Se sataa Mini Miracles 

(Finland – Week 20) 

26 May 2015

Sometimes Finland is so beautiful I just want to cry. And then my companions want to cry because when this occurs I'm usually driving and then I veer a little. But it's ok! They have great rumble strips on the roads. We're totally safe Mom. 

This week showered love! In the form of a million tiny letters and lots of rain. In Finnish there isn't a verb for rain, instead of saying "it's raining" you say "it's precipitating water". Next time it's pouring, walk outside and say, "se sataa kissoja ja koiroja," eli (or in other words) "it is precipitating cats and dogs." But rain is good, the earth is so green, the lakes are full, and rainbows brighten the sky. 

I studied the story of Joseph this week and oh my goodness he's a stud. After he tells his brothers who he is, he basically says, "don't worry about selling me into slavery, it's cool" and then goes on to say in Genesis 45:8 " So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt." I know I would have worked the whole selling-into-slavery thing to my advantage, possibly getting unlimited free milkshakes from my siblings and never doing the dishes again, but Joseph didn't even harbor a grudge. He was grateful for his brothers selling him into slavery, grateful for all of the time he missed with his family, grateful for all of the time he spent in prison, and he recognized the Lord for giving all of this to him. That is the epitome of patience and humility. Patiently enduring trials without grumbling, and humbly accepting whatever happens to be the Lord's will. I've been trying to be more like Joseph and appreciate what we have. In weeks like this past one where we lose 9/10 of our investigators, some days are pretty rough. But I know that these rough days sand me down, and I'm grateful for the Lord's constant polishing. Goodness knows I could be a little more smooth. 

Here is me, not gloating over my bounteous supply of letters. 

Lots of Love from the North,

Sisar Mendenhall

Delicious Food and Steady Feet  

(Finland - Week 19)  

19 May 2015

Wow did we have miracles this week! 

On Friday a man called us and asked if we could teach him more about our church! We said of course, does Monday work? He said no, tomorrow. We set up the appointment and then spent 45 minutes calling members (including a sister that had moved south five months ago, oops!) until one could come. The lesson was short and powerful, he really wants to find the truth. We asked if he would be baptized in June and he said yes! 

We found a waffle iron to borrow and I made Belgian Waffles!!! Well, Finn-Belge, but better than I've had in a while. (Picture of my joy is included) 

Yesterday we stopped a lady on a bike and she was so surprised. She listened to us, and then said, "I have ten more minutes tell me more!" That has never happened to me before! We taught her a lot about how the Book of Mormon strengthens our relationship with Christ, and she was so grateful. She locked up her bike, said, "follow me!" and then darted into a store. We followed her in and she bought us a donut! Wow! Talk about little ihmeita! 

I hiked Mount Timpanogos once. We started after dark so that we could see the sunrise, but we got out later than we wanted and just booked it up the mountain. I was so tired, it was early/late, and the hike was longer than I thought it was. I ended up slipping a lot. Every time I fell though, one of my friends picked me back up and put me on my feet. I was so grateful that even though I didn't have sure footing, someone else did. I've been tired a lot lately, and several different kinds of tired at once. Last night I slipped, I looked at the edge of the mountain I was on and was sure I was about to fall. Thankfully, my companions and Savior were there with steady feet to pick me up, put me back on the path, and push me forwards. Lots of times we slip, and when we do we can be so grateful to our Heavenly Father that even when we don't have steady feet, there will always be someone around that will. Lots of times Christ works through others, like He did with my companions, but when no one else is physically there, Christ always is. Don't worry if you're particularly clumsy, that describes me, just trust that there is always sure footing to be found when we look to Christ, and those through whom He works. 

Vaasa is still beautiful, the Lord is still here, and His church is still on the earth. 

Love you all Lots!                                      

Sisar Mendenhall

Vaasassa 

(Finland – Week 18)

12 May 2015

Hej!

Vaasa is beautiful! Our first night we went out for a walk between two lakes, past old buildings, and through the city center. It's a lot smaller than Helsinki of course, but I really love the area. I drive now! We just washed our car today and that involved me gracefully dumping two buckets of water on my feet simultaneously (but I learned a valuable answer! No, I cannot carry two buckets of water and a vacuum. No vacuums were harmed in the cleaning of our car). It's light from when we wake up to when we go to sleep, and it's getting warmer! Yesterday I walked around outside in a cardigan. The branch here is wonderful, we have already had lots of members on lessons, and lots of help. The apartment has a sauna! We aren't allowed to use it but it makes a great storage unit (which cannot be randomly emptied like our last one was).

