One Rainy Week...

...two missionaries got absolutely soaked. I wish I had more pictures, because when the rain gets through your jacket and your sweater, you know you weren't prepared for the weather. Welcome to a Finnish spring, folks. We went from having record high May temperatures of around 30 degrees Celcius the week before to having record low temperatures of 10 degrees. Talk about fickle. This last week was dreary and wet, but all is well because the sun is coming back and summer is on it's way again!

No, we're not crazy!  Really!

We had a great last week of May, especially regarding our lovely 18-year-old young lady who is possibly the most golden, absolutely prepared person I have ever met! She is such a big miracle and we don't deserve it. But that's OK because this is the Lord's work and not ours, and he is going to let her blow us out of the water with her readiness so that she can get into the waters of baptism. We're starting to plan the baptismal service this week so all will be ready for the big day on the 14th of June. Just two weeks away! Oh, AND she is going to Festinord (a big Young Single Adults conference, kind of like a big EFY, held for the Nordic countries. People from all over the world come. This year it's in Naantali, an island just off Turku, and if I'm still here for another transfer, my companion and I might get to help out) and SO excited about it! She is probably the cutest person on the planet.

J the college guy's baptismal date got pushed back another week. He still needs time to process everything, so we're giving him this week to think about everything on his own. We'll stop by once this week, then ramp up the visits next week and the week after to prepare him to get baptized on the 21st of June. He's been a slow-goer, but all the better if it means he is ready.

Did I tell you last week that our bishop is the best? Well, he is. We've been tackling those lists he gave us last week and reported back yesterday. He is preparing the ranks (aka himself and maybe the ward council) to go to battle and help us help these people. Sisar Howell and I are going to start doing the member role-plays with his family ASAP.

I was reading in the Book of Mormon this morning in 3 Nephi. Mormon, the guy who compiled and abridged all the writings to make the book, took the liberty of inserting his testimony that all the things he was writing and copying over are true. It is so powerful that he write his own conviction, especially when we think about how difficult it would have been to carve letters into gold plates. A lot harder than writing with pencil on paper, so everything he was saying has got to be pretty important. One of my favorite bits was verse 13, when he says: "Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been called of him to declare his word among his people, that they might have everlasting life." We have all been called to be disciples of Christ and to declare His word. It's part of our baptismal covenant when we promise to remember Him always and to bear witness of him. Christ trusts us to do the things he has asked, and in return he has promised us eternal blessings more extensive and incredible than we can imagine now. Let us live up to His trust by living as he would live, serving as he would serve, and loving as he loves. Take the step and share these things with the people you love. They deserve to know about the restored gospel too.

Well, I was about to dig out my planner and go through the week to see if there was anything else to tell you, but I just switched planners, so all that is at home on my desk. Alas, you will have to be satisfied with this. I hope you all are doing wonderfully well and that you are having a pleasant spring. I love you all!

Rakkaudella,
Ssiar Hillebrant