January 19, 2016 ~ Week 19

Hey all! Well I better just sum up this week because Im low on time! First of all, there was am American who moved into our ward her in Lahti and guess where she is from, MANTI! Of all the places in the world and all the people to sun into, I run into to someone from Manti who is here studying! That was pretty cool! Also yesterday we have a Zone Training in Tampere so that was a fun long day of traveling. And on the way back our train was delayed because of snow and because of that we missed our connecting train to Lahti from Riihimäki, so we got a nice hour wait and talked to a Finnish guy who refused to speak Finnish to us, but he was very nice. Elder Smith says that that same guy offered to buy him a drink at a bar across the street when he was here on splits for a day a year ago. I don't know how he remembers that but he did! 

Also we bought some sweet boots to keep us nice and warm and just in time because last Tuesday a big snow storm blew in and to make the boots worth it we decide to take a 30 minute walk home in a blizzard. It wasn't the best walk for contacting, but it was sure fun! 

It hasn't been too old this week on -15 to -25 this week so not to bad. I want it to hi -30 again, that was a fun day! 

Life is good here in the mission with lots of teaching and finding! We have a baptismal date on January 30th with a mother and her daughter! We are super stoked about them because they are the best! Im out of time and I love you all!  

Sunset on the lake

Stuck at the Train Station

January 12, 2016 ~ Week 18

Wow I feel like I have been out here way longer than 18 weeks. I probably have, my counting has never been good haha! But this week was a nice cold Finnish week:) With temperatures plummeting to a solid -30 celsius, but don't worry because I discovered the art of hand warmer in mittens, thermals, and heaters in apartments buildings. This week while tracting and being pretty cold, we took a break from knocking doors to warm our feet and shoes on the heater in the apartment buildings and made some phone calls. It was a good day:) Also there was a baptism this week, it wasn't any of our investigators I was involved. Also I get to stay in Lahti for the next 9 weeks with Elder Smith! Prayers really are answered! 

I guess that I should mention that our recent convert of a little over a month gave a talk at the baptism and killed it! And also brought two friend with his who have now turned into investigators with the addition of one of theirs friends! Man what a guy! 

Also a different investigator of ours really showed her true colors by picking up and taking the two people that were baptized on Saturday to church on Sunday. I mean how blessed is this land! We have investigators taking our recent converts to church! Dang! I love this city! Today we got a nice big snow storm and I think it will continue and hopefully never stop:) I love being a missionary and being able to serve here! The people are just the best and that thought of leaving really makes me sad, so I don't think about it:) I hope all is well! Sorry its so short, I ran low on time! 

Rakkaudella,

Vanhin Robison

January 5, 2016 ~ Week 17

Hello:) Well winter has found us in Finalnd, I knew it would sometime! The temperature have dropped quite a bit down to -20 celsius. Its cold haha! But snow also came! I love the snow!:) And before I forget, this week is transfer week and If I get transferred my P-day will be on Monday, If I stay my P-day will be on Tuesday, so play it safe and email on Sunday night if you so desire. 

But that time has sure flown by, this Sunday will be my 2 month mark in Finland, what the what!?! I feel like yesterday i was getting out of the car at the MTC! (Thats not a fun day to look back on btw). But I have been richly blessed by being here, including finding my strengthens and weakness´, sadly one high out weighs the other, you can decide which one but it starts with a w. But I have also felt the impressions of the spirit more in this short period of time than I have before! The spirit is incredible and missionary work truly hopeless without it! Also I learned that the church surely is true, because if not the missionaries would have ruined it a long time ago! For example, we were tracting and this older lady shut me down, before she closed the door I tried to ask if she had any friends that would be interested in hearing the gospel, but I forgot how to say would be interested in hearing the gospel. So i ended up saying do you have any friends. My trainer turned a little red in the face and tried to cover me. She still shut us down. 

But on the bright side the sister in our city are having a baptism this week! The missionary work moves on, Im not sure why people told me I wouldnt baptize out here, because thats not true! 

New Years was fun! There are no laws here about firewroks other than you cant shoot them off before 6pm, which people dont even follow that rule! They light off fire works everywhere and anywhere! Its pretty cool but we had to stay in doors all night which was not as fun. And our neighbors on both sides had parties that night and you could hear through the thin walls their parties and it sounded pretty wild, then we woke up the next morning to get to work adn there was a lot of lip stick prints on the mirror of the elevator. Man Finns and their alcohol haha! 

