Nothing fantastically odd happened this week, but we did manage to get back in contact with some investigators and now have the chance to follow up with some potentials that have wanted to meet us, so the area will hopefully be in good shape for whoever is here next change. Hope that it's still us!
Crazy thing got told to us, and I never told it forward - There are no new Elders coming in this transfer. We've got 6 Sisters coming in from America, but no Elders. That means there is an absolutely 0% chance of me starting someone's training this change! Yay! I don't have to worry about accidentally messing someone up! Just kidding, but if the day that I train ever comes, I hope that it is in an area that I am already used to, it was very hard to shotgun into Lohja! Much more so if I were to shotgun-train someone!
Well, we did see some amazing progression with one of our investigators. She has a baptismal date and is starting to attend church with some members that she got introduced to this week, she loves them! She actually attended a baptismal service that was happening in the other Espoo ward, and she really liked that too. Church attendance from Lohja - our District Leader was shocked when we told him! First time it's happened in a long time, apparently.
To the Q's! (Du-du-du Dunh, du-duh! Puppy - Power!) ;)
Does your town have a lake? It seems every town you are in has a lake.
Yes. It is really close to our apartment, too. The lake actually is treated like a beach, so there is a lot of stuff that goes on over there. Really, there is more than just 1 lake, our immediate area is very lake-side looking. I could try to attach a picture, hold up...
Yes, it really does look that beautiful. Fantastic views in Finland! The duck photo-bombed my photo, though... Quack, quack!
What was your favorite thing that happened this week?
It was probably seeing that investigator of ours come to the baptismal service, and then to church. I was honestly surprised that she was so eager to come once the members she liked directly offered her a ride, but I think that goes to show - when it comes to getting investigators to church, the direct help of the members is essential!
How is your companion? Has he taught you any Spanish?
My companion is doing great! He is looking forward to what we hope is another change together, he has officially labeled me his favorite-companion-so-far! Let's hope I keep that title for a few more goes.
My last companion, Elder Saunders, actually gifted me a Spanish Verb book that he got at the MTC, so I have that on my desk and try to use some interesting sentences from it once in a while. I like to say "Basta!" a lot now, it makes him snicker. It's like pasta, right? (It means Enough!, the Finnish for that is Nyt se riittää!, it is in the Finnish dubbing of Legacy, so I use it like that. The scene at the beginning, when the father says, Now enough of that!, or the like.)
I think that this has been a really insightful change for me, it was interesting to talk so much with a Spaniard. They still have a Monarchy system there, do you realize that? That was slightly shocking to me! He talked about their king once and I thought he was talking about an Elvis counterpart...
What have you taught this week?
We got to teach the Plan of Salvation yesterday to a person that hadn't heard anything like it before. That was a pretty cool experience, to go and talk about those 3 questions that everyone seems to have at one point or another: where am I from, why am I here, and where am I going? It was a nice talk overall, I think that we gave him a lot of hope for remaining close with his family. Family seems to mean a lot more to Finns than it does for the average American, and some Finns have said it means even more to Hungarians. Man, people can be so loving, it teaches you a lot!
What have you learned this week?
I was doing a lot of reading in Jesus the Christ again (I always seem to revisit that again and again) and started looking over the Biblical parable of the different soils that the gospel can take root (or not) in. It was cool to compare to that recent General Conference talk about the same subject (my mother sent me it some time ago, back in Porvoo when I could print emails... stupid library computers...), and I think I learned a lot about things even in myself that could affect how I take the gospel into my life. That was a pretty insightful subject for me this week.
And, the most asked question, Have you mastered the language, yet?
Aahaha, you all flatter me... No. Well, I should qualify that - I speak remarkably well for someone who has been here as long as I have. I have even been highly complimented by members and missionaries. And yet, I still find myself lacking when it comes to little vocabulary gaps. Like, today, someone was talking with me about the size of my wallet as I payed for my groceries, and I did not know what in the world they were talking to me about. The reason why is 'cuz my wallet can't really fit Euros - I have to fold them - and no Finns do that. I just don't know the word for wallet, though! I get by fine, and can talk about a lot of random things, but not everything quite yet. Thanks for the thought!
Well, I'd say that's about all! Thanks for everyone sending me their regards, it's a lot of fun to read what people think about what I'm doing out here! Love y'all! Be safe!
Vanhin David Milligan
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