Week 101 in Mikkeli (From Sea to Shining Sea)

I hope that I won't be a bore to the people who read missionary emails, seeing as I, similarly to the others, intend to focus the spiritual side of my email on our glorious country, the United States of America. I love my country, and I consider her to be a land of promise, near and dear to my heart. But before I give a deluge of patriotic prose, let's talk about what happened in our week, hey? Tuesday was filled with much Spirit and revelation. It was also our last run with our good old Yaris, as we turned her over to the Assistants to be reassigned. She served Mikkeli well, and we had a gorgeous drive through Kouvola and Porvoo towards Helsinki. 

Goodness, Finland is amazing.  At Zone Conference itself, we discussed the role of the Spirit in conversion, and the implications on our work that the introduction of technology continues to bring to us! Long story short - the Lord does hasten His work. That's not just a funny phrase we throw around, either. 

Our 4th of July was spent in my old stomping grounds, Savonlinna! 

We taught a few lessons, talked to many people(including one man, who, despite being Finnish, knew that it was the fourth!), and had a poor missionary's grill. Pretty fun stuff. Elder Robbins and I, while doing some work in the evening, found some pull-up bars. Naturally, we had to show our prowess. I may or may not have lost some muscle in the past few years... 

In other news, the people we're teaching have been tough to get in contact with, but that just means that we get even more time to talk to those on the street and at their doors, proclaiming the good news!  A member from Lahti (where Elder Skinner and I have both served) also was in town, and took us out for dinner at the local Chinese buffet!

Aaaaand, today was fairly rainy - but that didn't stop us one bit from enjoying a pretty intense bout of Frisbee golf!  All in all, it was a great week. I love this job more than you can imagine. And I love my country! Rant about America: What a place! I haven't seen her for a long time, but I've grown a larger love for that land in the time I've been in foresty Finland. The principles of liberty are available in America like in no other land. God Himself has decreed it as a holy land, which will always be a land of freedom, so long as there be a people to possess it who fear God. There's a novel I could write about my country, and my feelings toward my country, but it may suffice for the time being if I could invite you, dear reader, to study the Book of Mormon regarding the prophesies of this land. There are many, and they awaken us to a sense of our duty as American citizens. I'll call that good for now. I love you! Have a great week, study the scriptures, and stay strong.  Love, 

Vanhin Bolingbroke