Sunday was the best!! Happy Mother's Day to all you mothers and happy I-get-to-skype-my-family day to me! I hope they all loved it as much as I did. It was fun to have us all together, in Utah, Korea, and Finland. The Lord truly loves all of people in every land of the earth.

I'm super excited to be here in this new city! I miss Helsinki, but I know the Lord has great plans in store for my new area. I love this passage in the book of Acts, "Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace: For I am with thee...for I have much people‍ in this city." (Acts 18:9-10) We are determined to find those people, and wow are my new companions ready to find! I thought I was going to have to do a lot more but they are so on top of things. They are ready to talk to everyone, to try anything in Finnish, and to wholeheartedly love the Finns. I feel like I'm just being spoiled to have them both here.

It's been a wonderful week, I wish you all the best with this next week!

One of these pictures I took out my window at 10pm.

Love Sisar Mendehall

Wouldn't It Be Great If There Were Three Of Me? 

(Finland – Week 18) 

Hej! 

So change calls came and like that wonderful title implies, I will be finishing the training of not one, but two sisters up in Vaasa! It's about a 4 hour train ride north and where a lot of the Swedish-Finns live. I already learned one word in Swedish! Hej! (Pronounced "hei" if you're Finnish and "hey" if you're amerikkalainen, thankfully that word wasn't too hard to get). Of course that was immediately followed by a terrible Finnish blunder, courtesy of moi/minä/me, and lots of praying that the three of us will be ok! I am really excited and feel quite calm about all of this, I know the Lord will provide where I lack. And no worries, I'm not actually planning on making these sisters my minions.  

This past week we had Vappu! May day! It's a huge Finnish holiday and since one of my companions is Finnish, we celebrated the suomalinen way! That meant a pastry that looks like a brain, delicious donuts, and balloons! We twisted balloon animals (we had really impressive worms and snakes) and swords, and had several brightly-colored balloons to welcome spring! Spring really is here, I saw a leaf this morning! It's weird to remember that trees usually have leaves.

I've been reading a lot about leaders, specifically Captain Moroni. He is a fantastic example of courage and strength, it even says in the Book of Mormon, "Yea, verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni , behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men." (Alma 48:17) In times of war as well as in times of peace he tried to always find peaceful solutions, and he was always preparing. He always looked to the Lord for inspiration, and came up with ingenius new ideas. Captain Moroni is one of my Book of Mormon heroes, and I very much want to be more like him. It's wonderful to apply the Book of Mormon to ourselves, only then it is really able to change our lives. 

Have a great week! I'll write from the north soon enough. 

Love Sisar Mendenhall

Eternal Families, Eternally Awesome

(Finland - Week 17) 

28 April 2015

Hyvää päivää!

Wow we had an awesome week! We are currently teaching a part-member family, the mother has been inactive for 30 years! Every time we go there the Spirit is so strong, we leave thinking "this right here, is why I want to be a missionary." This past lesson we were talking about eternal families and how we can prepare to have them. This past conference we were all reminded of the importance of families. They truly are central to God's plan of happiness. During our lesson, the wife started asking about what they could do to partake of eternal life as a family, "which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God." (D&C 14:7, shout-out to seminary scripture mastery games) We talked about the ordinances we must do before we can be sealed as families for time and all eternity, the wife then turned to the husband and said, "I want to be sealed as a family and live together for eternity. You need to be baptized." WOW! We testified of baptism so many times, but the Spirit was never as strong as it was just then. You could feel the love that that family has, and their earnest desire to live as a family after this life. It was a wonderful night, and I was just reminded of how grateful I am for my family. 

This week we also had an exciting phenomenon called blank day! Blank day is when you have absolutely no appointments of any kind. No meetings. Nothing at all that you need to be at. Thankfully these do not happen often. We had the awesome problem of running out of Mormonin kirjat because we gave so many away! We talked to so many people we contacted the same lady twice! (We recognized her, don't worry it wasn't that awkward.) We talked to a lady through her mail slot, the way she moved the flap really looked like a mouth, if someone dubbed over that it would be a conversation with a door. And we tracted into an elderly lady about to go sauna (that's definitely a verb), well I don't actually know where she was going, but her attire (the lack thereof) suggested the sauna. I really didn't know what to do in that situation, so I testified! That's what I've been told to do when I don't know what to say. Blank day = hundreds of new friends, talking doors, and much much more!!! 

