Our Sacrifice to the Lord

25 Jan 2014

Moi ystävieni ja perheeni,

I’m writing this on Saturday because we are leaving for Helsinki on Sunday for Training for my Companion! Way exciting, time flies I feel like it was only yesterday that I picked her up from Helsinki!

I have been thinking a lot this week about fully giving up our will to the Lord. About giving our whole sacrifice to the Lord, and not just giving the parts we want or coming to the alter to give our ''lamb ''sacrifice to only back out and end up not putting it on the alter to the Lord, or just giving some tufts of it's hair to the Lord. But one hundred percent, each day completely handing our will over to the Lord and letting him guide and direct. It seems so hard sometimes, but in the end it is easier because He know who we want to become and He knows our potential and what we need now to get there. 

We have been working with the Less active family who part removed their records from the church, and at first they were not very receptive and pretended not to be listening when we would give our spiritual thoughts, but pikku hilja (step by step) they have been warming up. We have been going there every week, and having them help us with our Finnish while going through the lessons, and they are helping up while we are subtly teaching them. Anyways this week we really have been seeing the Lord's hand in softening their hearts, We went over there on Monday and the Mom who is the hardest, had made us Liha pirakka (meat pastry) and was so sweet and invited us to their concert and even sang for us! It was so amazing; we left their house walking on clouds. We might not be able to change all of Finland, or even most of Finland, but we can start with one. Bringing more joy into their lives, and more room for the Love of their Savior. It reminds me of the story of the man on the seashore throwing the dried out Starfish back into the Ocean. It happens one at a time. 

We organized splits this week with some of our members and my companion was a little nervous to go out but she plucked up her courage and it was a great experience for her! Also I had the opportunity to go out with one sisar from the other ward, who as soon as she is done with Lukio (high school) she is going on a mission. It was so great to work with her and although the lessons did not go quiet as planned the Spirit was with us and she was so grateful to have the opportunity to come out. It missionary work is possible and can be fun in Finland, then it is possible anywhere else. We went to a teach with this lady that I had met on the bus. It was an amazing spiritually powerful lesson, we both poured our hearts out to her in testimony of the Restoration of the gospel, she was asking all the right questions and agreeing with us. I testified from the bottom of my heart the truth of this message and of God's love and I invite her to take the Book of Mormon as a gift and ask for herself if what we have said, and what this Book says is true. She straight out said, ''No I do not want that book or even wish to try, the Bible is good enough for me.'' I felt like she had just taken a dagger to my heart, it hurt so bad, we had just opened our souls up to her and she just threw everything we said on the floor. I started to tear up and said in Finnish, ''this is the only gift we have, the only thing in the world that matters to us, and it is the pure love of Christ the message of His atonement and restoration of His power. It is the most precious thing in my life which is why I have sacrificed 18 months of my life to devote it to telling other.'' I could see the pain in her eyes as she once again rejected our testimony. We left her place with my heart hurting and eyes crying because I know how much this can bless her life and yet she wouldn’t even try to find out. I wanted to ice my heart over then and say, that’s it, I’m done putting my heart out there just for people to break it. But then I felt this overwhelming warm peaceful feeling that I had made the Lord proud of my work, because I worked with the Spirit and opened my heart so that she could feel the Love that I feel from the Savior. I decided, if this is as bad as it can get with a heart broken but the spirit of the Lord with me, then all of it was worth it. To not give up, or get discouraged but pray even harder for the Lords help. Because this message is true and it is life changing, eye opening, heart softening. It has changed me, and changes me everyday the more I understand and learn from it. Then on the way home we met a man I have talked to before from Honduras, that his wife from Russia just had a baby and by the way he wants to meet and talk more about our message!!! It was so amazing!

I’m out of time, but I have so much more to tell. Learn to Love life, every aspect of it, even the hard parts, because in the end that is what makes us who we are, the hard part make us stronger, and more determined. 

I know Jesus is our Savior, He lives and this is his restored gospel.

Sisar Hubner

Sunshine in Finland- MITÄ?

So basically Finland is GORGEOUS! 

