Not FINNISHed Yet: Service in the land of my birth

Sent Tuesday, May 26th, 2015:

Rakkaat ystävät,

What a week! It actually feels like two - who knew that traveling back to the past could break up your rhythm so much?

Welcome back.

To kick it all off, we spent 24 hours of exchanges with Sisaret Bruce and Moffat in Turku! That is a blessed place indeed. I got off the train and just took a deep breath, and to my delight, it smells exactly the way I remember it smelling. It was super bizarre to be back, but I loved ever second of it. Throughout the splits, I had the chance to visit some of my favorite places and people. It was also a really wonderful experience to work with Sisaret Bruce and Moffat int their area. They are really wonderful Sisters and are trying so hard to do the work as well as they can.

Working with Sisar Bruce

and Sisar Moffatt

While in Turku, it no longer felt like it was "my city." When we came back into Tampere, the feeling of belonging and responsibility came back, and I realized that is was because Tampere is "my city" now. It testified to me that I am where the Lord needs me to be when He needs me to be here. Turku may not be my city anymore, but it's in the best hands it can be at the moment.

Tulips by the Aura

I loved coming out every day to see this.

Some cool experiences for the week:

1) We were out contacting one night and we felt we needed to go talk to a man who was in the park with his little boy. We talked to him for a while. He was Atheist and didn't feel that he really needed anything religious in his life, but he was super nice and patiently let us say our piece. We testified of the Book of Mormon and prayer, and how through these things he can come to know that God is real. He took the Book of Mormon we offered to him, and that was that, but I felt like we were really able to make an impression, and if anything he came away with a sense that maybe it was possible that God exists. Who knows.

2) We finally got in contact with an investigator after a few weeks, who had been pretty drunk last time we saw her. She was super coherent on the phone, and came to church on Sunday for the first time in months!

3) We had a lesson with H, in which we set a baptismal date and she prayed! The Spirit was so strong as she said that prayer, and I hope she felt it because it was the comforting assurance that she is looking for. She has a lot of things to work through in order to get baptized, but I know she can do it through the Atonement. Anything is possible.

4) I translated for the first time in church. It was in Relief Society for two little Filipino ladies. It wasn't awful, but it felt like my brain was running a marathon. I actually had a lot fun doing it.

5) We stopped this lady on the street, and told her about the Book of Mormon, and asked if we could come talk about it, and she basically set up her own appointment for Friday. It all happened in about 4 minutes.

I don't need a jacket! What is this sorcery?

Now two funny things:

1) We knocked on a door and a scary, super white and shirtless man with a ton of tattoos and a gross beard opened the door. We didn't get much farther than "We're from the Church of Jesus Christ of..." before he said very loudly "Saatte olla!" (basically means "go away" - I can't think of an English equivalent) and slammed the door. It was shocking, but I'v never been so happy to have the door shut on us.

2) Sisar Johnston met a nice Chinese man on the bus who just got to Finland, doesn't really have friends here, and doesn't speak English very well and no Finnish. She gave him our number and invited him to YSA. A little later in the day he asked if she wanted to go out for a drink. So we told him to come to YSA. And that was it.

It really was quite a week. And throughout it all I've been thinking a lot about sanctification - how do we turn ourselves over completely to the Lord? I'm still working this out, and have been studying a lot about it in the Book of Mormon and In Preach My Gospel, specifically under the chapter about Christ-like attributes. I've thought a lot about service and I found this scripture in 1 Peter 2:21 -

"For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps."

When we lose ourselves in the service of others, we become like Christ, for that is what He did. This is our calling, to represent Him and love those He loves and serve as He would serve. There is no greater calling than the one to develop yourself through the building of others.

Serve with your hear and stay shiny!

Rakkuadella,

Sisar Hillebrant