Letter #23

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! HO Ho HO!!

 

Dear Family and all those who shall behold this epistle!

 

So, Tuesday I sent a package!! my first ever legitimate package!! and in another language!! oh, but i reallized when I got home that I had forgotten to put in the letters that explain it inside the package.... its okay, i mailed those so dont open them without the package family!!

 

Wednesday was great, our branch President took us around to visit members and non members, and as we were going around he would have us sing and share a cool little Christmas message and then skidaddle. It was SO much fun because one older couple started crying because we came. it was great!! (they probably stopped crying when we left. ha ha jk) But our branch President is such a cool guy. we tried a couple in actives and he even bought us some dinner!! so, he pulls up to a gas station and he tells us, "alright, so in America, when you want somting salty you go get hamburger, but in Finland this is what we get." and we go inside and he buys us these enourmus sausage/hot dog things. They were GREAT!!! the outside of them was like stiff and when you bit into it, it made like a popping sound cause they steamed cooked it and wow, it came with no bun, just the hot dog and it was GREAT!!! we need them in America, especially with a little bit of their mustard called Sinapi, its deeliishhh!!!

 

Then we had Zone Conference on Thursday, meetings are great!! I tottally needed the Spiritual Boost. I loved it. And on Saturday we did service for this family, and its great becase Im getting construction time. we are helping them put up sheet rock and help them establish their own humble abode. Its great. Then on Sunday we visited with probably my most Favorite non-related Finnish old people EVER!! I love them!

 

So one cool thing. The sun looks SOO pretty here at 1130am. The sun is setting then and the clouds just look sweet!! but the sunset lasts till about three and then its gone, but its way cool, the sun doesnt even go up that high on the horizon, i love it.

 

Tomorrow is CHRISTMAS!! ITs practically HERE!! so you can call us at 9 in the morning!! Im Excited!! so call craftycoding and we are good!! I love you all and I hope you have a MERRY CHRISTMAS!! HYVÄÄ JOULUA!!!

 

Rakastan teitä!

 

Vanhin Waite

Letter #22

Dear Family Friends and all others who behold this work of Art,

 

So, this week, alot of our investigators booked it out of the country for the holidays. It was still a very productive. On tuesday we went to a Home teaching appointment. This meeting was really special to me. We had visited her berfore but this time was different. She is single and her appartment is kinda small but very poorly lit. she is a member and when we got there I noticed that her table had been set up for some food and places for 4 people to sit. There was some desertish treats on a plater in the middle of the table. So we get in and than all 4 of us; me, Elder Anderton, a member, and this women whom we would teach. Than the Sis went and got glörgi for us(its like wasel and REALLY good(wasel is better:):)) but she gives it to us than it hit me. Here she is, older women all alone, and the food/desert/treats she had for us looked like they had been bought and prepared that day and that she had prepared all day for the 40 minutes she would have us with her. Idk, I probably destroyed explaining it, but it was a very speacial lesson. Me and Elder Anderton sang at the end The First Noel in finnish to her and than we left. We have been singing alot lately and I LOVE IT!! Elder Anderton is WAY good at harmonizing and singing bass so I just sing melody, and we rock it!!! but really good. Idk, thought ya would like to know something about a special meeting that went down.

 

So a really cool story this week comes from doing service for others. Me and Elder Anderton were on our way home from a lesson with an Investigator and we stopped by a members house to shovel there snow. As we shoveled there snow we realize the next door neighbor was shoveling snow too. He was an elderly man and so we hopped right on over to help out. He was SO grateful for us helping him he said "I have to pay you!" was said "No", then he said "How about some coffee?" we said "SURE!! WE would LOVE SOME!! Its been TOO long since I´ve had a sip..."  Jk, just checking if yall are paying attention.:) We said "No" (naturally)and than the man continued trying to persuade us to accept some form of reward and we said "We`ll take hot chocolate." and than he said "Okay, come back in 15 minutes and my wife will have something for you." So we were like, Great! Then we finnished the members drive way, clearing the snow, and went back to the neighbors house. We went in and I thought they had a very very nice house. There were these fancy cups set up for us and some treats as well and they wanted us to have hot chocolate and glörgi with them so we didnt refuse.:) but we talked about the Church and missionary work and shared a christmas message from the BOM. We had a disscusion about Christ and Christmas and at the end, before we left we sang a song. I thought it was really good the whole lesson and at the end of the song the older couple both had tears in their eyes. (Probobly from the singing, i think it would have made a dog cry, wether the singing was so beatiful to bring such tears or was absolutely horrendous, I will leave that for you to decide.) :) :) After words I thought wow, all this came from shoveling snow with a stranger. I thought it was incredible and a blessing.