Its been pretty freezing cold around -17 C everyday and so literally our nose hairs freeze, our hair freezes, our scarves freeze, or eyelashes freeze. Its quite the experience if you care to try, go into a massive freezer and stand there for about 3 hours, then you’ll get a little picture of what’s going on over here. Also while walking to a lesson with a member we saw a dog run up to a pole, lick it, get his tongue stuck, rip it off, and then start yelping and crying....... Sisar Pack, the dog walker, and I were so shocked. Then we busted out laughing, it was incredible.

 Frozen scarf, hair, nose, eyelashes, bomb awesome companion, in Finland = life is good

 So on Monday our investigator stiffed us, so we decided to try and contact a less active, we were lost for about an hour in the freezing cold, finally found her house, the lights were on, and....she didn’t open the door! Then we ended up walking home, and were outside straight for 3 hours, needless to say, I LOVE HOT CHOCOLATE, makes the day coming home and warming up to that! Also, Tuesday we were knocking on our 10 doors after another investigator stiffed us, and we were getting really frustrated, so we said a prayer for the Lord to help us. The next door we knock on, is a half naked Man about to go to the sauna...The Lord definitely has a sense of humor, Sisar Pack had no clue how to react so she just kept on talking to him and teaching him. It was pretty funny. Then the next house the lady opened the door with a disgusted look on her face and told us it was very cold and we were letting the warm air escape, and to continue our journey. Hahaaa your telling me, we know how cold it is. 

We are still going through a slight rough patch; wish the refiners fire were a little warmer. But this mission was never meant to be easy, but it will be worth it. I love these people so much, with all my heart and we are trying so hard to become the missionaries that the Lord needs. I read in John this week chap. 13-17. Please read this. This is our life long goal, to be filled with the Savior's love, to be obedient to all his commandments not because its convenient for us or because we want the blessing, but because we love Him and want His spirit to be with us. Our power source is the atonement.  We are using it daily to improve, to wash away our sins, to try harder the next day, and then share the peace that comes from this. He is the way, He overcame the world, He suffered alone, so that we would never have to suffer by ourselves.

Good story of the week is that we were able to get a lot of member to come with us to our lessons, and we were praying for the Spirit to be with us, and it was such a great day, we could feel the difference, our investigators felt the difference and we were working hand in hand with the members it was really great!

Personal study each morning has become so sacred for me, a time to unwind, to feel the Love of my Savior, to refocus and remember that Hope is never lost, and that miracles happen. I keep learning more and more every week that you can't just consecrate yourselves once, and be good. Its about consecrating yourself everyday, to remember why, have that motivation and pray to the Lord for more. 

Sorry that this email is so scatter-brained, just a little bit of my thoughts. 

I love you all so much, remember to find joy in the journey, smell the flowers, tell your Mother you love her. (Mom, I love you in case you haven't picked up on that!)

Puhutaan myöhemmin ystävini,

Sisar Hubner

pic 2. all the lakes are completely frozen over! This place is ridiculously beautiful!

Snow!

Sorry I’m so late in writing so this is going to be a short letter because I have no time. 

IT FINALLY SNOWED!!! Yay, its around -15 C now so its getting to be more normal, the Finns have been so frustrated because this has been the weirdest Winters in history and they keep saying that they cant remember a Christmas without snow. It so beautiful here when it snows with this winter wonderland!

So basically, just when you think the refiners fire is over...its not. Its okay though because this is the best experience in my life, and I know how important this work is. This year is the beginning of the second harvest and to start it off we are doing a 40 day fast, type thing that will last three months, and one companionship everyday will be fasting and praying for all of Finland and the missionary work here. We are focusing all our efforts and times to really lay down or ''weapons of rebellion'' whatever they may be and then consecrate our whole selves to the Lord and to this work, to stand as a witness of our Lord and Savior. To strengthen and lift each other, so as a whole we will be edified. 

A lot of inspiration came on Sunday about finding those who are searching, and they might be the foreigners who are looking for love, this light, and this direction. One of the ladies in the other ward her son was baptized and about 7 Pilipino families came and a couple non-member Finnish people came, it was so exciting for all of the wards to see all these people coming to church. It filled the church with a different light that is brought through the different varieties of cultures.

