Living the Missionary Dream!

This last week was fantastic (usually it is but, this week was extra fantastic!)!  Lahti is starting to blossom! It's so exciting. 

It all started with us Sisters having free reign on Lahti for 4 days as the Elders were in Helsinki for training. Last time this happened, missionary work kind of fizzled out. This time, it exploded! We had so many appointments, and it just felt like that was all we were doing! Which is good, except I had rededicated myself to talking with people where ever I was. It's a bit harder to do that when you're rushing the whole time but, it still worked. So we went from appointment to appointment, member to member, investigator to investigator, friend to friend. Very busy. It was fun! But, we were sad because we never seemed to have anytime to actually stop and have a proper conversation with anyone outside of appointments. Fortunately the Lord is able to make up the difference.

On Friday we had no appointments set up (for the first time). We had district meeting, studies, weekly planning and then a chinese new year's party that our investigator invited us to. And that was our whole day.We didn't see very many opportunities to stop and talk with people coming but, we'd had a pretty good week so far so, we weren't overly worried. On the way to district meeting we said "hi" to a man in passing, who actually ended up calling us back, and invited us back to his house sometime. (By the way, this is a very rare thing that happens in Finland. Usually people are either too surprised we talk to them to say much back, or don't even acknowledge our existence)We didn't get his full address as we felt rushed to make it to our meeting on time. We later felt very bad about this, and decided that no matter the circumstances we'd try to take time to do things completely right if that ever happened again. Later that day, on the way to an impromptu coordination meeting, the same thing situation again, with a different man. We said hi, kept walking  and he called us back asking "Oletteko  Jehovan Todistajat?" ( Are you Jehovah's Witnesses?) To which we replied, "Emme. olemme mormonia!" (Nope we're Mormons!) . We went back. He invited us to come to his home. We got the full address this time. Then at the new year's celebration we not only saw our investigator but, a potential we had met on the bus a week ago! He's an exchange student, who believes in pretty much everything we believe. For example that drinking is bad, and that we should obey the law of chastity, and that God loves him. And he says one day he'll live those standards but, he's not ready yet. This caused Sister Dayton and I to really ponder over the next couple days, why do people do things they know are wrong? Any ideas? At any rate, it was probably one of the best days in my mission thus far! Not even the man that swore at us of the way home could put a damper on our happiness!  

Things are going so well. I wish you could all be here sharing in this! Oh, and we received snow this week. And we had an investigator in church for the first time in three months or so. The ward here is the best. I don't know what more I could say! Life is Wonderful! 

I love you all and miss you lots! 

Love, Sister Kastendieck