Letter #77

Dear Family

So, to start off, I love Finland for its BEAUTIFUL landscape and trees and nature. The Finns are HUGE outdoors people and I like. I want to be one too!!!!

Go hockey!!! I love the sports Finland loves!!! Hockey is SOO cool!! a little rough but, way sweet!!!

okay, back to missionary work.

So my for sure departure date from Finland is June 26. I have to go home a bit earlier because of the new mission president coming. They dont want missionaries leaving as soon as he gets to Finland so they cut me short. :( Please be at the Airport with all little ones (james thats you) and huggables (mom thats you)!!!! okay any way.

This week was great!!! a couple of the members in lohja prayed that my companion and I would stay in Lohja and their prayer was answered!!! We found an investigator yesterday!! and have met some way sweet potential families. I love talking to people. Hate geting rejected. but that just belongs to the work. We are praying that 1 investigator of ours is baptized next month and that a family is baptized in april.

The members are SO stoaked to have missionaries here in Lohja. They are all praying for missionary work to move forward here so they can start their own branch. That would be so cool. I can totally see it happening.

We had a lesson were a investigating women asked some big questions such as why do men have the Priesthood and about baptism and all that jazz. We didnt resolve her concerns but reminded her that ALL those questions lead back to the divinity of the Book of Mormon. She wasnt really satisfied with that and kinda yueah. but very great spiritual experiance.

I lov eyou all and I pray for you!!!! have fun this week and be safe!!!

Love

Vanhin waite

Letter #76

HI FAMILY!!!

This week was really good!!! we met with a ton of people and had some great lessons!! the best part of the week was having one of our rougher around the edges investigator come to church on sunday!!! there was much rejoicing!! yeahhhhhhh!!!! he really enjoyed sacrament meeting and even felt the spirit strong enough to get a little emotional. Pretty sweet for a big Finnish man who works in security. we also met with a family this week. well, just the dad. but it was sad because he wasnt too interested and asked that we dont come back even though the mom really liked us but she was sick the second time so... thats just how that goes. other than that I just relized that I might only have two changes left on my mission. Every 9 weeks is a change and at the end of the 9 weeks we see if we go somewhere else. but I hope that I get to "die" or spend my last 9 weeks here in Lohja. Great place. I lov eyou all and the Book of Mormon is really an amazing book. The bible is kind of a weak testimony of Christ to all the nations but with the Book of Mormon it is a power house. its almost true!!!! haha. I love it!! i love you all and hope you have a very nice friend day. or valentinesday. its called friend day here. haha i lov eyou!!!

 

Vanhin Waite

Letter #75

Dear Family

 

This week was pretty chill. a ton happened so I hope you are all buckled in and ready for such a week.

 

So starting two sundays ago, we took a bus(even though we have a car) all the way down to Espoo. Its only like a 30 minute bus ride but this is the funny thing. I talked with this pretty chill guy, the sad thing was, there was a another guy studying to become a priest in the Lutherin church infront of me, so he lovingly joined the conversation and kinda wanted to keep talking. but long story shortened, we missed our stop and went all the way to Helsinki because I was talking. :)
We got a ride though from the Elders back to Espoo for the night.

 

The next morning is usually p day, but because of my companions 6 week reunion in the contry there is a special meeting for him and all the other special greenies and there blessed trainers. That is the reason and it is SO fun. but kills your p day time. Got up in the morning and took a train to Helsinki and rode some trams and had the meeting. Same thing for 3 days. Thursday is a bit different, It is my companions 6 week language school. Learn language tips there and at the same time, the trainers(which is me:) get to go to the temple. now this gets tricky, because we for a district activity, we had planned on going to hte temple friday, and as a missionary you can only go to the temple 1 a month, so I didnt go when my companion was in his language school. but that night we were supposed to go back to our city but... we didnt have bus tickets and we had no idea were the bus station was in big ol Helsinki. So, we ended up staying another night and going to the temple the next morning but, thursday night was when I emailed. :)

 

After the temple on Friday, we had no bus tickets or money except for a big fat 50 euro mark. we took a short bus and the price was like 5 euros because we were not going very far and the bus didnt want the 50 so he said just get on. it was really nice and such a blessing. because there was NO way to plan for all this stuff that happened. oh, we also were carring a box of Book of Mormons. that was heavy. After this short distance bus we waited in the snow and cold for our real bus, and this time our big mark was accepted. :)

 

So, all in all. we got home to our area with only 2 days left in the week. pretty exciting.