This week way, way awesome in getting members to come out with us for a couple of hours. We have been working with the V. family in the ward for a while, and we have been doing service over there about once a week, and really have been trying to build up their confidence in doing missionary work. We went through the role plays a couple times about giving a Mormonin Kirja away, and gave them the challenge to do it before the next time we came back. Then the next time when we came back they said they wrote their testimony in it, but are too scared to give it away. So one of the missionaries in our ward came up with this idea, that if our members haven't given the Mormonin Kirja away before the next time we come then we take them out with us for an hour or two and have them give it away with us, and teach them how to do it (iloistava idea). So we arranged a time to go out with Sisar V. and she told us she had been praying to have the courage to give the MK away. So before we went out we prayed together for the Lord to give us an opportunity to give this Mormonin Kirja to someone. We walk up the hill and the first person we stop and talk with is so prepared and we have a great discussion about the MK and Sisar V. was able to give the MK to her, and she is now one of our potentials. Sisar V. was so excited that the Lord really did answer her prayers and answered fast! We also contacted a former with her, and Sisar V. was the key for us getting a return appointment. The Lord especially blesses the work when members come out and work with the missionaries to learn how to become better missionaries. So if you are reading this and thinking about it, DO IT, call up the missionaries and ask when you can come out with them, practice with them how you and help what you can say and do to help them. It doesn’t matter if you think you are too busy! Make time, and the Lord will bless you for it!

I hope this letter finds you all well. 

Please ask the Lord TODAY who you can help, who is waiting for you to bring them back home, back to their Father in Heaven, who can be blessed by YOUR testimony. Then act when the spirit prompts you, you wont ever regret it.

Sisar Hubner

Believe in Miracles

WOW. Everyone deserves a chance to feel this happy

Have you ever ran in a hard race or done something so out of your reach that half way through you thought you were going to die or just collapse on the floor but you pushed through and were so proud and so excited that you made it through the finish line and pushed through the hard times and didn't give up? That’s about exactly how I feel. So basically if you didn't know, Finland can sometimes be a hard country to work in as a missionary, and for the past two months me and my companions have been in the refiners fire. We have been working SOOO hard to follow counsel, to follow PMG, to not be lazy, to try and be cheerful in all things even when we just feel like crying, praying sooo hard, loving soo much, and feeling very little back for our efforts. Our investigators says that they don't jaksaa (feel like) accepting this gift, this light, this joy, because they are too set in their ways, but then complain to us on how hard their lives are but yet pushing us away when we are trying to help them. I’m getting a little bit better picture of what my parents probably felt. Anyways, I have been putting so much faith, so much work into this and yet it has been such a struggle and so much heart break, so many long talks with my Father in Heaven pouring my heart out, asking what more can we do, what are we doing wrong? The answer is that sometimes when we are feeling the refiners fire, it’s the Lords way to say that He is training us for the next level. That if we make it through this with His help and with faith, so much joy and the miracles will come, He has to test us first and see if we are ready for it, if He can trust us with His precious children, the elect from Heaven. 

I want to humbly say that the Lord is there with us in all things, when it gets too hard, it’s usually because we tried to put the whole weight on our own shoulder, and ignored the Lord's helping hand. 

''Believe in Miracles, Hope is never lost.'' - Elder Holland

The Lord has been giving us miracles left and right. Just last week, my heart was broken, I felt empty of any other option of what more I could give to this people. I knelt down to the Lord and told Him, that I know that all the Tampere Missionaries receive revelation from Him when we asked the number or baptisms and reactivations, the number seemed impossible but I know that the Lord has a better plan then we have and with Him all things are possible. I told him that ''Father, I believe, help thou my unbelief.'' Just this week I have been seeing so many amazing things happening, and the thing is we really haven’t changed anything we have been doing, we just kept pushing on and doing what we have been trained to do. Hope is never lost!

Pieni hetki, I want to give a shout out to the Great Falls ward, I am sending a thank you letter in the mail today! Awesome possum! It was such an awesome package, whoever sent it must have been a missionary or has a missionary out because everything was spot on, and I wore that scarf the next day and we LOVE the music!! Thank you all SO much.

