Week 63 in Rauma (No hei, minä lähden lahteen!)

Let's get the big news going - I'm being transferred to Lahti!

How creative can a name be? Lahti means 'bay' in finnish, so there. Because there's no articles(a, an, the) in finnish, there's no difference between "I'm leaving to the bay" and "I'm leaving to Lahti", minä lähden lahteen.

I'll be there with Elder Owens, who's been in country a transfer longer than Elder Hale. Otherwise, I know nothing about him, but I'm excited! Change is always exciting, and packing is always stressful.

Anyways, let's look at our week!

Makin' more bread with General Conference talks in the background. Sums up our P-day last week!

Took some pictures at the Aurajoki - the huge river in Turku. Probably the last time I'll see Turku for a while... Darn! That's a beautiful city, especially in the fall!

Now... for all the goodbye photos... yesterday was sad at church. Rauma's been beloved to me. I got to bear my testimony again, and I remember saying that "osa sydämestäni jää varmasti Raumalle," or "surely a part of my heart will stay here in Rauma."

Sami Hilakari! Return missionary, nearly blind, lives in our same apartment building, spiritual guru! Love this man!

Jukka + Anna-Liisa Laine! Jukka has been one of our best men on lessons, and he also happens to be the father of Sampo, to whom our friend Niina(who will be baptized this Saturday) is engaged! I'm telling you, the family tree never ends.

Keijo Mäkinen! One of my best friends in the ward - we have a very similar sense of humor - he's also the one who gave me that old-translation Bible + Book of Mormon + Pearl of Great Price + Doctrine/Covenants a while back, remember that one?

Well, that's all I've got on pictures for the week. Too many goodbyes, but I do feel that it's time. Lahti calls, and I'll miss Rauma, and the adventure continues!

A few other thoughts: I'm not going to be district leader this time around, so you know what that means? I'm actually gonna get time to do personal studies! I'm really looking forward to it - don't get me wrong, I've loved being a district leader over the Turku/Rauma district, but I also feel that Lahti is the place where I can really focus on deepening my personal conversion to the Lord, and on improving my own work as a missionary. I'm really excited for that.

Well, I'll see you all next week! You'll be hearing from me from Lahti, and we'll see what the adventure brings there!

Love you all! I'd encourage you to keep listening to and studying conference - I've been doing that, and I'm learning more every time!

Love,

Vanhin Bolingbroke