Letter #45

Dear Family.

 

Well, this is one of those moments where I want to tell you about the week I just had. But, I dont really remember that much right now. It is kinda sad. I did get two AWESOME packages! Very good highlights!! Thank you!!!

 

Oh, so this week we taught the word of wisdom and a bunch of other stuff and it was way good!! one of our investigators said, "Why not!" and has not for five days drank any coffee. It has been way cool. We also did a bunch of service. We panted our branch presidents house white. It was a long process. We also did some service for a Bahai family in Joensuu.

 

So I have decided that you meet all kinds of fish in the sea on a mission. And some are REALLY cool, and some that are... ya... yeah, you know. But a about a month ago we met this family that was so cool and nice I was floored. And they said they were Bahai and I had never heard about this religion before, and I now know this much, they come from israel area and they believe that every church is right, the believe the BOM is true as well as the Koran and they have a TON of really cool standards that are pretty much the same as ours. Way cool family.

 

I have also studied this week in "Jesus the Christ" by James E. Talmage. And, it is a WAY cool book. I am learning a TON!! I love it!! Yeah we did a lot of trackting and contacting. No more "Bike-contacting" like last time. So far so good. But the Wheather here has been WAY nice and I love Joensuu. So this morning some members took us to their summer cabin. And we planted potatoes for them and wow, because it rains quite often here, the ground has a kinda thin layer of moss, and with the leaves from last fall it is SO beautiful in the forest. I felt like an elf in Lord of the rings because I took off my shoes and walked barefoot in the forest and it was like walking of carpet. It was way cool.

 

I love you and I hope everyone has a good week!!! Have fun and stay safe.

Love,

Elder Waite

 

Letter #44

Dear Rakkas Rakastettavani FAMIY!! (my dear lovable family)

So a TON happened this week and I just want to say I LOVED talking and seeing you last week!! I shall tell you the exciting and pretty sweet things that happened this week. It was really cool.

On monday we had a little surprise party for the senior couple missionaries that are in our city. They are way cool and they will be going home the end of this week. It was funny because we got some whistle blow out things. the blower stuff ya get at new years. ya copy me?? but we had those and surprised them and gave them thank you cards. it was a fun experiance.

Okay, this is probable the 2nd coolest experiance that happened this week and it is probably one of the best that has happened my whole mission. So, I ride a bike everywhere right, and I wear a helmet and I got all the safty gear needed to go to war right, thats just how we roll. Now imagine me on my little purpleish kinda pinkish bike (its not pink though because thats just not a manly color) and I am going down this pretty decent size hill that one can really go fast down. So Im going down this hill and the wind is rushing through my hair and nothing could go wrong(peaceful music was playing, al right). At the bottom of this hill (quite a ways down) I see this girl/women(she was like 25, all the same at that age girl, women ya know) riding her bike up on the same sidewalk. The street is a pretty busy one and there was also some people on the side walk. But as I am gaining velocity and she is approching me we started to do the classic dance of "Ill go left, and you go left". But as everyone in the world wants to dance with me she went right as I went left, so we were still going to hit head on. So we dance dance and dance and so I just decide to stay to the right side of the side walk and Im going down remember, but at the same time I decided to stay put, she did to. aaaaaand, lets just say I tried a NEW style of bike contacting. You guessed it. we hit. head on and I went flying foreword. But with me and what usually happens with me in accidents I just bounce right back up! only a small scratch on my knee. I look back and...... both bikes were kinda, on top of this poor girl. but I asked if she was okay and I helped her get up. I felt so bad for her because my comp later said to me "Did you play football? the way it looked from behind it looked like ya rammed right into her and did a roll on the ground and get right up move." :) :) But this girl got up and at first when it happened I forgot I was in Finland and said "Oh sorry are you okay?" then she said "anteeksi.. " so I switched to finnish but she said she was fine. Her bike basket was a little bent, but I couldnt tell if anything else was broken(on her or me or my bike). my front stiering is off now but she just walked away. well she kinda limped away but, I guess she didnt want to talk to me. :( so we didnt get any contact info or give her a Book of Mormon to her (not even a pass along card as I flew over/into her) but probably one of my better contacts.:)

The best experiance was a lesson with one of our investigators. We wanted them to learn what the Spirit feels like. And after some scriptures and a discusion they had a idea of what a answer/feeling of the Holy Ghost would feel like. Then the question just came to me and I asked "How did you feel the first time we met? What about after we left?" and they thought about it a while and then they said. "Yeah, we did feel something...." it was WAY cool to see the Spirit working with all of us.:)

Another pretty sweet thing which happened this week was... WE TOURED A CASTLE!!! way cool!!! It was a castle that had some real warfare during its prime. Good ol russians against the sweedes. Oh, and hockey is a really big sport here, and Sweeden beat finland in the tournament so, some people arent really too happy. But they played America sometime ago but, I dont know what happened yet.