I received a package in the mail from my sister Tasha, it was a mason jar with 365 baby paper cranes. Each crane has an inspirational quote for the day, for the next year of my mission. I was so touched my her kindness and the fact that she has always been my guardian angel since day one, looking out for me, taking me in, making me feel like a million dollars when I felt like 25 cents. Then during personal study in the morning I was looking at the jar and pondering what I really am doing here on a mission, the feeling on when I decided to turn my mission papers in, when I recieved my call, when my family dropped me off at the MTC, my determination, my goals, to not give up, to not let up or slow down, but to love unconditionally. That this 18 months is a mini version of life, I know what I want the outcome to be, its just hard when your stuck in the moment and being yelled at, or doors slammed in the face, or getting laughed at, and remember to stay strong and remember that our message is true and it will bring joy no matter what the world says. I thought of how when I go home I want to tell my big sister Tasha that I tried my hardest, that I didn't let up that I held strong. To give my Mom a hug and say, ''Mom I gave my heart to the people of Finland, I didn’t give up, I was a valiant servant of the Lord.''  I also thought about how much I miss my family and want them to be proud of me, and the work that I am doing. I reflected on our Father in Heaven how that the veil is actually a blessing to us, because we would miss ''Home'' so much if we remembered what it was like, that this life will seem but a moment, and I want to be proud of the work I did here and to know that I kept my eternal perspective. I hope He will say,''Alayna, Thank you for loving my children and well done my faithful daughter.'' Believe in Miracles.

This week we have really been focusing on service and loving the member and training them and bringing them out with us. Focusing in on the little things, really does make a difference.

A week ago I was on the bus, looking for a good question to ask someone and I got up and went to sit next to this guy who looks like a man from the army, about 25ish, awkwardly waited for him to move his bags so I could sit next to him. We started talking and got to the subject of religion. I asked if he believed in God, he got very quiet and said, ''I don’t know, but I hope He is there.'' I committed him to pray and talk to God, and then we could talk more about how it went. Then we set up a time to met and talk about it later. Then a week later, the meeting miraculously went through and he didn't flake out on us, we only had one option to meet at an old couple's house which I thought might be a little awkward for him. But I felt peaceful about it. Then when the day came I messed up so bad and meant to tell him to met at 16 or 4pm but ended up saying 14. We were in a teach with this awesome next door neighboors of our member, who (btw had an awesome family, has relatives who are Mormon and that they would love to learn more, and that they should come to church some time. So sweet) We get out of the teach I see my phone that E. our new investigator has called.......an hour and a half ago. I call him back he says he is there and has been for 1.5 hours. I explain what happened and say he doesn’t have to wait outside anymore but we are on our way. Anywho we finally get to the older couple's house and walk it, trying to call E. and see where He is at, we walk in, and the holy ghost just hits us like a brick wall. We walk in and there the older couple Sisar is sitting there and across the way in E. in a big plush red chair, blanket, juice, gingersnaps, chocolate and a Book of Mormon! They say that they have been talking for the last 2 hours about our religion, prayer, the Book of Mormon and the atonement. Sisar M. can't say enough good about our investigator. We are sooooooo astonished, we are soooo excited, so we start the lesson and he tells us that that night after I met him on the bus he went home and prayed for the first time in a million years, and it was for about an hour and it felt really good, and that when we talked on the bus he just felt this overwhelming amount of peace. We taught more about prayer, restoration, and then the atonement that How much Heavenly Father loves him and cares for him. That through baptisms following the example of Jesus Christ all his mistakes and sins can be washed away. We invited him to be baptized, He said that he wants this so bad to be free of all his mistakes. We had the closing prayer kneeling together and he offered one of the most heart felt prayers I have ever heard. He also said that he had something going on the next day but will change it so that he can come to church. AND he came! This is why I am on a mission, to tell people about their Savior, the cleansing and healing effect the atonement has. Believe in Miracles! The Lord knows His children, he has been preparing them to meet us, He has been working with them. I know this to be true. 

I love this gospel with all my heart, I love my mission so much, it has been hard but it has been worth every second of it. At church we had so many shout outs from the members of how great the work we have been doing, and how the spirit is so strong with us. It was so amazing to see the hearts of our members softening, they are getting on board this missionary train, slowly but its happening. Everyone deserves a chance to be this happy.

I love you all. Pray for YOUR own missionary experience. Believe in Miracles, Hope is never lost.

Rakkaudellla, 

Sisar Hubner

P.s. I was on our way to a teach with Sisar Pack, and our investigator was in the elevator and I went to walk on, and the elevator doors literally slammed shut on me. I decided to take the stairs with Sis. Pack, we were all dying laughing. People, the struggle is real!

