Letter #40

Dear Family, Friends and awesome readers,

 

This week was pretty good, if I might say so myself. We had two less actives come to church, which was WAY cool. President Rawlings spoke in our sacrement meeting. Our branch president was released and a cool little change took place, and things are looking on the good side. :) I love this gospel. You know those days where you know there is SO much to talk about but cant remember it... this is one of those days.

 

But one cool thing our mission has been pushing is getting Members to find people in their lives that can be receptive to the gospel. Which is totally cool because every member in this church IS a missionary. And everyone needs the gospel. This week we met with some members and we ended up with 3 referals!! way cool!! So ya, I love the members here, they are way cool and very supportive.

 

 So this week we had a dinner appoint with a family that were not members and I had never met them before. It was way cool, we get a text from a girl that we had tried to meet a few weeks ago and then we get a text from her and it says her parents want us over for dinner. So, way cool right! We get there and they are the NICEST family I´ve met so far and wow, it was way cool. They didnt drink and they were basically LDS except they werent. Turns out we think that they except all religions as true and correct and that all have good morals and values and they all serve God. I say we think because they were kind of talkative and way nice. But we didnt say much. The Dad was American and the mom and daughter were Finnish, but we spoke in English and they all spoke pretty well. Especially the American. :) :)

 

I´ve learned a lot about Faith and Love and the relationship they have together. Because I have found it extreamly hard sometime to love some people. I am still learning that if our Faith in a Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ is strong enough, then we can love those around us for who they are, sons and daughters of God. I know that the Book of Mormon is true and I love it. I am greatful for my Savior and His atonement. Im proud to be an American and I love you.

Love

Elder Waite

Letter #39

wow, what a week. But let me start off.....

 

Dear Family and Friends and all the blessed readers of this email,

 

So this week was my 6 month in the country mark, so I had to go down to Helsinki so they can see where I am in my language stuff. So on pday I may or may not have tried on some European pricey clothes, it was way fun. kinda weird i know, but some of the pricey suits are pretty nice. haha. Then ón tuesday we went to Helsinki, it was way fun. I learned a lot about the different ways to study a language. And I learned that I learn it best by listening to it and picking it apart right then on the spot. pretty cool. Kuitenkin

 

The train ride back was 4 hours from Helsinki to Joensuu. Elder Anderson and I were running to make our first train but... like whats happened in the past, the train left as I was 4 feet from pushing the "open door" button. pretty funny and sad. but we got the next train. Elder Anderson and I blame it on the women we opened the door for. ha. Then our week went on, as it usually does. But we did have this cool experiance:

 

So my companion and I have tried harder to pray always and to talk to everyone. And a few days ago we were trying a few potentials and praying to the Lord to help us find the one that needs us that day. As we were leaving the building where a few potentials live, and this random young women comes up to us out of nowhere and asks us "what we are doing?". Turns out this women had seen us many times in this area and wondered if we lived here. We said no and then talked and bore testimonies about the Book of Mormon. She said we could visit sometime later. And later that week we went back and had a lesson with her AND her husband. Both became new investigators and during the lesson we asked, "why did you want to meet with us?" or "what do you expect to learn from us." and she aswered "I want to know more about the Book of Mormon and how you found out is it true or not." (perfect answers:)  It was the most natural and powerful lesson I have ever been a part of and I know the Lord prepared those people. We were trying to find them through prayer and effort, but she found us because the Lord knows whose ready and answers prayers.

 

Oh, and way cool. I love members and the sacrifices they do for us. We were riding our bikes in the rain on Saturday and I get this call from a sister in the ward. She says "hey, i just saw you and Im on my lunch break, do you want to go get something?" so I naturally said "Sure!" :) way cool lunch. We talked about conference and she really enjoyed it.

 

I know this church is true and I love it. I love this gospel and Jesus Christ. This is the hardest thing I´ve ever done, but I know in many ways, it is worth it. I love the BoM and the power it has to heal, comfort and guide. I am greatful for the atonement and the enableing, and uplifting power it has to change me, my heart and the Lords investigators. I love you all and pray for you.
Love

Elder Waite

 

Letter #38

Dear Family

 

Wow, what a week. Yeah so last week had a lot of sacred days, which means stores closed and library closed. Thats why my email was a wee bit late. But it was a very good and fun week. The Lord has a way of moving His work. And I am begining to think we are all investigators.