I like Finland a whole lot but probably wont live here due to the outragous cold in the winter, but the people are awesome! Although they dont want to talk to us anyways so street contacting in -20 doesnt make them want to talk to us any more haha! I love being a missionary though! Its something that i believe everyone should have the opportunity to in someway or another.

Well thats all!

I love you all!

 Peace

December 29, 2015 ~ Week 16

Hello family and friends and Merry Christmas! I hope all of you had a splended time celebrating and remembering the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, this past week! And of course i have to start out with wishing the best father a son could hope for a happy birthday this week! I love you dad and everything that you've done for me! 

Well were to start? We had a lot of member visits which was awesome! The members here are the greatest and feel like my family now! On Christmas Eve we went to a members house were they gave us a traditional Finnish Christmas which involved eating a lot of awesome food, playing games, singing carols, sharing our thoughts and feeling about our Savior and Santa coming to deliver toys and gifts. It was truly awesome and I got to sit on his knee! I love Christmas time and the extra time I had to spend thinkg and pondering the life and mission of Jesus Christ! 

Lahti

On Christmas day in Finland is just a relaxing day for Finns. It was also our weekly planning day, and I think it was actually our best planning session yet! After a member came and picked us up and we went to give a member a blessing who is traveling to Germany this week and then after we went to the members house for a nice big American roast with deviled eggs and sweet potatoes! Man that was good and Decthen topped it off with Skyping home and being able to see my awesome family! 

Making SNOW in Finland

But don't worry we did do some missionary things like teaching and street contacting when we could! Our recent convert is awesome and we are going bowling with him today and then to the temple to do baptisms next week!:) Its going to be a blast! 

The work is moving right aloing as we are continuing to meet with new people each day and helping our investigators progress! I hope everyone has a happy New Year!:)

Selfie on top if the Mini Jump

Flower from an investigator

December 22, 2015 ~ Week 15

Hello all! Wow what a week! Im pretty sure i start every email off like that, my bad. But it was quite a week! On Monday we went down to Helsinki for our interim training and it was 3 straight days of training for like 12 hours a day. They were some long days full of self pondering, making corrections and learning. But I feel I came out better and more determined than when I went in! We talked a lot about Charity, Faith, Hope, the Gift of the Holy Ghost, planning and everything single things was related to obedience. So it was kind of like a chastisement all week because I realize I can be doing so much better! But good thing we have the atonement of Jesus Christ! I also think that I got called out because I hadn't cut my hair since I left the MTC, and it was shaggy, and President was talking about our appearance, and he says, Elders some of you need a haircut in here. Then he scanned that room and tried so hard not to make eye contact, but I did, and realized that yeah that was to me, whoops. So dont worry I cut my hair, actually Elder Smith cut my hair! I have a lot of trust in him because I love my hair a lot and for me to let him touch took a big step, but he did well!

Anyways we also went to the temple her in Finland, and it maybe one of the prettiest temples that i have been in! I hope everyone here gets the opportunity to come to the Temple in Finland! Such a beautiful place!! Then we came back on Friday morning and got into Lahti at about 9, did some studies for like an hour then we had a lesson! Super good lesson btw!

Then this weekend was just full of tracking and building member relationships! We knocked a lot of doors, got a lot of nos (which really means later ill accept) and a few yess! So not a bad week! Weve really been focusing on our message about the Savior this past month and Im amazed at how many people say that they dont need him. Its super sad! We all need him! Thats why he is called our "Savior"! 

Also other sad news is that i Have had a white Christmas every year my whole life, until
I come to Finland of all places! Haha! Its been in the 40s and rainy all week. Im kind of bummed out about that. They say its Lahti's warmest summer EVER! Im living in the history book, in the present! Life is moving right along! Remember the Savior this Christmas season! I know that he lives! He loves us and wants to help us! Let us accept his gift to us!

With love,

Vanhin Robison

December 15, 2015 ~ Week 14

Hello friends and family! This was such a busy week! Busy weeks are the best! On Thursday the Helsinki and Tampere Zones went down to Helsinki for a Mission Tour Zone Conference with Elder Dyches of the area presidency and he is one cool guy! He spoke to us a lot about working with memebers and becoming master teachers and teaching like the savior! He made it real simple for me which I liked! he said to 1. Simplify 2. Clarify 3. Verify and 4. Testify. It was as really good and rewarding conference! Then to make that day better we got to play sählu! That is a super fun game! We played with the bishop, a few other members, a less active and his friend! Such a fun time! My companion is killer at it! 

