We have arrived in Helsinki, Finland. Our mission is for 18 months -- working with Young Single Adults and helping in the office.

THE BEGINNING:  

Our mission began at the Provo MTC, where we stayed and were trained for 10 days, not in the Finnish language, but in the best teaching methods to “Preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  We loved those 10 days, learning with our good friends, eating in the MTC cafeteria and practicing teaching methods -- and we relish them still.

On July 18^th, we packed the van James helped us rearrange our 5 bags so there was only 51 lbs. in each of them, we really appreciated him for doing that for us.  The cost of sending the 3 extra bags cost us and additional $240. because we were charged $60 for each of our second bags and $120. for our third bag.  We flew American Airlines to Chicago, and then across the ocean to Manchester, England.  After a 3 hours layover there, we flew on Fin Air to Helsinki, Finland.  We went through the nothing to declare line and so there was no one at customs to check our bags.  We pushed our five 50 pound bags and two 50 pound carry-on bags and walked right through into Finland.

We arrived on Friday, July 19^th, 2013.  We were met by President Rawlings, his wife, the London’s and Elder Murray who is temporarily medically assigned to the mission office and is a great helper.  They got our bags into the church van and we headed off to our new apartment in downtown Helsinki, near the church.  We arrived and packed everything into the little two man elevator which took us and our bags to the 4^th floor, apartment number 8.

Our apartment which is two blocks from the church and the mission office and about 3 blocks from the marina, was new and just recently rented by the church.  It was so clean and nice.  The Londons had purchased some furniture…a king sized bed, night stands, lamps and a living room couch and had it made up for us to go to sleep, but President Rawlings told us that they were taking us out to dinner at a really nice place close to our apartment at 9:00 that evening and then we were to stay up as late as possible, before going to bed…then sleep the next morning as long as we could.  This would help to get our bodies quickly acclimated to our new time zone.  We did that and it really works.  Dinner was really good and Pres. Rawlings picked up the tab for the 8 of us for about $16. Euros/person.  We love being here and looking forward to meeting the Fins on Sunday
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Church was a 10:00 am today, Sunday, at Neitsytpolku, 3 A.  There were many members there singing the hymns in Finnish and giving talks and lessons in Finnish.  Dana fell asleep for a short time.  The stake president gave the concluding talk and introduced us to the ward and told then about our assignment.  We have been asked to give talks in Sacrament meeting on August 25^th.   In Priesthood meeting, Jay decided to try to introduce himself in Finnish and did ok, but then one of the young Finnish Elders asked him how he learned Finnish so quickly, and Jay told him in Finnish, that he just learned it last night.  The lesson was really hard to understand unless you follow along in the English Priesthood manual.  Dana attended the English Sunday School class and Relief Society where she had a translator and she met 4 – 5 of the young single adults we will be working with and got to know them.  They all speak good English.

We went on a long walk in the evening down by the wharf and took some photos along the way.  It was nice and comfortable, weather wise, after the rains stopped.

Monday, we worked from 9 – 4 in the office, had an orientation with Pres. Rawlings, where we received several government document to fill out and turn in, had a “make your own sandwich” lunch prepared especially for the 21 mini missionaries from high school, who have arrived from all over Finland to work with or to do splits with the full time missionaries for one week.  Then Elder Thelin went to work cleaning up and organizing the Book of Mormons scripture storage room where there are shelves of them in all of the world’s languages and cases full for the missionaries to distribute.  Dana did the lunch with a couple of other missionaries.  She went into assess a jammed full storage room project and while contemplating how to do the huge job, fell asleep in a chair.

Finally, we left and took the trolley downtown to Stockman’s Dept Store and bought Jay two new, expensive suits which will be ready to pick up next Wednesday, had dinner at a little hamburger place and took the Trolley home.  We arrived home at 10:00 pm well before dark.  It is 10:40 now and still light outside.

7/26/2013:  Dana was up at 2:00 am and heard some noise outside so she looked out our 4^th floor window.  She saw a drunk woman, laying on the ground below, naked from the waist down and another woman holding her down while help was summoned. The police arrived and assisted the woman, but Dana watched the whole thing like it was a soap opera.  FYI, we do not have a TV.  Also, our internet is not working yet.  We have no computer access so we are a little miffed.  The landlord is coming over at 5:30 on Monday to see the huge, heavy mirror Dana bought for 25 Euros at Osi’s used stuff warehouse.  He will also check our internet connection and hopefully help us get it turned on.

We went to the Finland temple this afternoon with the Londons  We drove there in the church van.  It turned out to be a Lithoanian language session.  We used headphones to listen in English  Before we arrived, Jussi had called as we have been trying to get together for the first time in Finland. (He was the young man that Piips and I taught and baptized.  He stated that he could meet us after the session at the temple.  But, as we were seated and ready to begin, Jussi walked into the room and sat in an empty seat next to me.  We hugged and enjoyed the time being together in the temple.  Afterward, we took a photo in front of the temple.

7/27/2013:  We went shopping for a lot of food for our apartment and for the missionaries training conference Monday through Thursday next week.  We have a lot of food in store now.  We went to the office late in the evening and got prepared for tomorrows work day – cooking for the Elders.
This is Tuesday meal - Hawaiian Hay Stack.  Monday was Stew and home made rolls and these amazing cup cakes with cream cheese.  Wednesday was spaghetti, french bread, green salad, and this really great Finish dessert.  Thursday was sandwiches, chips, and macaroni salad (I have to admit that was really good).  

7/29/2013:  We got up at 5:30 and began to make a lot of home made rolls.  Dana got me to knead the dough and then we baked them…a lot of them…over 200.  They are expecting about 35 or more Elders and leaders to lunch today through Wednesday.  Dana found some church music on her computer, so we can at least listen to something good now.  The weather is hot and sultry, and the sun does not go down early as it is still light outside until after 10:00 pm and it’s light again at 5:00 am.

Thursday setting up for the meal.

The training luncheon went very well.  The President and the missionaries loved the pork strew with home made rolls with strawberry jam and black bottom chocolate cupcakes for dessert.  There was enough for most of them to have seconds on the stew.  All of them told us thank you. We did not suspect that there were two or three, by choice, vegetarian sister missionaries in the group and so we had to scramble to find them something to eat, which we did.  After it was all cleaned up; some of the local missionaries helped us clean which we were very grateful, we went shopping the big Heino Store, across town, for more food to make lunch for tomorrow.  It will be Haystacks with rice and salads - great selection choices or haystack combinations of rice with gravy and lots of different vegetables for Vegans or vegetarians on top or in salads.

Our internet is still not turned on, hooked up or working….10 days and no internet!  But, we have mandarin orange slices and cucumber chunks. Life is good.