 

We had a ward party on Saturday, it was WAY good. we even had 5 non members show up. which is great!! but the members really loved it. we had some food and some little presentations/things performed by people in the ward. And me and my comp did a little story, he read goldy loks and the 3 bears, while I was his arms. it was those kind of things where he is sitting down and Im behind him and there is shirt that looks like is on Elder Anderton but my arms are through it and, I thought it turned out pretty good. they laughed. and then Jouluu poki came!! (santa clause) and it was pretty fun. I love the ward, and lately they have been saying really nice things about us. Yesterday during Church we had a are 70 there and in his and his wifes talk they said "I´ve heard you have really great missionaries..." and we were like "Wow..... dats nice... :)" (in a dreamy, stunned happy voice) ;) :) but it was a really good week.

 

Being Christmas so close, I really have been reflecting on all our blessings we have, at least my blessings. Like for one, I am SO glateful Im not stuck with a guy for eternity, haveing a comp all the time is...... ya know... but other blessings like, the people in the ward who you just love and a warm apartment and the "Wonderful food to eat!!"-one legged Tiny Tim, But our lives are GREAT!! I love you all and I think the best Christmas gift ever given would be Jesus Christ. The more you learn about Him, His teachings, and His role in your life and in the Plan of Salvation you relize how much love He has for you and everyone!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Love,

Elder Waite

Letter #21

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

WOW, what a week, i think if i used any more capitals to describe how awesomely busy and crazy it has been than the WHOLE letter would be caps. :)

So, Last week, we had a district little activity for Pday, (the first one ever) and we went to Tampere and watched a dolphin show and also some Astronomy thing about the stars and their alignment in the time of Christs birth. It was was purty sweet. But the dolphins were SOO cool. I made lots of jokes about them, like "Why look! how´d you guys get so far north!!" ha...... it was funny if you were there. but it was fun. not much of a P day, we only bought enough food for 3 to 4 days but... we made it!!! :)

This whole week we had appointments after appointments fall through and it was beginng to look a week to forget. (except for the dolphins) But than, we had a member call us out of the blue, and she said she has a friend who wants to meet with us, and that we could meet at her house for dinner and a lesson. So we were fine with that. :) So we get there and the food was really good! The Fins love fish, and I loved this stuff. You could still see the eyes of the poor guys but, they were small and GOOD!! But just as the food was way good the lesson went AMAZINGLY WELL! and on Sunday he came to church. It is Amazing how much help members are in the work. The member didnt even know this friend was interested and turns out he is an investigator now. :) We need members help!!

So on sunday, I had to give a talk in church. oh, and earlier this week I set up some appointments and talked with some Fins IN THE PHONE!! I was so happy of that. and no, they werent just "hey, we good for tommorow? Great! bye" they were a little bit more sophisticated than that. not much, but they were definately worth the report back home!! :) So I gave a talk in sacrament meeting about faith, and not just faith, but Faith in Christ. I used alot of scriptures and said some things too that were good, and than at the end of my talk I led into a "Christ shared the gospel with others, and we follow Christ as members of this Church. We as missionaries need your help with sharing the gospel. Will you help?" not those exact words, but it was kinda close. :) and what I thought was really amazing is that the speaker before me and after me, all spoke about Christ and the last one was a Stake councilor in the stake presidency. and no, we were not given a topic.But it was so cool because after my talk, which lasted about 10 minutes, the Stake councilor speaks about the Finnish war and how they were fighting for their families and rights, and related it to today, will we fight for Christ? and wow!! he basically saved my talk and oh it was great!! (I think the ward is a little worn out now) but it was great!!! SOO many SWEET spiritual things happen on a mission its Wonderful!!

Merry Christmas all!! did you see the Christmas devotional?? wow I loved Elder Eryrings and Uchtdorfs AND Pres Monson. I love them. we watched it with an investigator. it was great!! I love you all and I love this time of the year to remember the Savior, the significance of His Birth and the memory of His life. A time to strengthen our commitment to love and serve He who decended below all things and suffered for us all. I love my Savior. Rakastan häntä, Hyvää Jouluu teille!!! (Merry Christmas to you!!)

Rakaudella (with love)

Vanhin Waite

Ty and Heidi- Thank you for the letters!! you two are awesome! I loved them!! Thank you!!

