Week 91 in Mikkeli (Cafe Rio, visits to old cities, and R.I.P. my pants)

You didn't think that Cafe Rio existed in Finland, did you?

No, it doesn't.

But, for that reason, we MADE SOME. Yes indeed, folks, the missionaries are about to start Mikkeli's(and all of Finland's) first Mexican food restaurant!

I mean not really, we just made some super good burritos:

Well, the recipe was from Cafe Rio, and I had some pretty good flashbacks to the ol' Utah days. We also made enough to last for nearly a whole week, so the flat smelled like a mexican restaurant for days. Which I'm fine with!

Otherwise:

We got to do exchanges in Savonlinna! I was able to see some old friends, teach some people, and see an old castle. It was pretty awesome, if I do say so myself.

We got transfer calls... and Elder Jordan and I will be staying together! No big changes here, just tons of awesome work here in Mikkeli. We're excited.

Speaking of, we've made some pretty ambitious goals for this transfer. We've decided that shopping takes too much time out of p-day, so we're making a goal to only go shopping every other week. We bought, this morning, enough food for two weeks!

Survival skills to the max.

We also had our last district council on Saturday. Love these goobers.

In other news, all of my clothes have begun to fall apart. I think that they sense how close I am to finishing my mission, and they just decide that they can give up for the last few months. Thus:

Also, a funny for the week:

Sometimes, your overcharged truck engine isn't loud enough to let the neighbors know that you have said overcharged engine, so you need to write the specs on the back so that people will be impressed... even though your truck can only drive at 80 kilometres per hour(that's not even 60mph, folks). Neat. 

Well, that's all I have this week! I love this work still, and it seems to be going even faster, now that spring is here, and we're working ourselves to death(well, not literally)!

I love the Lord, and love doing His work!

-Vanhin Bolingbroke

Week 90 in Mikkeli (The glad tidings continue!)

Yes indeed, we also had Easter up here in the north in Finland! It was an amazing experience - and I got to study a lot about Our Savior's life, His city, doings, teachings, and His suffering, death, and resurrection. It's been a wonderful experience, diving into the scriptures to learn more about Him whom we serve!

Now, that being said, yes - the only picture I have that's easter-related is a chocolate egg. Yes, it was very yummy. But despite the funny easter traditions, it's been a really special time. I hope you've enjoyed it too, and thought about Christ!

What else has happened this week?

One set of members gave us some drawstring bag and coloring markers, so that we could make some decorations. I decorated! I may not be the artsy-fartsiest in the world, but I can do something cute! 

You know how I am with cars - and this one's a beauty!

This one isn't too typical for this country - but it's by the student housing complex, so I guess that might explain something. combustibles in the trash, maybe? Or...

...maybe this is what happens when Elder Jordan and I come through with our BURNING testimonies! (These*clap*are*clap*the*clap*jokes*clap*)

Here's a fun part of our week as well - we've found four new friends to teach this week! We haven't had a lot of time to do finding, but we used the time we had well - and it's paid off! Here's a little snippet from our week:

MIRACLE FIND: A few days ago, during preparation for the Easter Fireside in Mikkeli, we were tracting and came across this man. We talked to him a bit about the Restoration message, and the Easter Fireside, and invited him to the fireside. He took the flyer, said "pitää miettiä", and slammed the door. Well, he came! MIRACLE 2: He began to walk out right at the end of the fireside, during the closing hymn, and so Elder Jordan and I ran right out to him(turns out he was only leaving early because he was late for his saunavuoro), talked with him, and got his number. MIRACLE 3: We put together a lesson for Monday, and we taught him about the restoration! In the conversation, we got to know him really well, and figured out that missionaries 2~ years ago had given him a Book of Mormon, and he's read some of it! We're excited to go back in a few days!

The work is going forward here! And I'm so excited to be participating in this work! I love you all, have a great week, and continue to study up on the Savior's teachings!

Love,

Vanhin Bolingbroke

Week 89 in Mikkeli ( Interviews, conferences, and caramel apples. The usual.)

What a crazy sort of week. But as we approach Easter, I'm constantly reinvigorated by the thought of following Christ, and studying about Him! President Aura, in our Zone Conference, asked us to 'make this Easter different by studying Christ and His last week in His mortal ministry.' I've taken that on, and been studying His life from the scriptures, and from Jesus the Christ, a book by James E. Talmage. Wonderful read! 

What's happened this week?

Zone Conference!

We had wonderful discussions about inviting our friends to attend church with us, the reasons we come to church, Easter, and the rolling-out of technology in our mission! Love this group, we have a wonderful time working with them!

I also had an interview with President Aura during Zone Conference, he encouraged me to continue to turn outwards toward others, rather than inwards toward myself, in the Character of Christ. I'm trying to implement that better.

We also had a baptismal interview for a friend in Savonlinna! Here's, naturally, a picture of us in the elevator:

Aaand, they also stayed with us after Zone Conference, so we made caramel apples that evening:

In other news: When you're tracting, and you see a toilet sitting in the middle of the apartment building hallway, what do you do?

You know what I would do.

In other news, we also got some of the pictures from MLC! May I present, yours truly at the Helsinki Temple, being as photogenic as always:

I think that's our week in a nutshell! I love you all, and I hope you'll be able to make this Easter different by studying Christ and His life and ministry!

The gospel is true! I love it!

-Vanhin Bolingbroke