Darkness by 5pm

Its crazy seeing all these pictures from friends in missions other places how warm it looks. Well its getting cold, no snow on the ground yet but its really dark starting at 5pm or sooner depending on the day. It feels weird contacting people when it’s so dark because I feel like we are out past the time we should be, so that will be an adjustment! 

Today our investigator is taking us shopping for good winter coats for good prices, its hard to tell what will actually keep up warm considering that most Finns are not outside as long as we are normally. Last P-day I saw a down skirt for 120 Euros, looked so warm I probably would have bought it if it wasn’t so expensive! I have decided I will look like the Michelin man the rest of my mission if that is what it takes to keep warm!

So this week was a great week. We have really been focusing on getting members to our lessons so that they can become friends with them and so when our investigators have questions they have a friend to talk to and feel comfortable. Some members are totally on board but others are not so much. 

We set a couple baptismal dates this week, and it was so great because our friends are getting their mind on baptism and what that means and actually look for answers in the Book of Mormon and in their prayers! President Rawlings has given us the council that they wont start progressing until they have a baptismal date, we don’t ask when they are ready, we ask so they can get ready! That has really started to change the mindset of this mission. 

Also I have been really focusing on what the spirit feels like and how to be more sensitive to it, so that when we are in the lesson we know when to ask them to follow the example of their Savior Jesus Christ and accept all the blessings he has promised us by going to the waters of baptism. It is such an amazing experience to read the Book of Mormon every morning and reading these stories of Prophets of old preaching the gospel and converting thousands by the power of the Holy Ghost and then leaving our apartment each morning and doing the exact same, (hopefully the thousands come soon (: ). I am so grateful to be a little part of this work. 

Its crazy how much you can love a people that you have never even met before. I want the best for them, I pray for them jokäpäivä (everyday), I think about them all the time, I study for them, I am learning this insane language for them, I am worthy of the spirit for them, I gave up 18 month of my life so that I can help others as I myself have been helped. It is my greatest wish that they too can feel the effects of the Atonement, that they can fill their lives with this joy and light that is much needed in Finland. I work my heart out all for them, that they can return to their loving Father in Heaven.

  Its so powerful to think that we might be the closest thing they see to knowing their Savior, and that he has put his trust in us enough to represent him everyday. I hope and pray to be like the Prophets of old speaking by the converting power of the Holy Spirit. 

I pray for you all, that we can put on our Celestial Glasses and look at the big scheme of thing and seeing that our brothers and sisters are out there close to drowning in the water and we're lucky enough to be on the safety of the life raft. With that picture of course we would help them, and give, especially our friends, this light and lift them out of the water to the safety of the raft. 

I pray we will all have the courage to give this ''lift'' to our friends especially in their hardest hour.

A missionary once said to me, ''this mission is what you make it'' this life is what we make it, so why not make today amazing. Why not step out of our comfort zone to help a sister or brother in need.

Stay safe, and I love you

Sisar Hubner

P.s. Picture is of our last companionship with an elder that just finished up his mission