Jumula rakistaa meita, ja me olemme lapset. God loves us and we are his children. So the language is finally starting to come. I can mostly understand what my teachers are saying to me in Finnish, but trying to say sentences is a whole different ballpark. There's SOO many rules, the only way to really get finnish down is through repetition and trial and error. I guess that's why it takes more hours to get down then Mandarin chinese. Anyway, We teach an investigator everyday now, and our lessons are up to 30 minutes a day now, its pretty cool. I'm really learning the importance of how it's important to learn to speak with the language of the spirit and love, before finnish. Because even if you speak broken finnish if you speak with the spirit, they can feel it.. I've come to this mindset, even if I don't know a lick of finnish when I make it over to Finland, it doesn't matter because I'm going to just serve people. I'll even act it out if I have to, but everybody understands the language of the spirit. If I spoke perfect finnish and didn't have the language of the spirit, the finnish wouldn't even matter. Also, every thursday we have TRC (which are basically church members who speak finnish, or former missionaries), where we speak with other people besides our teachers in finnish. It's really fun, because sometimes I get tired of talking to my teachers all day. But we do a lot of SYL, or speak your own language, which can be a bit tough. But a good challenge is always nice. this week has also been solid. Ive had two apostles in a week. M russell ballard, M russell neilson. They were good. There names always confuse me, there to close. Are investigators lessons are up to a half an hour now which is pretty fun. We played a game with one of our investigators about the word of wisdom to help them. We had a good and bad category . We made a card that was called Manteliimasta, or Almond Paste haha. And a bacon card, and she put it in the bad category, and then we had to explain that it wasn't against the word of wisdom haha. We also losing the last people in our zone, which our the Hungarians. There leaving this monday which is sad, because they live in the room next to use and are so fun. Then it'll be only the finnish zone. But next week we get 25 new elders. Hungarians, albanians, and estonians. It'll be sweet cause we will be the longest ones here, and i'll rule all the newbies with an iron fist. Just kidding, but sometimes the elders dorms can be a zoo in here haha.. So I restarted the book of mormon, and I was reading in first nephi where Nephi is told to build the ship. I noticed something. It's that the Lord tells nephi how to build the ship, but nephi had to put great efforts to build it, and even faced many trials on the way. It's the same with our lives. The lord teaches us how to be our very best, but it's up to use if we are to build it as he commands. There will be trials and tribulations but if we make it through, then we are blessed. I've also been reading a lot on the atonement. I would recommend Alma 7:11-13. It talks about how Jesus suffered every sin so we wouldn't have to. Lately I've been focused on the atonement, and I've realize this. I will never be able to fully understand it. It's the same as if someone is in a serious car accident where they rollover 10 times. If I wasn't there to experience it, I can only connect it through experiences I've seen. But Jesus's atonement was SO great, that we really just cant comprehend it. We can however feel the love through the atonement, and through that we get a little of its understanding. This week Vanhin Nissen and I were teaching one of our investigators and trying to invite her to baptism. We repeated the first vision by memory to her in finnish, and you could really feel the spirit. It was super strong. I think I said it last week, but if you really need a reasurrance of your testimony, read the first vision. Joseph smith History. But anyway, I'm doing great and it's great to be learning this cool language
Thanks everyone for the love and support, it means a lot to me!
Also remember this, if your ever having a rough day, just remember what Joseph smith went through in Carthiage Jail. thats What Elder Ballard told us. Its very true, 4 long cold months in a tiny jail cell.
Love everyone!
Vanhin Ford
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