Kaksi Kasteetta (two baptisms)

Hey Everyone :) This week we had two baptisms! (I never ever thought that would happen on my mission....how cool!?!) The family of the little girl that was baptized was so fun to watch. They all were full of energy and excitement to support their sister. In sacrament meeting her mother was asked to share her testimony and in her broken Finnish (Portuguese is her native tongue) she gave one of the most powerful testimonies I've heard. So grateful for her humble example. The other baptism also went really well. He was pretty nervous right before, but after said he felt a lot of peace and happiness. I especially enjoyed thinking back when I received the gift of the Holy Ghost and the feelings I had, as I heard the confirmation blessings. It also made me miss doing baptisms for the dead at the temple a ton!

Besides that it was another week full of work! It was a week in which it was a little more difficult to see progression and improvement. Sometimes that can be hard. But I know that the comforting spirit I feel as I pray is real. It is from my Heavenly Father. By following that I know I am doing what is most important. I hope you have a great week! I love you!

-Sisar Clark

pic- Filipino food with some members :) 

- what we run alongside every morning

Kävimme Turussa (We visited Turku :))

First off, Happy Father's Day to my wonderful Dad and to all my wonderful brothers!

Wow this week was just jam-packed with excited events:

- we got to go to Turku for exchanges and do work with Sisar Cardin and Sisar Toomey (both of them where in the MTC with me and are dear friends!) and wow the city of Turku is incredible! Running in the morning was so cool. 

- gave a talk on sunday about how repentance and the law of sacrifice fit together. Definitely had to learn a few more words for that one, but overall went alright

- had Zone Training Meeting (my first time ever leading in one....wow still so much to learn) but it was great to see all the missionaries and feel the spirit together. As a zone we are focusing a lot on getting people to church and setting baptismal dates with people that have previously said no, or weren't able to make their date. 

- On saturday we have 2 baptisms (I never thought I would ever have two baptisms on the same day! Pretty cool right!?) One is the young daughter of a less active family (9 years old so falls under our jurisdiction). It has been a privilege to teach a humble and meek child. The other is a young man that is here in Finland studying. He is very excited to make this covenant and strengthen his relationship with Christ. He has an incredible skill of remembering. He has studies a lot on his own about the doctrine and covenants and basically recited the whole introduction (with names of key people and everything) to us in our lesson. It should be a wonderful day!

This week I have been thinking a lot about what goals I want for the last few months of my mission. It has been very powerful to see the spirit of revelation come from focusing on making every prayer and every personal study sincere and with real intent. I am grateful for the joy that comes from the spirit. I hope you have been able to feel that joy as well this past week. I love you!

-Sisar Clark

pic-- Sisar Cardon and I after our lesson fell through and waiting for the bus we had the most spot on Finnish tracting contact ever (classic finnish home in the middle of gorgeous farm land....adorable mummo with curls and apron opens the door with a sweet smile...calls the grandpa over because he is the religious one that goes to prayer night every tuesday in the city...classic inactive Lutheran ...never heard of Book of Mormon before and politely listen and share sincere thoughts as we introduce the book of mormon and restoration......take book of mormon and say we can come back after summer when grandkids aren't there and they have time to read.)

- the surrounding area of that house :) Finland

Paastoamisen voima (The power of fasting)

Another week of crazy busy work and many blessings. One great part of this week was having many of our investigators fast with us on fast sunday. This week and over my whole mission my gratitude for fasting has grown immensely. What a wonderful gift and opportunity it is to receive more understanding, peace, and miracles in our life. We are teaching a little girl right now (such a fun and different experience to teach a child!) who is preparing for baptism on the 18th. It has been an etuoikeus (privilege) to see the joy, humility, and light in her simple desire to follow Jesus Christ and be baptized. It makes me think of my two awesome nieces preparing for baptism right now too :) speaking of which----Hyvää Syntymäpäivää Katelyn!! 

We also had a really exciting first lesson with a young finnish woman that has sincere real intent and perseverance. In the beginning of the lesson as we got to know her religious background she shared with us this wonderful description of how she feels the Holy Ghost and how it has helped her in very difficult situations in her life. I love how she said it didn't solve the problem, but she knew that Heavenly Father had heard her prayer and she felt at peace. She felt enabled to do what was needed. The spirit was very strong in that lesson.  

I hope you have a great week! I love you!

-Sisar Clark

pic-- visited this super sketchy old water tower pizza restaurant today (it is kind of famous in Hervanta ) and this is the view from the top.....mmmm Suomi :)