Awesome lake Vesijärvi

Then the next day (Friday) we had a few lessons which are always fun and we made Joulu Tarttu (some really good Finnish pastry around Christmas time) for the ward party on saturday! We made over 200 so that was a fun, long night haha! Then the crowning event of the weekend was the mission wide know famous Lahti wrad Christmas party! I was told it was the best and now I beleive it! They had all these cool skits and songs from children and the young mens and the bishopric! The bishopric was so funny! They stole the show! 

Then I guess it is a tradition that the missionaries do a rap there so we made ours like an hour before we preformed and it was shaky and half was in Enlgish. But the members still love it and said we did great even hough we know they lied to us, but hey it makes me feel better!:) 

Oh yeah and the reason that i am writing on Monday is because we have what is called interim. That is after 5 weeks in the country all the new missionaries and their trainers come down to Presidents house for the week adnd receive training, so my P-day is today not tomorrow! We leave tonight to go down there! 

Well that is about all! Its cold here now and it snowed so it really is Christmas here:) I hope everyone has great week and I will talk to you next week! 

Vanhin Robison

Finally found a statue with clothes on!

The Sisters in Lahti who feel like family.

December 8, 2015 ~ Week 13

Hello all of my awesome friends and family! Boy did Finland have a treat for us yesterday that continued on today:) So yesterday we were making lunch and I was cutting the onions. I thought that I was man enough to not cry but no such luck! Onions are mean suckers! But I noticed the room to get brighter and brighter, I though it was the onions playing a joke on me and my eyes were "going to the light" (like they were dying). But then I looked up out the window and the sky was blue! I thought that i would try my luck and I walked out onto the balcony and turned to my left (the south) and low and behold... I SAW THE SUN!!!!!!! Wow that just lifts your spirits right up after studying for 4 straight hours! But just to make my sight of the sun in about  month, I did what any mature servant of God would have done, which is stare right into it, and of course take a selfie with it! Man I love the sun! And its out again today! Whoop Whoop! I love the sun!

But that was not the crowning moment of the week! The crowning moment of the week was clearly our baptism! Boy oh boy was the a stressful time! All the way from forgetting the baptismal forms for our district leader to sign to our investigator showing up 15 minutes late to his baptism to him showing up late to church! Super stressful but well worth the stress! Everything ran soomthly once he showed up hah! But then we had a lesson that night with a lady so we needed a member to take with us and all of them were busy so we were like, "Hey why not bring our investigator we just baptized 30 minutes ago?" Haha! He came with us and he absolutley spirituallly slayed it! We taught the gospel of Jesus Christ and we had him bare his testimony about baptism and just his testimony and h really brought the spirit, giving a pure simple testimony and sharing experiences! Up until that point I had reall been wondering if he was converted or not, if what we had taught "wrought a mighty change in his heart" or not, and I am here to say that he has! He is a new man! Spiritually reborn! What an awesome lesson! We both felt prompted to then committ to baptism and she said yes! But we didnt set a date.... whoops. But our "member" who came along bore so much testimony about church attendence so we also committed her to come to church the next day, and.... she came!! What a blessed experience! Missionary work just gets more and more fun! I love you all and look forward to hearing form you next week!

Finally found some people to teach!

Dressed and Ready for my first baptism!

December 1, 2015 ~ Week 12

Hello all! It sure is great to be able to write to you every week and see how it is all going! This week was great and Im sure as many of you know there is no Thanksgiving here in Finland, but luckily for us there are a few Americans in Lahti. We were invited by a member to multicultural Thanksgiving meal! It was so awesome! About half were Americans that had married a Finn so it was super cool to beable to visit with them! We had turkey and mashed potatos with gravy, greenbean cassarole, rolls, corn bread, if you have it in America for Thanksgiving, then we had it here! it reminded me so much of home! Not because of the fantastic food and the fact that i ate to much, but also the fact that everyone was talking over eachother haha! I never realized how loud Americans are until I have been with Finns for the past almost month, and then ate with Americans. Lets just say the Finns are pretty quiet! 