Jocelyn- Happy Birthday!!!! wow look at you!! your awesome!! i love you Jocelyn, i think your a fantastic missionary and doing great!! your WAY awesome!! i love your pictures!! Happy Birthday! :)

Letter #20

Dear Family!!

 

Wow what a week!! On Tuesday we did exchanges with our district leaders in Tampere. I spent a day in Tampere!! It was my first time in another city doing missionary work for a whole day!! it was fun. At the end of the day we had one family to visit left, and it was a part member family a recent convert part member family actually, I was just thinking it would be a lesson, but we get there and they had us eat dinner, it was a finnish soup that I thought was REALLY good. :) but after the meal we gave a lesson and it was WAY cool! The women was the member and she really loved it, and her husband, was not a member and he loved it too!! After the lesson we went back to the kitchen to have desert, WOW, it was SO good!! :) then me and Elder Jarvis (he´s our awesome district leader) we sang "Abide with me tis even tide" in Finnish. At the end we said a prayer, and everybody was just so happy, I shook the Sis hand and then Elder Jarvis just hugs the husband, and than the wife huged me!! It was GREAT!! :) :) :) it was the first women hug I´ve gotten forever!! but dont worry, she was over 50 and she kinda came at me but... No complaints!!! she was so cute, it was a momma hug. And than the non member husband who doesnt know me from Adam huged me, and I was like YES! I loved it, it was great!! So I guess the love is being spread in Finland. ;) but afterwords I asked Elder Jarvis why the man wasnt a member, he said "Oh he wont except it but he does love us." it was a good hour of love!

 

Then on Keskiviiko, (Wed) We had District meeting in the morning and those are always fun, I love them. Thursday we did service for a nonmeber family. they had work that needed to be done to finnish the house, and since we do service for free, I think they thought "Perfect!". But the funnest part was, is that I had to use one of those table saw things, where you feed the wood into a blade and it cuts her. Well it was totally sketch but I cut like a 6ft piece of wood with just gogles on... but what an Amazing blessing was that the piece came out perfect, so they liked it. It was Great!! We also put up some sheet rock on the walls(I think thats what it is called) and we totally did a professional job and that was SUCH a blessing because now were invited again!! On Friday, this was awesome, we had planning meeting. Its a meeting you have with your comp where you sit and talk about winters past and listen for sleigh bells and sip hot co-co. Just Kidding!! No its a really important meeting where we plan out the next week. Its super important. But what was cool is that during our planning meeting, we watched the tempeture drop from 0C to -12C in 3 hours! It was Crazy!!! but now we have snow, like you all. :):):):) Then we went out to visit a investigator, and wow, it is WAY fun to ride on the snow in a bike!! we had an awesome lesson about keeping the commandments and relateing it to the vision Lehi had about the Tree of life. And how by keeping the commandments we hold on to the rod and come closer to God. We used the Tree of Life because the investigator just read it. It was a really coo lesson. OH, totally spaced! He is portaguess, (Or how ever ya spell it;)) but he speaks Finnish to us because he doesnt know english and he says his prayers in Portagues. I think im starting to pick up some of it up...... scoosh bush da muush kee de la bush....... I think will speak fluently when I get back Rhett and Jocelyn, have no fear. :)  but he is way cool. and on the way home, there was tons of snow and its -12C (which is below 15F, i think) and I tottally biffed it!! it was great! Im fine, in case of worryings, but the curb was covered by snow alright. and im sure the car driving by thought it was funny. :) on Saturday we were going to visit another investigator, but we go through this little town square, and I was going first and so were going and I make a few turns and than I look behind to talk to my companion and he wasnt there! Then I see him come around the corner and he asked me "Didnt you hear me? I totally biffed it in the town swuare!" I thought it was funny that I honestly didnt hear him... but were falling all over the place. :) But dont worry, were picking up how to ride on the snow and slide and stuff, it comes pretty fast. :)

 

So today, It is almost -19C, that means we hit below 0F!!!! a good start for being December I think. :) its great! I am so greatful to be here! I hope everything is going well at home, Its December!!! Happy Christmas!! Today for Pday we are going to see some live dolphin show in Tampere, pretty cool I think. Thanks for reading and I love ya!

 

Vanhin

       Waite

 

 

Jayden-I got your letter, and I sent a letter back to ya, hopefully ya got it. sorry for being slow. and Thank you for the Email. Thats SO coo David is going to Nevada!!! Your awesome and I love ya. And Colombia sound SO cool! thank you

 

Meghan- Did I really spell your name wrong in the letter?:) sorry, :) I got your letter by the way, thank you!! :)