rauhallinen ja lämmin tunne (peaceful and warm feeling)

Hey everyone :) hope you have had a great week! 

This week has been great here in Lappeenranta (every week in LPR is great). One of our investigators is doing SO well and it is SO fun to teach him! Recently he had a close family member tragically die and it was really hard on him, but he told us about how he saw the picture of Christ on one of the pamphlets we gave him when he was really struggling and remembered that he could pray. He said he prayed and then bore powerful testimony of the rauhallinen ja lämmin tunne joka tuli rukoiltuaan (peaceful and warm feeling that came after he prayed). He is also officially living the Word of Wisdom now and coming to church regularly. kiva :) 

This week I really enjoyed studying about joy specifically in Alma 26 and 27. Ammon explains it pretty well. There is no better joy than the joy that comes from missionary work. 

Besides the gray skies, the weather is perfect right now. Just a little bit of rain here and there (oh and one morning we got snow) at about 6-9 degrees. 

It is really fun to get letters in the mail from nephews and nieces and get emails from you (ps still working on getting faster at responding sorry...but responses are coming). Thank you for your sweet words of support :) I love you!

-Sisar Clark

pics--

this is a puu truck (tree truck)...you see them everywhere, but I'm running out of pics to send so here ya go :)

yäk (gross)

Hey Fam!

This week has been great! It has been really warm (a little rainy). The seagulls have migrated in (such a new sound to me) and lake Saima is just about completely melted (still the thinist layer of ice covering, but practically there).

We have two investigators working on living the Word of Wisdom and are doing awesome! It is pretty impressive to see their real intent.

The adventure of the week happened yesterday on splits (which were super awesome splits....it is really fun because one of my sister training leaders was my trainer). We were trying to follow up with some potentials when up the stairs comes our potential and another one of our investigators (turns out their friends! Cool!). They were coming to clean his house and after a few offers they accepted! (that never happens in Finland). So this potential investigator has quite a strong addiction to smoking and drinking and maybe not the most put together life...and this was quite evident in his house. Needless to say, I got some serious mom training cleaning out some of that stuff haha my comp and I had some good laughs after that one as we lathered on the hand sanitizer. But it was a great blessing to serve!

In my Book of Mormon study I am in Alma, specifically when the Lamanites are preparing to go up to battle against the Anti-Nephi-Lehites. Alma 23:5 confirms what Elder Ballard talked about in this last conference. The importance of having a council in order to be united in defence against the adversary is a principle also found in the Book of Mormon. That was a cool find! It made me grateful for the mini "councils" we get to have as companionships daily and weekly.

I'm greatful for the work here and so so grateful for Lappeenranta. I'm happy and doing well. I hope things are going well at home. I love you all :) Thanks for all your support and prayers.

-Sisar Clark

pics-- making riisipiirakkas from scratch at the our ward's fhe....We were in charge of the game (and it was awesome!! the kids loved it!! :) So fun!)

Bussissa Mormonin Kirjan lukemista (Reading the Book of Mormon in the bus)

Hey Fam :) yep can you believe it is already Tuesday again....I can't. Some of the main successes of this week include:

- One investigator doing awesome with the plan we made for him to stop smoking! He is a pretty quirky guy, but we just love him. 

- Lots of very interesting discussions while finding that make me so grateful for the Holy Ghost. The world has some pretty crazy ideas out there. I would feel so lost and confused without that solid, confirmation of truth.

- (probably my favorite success of the week) We talked to these two (some might say harsher looking) young adults on the bus that didn't want to meet and learn more, but they took a Book of Mormon, immediately stopped talking to each other, opened it up, and intently read the rest of the bus ride until they sincerely thanked us while getting off at their stop. And then again later in the week we gave a man a Book of Mormon as we waited at the bus stop and watched as he too read intently the whole bus ride. :) Those were pretty fun moments I hope to never forget. (it made me think about in newsies when they are giving everyone their newspaper to read and the whole city just stops what they are doing and intently reads their paper :) haha)

But overall things are going great! I'm happy and so grateful! The weather is just gorgeous (the sun is practically up all day now). I'm so blessed. I think and pray for you often and hope things are going well for you! Love you.

-Sisar Clark

pics--oh those majestic finnish clouds!

Raute Mies (Iron Man)

Hey Fam! Thanks for all the birthday wishes and letters :) It was a wonderful birthday in Finland! Sisar Carter had sweet little surpises for me all day and we also had the rare rootbeer extract to make some awesome Rootbeer float cookies! Yum! And the best birthday gift was our last street contact of the day with an older Finnish woman. She was so willing to stop and listen (so rare for those finnish mummos) we practically taught her the whole restoration lesson right there on the street! She was so excited to read the Book of Mormon and come to church! She told us about an experience she just recently had that strenghted her faith dramatically in prayer and in the divine help we receive from our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. That was definitely a winner birthday surprise!

This week we found a new investigator from a street contact referral that I am very excited about. He had a major accident earlier in his life that has severely limited his mobility (He now tons of metal holding him all together after 5 different 13 hour operations....he didn't hesitate to show us all his x-rays and everything), but yet he has continued to press on because he knows his life has a purpose. He has learned about a lot of churchs, searching for what is right, and is very willing to read and pray. We are excited to see his progression. Although at first glance you may not suspect it, but he is such a respectful, sincere, and kind investigator.

Conference was awesome!!! My favorite talks were definitely Elder Snow's on humility and Elder Ballard's on family councils. What a sweet and calming spirit those divinely called leaders bring! We had a couple investigators enjoy conference with us, one of them progressing really well! In our last lesson with him he gave the most sincere prayer I have ever heard an investigator give!

Overall, things are going really well and I'm feeling very blessed and happy. I think and pray for you often and hope things are going well. Love you!

-Sisar Clark

pic- we had district meeting on my birthday and the elders threw together a nice birthday banner