It's been a good week for me, I hope it's been just as great for all of you! 

Much love and prayers,

Sisar Mendenhall

PS, look at this classy, good-looking pizza:) Actually it was really cheap and slightly burned, but still, it's got a great name.

Belgians and Brothers  

(Finland – Week 16)  

21 April 2015

Many adventures this week! We went to the temple on Wednesday because we have a companion that is new in the mission. It was amazing! It is so great to feel God's love in His house. We also had zone conference this past weekend with the Tampere zone (I'm in the Helsinki zone, there are four zones in our mission) and we had to be at Tampere by 7 in the morning. That meant we had to be on our charter bus in Helsinki at 4:30 in the morning, but the buses and trains don't run that early so that meant we had to walk, and that meant we had to stay at the Sister's apartment in downtown Helsinki. All in all we got up at the lovely hour of 2:30, got ready, and walked to the central train station amongst the revelers that had yet to go to sleep. It was totally worth it! Elder Nielson (he spoke in general conference about the prodigal son and his sister Susan) spoke to us and he served a mission in Finland! He knew exactly what we are all trying to do, and exactly what we needed to hear. It was obviously way super great because after only four hours of sleep we all stayed awake through a four hour meeting. 

I met a Belgian yesterday!! I was so excited I literally jumped. She knew Mons (my city) and good chocolate and lots of other life-and-death details of Belgium. We spoke in Finnish, I can't remember too much French, it made my day.

I was reading in Alma the other day and I just love the advice he gives to his sons. This first one is to Alma's son Corianton who had just been a huge punk and committed terrible sins, Alma 39:10, "And I command you to take it upon you to counsel with your elder brothers in your undertakings; for behold, thou art in thy youth, and ye stand in need to be nourished by your brothers. And give heed to their counsel." I just love the counsel to talk with his brothers. Imagine the humility it would take for him to go to his brothers and say, I really need help, and the comfort from knowing that no matter what he said, his brothers would still love him. I love my siblings a lot, and I just imagined us having a little pow-wow. Of course they would be disappointed, but they would care so much more about getting me back to where I needed to be than anything else. Christ is our older brother, and just as Corianton was to counsel with his brothers, we are to follow the counsel of Christ. "And now, my son, I have told you this that ye may learn wisdom, that ye may learn of me that there is no other way or means whereby man can be saved, only in and through Christ. Behold, he is the life and the light of the world. Behold, he is the word of truth and righteousness." (Alma 38:9) I just love how much the Book of Mormon talks about Christ. It truly is another testament of Him, and He truly wants us to come home. 

Much love from Finland! 

Sisar Mendenhall 

Soldiers and Cards  

(Finland – Week 15)  

14 April 2015

No hei! 

Wow this week has been awesome! A few days ago one of my companions sat down by a man on the bus who promptly pulled out his phone and began talking to a friend in a language she didn't recognize. She heard "something something Missionary..." and then the man switched to Finnish. She pulled out a pass-along card with a picture of Christ on it and the man said, "Oh! They believe in Jesus!" He then switched to English and kept talking to his friend about this missionary on the bus next to him. My companion gave him the card and we laughed about the weirdest card-giving ever. Yesterday this man called us and asked for a church tour and to learn about our beliefs! We were more than happy to oblige and we had an awesome lesson yesterday. Miracles are everywhere! I'm so grateful my companion braved the awkward and gave that man a card. 

Also this week is interim training for the newest missionaries. That means both of my companions are gone right now (one is a trainer and the other her trainee). Two other sisters are in the exact same situation as me and so all three of us are here in Haaga and it's been so fun! One of these sisters was my MTC companion, and the other was in my first district here in Finland! We've been learning lots from each other and the weather has been lovely (well, lovely for about two hours but vitamin D is vitamin D). 

I read 2 Timothy the other day and man it's a powerhouse! If you ever need a pick me up forget youtube videos of fuzzy animals and get out your Bible. First of all is 2 Tim 1:7 "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." God doesn't want us to live in fear and stress, he wants us to be happy! To feel love and power. Not power to take over the world, but power to do and be good. I love this second one, 2 Tim 2:3 "Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ." Imagine yourself as a literal soldier of Christ, the army of Christ would make those 300 Spartans run for the hills. No one will ever or could ever overpower Christ. By joining His forces and following His orders we will never fail, the path will never be too hard. 

I found the great and spacious building! I think it's about to fall soon. 

Much love!

Sisar Mendenhall