He Is The Gift

Hei!! 

With Sister Raphael

  Referral Week

This week was a pretty great week.  At first I was thinking that not much had really happened this week but actually quite a bit has happened this week! We have been really focusing and doing our best to try and as many people to watch the "He is the Gift" video as much as possible. We have been handing out so many cards to people and watching it with all of our members and investigators. It is such a good video and a nice quick reminder that he really is the true meaning of Christmas.  It has also made talking to people a lot easier which has never been my forte. The amazing thing is that as we have been doing this we have been seeing so many miracles.   I have never received many referrals on my mission from members or investigators or from other missionaries.  Probably partially because I always forget to ask...whoops. This week we just had so many referrals come in.  I know that doesn't sound like a lot but it really is.  We got two from members. One of those we contacted and she is a sweet old lady that we are now teaching (I actually don't know much about her because we were on splits that day when we contacted her). We also got a referral from Fai, a member in our ward, and we got to contact her this week too.  Her friend was so cute and so nice.  We got to share the video with her and Mac was with us. Mac is SO good with kids!  It is super nice. We got to talk to her and Mac got to distract her super cute little boy. We later found out that her friend was really happy that we came and reminded her of the true meaning of Christmas and that she wants us to come back sometimes soon! :) We also had another referral from a member and we got to get to know her friend which went really well.  Then we got a referral from other missionaries that we are still trying to contact.  It has been really cool to see the miracles from us working hard even if they aren't directly related to what we were doing.  

This week we also got an investigator transferred over to us from the sisters in the center of Helsinki.  He had just moved to our area.  He is from Canada but his native language is french and he is great.  He has already read the entire Book of Mormon and has a burning testimony that it is true. We are just trying to help him understand what that means for him.  Also, he came to church for the first time this week and is really wanting to learn more.  He wants to know "everything" and so that he can tell other about what he believes in because he does believe in and want to follow the Mormon Church. Apparently, he currently has a baptismal date for the 10th of January that the other sisters set but we haven't talked to him about it yet.  We are hoping to do that this week. :) He is really progressing though which is really fun to see.  

My Finland Family

With Sister Nyman (former companion) and Sister Hansen, who
were both in my MTC group

We had splits this week and I was with Sister Neilsen. She is great and it was a really good day. We got to do a lot of service and then we got to teach Mac, and she was pretty bold with him.  At least I thought so anyway.  It was a good lesson though and Mac is doing good.  He is helped us go and do missionary work this week which was a lot of fun. :)  We are SUPER excited to get to celebrate his first Christmas with him this week and we are taking him to all of the members houses with us.  It is going to be so much fun. Sister Raphael and I are so excited that we get to go and spend Christmas Eve with Fai's family.  We are currently teaching her little sister and her step-dad.  Yesterday we got to randomly stop by after we were done caroling at an old folks' home and ended up being able to teach both of them.  Her little sister is so cute and actually started asking a lot of questions about what happens after this life and where Jesus lives. It was a really good lesson and we are starting to find things that she is interested in so hopefully this will help her want to meet with us more.  Fai also made us dinner and then we read the Book of Mormon with Mac and occasionally Fai's little sister and brother would participate. It felt so good and I felt like I was part of a family again and that we were having family scripture study.  I just loved it.  We both just left feeling so good and happy and excited about them and really think that her family can progress and the craziest part is that it actually might come from the children. :)  They really are becoming more and more like my family here and I love it when we get to visit them.  Its a lot of fun and we get to teach a lot of people and all we have to do is stay in the same house!  Fai always jokes that we could just live there and we would never have to go anywhere.  It is so true! 

Serving With the Most Amazing Companions

Helsinki Zone Sisters

We also had Zone Conference this week which was good. I realized that it was probably my last time seeing my former companion Sister Nyman.  I love her so much and I am so so grateful for her.  It was an amazing and unforgettable 10 weeks that I got to serve with her in the blessed place of Oulu. I really am so grateful for her example and for her amazing friendship. I really have been so blessed to have served with some of the most amazing companions and hope that I get to visit this one in Norway sometime soon! :) 

Testimony

I just want to add a short testimony about how grateful I am for the Savior and that he came into the world and lived and died and lived again for us.  I am so grateful that because of him we can all be forgiven and find peace and happiness. I am so grateful for eternal families and that I will get to be with my family for all eternity.  I love them so much.  They really do mean the world to me and I don't know what I would ever do without them. I love this gospel and I am so grateful for it.  It really has changed my life and given my so much hope and peace that I will forever be grateful for. This church is true.  Jesus Christ really is our Savior and Redeemer and he really does know each one of us perfectly. "He is the Gift" and we could receive a better one.  All things are possible in and through him and we can all experience and partake of that as we do our best to learn of Him and trust in Him. I love you all so much! 

Love, 

Sister Kanpp