Rakkaat ystävät,
This has been a very eventful week, which included, but is
not limited to:
- A visit to the art museum.
- Splits with the Sister Training Leaders. I learned so much
from them about boldly approaching people on the street, and we met some really
cool people. Something I really admire about these two lovely Sisters is that
they really don't fear being a little awkward - which I thought I was doing OK with until splits. They just had so little fear. I want to be like them when I
grow up, haha. We had a really great splits day and capped it all off with a
liter of Aino ice cream and americallaiset munkit.
- Finding two more investigators, an older man we met on the
street and his wife, both of whom are very religious. They are both willing to
hear more, so we were able to set up another appointment with them. That made 4
new investigators for the week, including the two we found last Monday.
Miracles.
- Singing a duet with a member in Sacrament
Meeting. She'd called on Tuesday and we threw it together pretty quickly. We
sang All Creatures of Our God and King (I don't remember what it's called in
Finnish), and I alternated singing the alto and tenor an octave up (thank you
Sisar Ross for teaching me how to read the tenor line), and it went really
well.
- Two long train rides and a Zone Conference in Oulu
with Elder Nielson of the Seventy and his wife. I can't even begin to cover all
the things we learned. Mostly we talked a lot about the doctrine of the
Atonement, how it applies to us and then how it applies to our investigators.
We also covered a variety of other topics, including the difference between the
Spirit and the Holy Ghost, the Infinite atonement, and what "endless
torment" really means. Let me just say that my mind was blown a fair few
times. It was a remarkable meeting. Elder and Sister Nielson are fantastic
teachers, and I wish we could have spent so much more time with them. After the
fact I felt spiritually filled and refreshed. During the Conference I aslo had
the chance to see four of my MTC "brothers", Elders Hanson, Smith,
Johnson, and Parker, among other good friends. It was a really good day that we
finished off in the Oulu Sisters' apartment (there were 9 of us) with Jaffa
floats.
As I studied in preparation for the meeting, I was
especially impressed with the imagery of the yoke that the Savior talks about
in Matthew 11:
"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy
laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I
am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke
is easy, and my burden is light."
I think of myself yoked (like a pair of oxen) to the Savior,
for that is what He is inviting us to do. When we take upon us His name through
baptism and especially through the use of the Atonement, we place ourselves
side-by-side with Him and He helps us to carry our load. That's a pretty
incredible promise, especially considering how much stronger and more capable
He is than we. I imagine that I really am not doing much in comparison to Him,
and that often He is effectually dragging me behind Him. But when life seems
difficult and it's hard to move forward, I can take comfort and joy in the
knowledge that the Savior of the world is carrying my burden with me. Think
about that.
Have a great week and stay shiny!
Rakkaudella,
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