April 26, 2010

Hey Family,

It's cool about the gloves. I'm find something. Good thing it's warming up quick. The lake is completely melted now. WOO HOO!

Mail. I guess there has been somekind of volcano eruption in Iceland or Greenland or some place. Well, because of this, all flights have been shut down. This means mail is not getting here. So, that's the heads up. I haven't received anything in awhile. I don't know where he should send packages. Letters to the mission office but i'm not sure about packages. I would wait for a little bit until I know where i go, if i go.

Change calls are Saturday. If there is a change in Savonlinna, I will not be writing you back until Wednesday. Change calls are nuts. No one knows what's going to happen. Apparently, it's just like Elder Rasband's talk you sent me. Thank you very much by the way. I really liked them. Elder Uchtdorf's talk on Your Happily Ever After was one of the best talks I've ever read. But, change calls is just like that on a mission scale. Mission Presidents get revelation where to send their missionaries just like an Apostle gets revelation to where a missionary goes. Cool. If I had to guess, Elder Beard leaves and I stay here. Just guessing though cause nobody knows.

The collge thing went good. There was 35 students. 34 were girls. So we just told them what's up. We told them about how it all started and stuff like that. We answer so questions it was good. Currenty, we have 5 investigators with 6 refferals we need to contact. Things are happening.

We had zone conference. I love zone conference. There are some awesome studs in my zone. I love my zone. We have district meeting on thurdays which should be good. Change calls on Saturday. Saturday is a holiday. We have to be inside our apartment by a specific time for obvious reasons.

Heads up! Do not be alarmed at the purchase of about 40 euros or something from K City Market. I had to use my home money to buy groceries because my reimbursemnts didn't go through. But I got all the money back. So were good.

IN THE NEXT EMAIL
This is what I need. Is everyone going to be home? If not, we can change the day. I will be calling in the morning between 8-11 your time probably. I will let you know a more exact time next week. I only have 40 minutes to talk. Just a heads up. Also, Dad, who did the Packers get? Mail is getting here so I won't probably be getting a package soon. Hook me up!

Dad, the pictures of the castle with the light coming out of the hole which you thought was a coffin, is the toilet. It goes right outside. It was cool.

That's all I got.

Talk you you soon
Vanhin Behnke

April 20, 2010

Hei

 

Journal. That's always hard to do at night. I have been writing in it. But sometimes i have to catch back up like right now. Currently, i'm like 5 days behind in my journal. I'll try and do better.

 

The school presentation went very well. It was an hour and half. Gave away some Mormonin Kirjas. It was good.

 

Ellie hugged Taylor Swift. That's awesome! Good find on the tickets D-Train. Did she have any new songs? Was it awesome Mom? I like the shirt Ellie had. You know what shirt I want. I want the "I'm an 8 cow woman"  from Johnny Lingo that they sell at the book store haha.

 

I haven't heard from my brother in awhile. Is he alive? How's work going for him?

 

Sister Vomia. The greatest woman alive. We see her at least once a week whether at church or taking the sacrament to her. She is so cool. We brought us chocolate bars the other day. Way awesome.

 

The Language. It's coming along. I'm around right where I should be. So that's not good. I want to be amazing! We'll see.

 

News Update: We currently have 6 investigators at the moment.

 

The ward is about 30 members. About 20 are active. There is a very small chapel but awesome none the less. I like Savonlinna. The lake is almost compeletely melted. Warming up a bit. The wind is kicking up though. Fun times.

 

For all letters that you send and for others that send. Don't send any letters to me in the city im serving. It would be better if you sent all letters (probably just letters because packages get here quick) to the address on Neitsytpolku in Helsinki because it takes letters a long time and if they send them late and I move, i have to rely on the other elders in the city where i was to send it to me. Plus, if you send in to helsinki, in will get to me only a day later cause Finland mail is amazing. Works great. Just a heads up cause we have change calls coming up here in a little less than 2 weeks.

 

Dad, keep sending me your advice. It's advice from my father, why would I not want to hear it. If you could also please, write about your conversion story in DETAIL. I want to know how you felt, what you were taught, what clicked, what the missionaries taught, everything that you can remember. I think we could really use some of that for teaching. If you could help me out with that, that would be great.

 

Mother's Day. ARE YOU EXCITED!?! When on May 9th works? Is Dad going to be home? If dad is gone, we can just change the day, Not a big deal. I can call home cause i have the calling card still so let me know the best time.