I love you all and I know this church is true. I know the Book of Mormon is true and I love being a missionary and the work that it brings. I love you and I hope you have a good week

Love Vanhin Waite

ps I know yall like a bit of Drama. So ya got it!!!! AH HA!!!

Letter #43

Dear Family

 

It was SOOO COOL to speak to you all!! I love you!!! wow, what a week. The best parts of the week happened as follows in order of bestest to still pretty sweet! 1 I talked to my family!!! 2 I gave my first blessing to an elderly women in FINNISH!!! 3 our investigators are really cool!! 4 we had some really good fish and 5 we had a new investigator come to church!!! So, way busy!!

 

Im sorry I dont have much time, but I want you to know I love you and that it was GREAT to speak to you!!! Thank you so much for all you do!! I love being out here and I know that this gospel is true! I love the Book of Mormon and I know it to be true!!! Thank you for your love and your support!!

Love

Elder Waite

 

Fresh Market- Im sorry it has taken a while but thank you SOO much for everything!!!

 

Letter #42

Dear Family

 

I love you! So this week went by WAY fast. We were in Helsinki for four days and then had a VERY busy last 3 days. I learned SO much from the training thing in Helsinki and I got to go to the Helsinki Temple! :) We have two amazing invetigators who have set baptismal dates and they are way cool.

 

Our two investigators are way cool! they are a couple, and they have a 11 year old daughter, and we actually met the women before any of the rest. We were doing some work in one area and she came up to us and asked, "Who are you? Do you live here?" and we talked and agreed to meet later. Our first lesson was the BEST I have ever been in. We were laughing at times and then there were times were the room was silent and the Spirit was SO strong. It is truely the Lords work because He led this women to us and, Ive never taught or explained the gospel so easily before. It was just sharing a way of life how important it is and they are way cool. In our 2nd lesson we set a baptismal date with them. And yesterday they came to church!!! Every lesson there is always a strong Spirit and also laughing. my favorite!! Spirit and laughing, cant go wrong. :) :) She told us in the last lesson we had with them about prayer, that she had ´prayed´ somewhat and infact, she prayed earlier that day that she would find someone or something that would help her grow or use her faith. And then she met us, later that same day!!! I love these two!! they are way cool.

 

What do you NOT learn on a mission!! man, I think I have learned more about my self than anything else. I really liked something that I learned about gifts. We all have different gifts. And ALL these gifts that we have been given such as: Height, eye color, Gender, running speed, musical ability, humor or lack of humor, looks, strength, coolness, and all sorts of other gifts the World judges and so do we. All of these attributes and traits sperate us. Which is a good thing, because then we are unique and we can be happy with that. But when judgements like "You are not as fast as he is, your not as good." "Im not as pretty as she is." "You are so cool, Im not as cool." all of these seperate and degrade us. But the message of the Gospel, the fact that we are children of a loveing Heavenly Father unites us. Then it doesnt matter "He is better looking than I am" because he is a son of God and so am I. Way cool thought I had. And that is what I have tried talking about with people this week.

 

I love this time I have to be a missionary. It is NOT the easiest thing in the world.Sometimes is Stinks. But so far, it has been the most rewarding esperiance and adventure I´ve ever been on. I love it:) :)

 

I love you. have fun

Elder Waíte

Letter #41

TERVE PERHE!!! 

dear family, friends, and other aquatints

This week was really good. I dont have much time but I am alive, well, and still kicking!!! a couple cool things that happened this week, 1 a member had a grill thing for us, its called a koda, and it is this small little hut with a big fire pit inside it and they grilled samon and sausage and WOW it was way good!! 2 I was in Oulu this week, its the farthest north Ive been, its the 2nd highest city in the mission, now I just got to go to Rovanniemi. (farthest north missionaries can go!!! as far as I know...) and number 3!! both me and Elder Andersons bikes broke.... but we fixed them, and we also worked the the best rain storm I have ever been in. it started out like those romantic rains like in the movies. you know the `I THOUGHT YOU LOVED ME` type rains and then it just dropped on us!! and this is when I didnt have a rain coat because in my defeanse, the day started off without a cloud in the sky... oh how I learned how fast that can change. Kinda like life. skies clear and then boom, its raining and your stuck out in it with just your suit and your testimony.... and number 4 is Im in Helsinki for 4 days for some training. pretty cool.

I know this church is true and I have learned so much about myself, Christ and this gospel. I love you and talk to you soon!!! 

Love

Vanhin Waite