Thanksgiving

First off I just want to say I LOVE MY FAMILY!!! I was reading this talk from Elder Holland and he was thanking his family for all they did while he was on a mission and for the faithful members of the church and for all the hard work he sees being put into this gospel and sharing it. It was such a great talk and brought tears to my eyes and then I thought of my wonderful parents. I'm sorry if I didn’t express this in the past.

Me in our cute apartment

Thank you so much for raising me to the person I am today, Dad thank you for working so hard and having money saved and ready for me to go on a mission. I guess I didn’t even think very hard on how much of a blessing that is, that I was called to the work here in Finland and you had already saved for it in advance so that as soon as I turned 19 I could leave. Thank you to my mother, for always supporting me and giving me encouragement and love when I needed it to most, and even now you always know what to write in your emails to me that makes me proud to be your daughter and part of this wonderful work. Thank you to my beautiful Sisters, Tasha, Gretchen, Necolina, Arianna, and Saigey I love you all to Jupiter and back, thank you for your letters and emails and Love. I hope you are all succeeding in all your endeavors. Thank you to all my other friends, past companions, other family, and anyone else out there who is reading this. I am who I am today because I have learned and taken away bits and pieces from you all. Keep fighting the good fight and remember a smile goes a long way!

So this week we were invited over to this half American family's house for Thanksgiving Dinner! Oh my, hallelujah the best foood I think I have ever eaten, and they had this massive house with a beautiful Finnish lake in their backyard, a library in their house and tons of pictures of their ancestors on the wall. Going to their house was quite the adventure, a couple hours of our day was sucked out, because of this but it was worth it and it was funny because every time we tried leaving Sisar S. would say, ''NO you cant leave before we sing, or no you cant leave before desert!'' IT was very funny and great to feel the love and the spirit as this huge group of Half Americans and Finns gathered around to eat and give thanks for their blessings.

Funny thing of the week is that we met with our recent convert twice and the first time we taught the gospel of Jesus Christ again about repentance and asking not only the Lord for forgiveness but also the people that we have offended or hurt, and she was really surprised and said that she needs to do that to her husband, so the next time we met she says, I did it. And explained that that night after we left when her husband came home he said that there was something different about her and she said that she was sorry and that she the doctor gave her medicine and that its really working and that she was sorry and that she is a changed person now and wont get mad at him anymore. He told her that she even looked different and even her eyes had a different light. He said that he wants to met her doctor and she got so excited and said just wait. She told us that she’s so excited that her husband wants to met Christ and that one day she will bring him to church and tell him that her doctor is there. Hahah She is seriously soo funny and applies counsel right away, I wish other member would act on the counsel they have been given quickly and not waiting a couple years and then forgetting what the counsel was.

This week we really wanted to be consistent at finding investigators, because we will find a ton one week and then the next not so many. This week we found a couple solid new investigators and we hope that it will stay there. Also my new goal is to find future priesthood holders that can be the future husbands of the really awesome single ladies who are around age 30. It’s easier to find those people to sit next to on the bus when we have a clear mind. 

We have been working on continually bringing members on with us to lessons and training them so that they are on the same page as us and feel like they can contribute at the same level during teaches, on the busses, and on the streets. We have been working with Sisar L. who came with us to a teach last week with a new investigator, then we went over to her house later that week and did the role play of inviting someone to be baptized, at first she thought it was really weird that we were role playing it, but then she got really into the role play. Then we asked her at the end if she knew anyone who needs help or more joy in her life. She gave us a referral that is her friend next apartment building over. So a couple days later when we went to contact the referral and had time, we realized her building was locked so we went back to Sisar L. and asked her what she thought we should do. Sisar L. puts her shoes on, tells us to follow her and turns out she had a key to her friends house, walks into her house, tells her the Sisaret are here and want to talk. We had a great discussion with her and Sisar L. and she told us to come back and want to learn more! New investigator with a member present, everyone is very excited for our next meeting. I have gained a testimony of finding as we teach, and actually understand what that means now.

Well I love you all and hope you have a great week and thanksgiving! Its so great to see pictures and see the stories from all my friends serving missions all around the world.

Tiedän että Jesus Kristus on meidän Vapahtaja, ja tämä on hänen työ, rukoilen jokäpäivä että voin pitää iankaikinen perspektivi ja huomata mitä nämä ihminen tarvitsevat ja kuinka voin osoita heille mun rakkautta ensiksi ennen kuin mä oppetan heitä.

I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior, and this is his work. I pray that I will keep a eternal perspective and see what these people really need and how to show them my love first before teaching them! I’m so grateful to my ancestors who joined into this gospel and for giving me the opportunity to have grown up in it and have the privilege to teach others about the amazing joy that comes from living it!

Stay safe, keep calm and preach on my friends (=

Rakkaudella,

Sisar Hubner

P.s. The last picture is of me with this rug on the wall, that when our church was burned down 5 years ago by a pyromaniac. That rug was the only thing that was not burned in the fire. And now they have it in the apuyhdistys huone (relief society room) way cool!

Here is a picture from a while ago when Sister Nielson and I were on the train eating Finnish treats (Riisi pirakka) and drinking pear juice.