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Monday, September 22, 2014

Autumn Leaves

Well another kiireinen (busy) week has gone by in this blessed land of Oulu. I love this place so much. It’s supposed to snow this week! So that will be exciting. I have been told it gets so cold in the winters here that you cant even ride bikes because the chain freezes, and you cant wear mascara because your eye lashes will freeze together! Yay! can’t wait for that, I want to endure a REAL Finnish winter before I go home.
This week we did splits with our Vaasa Sisaret Bitner and Pace. We just love them so much. They are such hard working sisters, and really just love all the people that they come across, such an inspiration to me! We reminisced about the things we all learned at the mission conference with Elder Bednar; I can tell that it already has been changing our lives. 
I was with Sisar Bitner for the day and we had the car and were able to visit some of the far out members and less actives. It was a lot of fun, and also get this (mom & dad please don’t be mad) I was driving and I had just told Sisar Bitner that it is my resolution to follow all of the traffic laws always, which means no speeding. It was such a confusing part on this highway with the speed limit changing from 60 to 80 back and forth and I was trying to figure out if it was 60 or 80 and I see the sign that says 80 and I'm going about 70 right now and then all of a sudden I just see this FLASH. Sis. Bitner told me that it was a speeding flash, turns out it didn’t turn 80 until after the flasher machine =(I was so mad!!!! They tricked me, so sorry mom and dad.....my first speeding ticket, in Finland. The only day I ever drive the car......

Anyways, it was so cool that night we had an opportunity to teach our investigator at our ward mission leaders house and he just lit up their night. We were still focusing on the word of wisdom and he just had so many good questions and such real intent trying to figure out what is from the Lord. He also thanked us again for letting the Lord speak through us to tell him that he needs to pray more, every morning and every night, not just when things get hard. He said the more humbling heart felt prayer at the end. He is having a hard time with the idea of giving up coffee but he is will to try it once he finishes off his last packet! 
The next day we had Zone conference with President Watson. A lot was about tightening the screws strict obedience, and really just letting the Lord take over. I love our mission president so much and his wife is just so humble and we all just feel so much love from them! That night I got to spend contacting some potentials and former investigators with Sisar Bitner, and then the next morning a 3.34am wake up to catch a flight down to Helsinki for mission leadership conference. Breakfast at the Mission home with the Watson's. They are so great they just feel like my own grandparents. 

(This is the Sister Training Leaders outside of the Temple with our favorite Sisar Watson. (She gave us permission to call her Mama Watson!)
Fun fact our plane ride home got canceled that Friday night so we were able to sleepover at the Watson's house, and hear more stories about their life and their adorable family. I just love them to death!
P.S. Can you guess which sisters are in the North!? Definitely a climate change from the south of Finland!)

We then went to the Helsinki Temple for a session. WOW. I can never explain enough how amazing and peaceful the temple is, its like the second you step inside all the noises, thoughts, worries about times and deadlines, it all goes completely silent. You just feel like you stepped into Heaven and for the next couple hours you get the recharge, the fill up on the Holy Ghost, and love that you need to last you until the next time you go back to the temple. Just time with The Savior and my Heavenly Father, one on one time. I want to always be worthy to go to the temple. I received so much love and answered, calmness, and gratitude. For those who are reading this message, I hope you go to the temple as soon as possible, do whatever it takes to make arrangements, to get worthy, DO IT! It is the most worthwhile thing you could ever do in this life. The salvation of souls. I’m grateful to be a part. 

Mission leadership conference was just amazing as always, we watched this video from the Mission Presidents seminar this summer Elder Uchtdorf spoke. I was in tears at the end it was so powerful, He used and expounded on scriptures from Christ’s life that just opened my view to understanding my Savior better. His example, the impact He had on those around Him. Hearing Elder Uchtdorf's loving testimony of his Redeemer, I just felt completely full of this blissful joy that comes from learning about our Savior. I am focusing all my studies, my general conference questions on Understanding the impact physically, emotional, and spiritually my Savior’s atonement has on me, and how to grasp it better so that I can help my friends understand and FEEL it. I invite you all to take time this week to ponder Who Jesus Christ really was, and how He served. One of my favorite stories is Jairus' daughter in the gospel of Mark, and also Mary at the Tomb.
I’m about out of time! But I know that my Redeemer lives, what comfort this sweet sentence gives.
My heart is so full of gratitude. Just know I love you.
Take care little friends (=
Love,

Sisar Alayna Hübner
At mission conference we got a picture of our old MTC group together. So great to see 'em all :)


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