Just another week...without snow

For all of those who are wondering. There is still no snow here in Lahti. Well, I guess there's a little bit, which looks like icing sugar. And we did have a good snowy day last Thursday, but then it turned into rain. So for all y'all who believe Finland is a snowy, cold place... I think Canada has it beat. At least for snow, for now. It's been getting colder though. I've started to use my big winter coat, and a hat, and gloves, and boots. And the darkness is pretty intense. The sun starts setting around 4 in the afternoon, maybe a bit earlier. Not sure when it rises. I think between 8 and 9. I'm indoors then though, so I really don't notice. But no fear! I have vitamin D which, (mom you'll be happy to hear) I'm actually taking! Mostly because I don't want to have to lug it around anymore.

Now as for events of the past week. It has been a week. Fairly average. Nothing too spectacular, but here's what happened anyhow.

My mission president put out this document a while ago called A Day in the Life of a Finland Helsinki Missionary. It goes on for at least three A4 sized pages, and is a bit intimidating to say the least. Sister Schellenberg and I have recently been going over together and we decided to start applying counsel. Funny things happen when you do that... eli it actually works. We decided to start making small changes and have now been watching the these missionary training videos they have consistently daily, during breakfast (as we are told to in the document). We had been having a lot of trouble effectively planning for effective lessons. And then we watched the segment on it. And then had our studies, followed their example. That night we had a lesson with an investigator, who is normally unfocused due to some meds she has to take. We had a bunch of stuff we had been trying to cover with her forever, and that night the lesson went beautifully. We were able to cover everything we had planned, the spirit was super strong, and she was able to focus. The moral of the story is, always follow the counsel of your leaders. It ends well when you do.

Another fun thing we did. We've been trying to work more closely with church members, to help them help their friends see how the gospel has helped them. We had a dinner appointment with the bishop this week, and we decided to do a role play with him and his wife. The idea is, everyone writes a normal everyday situation on a piece of paper, and then fold it up and put it in a bowl. Then everyone draws a situation, and they have to act out how they would get from that situation, to mentioning the gospel, normally and naturally. It was really fun! Afterwards we were able to play sähly, which also makes for a good evening.

Things are really going good. I guess that's what happens when you put your whole heart into it. You can't do much if you don't have your whole heart. It's a hard things to do, but way worth it.

You are all the best! And I hope that you have a great last week of November!

Rakkaudella,

Sister Kastendieck