This week was also splits! Elder Reeder and Elder Bingham came up to join us and serve in LAhti for the day. I was with both of them for half a day. Elder Reeder as you know was my MTC companion and both of us know some Finnish (he knows way more than me) but not enough. Before, with my trainer, I would start a conversation adn then turn and look for him to carry it on. I was just fine with that, unitl Elder Reeder did the same thing to me, he would start the conversation, and then turn to me as if I knew what was going on. I quickily learned what it means to rely on the spirit and the promise of open your mouth and it will be filled! Very cool experience, and to be fair I did the same thing to Elder Reeder a few times adn he handled it like a pro! 

The snow has all melted because it just keeps raining here, and rain is much much colder than the snow! My shoes got soaked yesterday since were tracting all day in the rain, and I put them on this morning to find out they are still wet. What an awesome life I live! But we are hopinf or snow real soon! The other day we were walking home in the rain and the rain turned to snow right infront of our eyes, and then back to rain, lame. But I mean its Finland, its gonna snow haha. 

Ive also had an awesome experience with my testimony growing. We were teaching a lady the Restoration, I was kind of following along and kind of understood that we were talking about Joseph Smith and his story and then I heard "sitten hän sanoi" (then he said), he just stopped, and turned to me. I took it as my key to recite the first vision. As I did I felt the spirit enter into my heart testifying that Jospeh saw and did what he said he did. He was Gods chosen prophet! I know this is his church and I as try my faith more and more my testimony strengthens! There is no need to be caught up in the deep doctrines, when the plain and simple ones build our testimony more and more! I love my mission and I love you all!

Can you believe you have to pay to use the public restrooms???

Awesome Vesijärvi

My companion is the Chef!

The Olympics??? In Finland??

Better than Casserole!

November 24, 2015 ~ Week 11

Whered the time go? I feel like I was just sitting here emailing! But before I begin I have to apologize for making last weeks email so short. I had poor time management and when I began the group email I only had 7 minutes left. But boy oh boy where to start! The more and more I am here the more and more I love the people and this country, even if I still havent seen the sun and its rained or snowed everyday since Ive been here. Thats right I said snow, Finland had its first snow this week and it really brings in the Christmas spirit! In the Tori (a big market place in the center of the city) they put the biggest tree I have ever seen in my life! And it is the most perfect Christmas tree I have ever see! Its truly a remarkable sight! I had a member ask me how people here were treating me. Haha. The members here are the best people in the world and so willing to help us with anything! (Including feeding us) And then there are the people we pass on the street! If you ask them a question about Finland or the language they are super nice and want to help, but if you mention Jesus Christ of the Book of Mormon, they want nothing to do with you! My favorite response is when someone is walking towards you and you start talking to them but they keep walking like they dont even hear you. Or you get the hand, like you have some kind of disease that they dont want to get. Which I guess is true, we have a disease of happiness, hope, eternal life, becoming a god, family history, forgiveness of sins, strength, the Gift of the Holy Ghost. I guess people dont want that. But contacting and tracting is very fun, I get the coolest excuses like I cant talk I just came from the store, I have warm food waiting for me at home, my dog needs me. You know the average sayings you use to avoid talking to people.

Our investigators are awesome! We have a baptism scheduled for December 5th and 4 more that we are close with setting a baptismal date! 

Last week I mentioned funny food because of the scarceness of it in the apartment so I will elaborate on that. My trainer didnt make it to the store before I came so to start we were low on food. So we had a lot of Pea soup and mustard, two things I dont like. And then we were really desperate but had a lot of leftovers, but not enough of them to make a good meal. So what better then to just combine them all? We made a casserole with noodles, tuna, potatoes, eggs and then a lot of ketchup to flavor it! It didnt taste as bad as youd think but it look disgusting! But no need to worry we went to the store and have been eating like kings ever since! It really helps that my companion likes to cook, because if it were up to me wed probably have bread and cheese, whcih is my breakfast every morning! 

It hasnt been to cold yet on -2 Celsius which is 28-30 ish Fahrenheit? But the sidewalks are supper slick which makes biking so fun/exciting! Weve both gone done once trying to stop on ice, I guess that turquoise/ green bike of mine has no real magical powers!:( But all is well, we just continued to slide on the ice. Oh yeah I forgot to mention that I had to speak in sacrament my first week, that was fun and awfully short haha! Till next week! I love you all!

-Vanhin Robison