Kaste meni hyvin!

Hey Fam! This week has been pretty good. Transfer weeks are always a little crazy, but our baptism went well and the members did a great job at supporting him there. Sisar Jones and Sisar Dupaix are really great. Wow Sisar Dupaix's finnish is incredible for just coming out of the MTC. She is a really hard worker. It is actually a lot more fun than I expected to be in a tripe and the blessings are just pouring down. It is so fun! In our contacting we are able to have very substantial and influential conversations where the spirit is present. We are excited to find some new investigators this upcoming week. :) Here is a fun picture of the beautiful fall that is taking place in Tampere right now :) Love you all!

-Sisar Clark

Meitä on kolme (There are three of us)

Hey Everyone :) What a wonderful week it has been. Wow absolutely crazy week (I feel like I say this every week, sorry, it just somehow seems to get crazier each week) Zone Meeting and the youth Superi event went really well! I loving having the opportunity to learn how to prepare and lead spirit lead discussions and role-plays. I know that despite our obvious weaknesses, as we strive to prepare and seek the Lord's guidance, he will lead us by the spirit and give us the words that we need to say in all types of teaching situations. We also rejoiced as our Finnish young man made the ordinances of baptism and confirmation. In our lesson with him after he shared how he felt nervous right before his baptism thinking what if I can't fully endure to the end, what if I make a mistake. He said right after, he suddenly felt to calm and at peace about things. He said he felt free. Wow, what an honor it is to hear his powerful testimony of how the Holy Ghost has come into his life. It truly does bring peace and joy!

So this week we also got change calls for my last change in the mission and...... 

I will be staying here in Tampere (woohoo I love being in areas for six months!) Sisar Jones will be coming to be a sister training leader with me (I have never met her before, but I'm sure she is great). We also will be training a new sister. Also due to how many new missionaries are coming in, they have taken sister training leaders out of oulu, meaning we and the helsinki sister training leaders will be in charge of all the sisters in the mission (eli we get to go on exchanges with Oulu and Vaasa in addition to our zone's sisters). It will definitely be a busy 9 weeks. Pray for us!

One of our newer investigators this week came back after a very very short intro lesson saying that he after reading parts of the book of mormon now believes in God and wants to exercise faith in him. We are so excited for him! But his is actually moving to Scotland this week (what a shame)...but no doubt he will continue to exercise his faith by learning from the missionaries there. 

Last week in our mission president's email to all of us he included the words to the children's song "I hope they call me on a mission" 

 1. I hope they call me on a mission

When I have grown a foot or two.

I hope by then I will be ready

To teach and preach and work as missionaries do.

2. I hope that I can share the gospel

With those who want to know the truth.

I want to be a missionary

And serve and help the Lord while I am in my youth.

I loved this reminder. Although, it is very intimidating to think of training, being in a tripe, organizing time/exchanges etc., just all of missionary work, I know that I'm here doing the Lord's work and that he will be here with us. I'm living that dream that I sang about forever ago. What a blessing! I love you, have a great week!

-Sisar Clark

"vaan nostakoon Kristus sinua" (but may Christ lift thee up)

Hey Family :) This week has been a lot of preparation for what is coming this following week: help leading a zone training meeting (we are focusing on teaching the doctrine from the scriptures rather than just using the scriptures to back up what we say---also on what we learned from the mission tour when Elder Johnson and Elder Sabin came and taught us), the Finland youth Superi (we are teaching a class in this giant activity for all the youth of finland), and our baptism on friday (yay, our finnish young man investigator is getting baptized! One of my favorite things he shared with us recently is how he came to know that God is our loving Heavenly Father and the Jesus Christ is the savior of the world. He talked about how he read diligently in the New Testament and bore powerful testimony of how it felt so right and good. It was a good reminder of the scripture's power.). Also on friday we get change calls (therefore next p-day will actually be on monday just as a heads up). Things are crazy busy, but crazy good. It is wonderful to see little tender mercies such as a thought of what to share to in investigator, or a perfect scripture to base a discussion off of in a meeting. I'm so grateful the Heavenly Father helps us in fulfilling his work.

Also, just one really cool scripture that stood out to me this week was Moroni 9:25. "My son, be faithful in Christ; and may not the things which I have written grieve thee, to weigh thee down unto death; but may Christ lift thee up, and may his sufferings and death, and the showing his body unto our fathers, and his mercy and long-suffering, and the hope of his glory and of eternal life, rest in your mind forever." I think it is such a wonderful explanation of what having faith in Christ means.

Thank you for your emails and support :) I love you and hope you have a great week!

-Sisar Clark

Nöyryyden tärkeys (The importance of humility)

Hey Family :) This week was a great one. We went on exchanges with the other Tampere sisters. Their area is just a half hour away but it feels like a completely different city. Pretty crazy. Fall is starting and I'm very excited for winter. The young finnish man that was going to be baptized last week is going to be baptized in two week now, but is progressing well. We are excited for that.

A main insight from my studies this week emphasized the importance of humility. In Moroni 7:42-43 (I think those are the verses) it mentions multiple times being "meek and of lowly heart." And also in Elder Snow's conference talk from the April 2016 conference he quotes President Kimball saying "How does one get humble? To me, one must constantly be reminded of his dependence. On whom dependent? On the Lord. How remind one's self? By real, constant, worshipful, grateful prayer." This has meant a lot to me this week. Pondering, especially as a missionary, who do I represent and who must I look to for guidance? has brought comfort and confidence in my actions. It is wonderful that strengthening in humility and in confidence (in the Lord's support) can take place at the same time. Also in Preach my Gospel it mentions the importance of gratitude in humility. One example of Christ's gratitude is his immediate acknowledgment of gratitude to Heavenly Father in his prayers after the disciples on the American continent have received the Holy Ghost.  I too have so much to be grateful for. 

Love you all, thank you for your emails and support!

-Sisar Clark

pic- the sky while running this morning