Week 106 in Mikkeli (A Wanderer in a Strange Land)

If I may start with a bit of poetry: Victor Hugo, a great author and poet, once stated, regarding death: "When I go down to the grave, I can say, like so many others, “I have finished my day’s work,” but I can not say, “I have finished my life.” My day’s work will begin again the next morning." 

Now, as I, metaphorically, 'go down to the grave', I hope that you may know that I have done my day's work, but the next day's work will begin just as it always has tomorrow. But before I get too sentimental, let us go over our week:

We had the Zone Leaders over for exchanges! This was a pretty fun one, seeing as they're our previous companions, and we had a good bit of work in Mikkeli. Lots of let-ins, lessons, and morning soccer!  

On... some day today, they all get mixed up nowadays... might have been Friday... but anywho, we went to lunch with this awesome finnish youth! He's got a way cool life story. We've been able to teach a lot of people lately, with a good emphasis on young people! 

We also passed by an old tram car - kind of like the ones down in Helsinki. Naturally, we had to stop and take a look. A bit of Finland history for ya!

On Saturday, we had a champion return to our circles! Toni, who Elder Skinner and I both taught at different times in Lahti, came to take us out to lunch! We had some awesome sushi.

and he was nice enough to take us on a drive to Mäntyharju, where we spent the rest of the day proselyting and meeting with some members over there. 

Love these guys.

Sunday was an emotional rodeo - Jiri(soon to be Äldste Wrangell) gave his farewell talk in church, and I also got to give a sort of farewell testimony right next to him. At the end of the meeting after the closing prayer, Brother Sohkanen, the Branch President, got up and asked everyone to stand and sing "Herra olkoon tiellä kanssasi"(God be with you 'til we meet again) for the two departing missionaries(one from his mission, the other to his mission). Needless to say, I didn't get a single note of the hymn out, as I was sobbing like a little kid. Many farewells were had, and much contact info was exchanged, for the future visits to Finland.

Earlier today, we had a nice lunch with the Sohkanens, saying some more goodbyes and enjoying one another's company. Also, trying to figure out a little magic trick involving two corks.

Now I'm packing, desperately shoving everything into my bags. At this point, I won't be too dramatic and wordy, but please know that I've loved my mission - and every moment has grown me into the person I am now. Referring back to the beginning - some people ask me if I'm going to take it easy after the mission, rest a bit, take a break from the super-spiritual-elder thing. I'm not really sure that's how it works. God's taught me a lot during these past two years, and I don't intend to forget it just yet. My day's work will begin again, as will my life's work continue. 

As Ammon said, "And now behold, we have come, and been forth amongst them; and we have been patient in our sufferings, and we have suffered every privation; yea, we have traveled from house to house, relying upon the mercies of the world—not upon the mercies of the world alone but upon the mercies of God... this is my life and my light, my joy and my salvation, and my redemption from everlasting wo. Yea, blessed is the name of my God, who has been mindful of this people, who are a branch of the tree of Israel, and has been lost from its body in a strange land; yea, I say, blessed be the name of my God, who has been mindful of us, wanderers in a strange land."

I've been a wanderer in a strange land, of sorts. And oh, how I've enjoyed it! They journey will continue at home, but Finland always has a little piece of me in its clutches. I'm so excited to see what the future brings. Antakaa palaa.

I love you! Stay strong, read the Book of Mormon, listen to the Prophet. 

Signing off for now,

Vanhin Bolingbroke

Week 105 in Mikkeli (He's a Charmer)

Well well well... August is here, and it already feels like fall! To be fair, fall's my favorite time of year, so I'm just impatiently waiting for the leaves to change colors and ignite the world in a masterpiece of oranges and reds. It look like sky going to explode, but it feel cold. With the slightly colder temperatures(in August, mind you) comes the end of kesäloma and the return of the finn to civilization. We had a great time with some awesome people this week! 

We started out with exchanges in Joensuu(which is the name of the city, but it also translates to 'river's mouth'. That's a pretty inventive name, seeing as the city is on the mouth of a river). 

We had a lot of good work there in some beautifully rainy weather, talked to a ton of pleasant people...

had a total MIRACLE when Vanhin Murtonen cracked open an egg to find not one, but two yolks in the egg. Nature's beautiful, folks.