Also the picture of my two older Sisters is because I love them and felt like adding a throw back picture!

Musta Joulu

30 Dec 2013    (Sorry for the late posting - We just got back from Alayna's Grandmother's Memorial Service in Rochester, NY)

Hyvää Joulua! Merry Christmas friends and family! I hope you all had a great Christmas and were able to spend time with your family and remember what the birth of Christ means and all that he has done for us.

This great family from our ward took us in for Christmas Eve (which is the big day here in Finland) and we were able to eat traditional Christmas Finnish food including Ruosoli (this pickled beets and other stuff with sweet whipped cream...very weird) fermented mashed potatoes, ham, reindeer paste (poor Rudolf...), smoked ham, glögi (like kinder punch), joulu tortuu, and all other kinds of food you can think of. We were able to sing songs about Christ and felt the Spirit of the Lord with us, we shared with the family 3 Nefi 1:9-13 about how the followers of Christ were going to be put to death unless the signs of the coming of Christ came. Yet they still stayed faithful, and the Lord told them that on the morrow the king of kings, the Lord of Host, the Son of God was coming to the earth the next day being born into the world to atone for our sins, so that we can return back to our Father in Heaven. And sure enough the signs came the next day, not only did the Savior save these peoples lives, but He has saved our eternal life and given us a way to become free from sin. Imagine being there in those days about to be put to death because you believe in Christ. How scary that would have been but to be at peace because they had faith He would come. Well we weren’t there back then but we are here now for a reason, to tell the world about Christ, about this everlasting gospel that brings peace in a hectic world, and we can stand as a witness of Him and prepare these people for when Christ will return again. The world isn't ready yet for their Savior to come, and He has called us to be a part of His work to spread and share this Light for the whole world to see. The family we shared this with was very touched and one of them said that if they weren't converted to this gospel before they are now because of the spirit that was there when we shared this message. I believe this message with my whole heart and that is why I am here serving in Finland.

On the way home we were able to stop by at a cemetery (a Christmas tradition in Finland) and I was able to light a candle in remembrance of my Grandma Hübner. I love her and I know that she is helping me on the other side of the veil.

Christmas day we were able to open our packages and my family seriously is the best! They sent so much love in that package and pictures of us! I love it, then we went to another family's house and were able to Skype my family! Ahh I love them all so much and it was amazing to get to see them and talk to them again.

On Friday we had Zone conference. It was amazing the spirit was so strong; we learned how to teach with love which is the only way that lives change, and hearts soften. There was this Sisar there who we were testifying to each other and I had this random idea to tell her that her family is safe and Heavenly Father is taking care of them, it was so random but I said it to her anyways and she just started to cry and said ''You have no idea how much that meant to me, That is what I needed to hear'' I had no idea, but the Lord did and I was so grateful that He was able to work through my to relay a message to this wonderful sister. I want to testify to you all that yes, it takes courage to act on the promptings of the spirit, but you never know what type of impact it will have on the person. So when you have been praying to follow the spirit and some random thought comes into your head of, hey talk to that random girl on the street about eternal families, or give her a book of Mormon. Then DO IT. The spirit knows best and will guide you and you can be an instrument in the Lord's hands if you let him.

I testify to you that YOU have a Redeemer, He loves YOU, and knows you perfectly, you mean the world to Him, and HE will always be there for you, He does not want to lose YOU. For this purpose He came into the world, for YOU. You have a Heavenly Father, He loves YOU, pray to Him, pour your heart out to Him and you will feel Him by your side, lifting you off the ground when to fall, trust Him, Follow Him, and you will find peace and joy that is not of this world.

Sisar Hubner

My Companion and Me

Our cute Christmas pile underneath our cute Christmas tree Pomo

I found a giraffe clean the world, had to talk a picture with it!

Picture of the minnions basically sums up my family! I love them all! haha

Picture of Joulu tortuu the most delicious Finnish Christmas food of all time!

My companion Sisar Pack after a long day of Missionary work!

Christmas eve with the Sloan family was a Finnish Christmas to remember!

This is me wearing the family Christmas pajamas that you sent! Love them

The pictures of candles is when I light one for grandma Hubner in remembrance of her from Finland

The other picture is when I picked up my new little companion Sisar Pack! She’s great