 

I love missionary work!! and even these crazy unexpected things are sure fun!! I love you all and have fun while being safe too!!!

Rakkaudella

Vanhin Waite

Letter #74

dear family.

 

so this week was really really good, except for the end, i will tell you why, but i love lohja and the mission is great:)

 

so 2 days ago i climbed some ropes and when I reached the top I slid down them..... but thats a problem because you dont slide down ropes. i got a pretty bad rope burn because of it and had to get some care on it, but EVERYTHING is fine!! im just wearing bandages now.. thats it. :)

 

We found a couple of investigators and hjad some sweet experiances with othér people. I love it here and I hope everything is going well for all yall

 

love

Vanhin Waite

 

this is a picture of my hands. i learnd how not to come down ropes and not to do that kind of stuff on the mission. :) love you:) kinda stupid i know, but i got to talk to the nurse about religion, turns out she was a jehovah witness, not anymore though... all kinds of doors opened up. :)

Letter #73

Dear Family friends and Country Men... RUSSIANS!!! :)(just kidding)

 

So it is WINTER finally here up north. We went from 3 degrees C all the way down to -10 in one day!!! its fantastic!!! we actually have snow!! im happy.

 

The snow makes everything so much more brighter and happier. even though is is pretty cold with the humidity and stuff. My companion and I have installed a hitch to our car now, and soon we will have bikes!!! yeah bikes in the cold snow!!! I actually enjoy it, it is a good work out and pretty fun. Pretty sweet stuff.

 

We are doing good in the missionary work department side of life, potentials, investigators copies of the Book of mormon and all that Jazz. We do a way cool FHE where all the families here in Lohja come to gether for it, happens ounce a month and its sweet!!

 

Okay, so sad and good news. I found out my departure date as of right now. right now it is JUNE 26. thats right, JUNE 26. I got cut short because of the new mission president coming, they dont like having people leaving like 2 weeks after he gets there. so.... but my mission pressident will be talking to SLC and maybe I will get an extension. but as of right now it is June 26. I think it will change, Idk, its like a 50 50. yo yo.

 

I love you all and i HOPe you have a great week!! Ilove Finland and the snow!! have fun!!!

 

Rakkaudella

Vanhin Waite

Letter #72

dear Family

This week was pretty good. A new start in a new city!! our first few weeks were just busy with apartment stuff, new car, members wanting to see the new boys in town, meetings and all sorts of stuff. But now, we got just up hill work!!! no investigators, plenty of area, its show time. haha, 

A really cool thing last week was we had some pretty sweet lessons with our only investigator and then he dropped us. Like he felt the Spirit and everything so, now he is in the Lords hands. Also I never did this but we used Family History as a contacting method and it totally worked. This man would love to meet with us next week and talk about family history work but other than that, he told us up front, he doesn't care about our church´s doctrine. That´s okay. 

I love you all and I hope you all have a FANTASTIC first full week of the new year!! I hope the goals have been made and effort to achieve them is commenced. Have fun and be safe!!

Love

Vanhin Waite 

Letter #71

Dear Family

 

Thank you all for Skyping with me!!! YOu all are awesome!! this week will be short, but sweet. Just like we like em right???

 

Christmas was WAY busy!!! we had 3 dinner appointments each day, Christmas eve and Day, the end of the week went really good. We put together a map for our area and areas. pretty intense process. We met with a lot of partmember families and had some great laughs. Things are on the up swing and GROWING!!

 

I love you all and have a Happy New year!!! Lets start the Year off right!! I love you!

 

Love

Vanhin Waite