 

That's all from me. Talk to you soon. I'm off to Oulu for zone conference. Road tripping with Elders Falk and Watson again!

 

Rakkaudella,

Vanhin Behnke

April 12, 2010

Hei Family,

I got the easter package!  It was awesome!  I love the Cadbury eggs and the See's candy - they were all gone in about 3 days!  I loved it.  Thank you very much. 

I saw a movie poster for Robin Hood.  That better be on the list dad!  It looks so sweet.

Dad, reindeer kind of tastes like a smoked sausage.  It was really good.  Elder Beard and I went back and got it again.  We ordered the 4  topping pizza:  3 toppings of reindeer and the other was this special sauce which was awesome.

It's getting a lot warmer.  I'm in blue Stormtech jacket now all the time. The lake is melting and it is way nice.  Everyone wants cars on their mission.  Nathan, Knapp and McKay - they all talk about wanting a car.  That's not for me.  What I want is a boat!!!  :)  Being on islands here, we could get around to places so much quicker in a boat. I might just have to throw a word out there at the office and see what they can do.  Boat contacting would be sweet!  It's even in a song:  "Ye Elders of Israel, on land or on sea.  To seek out the righteous where er they may be."  SEA - now we can fufill the song and get them everywhere.  A boat....that is my desire!  :)

I got the chain letter from the guys today.  Everyone is doing great.  McKay went to the Denver temple and drove through Highlands Ranch!  He didn't even stop to say "hi" did he?  :)

We went and saw Sisar Voima yesterday.  She is so awesome.  I love that woman.  My other mother!!  She was asking if you still are in contact with her daughter. 

We have 4 investigators right now.  We got two new ones this week.  We are very busy this week with 3 "teaches" this week with some potential investigators, we are contacing about 5 former investigators, we got 2 referrals and a school presentation next Monday at a college. 

P-Day will be Tuesday next week so don't expect a letter on Monday.

The language is going ok.  I'm doing fine.  It's hard to speak cause the grammar is ridiculous but it's coming.  I understand the ideas of what everyone is saying now so I can follow a conversation pretty well now.  It's getting better.

Love you all,
Vanhin Behnke

April 6, 2010

Hey Family,

Conference was GREAT!  We went to Kuopio and stayed with Elders Sharp and Sermon.   Did you see Elder Holland's talk?  That was awesome.  I love General Conference, we didn't get to see Priesthood on Saturday night because the English wouldn't go through but we watched it in Finnish.  The saturday morning sessions we watch live in Finland at 7pm.  The other are recorded and we watch them.  We didn't get to see the last session though.

Thanks for the pictures of your luncheon.  Elder Campbell is a stud.  He is so good at Finnish!  Incredible.  He's way nice too.  It sounds like you had a good time.  I have met every one of the those sister's son's out here except for Elders Young, May and Powell.  I will meet Elder May at Zone Conference.

We have a new investigator we are working with.  We have a goal to have a baptism by May 1st and that is what we are striving for.  We are teaching our new investigator tonight.  One of the ladies we were teaching is moving to Lahti (where my dear friend Elder Lytle is).

The weather is nice and bad at the same time.  It feels so good but there is slush and puddles everywhere!  I really like it though.  Summer is coming through!

Chris is looking good eh?  He said he has been working out.  He's a stud.  I sent him a letter with chocolate in it.

NEWS:  I bought a Finnish cookbook to go along with my apron!  :)  I am learning to cook!!!!  Through trial and error (lots of error).  I should come back amazing in the kitchen.  BELIEVE!!!

Did Ellie see that new dragon movie?  There are advertisements about it everywhere around here.

Story:  Ok, so for General Conference we stayed the weekend in Kuopio with the elders there.  On Sunday night after the last session Elder Sharp gave me and Elder Falk the keys to the apartment because he was staying with another elder to clean up and there was only 4 spots in the car so we went ahead to the apartment.  On Monday morning, we got ready and left and headed back to Joensuu with Elders Falk and Watson.  Our train left from there to Savonlinna at 12:30.  At 11:50, while sitting in Joensuu I got a phone call from Elder Sharp.  He asked me if I  had the keys to the apartment.  I reached in my pocket and there they were!!!  NOOOOO!!!!!  Elder Beard and I had to take a 3 hour train BACK to Kuopio to give them the keys then a 3 hour bus ride from Kuopio to Savonlinna.  Rough night!  :)

That's all that is going on.

Rakkaudella,
Vanhin Behnke