Rakas ystäviä,
Another week done and gone, and I am no longer in training!
Look, Ma, I'm a real missionary! That's right folks, last week was my last week
as a trainee, so now we're down to just 3 hours of studies a day, and I'm ready
to spread my wings and fly as far as my area boundaries will let me.
 |
| Spring in Finland means wild flowers everywhere. |
Tuesday we were in Tampere for Zone Meeting, after which we
took a language test! Man, I thought I was free of those for another year!
Sisar Howell and I went on splits in the afternoon with the Sister Training
Leaders, Sisaret Foster and Jones. I was with Sisar Foster for the day and we
had a good time walking all over the place trying to find our way from an
appointment out in the boonies back to the church. Missionary life, man. We
spent the night there, then took the train back to Turku.
We had a great lesson with j the red haired college guy. We
taught him the Law of Tithing and when we asked if he would pay tithing after
baptism (did I mention we rescheduled a date for June 14th?), he said
"Totta kai!" Of course! If, that is, he has received his answer if
it's true. This guy is just SO GOLDEN, he just needs to know it's true!
We had a fun miracle happen on Thursday. I told you all
about the Iranian woman we've been teaching, who stopped us on the street to
ask us about a Persian Book of Mormon. We had Weekly Planning that day and we
just decided to call her and ask when she was free to meet, and she said she
could meet that evening at 6! We asked if we could come at 5 and she was so
cute, she was like "Oh but Sisters, my house is such a mess!" We just
laughed and told her it was fine and we quickly got to a good stopping point in
our planning to rush out to meet her. We also had a superstar member, who actually
just returned from her mission serving right here in Finland and was able to
come with us last minute, and we had SUCH a great lesson. The Lord has such a
big hand in this woman's preparation. She's going to be ready someday soon, I
can just feel it.
Sunday was Mother's Day! Which means I got to Skype with my
family! We went over to the home of our favorite American family, who had just
had a baby, so we made them dinner then Skyped while they ate. It was SO GOOD
to be able to see my family, let alone just hear their voices, after 5 months
(3 if we're talking voices because we got to call home from the airport). We
only got to talk for less than an hour, but the time was so worth it. They
asked me to bear my testimony to them in Finnish, and I didn't realize how powerful
it was until I started crying. It was just so cool that I had the chance to
share what I know with all my heart - that we are all Heavenly Father's
children, that He loves us, and that His true church is the same all around the
world, that we have His words in the Book of Mormon, and that Joseph Smith was
a prophet, and that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the
Lord's true church established on the earth in this day to prepare for the
Second Coming of Jesus Christ - in the language of the people I am serving with
my family, who is on the complete other side of the world. If that isn't the
best experience ever, I don't know what is. And I hope it made Mom's day,
because it definitely made mine :)
Well, folks, that's all for this week. I think this might be
my shortest e-mail since being in the country, which is doing wonders for my
e-mailing time. It's a Christmas miracle!
I love you all and am so grateful for your thoughts and
prayers. Have a great week and stay shiny!
Rakkaudella,
Sisar Hillebrant
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