The Joensuu Elders are a funny bunch. We had a good time with them, and I personally got to expand my own understanding of missionary work - Elder Murtonen in particular was really good at getting to know the people he was talking to really well. I loved learning from his example, and want to continue to apply that in my own missionary work! 

I also got a picture with this little charming fellow:

On his way to being classy and wolfish. He ain't nothin' but a hound dog - and a handsome one at that.

We also had a lesson yesterday with a person who lives in Ristiina, one of our satellite towns. We had a brilliant discussion about the Book of Mormon being another witness of God's plan and His love for us. On the way back, our member who drove us there took us through the scenic route to an old war memorial way back from the 1700's. The drive was a gorgeous backwoods, lakeside route. Awesome. 

In other news, we've been discussing a lot with our Ward Mission Leader about how we can continue to help the people here in Mikkeli - and we're trying to keep in solid contact with people by sending them scriptures or talks nearly every day - to get their päivän hengellinsiä annoksia! I love being able to improve and become better as a missionary and disciple - and I hope that I can do that this week, too! 

From my studies, I've also been thinking about humility, and meekness, and how they're actually different things. The Savior referred to Himself as meek and lowly, and I think that meekness is one of His greatest attributes. 

I hope that you'll be able to develop meekness, and that you'll have a great week doing so!

Rakkaudellani, myös komean susin kanssa,

Vanhin Bolingbroke

Week 104 in Mikkeli (What Goes Around Comes Around)

Gooooood morning! At least it feels like morning. I don't know what the weather's been like in other places, but this week it was baking in Mikkeli. They call these days hellepäivät - basically, the extremely warm days. It's not false... but it is relative. Having lived in quite the eternal winter during my time here, relazive warm feels scorching. Ah well, such life is. And it's a great life, too, with a lot of good missionary work to be done! 

We had exchanges with the Savonlinna Elders this week! Lots of good work was done, and lots of fun was had. The only picture we got, though, was during our morning exercise - a bout of disc golf. The other missionaries are becoming quite the disc-throwers, whereas I seem to be striving towards the title of 'lumberjack using a plastic disc'. The spirit guardians of the forest must hate me. 

Elder Skinner conveniently took the picture about 0.3 seconds before I unleashed one of my infamously convulsive sneezes. That sneeze was just a precursor to the rest of the week, unfortunately. I found myself down with a little bit of a cold(ironically on the hottest day of finnish summer), and out of commission for a few days. Aaand, Elder Skinner was victim to quarantined me, and his proximity to me got him sick too. BUT. Let it not be said that sickness caused a halt to the work of the Lord! We got much inside work done(even rearranged the apartment between our sick-naps), and our technological wonders allow us to contact people, call them and send them uplifting scriptures from the comfort of our beds and pajamas. Wonderful. Although it took a few days to recover, we still had a multitude of lessons this week. In one, we invited our friend to be baptized! After seeing the video of Jesus being baptized by John the Baptist(wonderful video, by the way), he said that there's much to think about. We boldly promised blessings of baptism into Christ's church by the proper authority. We've been living those blessings since eight years old!

On Sunday, we had a true treat - a surprise visit by two of my favorite people in Lahti, my previous proselyting area(actually, probably two of my favorite people in the world), Anna-Leena Hartiala(basically my surrogate finnish grandmother), and Toni(the champ who I had the privilege to baptize)! I love those two. We had a glorious lunch, and a grand time. 

In other news, my dear Elder Skinner decided to cut his hair, and this was the result:

It's really fuzzy and is fun to rub my hand through.

All in all, we've had a pretty good time this week. Lots of good people 'round these parts, and lots of testimony borne. In my studies, I've been focusing on the idea of commitment - as missionaries, we ask people, a lot, to commit to doing things; participating in church, studying the Book of Mormon, listening to the words of the Prophet, etc... and I think that my focus on giving others Christ-centered commitments really helps me to commit more to Christ in my own life. There are always ways that I can improve, and I'm constantly grateful for the gift of Christ's atonement and repentance, which allows me to commit more fully to the Savior!

I've had a great week - and I intend to continue to make it a good one. Hope that you will too! I love the missionary life and work - it's my favorite job. Stay strong! Read your scriptures! And remember, what goes around comes around!

Love,

Vanhin Bolingbroke