This last week, we had our District Leader and his companion in Lohja to help us out with missionary work. It was a lot of fun to be with Elder Johnson and Elder Nissen! Elder Nissen and I talked quite a bit about just how weird it was to finally meet each other, and we tried to get some good pictures for home. All of which are on his camera. (I will be contacting Elder Nissen's mom to see if he sent any! ~Mom)
We have been meeting a lot with our investigator planning to go to baptism on the 8th of this next month. We're really excited, and she is doing great! Hoping that the members keep on doing an awesome job of befriending her.
There's actually not much else to talk about, sooo... Questions!
What did you learn this week?
This week I spent a lot of time studying different parts of the Bible where the Apostles are urging their members in various areas to keep the Gospel plain and simple and not throw in their own "fables" into it, especially if it takes away from the truth and obscures things needlessly. I think it was a good study, because it has been a few things that we have been asked about this week. On that wonderful leading note...
What did you teach this week?
We got to teach quite a few people about why it is that the Gospel is what it is. Most people that stop to speak with us here in Lohja aren't religious at all, mostly 'cuz they look at the crazy things people have done in the name of religion and say, "no thanks, don't want that in my life". And I can't blame them. If the gospel was merely defined by what men did with it once they had stripped away the teachings of love and charity, patience and mercy, brotherly kindliness and humility, I wouldn't want it as a part of my life either. But that's the great thing about the message we share. We know that the whole, complete truth is here. Religion isn't a way to control the masses - it is a way for man to individually feel the love of our Heavenly Father and let it change him to treat others with a type of that same love. When it starts to be seen like that, and you act on it in a way that lets you see that as true, the whole concept changes. It can be a huge eye-opener for some people.
What do you want to teach in the next week?
We are hoping to talk a lot about Family History with the investigator shortly going to baptism. I love Family History, so that's partly why, but she is also very family-focused. When members were saying that families are ordained of God, that our families can be eternal, she was dumbfounded, and immediately asked tons of questions. She knows it's true - I think that doing Family History would be a cool way for her to show others just how important it is to her, and it would be really cool to help a Finn with Family History! I haven't had the opportunity yet, but I have seen quite a few people on library computers doing that, even gone up to a few and given them a family history card.
Is all the snow gone?
Yup. It's been raining a ton, though. It's also started to get darker again. So. We'll be back in the midst of pitch soon.
Were there any bikes frozen in water in your new area?
No, I checked. 😜 But, there is a giant chasm! It's pretty cool, it's a super-deep canyon that we can't see down all the way into due to several protective fences. I really wanna see... We've thrown a couple of rocks in, it always takes SOOO long to hit the ground! (I hope he took a picture of this! ~Mom)
Nathan wants to know: Who's your favorite brother? Biological and in the church.
Ja-haa... Well, by default, my favorite-and-least-so-biologically is Nathan, of course... that's what you get for being my only brother...
You can't ask me to pick a favorite church member! That's just not fair! If I had to choose anyone, though, it might be a certain recent-convert in Porvoo. Who I just remembered gets sent these emails. Probably gonna get an email back from him about this... But, yeah. Not fair!
Nathan also wants to know: What's the tallest building you've been in or on top of in Finland?
Hmm, wow... Well, Tampere had the tallest skyscraper in Finland, it's the shiny black building by the train station that I'd taken a few pictures of. But I haven't gone up that. Man, I think that the highest Kerrostalo I've been in only had, like, 9 stories, and that was in Porvoo, of all places. Yeah, tall buildings aren't a Finnish thing. I have been on top of 2 different giant hills overlooking all of Porvoo, though! The views were fantastic! Lohja is relatively flat, in that respect. Just one giant hill, and not a good look-out point from it. Just a gym.
Well, I guess that's it! I'm loving it out here! I'm looking forward to the next couple of weeks in Lohja, hoping to meet some great people to leave for the next missionaries here - which might still be me again!
Thanks for all of the things that y'all do to let me know you care about this wandering missionary of the north. Pray that no yeti's come after me!
Vanhin David Milligan
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