Lumi on tullut!

Snow has finally arrived (and stuck around) in the wonderful city of Lahti! It was clearly just waiting for the first of joulukuu (December).

On Monday we had a really neat experience. We were out in another town visiting a member and we had to catch a bus to come home. We ended up running for this bus, catching it, and after a couple minutes being the only people on it. But of course there is at least always ONE person to talk to on the bus, eli the driver. So we went up and started to talk with him. He was super friendly, and he started about talking about how after he gets of work he'll go home and take care of his cat. We small chatted about his cat for a bit, and then out of the blue he mentioned that how things had been lonely because his wife had died just a month before. I mean, who mentions that their wife just died to a couple of strangers. Definitely not Finns, but hey that's cool. We didn't really continue the conversation after that, because more people started to get on and it was personal, but Sister Schellenberg ended up writing a note with her testimony about the plan of salvation, talking about how she knows that he can be with his wife again, that he's God's son and so forth. When we got off we gave him a plan of salvation pamphlet and the testimony, and we went off and continued to do missionary work, and didn't think much more of it. Later that night we received a text from this bus driver thanking us and telling us that we were a huge comfort in a time of need, and that he'd be interested in meeting with us later on. Really cool experience. Made our week, although it had just begun.

Thursday, was American Thanksgiving. Not that it meant much here. We still had a Thanksgiving dinner though. Made of stuffing, potatoes, cranberry sauce and some sort of chicken sauce. Half of it was sent by Sister Schellenberg's mom, but it was really great and filling. We were just missing the pumpkin pie, but pie isn't really something they do in Finland. We also made a 'Thankful turkey'... which turned into the "strange-happenings-of-missionary-work Turkey, including being taught to crochet by a Russian who doesn't speak finnish or english, and watching 80s liberian family, christian, music and dance video along with many other strange, but true tales of life in Lahti.

We were also able to get into contact with a less active member, who had before refused missionaries. Sometimes, it just takes a couple of sister missionaries. This lady is really cute, and really old, and can't really go outside her apartment anymore. But we got to sing songs with her, and read some scriptures, and even light a candle for the advent! The Christmas season has begun, and we are excited to exploit it! Okay, that sounds bad, but it's Christ's season. What better time to talk to people about Christ?

Okay, so I need to go. I hope that this week is the best week you have all ever had. Be happy. And remember to look up! 

Sister Kastendieck!