This week was a really long week but none-the-less it was a good one! Which I a pretty sure that I always start my emails with "This week was a pretty great week" or "This week was a long one"... Sorry about that. I really need to work on getting a little bit more creative for the beginnings of my emails. :) I'll work on it.
The Goods & Bads of Counting Down
Monday was a good day. We spent most of the day just doing the normal p-day stuff. Studies, cleaning, emailing, grocery shopping and then we went shopping. It was fun. I found a Finnish sweater that would normal cost 60 or more euros for just 8! That was pretty miraculous. Needless to say, I bought it. I have to say there are both goods and bads to serving with someone who is going home really soon. You start to realize how soon you too are going home and the things that you still want to get and do and the person that you are still trying to become and it can turn into a stressful panic on occasion. But the positives are that you both can speak decently well and if you need to change a lesson plan last minute it is totally possible. So goods and bads. Later that night we got to go and visit another family in the ward and doing family night with them and Mac. That was fun. We attempted to teach about faith using cups and talking about things that we can do to build our faith but that soon turned into the kids bowling with the cups instead. Oh well... It was still a decently good lesson though and Mac got to know this family a little better so that was good. :)
Monday was a good day. We spent most of the day just doing the normal p-day stuff. Studies, cleaning, emailing, grocery shopping and then we went shopping. It was fun. I found a Finnish sweater that would normal cost 60 or more euros for just 8! That was pretty miraculous. Needless to say, I bought it. I have to say there are both goods and bads to serving with someone who is going home really soon. You start to realize how soon you too are going home and the things that you still want to get and do and the person that you are still trying to become and it can turn into a stressful panic on occasion. But the positives are that you both can speak decently well and if you need to change a lesson plan last minute it is totally possible. So goods and bads. Later that night we got to go and visit another family in the ward and doing family night with them and Mac. That was fun. We attempted to teach about faith using cups and talking about things that we can do to build our faith but that soon turned into the kids bowling with the cups instead. Oh well... It was still a decently good lesson though and Mac got to know this family a little better so that was good. :)
Now That is Awkward
Tuesday was an alright day. It was a really good thing that we had a lot of appointments because we both weren't feeling the must up beat ready to go. We first had a lesson with our investigator Piret. We got there and you will never believe it. We walked in on the JW's. Now that is awkward. It is just awkward to walk in on your investigator who is also meeting apparently with the JW's. Fortunately, they left as soon as we got there but the only problem is that they speak her native tongue Estonian and we don't. We had a good lesson with her though and tried our best to help her understand the importance of reading and praying and she committed to doing it everyday this week so hopefully she did! We have a lesson with her tomorrow. We then taught an investigator that the sisters had given us right before they left. A. has been investigating the church for a about a year now and has some really good questions and continues to read the Book of Mormon. She needs to read the whole book before she will commit to being baptized and really likes meeting with the missionaries and learning. We really do think that she knows its true but that she just keeps stopping herself from taking the step to being baptized. Hopefully,we can help her to take a leap of faith and set a baptismal date soon. We then taught Timo. He is continuing to do really well and we taught him the Word of Wisdom this week. He LOVED it! He already lives it I think better than anyone I know. He eats super healthy and no sugar. He doesn't drink or smoke or anything. So he is good on that. He also is reading and studying. The only hard part is that he isn't always reading the Book of Mormon. Sometimes just things on lds.org but I guess that is better than nothing! We then got to meet with a less-active in the ward and that was good. We finally were able to get a good spiritual thought in with her. She sounds completely like an active member she just really needs to come back to church! It was clearly a super busy day.
Moving the Work Forward in Finland
Moving the Work Forward in Finland
Wednesday we had a mission tour. Elder Texeira came to visit the mission and to talk to us more about how we can get the work moving forward at a more rapid pace here in Finland. It ended up being all of the Tampere Zone and Helsinki Zone who was there which is more than half of the mission. That was a lot of fun to be able to see so many of my friends in the mission and missionaries that I have served with. I got to see some people from my MTC group that I felt like I hadn't seen in forever! The weirdest part was knowing that I might not see most of those people again before I go home. I can't believe how fast the time has gone by! It's only going to go faster and faster. The meeting was really good. It was basically all about using the Book of Mormon more effectively in our missionary work. I need to work on that. Later that evening, we had a lesson with Eila Ryyty the less-active that we have been working with. It went really well and she as been praying everyday! Sadly, she hasn't been reading everyday. So, we helped her start! She couldn't remember the last place that she read so we finally had to get her to just start the Book of Mormon over. After reading the first chapter and talking to her about it she seemed really excited to start. We are meeting with her again this week and hopefully she has been reading everyday!
