needless to say it's been an interesting week, all the best ones are. It's also transfer week! Here transfers are nine weeks and it is time for my beloved companion to go home. But that's ok, I know she'll write me letters twice a week, always read my blog, and thoroughly enjoy this passive-aggressive sentence. I'm getting a new companion Tuesday evening who has been in the country only two months more than me, it shall be a Finnish Fiesta! (I can't remember how to say party in Finnish...)

Today my companion and I were talking about this wonderful scripture in Mosiah 2:41, "And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it." This is awesome, it's a "happiness guaranteed" that is actually guaranteed. Sometimes though, we look at that and wonder, does that mean if my life isn't perfect, I'm a bad person? That I'm not dedicated in my pursuits? That I'm doing something majorly wrong? The answer to all of these questions is, no, it doesn't. The beauty of the light of Christ is that we can see it even in the hardest times. Sometimes we have to turn our heads from what we're currently focused on, but when we look we will always find. Thus we can always find our happy state, even in hard times. The gospel of Jesus Christ is meant to be used and infused into our everyday lives. The more we lean on it, the more happiness we can find. It probably won't be easy a lot of days, but it will always be there. Christ does not abandon His sheep, we are all of His flock, let us stay as close to Him as we possibly can. The closer I draw to Christ, the more I honestly see myself in a blessed and happy state. 

Have a great week everybody!

Love Sisar Mendenhall

Awkward  to Awesome 

(Finland – week 8)

24 Feb 15

Tervetuloa! 

It's been another great week and super warm, we are wondering why Spring is already here. It was a particularly delicious week thanks to the district bake off! Two companionships (us included) didn't actually bake, but it was all so good!

Finnish fun for the week:
Kun lakkaa satamasta, haetaan lakka satamasta. "When it stops raining, get the paint from the harbor." Things like this make conversation very exciting, when I only understand part of a sentence my response takes the conversation on a very different path. (My companion's reaction time has gotten really quick.) That's ok, my trainer said once someone asked her about the Restoration and Joseph Smith, and she was so excited to testify and share the gospel. Turns out, the person was asking about something totally different, but they then had a great conversation. On the bus the other day I was talking to a lady, trying to have a conversation on my own, one thing led to another, and suddenly she was crying. I testified of Christ and how through Him all wounds can be healed, I hope I didn't make her cry, but I know I made her smile at the end!

We have new investigators! It is wonderful! We are so excited to teach them and to help them grow in the knowledge of the gospel. What's also wonderful is when they read the Book of Mormon and do other things we tell them to do on their own. As missionaries, we tell people to do a lot of things, and often at first they are uncomfortable and awkward. However, once someone adopts these habits, they see why we tell them to do these things. This pattern of "man that sounds awkward" to "man this is awesome!" goes for lots of things God commands us to do. So what's the solution? Trust the Lord through the awkward! He doesn't give commandments without a purpose. Uncomfortable is a very good thing when it means we're trying to change for the better. Something that I definitely found uncomfortable about before my mission was missionary work. I never knew how to start. Lots of times we share the gospel without realizing it, and when people see it, they notice a difference but don't know why. We can find this in Acts 2:37, "Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?" Lots of your friends, family, and acquaintances have probably felt just like this, and want to know what to do next. They probably won't ask, because remember, it's awkward. So you go be the icebreaker. Maybe they aren't ready yet, but you don't know that until you ask.

For all of you nonmembers reading this, I testify that this is true, and challenge you to visit Mormon.org, meet with the missionaries, and revel in the awkward. You won't regret it, and if you do what they say you'll come to love and know it. That's a promise at the end of the Book of Mormon:

"Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.

"And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

"And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things." (Moroni 10:3-5)

I testify that Christ lives, He love you, and He wants to be a greater part of your life. I know this, now you go learn it. 

Love you all!

Sisar Mendenhall

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