Week 79 in Lahti (Hyvät matkustajat, junanne on mennyt hulluksi. Tervetuluoa mihin tahansa.)

Buckle up, kiddos, we’ve had some adventures this week. Remember how I said that last week we had a lot of cold and snow? Yeah, that was just the beginning.  So last Monday evening, we trekked through a windy blizzard to teach a friend of ours. The lesson went well, his roomba kept trying to vacuum my feet off, and our friend was relieved that the popcorn he made was ‘up to American standards.’ It was, don’t worry But the real business began on Tuesday, when we took a train down to Espoo! While I’m here, lemme tell you a bit about train contacting. I realize that in my weekly emails, I haven’t stopped to talk much about the stuff we do every day - you know, the missionary part of my life. Travel is organized. You get on to your train, spot your seats, and try to strike up a conversation with someone in the adjacent seat. Often times it’s tough, because finns are shy/don’t want to talk/etc., but ya do your best, and you often get gold nuggets of people to talk to!(I’ve conversed with such characters as a raging drug addict, a retired lutheran priest/theologian, many businesspeople who work in Helsinki, etc.) Our train lasted a whopping 45 minutes, and we were at my old stomping grounds, Helsinki! From there we took a series of lähijunat to Leppävaara, where the Temple, and the mission home are. From there began three days of discussion, roleplays, planning, and general missionary greatness. For the new missionaries, they have Return and Report(I’ve been to three of those now), which is a few days of this kind of discussion, and a Temple trip!

Discussion and topics at the mission home

Temple trip!

Upon our return, we had a series of crazy service projects: Friday: Patomos. In finland, it often snows so much that it becomes necessary to clear the snow off of your roof so it doesn’t have the chance to cave in. No, mom, we didn’t get on the roof, but we shoveled a ton of snow into the piles that were in the backyard! Let us say, olen mäen kuningas. 

Saturday: Katajas. They live out in the middle of nowhere, so we took a train out to them, and did a ton of wood work! Nothing makes you feel manlier than woodwork in the middle of a finnish forest in the dead of winter! Sisu sisu sisu.

Sunday: Jäkkös! Our friends had us over again, and we shared their time and food! But the miracle happened when they prayed at the end of our spiritual thought that we might find someone who wants to hear the message of the restoration, and that very evening, on our way home, we talked with two great people who would love to hear more!  Monday: Hämeenlinna! We traveled out there in the afternoon, and were able to teach 2 great discussions, one with a recent convert, and one with a friend who’s just moved from Helsinki! Our trains were crazy on the way back, so delays got us home at about 9.29. Whew, just in time. Well, look at that, that’s our week! A few funny happenstances:-while traveling back from R+R, I squatted down to pick up a box of Books of Mormon that the Kajaani Elders were delivering, and the butt of my pants ripped right there. Good thing I wear a long pea coat, so that nobody could see, because I went the whole rest of the day with a nice little winter breeze flowing through my nether regions. I’ll see if that can be repaired, but if not - well, goodbye to one of my suits!-We had kebab for dinner in Hämeenlinna. Good stuff, the mystery meat of the Arabs.

While teaching in Hämeenlinna, our appointment was in a library. We were sitting next to a bunch of books, discussing the good ol’ pelastussuunnitelma, and I bore testimony that the Book of Mormon was a very virheetön kirja. Right after saying that, I pulled off of the shelf a copy of fifty shades of grey, and said to our friend, “unlike this one, which is not so pure.” Yes, I compared the Book of Mormon to fifty shades of grey. That’s a legendary moment in my life that I’ll never forget. 

Ah, in any case, I’m writing a ton, so I’ll just let y’all enjoy the pictures and the winter! Remember, I love you, stay warm, and read your scriptures! I do, and it helps me understand the secrets of God, and my part in His plan!

Love,

Vanhin Bolingbroke