Wednesday we had a mission tour. Elder Texeira came to visit the mission and to talk to us more about how we can get the work moving forward at a more rapid pace here in Finland. It ended up being all of the Tampere Zone and Helsinki Zone who was there which is more than half of the mission. That was a lot of fun to be able to see so many of my friends in the mission and missionaries that I have served with. I got to see some people from my MTC group that I felt like I hadn't seen in forever! The weirdest part was knowing that I might not see most of those people again before I go home. I can't believe how fast the time has gone by! It's only going to go faster and faster. The meeting was really good. It was basically all about using the Book of Mormon more effectively in our missionary work. I need to work on that. Later that evening, we had a lesson with Eila Ryyty the less-active that we have been working with. It went really well and she as been praying everyday! Sadly, she hasn't been reading everyday. So, we helped her start! She couldn't remember the last place that she read so we finally had to get her to just start the Book of Mormon over. After reading the first chapter and talking to her about it she seemed really excited to start. We are meeting with her again this week and hopefully she has been reading everyday!
The Sabbath Day
Thursday we again got to teach Timo and explain more the importance of keeping the Sabbath day holy. We had a really good lesson with him and though he understood. He committed to keeping the Sabbath day holy but then when we asked if he was coming to church this week, he said that he couldn't. I think he missed a big portion of our lesson. Fortunately, after talking about how it was Stake Conference this weekend he agreed to think about coming. At least it was better than a no. We also had a lesson with Mac and bishop's house. We have really been wanting him to have a chance to get to know Piispa (bishop) a little bit better, but then Piispa Koponen was out of town! So that didn't work. We still got to have a good lesson again on faith but more for his level instead of for children. I think that it was something that he really needed.
Reindeer... Not Just for Pulling Sleighs in Finland
Friday most of our plans fell through which is never much fun. However, Gisel came to visit us and took us out to lunch. We got to get reindeer sandwiches. Yum! I have officially tried reindeer and it was really really good. It was also fun to see Gisel and get to talk to her. I hadn't seen her in forever. We also had a lesson with a some members later that evening and came up with ways that we can help their less-active children in the church. Hopefully, we really can help.
Saturday Fun Day
Saturday was more of a fun day. We first had a lesson with Jenny and it went really well. We found out that she was previously a JW and no longer believes in it. She is really interested in our doctrine and learning so hopefully as we teach her more it will soften her heart and she will become even more interested. We then decided that we wanted to do something that was more fun with Mac and not always just lesson after lesson. So we had a dinner and movie night with him and Fai before we went to the Saturday night session of Stake Conference. It was fun. :)
Saturday was more of a fun day. We first had a lesson with Jenny and it went really well. We found out that she was previously a JW and no longer believes in it. She is really interested in our doctrine and learning so hopefully as we teach her more it will soften her heart and she will become even more interested. We then decided that we wanted to do something that was more fun with Mac and not always just lesson after lesson. So we had a dinner and movie night with him and Fai before we went to the Saturday night session of Stake Conference. It was fun. :)
Learning About the Savior's Love
Sunday was really good. Our investigator Timo ended up coming to church! So that made us happy. Practically everyone else cancelled on us. We then later had a lesson with our investigator Jh. He is so cool and so sincere! We are really excited about him! The lesson had to be super short though because he was leaving to go to Estonia for a day. We then had a lesson with Mac and one of his favorite members' houses. It was such a good lesson about repentance and I personally felt like I learned a lot more about how much the Savior really does love us and wants to help us change!
Sorry, this is a WAY long email. It was a really good week despite it being dark now at 4:00 and not being light until 9:00 am. The Gospel literally becomes the light for everyone here in Finland during the winter season! Thanks for all your love and support!
Love,
Sister Knapp
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