 

So we had a very interesting experiance and just another testimony to me of the power of the Gospel and why we live it. Our investigator who we helped quit smoking  and have taught a ton to has fallen pretty far. My testimony of having our lives anchored in Christ has grown, and after conference and many experiances here on my mission my testimony of obediance to all the commandments such as Word of Wisdom and the Law of Chasity have grown huge. This investigator, it is so sad to see, has now resorted to porn and beer instead of the gospel. I pray for this investigator and I love this investigator. I say this to you just to tell you how GRATEFUL I am to have the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

 

Oh, a funny experiance I had again, we talked to this lady on the street asked us if it is the same Christ that gives salvation to those who believe. We told yes, but He is much more. And she blessed us, like letterally blessed us and than kept walking. Pretty funny. I thought.

 

So we have been working wiht this less active, and it is married and has a kid. It hasnt been to church for a long time and we have been teaching it for some time and it´s young. but this week it opened to us for the first time. I think. It told us itas had a lot of doubts about the church. it s read and seen many things that have "shaken" its faith. And the spirit was with us when we taught it and I told her two things, 1) Faith is like a muscle, if you dont use it you lose it. 2) write down your concerns or print off what is bothering you and lets read it together. We went back a few hours before conference and it had questions, they were definately anti-Mormon questions and I could not answer all of them. But I knew and I knew it felt how these were not true, I answered what I could and then we shared a thought about prophets. I told it that you will continue in doubt until you do something about it. You dont read, pray or watch conference, and if you dont make your own mind up about things, then of coarse someone or something else will make your mind for you. I learned in that lesson that there are things in this world to act, and things to be acted upon. And if we dont ACT, than we will be acted upon. (weird how that sounds like a scripture, funny I know right)

 

ANd than Conference. Wow, way cool. I loved what I saw, and I saw what I loved. I didnt get to see or hear the last session. Sunday afternoon. I saw all the others. I loved Pres Packers poem. Elder Perry´s enthusiasim, some of the 70 Elders had some good ones. Sis Daltons was a favorite of mine. And President Monson of coarse was way good! I also love Elder Uchdorfs toddler reference in priesthood, and I loved how President Eyring said something like "the true church of Christ" or "this is the true church of Jesus Christ" like 4 times throughout the whole Conference. The good marriage one by Wixmon? I think. that was cool. Wow and all the talk of the power of the priesthood and marriage and who we really are as children of our Heavenly Father was really cool.

 

I love this gospel and I hope you are all haveing a great time!! I love our prophet and I am greatful to be a missionary. I love you all and have a great week!!

Love,

Vanhin Waite

Letter #37- Happy Easter and General Conference

Happy Easter and General Conference!!

 

Wow, this week was a good one. We had investigators MIA and all kinds of stuff. So I also had to give a talk in Sacrament meeting about Faith. It was funny, a lot of the members afterwords said "kiitos kauniista Suomea" which means "thanks for the beautiful Finnish". Which I thought was funny because I dont know how much they learned about faith, but they liked my finnish. Pretty funny, I thought. Yesterday was a holy day, and the library in which we write home was closed, so sorry its a wee bit late.

 

So a couple thoughts I had over the week, was how amazing it is to me that we have a prophet today. We had a investigator this week have problems with being baptized again because he had already been baptized. According to him, all roads lead to rome, in other words, he has been baptized and he knows the Book of Mormon is true(in fact he likes it better than the Bible) but he doesnt see the need to be baptized because he as already been baptized. And this got me a thinking about the importance of a living prophet. The Book of Mormon is proof that we have a prophet. He holds the all the keys of the priesthood and the power to perform sealings. He has the power to inturpret scriptures the way they were meant. "Whether by the voice of my servents or by me, it is the same." He is Christs mouth piece on earth. And we have the opportunity to listen, read about, and watch our prophet. I often talk about prophets with people on the street and there has been many times where I have shown them a small picture I have of President Monson on my planner and I know they feel the spirit.

 

I am very greatful to be serving a mission and I know it is where I am suppose to be. I love my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and I know He is always helping me. I dont fear the future, because I know I am a son of God, my needs may be great but my potential in life is also great. I love the Book of Mormon and how it has become a friend to me. I am very excited for General Conference to hear from our leaders. I love you all and I hope you all have a great week.

 

Love

Elder Waite