October 11, 2010

The new look for Finnish missionaries!  :)

Hei Family,

Here is a rundown of what is going on. 

Were in shape for another big week. We got a "shot at the title!" We are hoping to get 20 teaches this week and reach the world standard of excellence. The only thing that is hurting us is time. We have 5 appointments with potential investigators set up. It should be a huge week.

E. She came to church as usual and loves it which is wonderful. We talked to her again about baptism and she said that she will be baptized. She told us that she will be baptized at the end of next spring. So we have that going on. Her daughter still doesn't accept it and she is still scared. We are just supportive and still continueing to teach her. The pictures are working out great. We are planning on limiting our teaching visits to her. She lives too far away and isn't progressing fast enough to visit so often. 

H came to church! He liked it and said he would try to come every week. He has stopped drinking alcohol and feels great. He has given it up for about a month and he told that he has saved about 80 euros from it. He is pretty excited about it. Giving up coffee may be a big obstacle for him. He told us that he loves us because it gives him that kick in the morning. We plan to teach him about the word of wisdom next because he seems to always ask questions about it right before we leave. His baptismal date is looking a little shaky. He is not sure if he will be ready in time for it. He also thinks that he needs a suit first before he can join. He is coming along just fine. 

R is a new investigator we found this week. He was a former potential investigator from about 5 years ago that we decided to go back and visit. He answered the door and told us that he has met with us before that he isn't interested. We kept talking to him for awhile and got to know him and what he was taught. He then told us that if we were ever in the area, we were welcome to come back. We set up an appointment and went back. We taught him the first agenda during the first teach and his family didn't sit in with us. We read with him a little from the introduction of the Book of Mormon. And he told us that, "So you want me to read this, ponder it, and pray about to know if it's is true." We said, "Yes." He said, "Yah, I can do that." So that is what he is doing. On our next visit, he had been reading the testimonies of the Book of Mormon first beofre he wanted to start reading it. We taught him about families and he loved it. He was really into the fact that he can be with his family forever. We told him about how he can be sealed by the Priesthood with his family eternally in the temple. He was really interested in temples and priesthood. It was a very awesome teach. It's going really well with him.

H (a different H) is our other new investigator who was also a former potential investigator from the area book. He is an older man in a wheelchair. He has MS and is all there mentally but his body is not. Because he has MS, his motor skills are giving out on him. He is nearly impossible for us to understand. We can understand some but whoa is it hard. We brought Piispa Silvennoinen with us and he told us that we should probably not go to his place without a member because it was even pretty hard for him. He is so so interested and it is hard for him to read so we are ordering the Mormonin Kirja Äänikirja for him to listen to it. 

Less actives. Nothing new has happened. We are teaching 5 still but nothing groundbreaking has taken place yet. All are still in there same spots as last time. We are really hoping to get V back into the ward. Piispa is so excited that we are teaching him. Hopefully, we can help him get back. We want to teach Veli laapio about the temple more and how he needs to get there. Lots of work to do. 

Things are happening here. Our district has found 12 new investigators last week and has 5 baptismal dates. This is huge. 

How is everything back home? I'm in second place in the picks!!! SWEET!!! Do we know if Scott got the job yet? How is Ellie's tennis things going along? I promised pictures and I will send them to you. I got a letter from the Logans. Will you please thank them for me?

I hit my year as a missionary mark on Thursday. It's splits so when Elder Balls gets here might go eat somewhere fun. I'm making a big breakfast. BREAKFAST BURRITOS!!! However, my official hump day isn't until November 3rd. That is when I will be home. I was in the mission office when I was down in Helsinki a couple changes back and I saw the list of when everyone leaves and that is mine. So that's when it is. 

Story Alert. After a teach, Elder Schoof and I were riding home to go eat dinner and we saw a Kebab place. So, we decided to eat there instead. Elder Schoof is telling a story and I take a bite of kebab. I started to choke on it and Elder Schoof was telling his story and didn't noticed. I couldn't breathe and I was freaking out. I couldn't even cough. It was a seriously scary moment. I fell on the booth of the restaurant dinner and Elder Schoof started to notice that smoething was happening. I'm kicking all over the place and something tells me to calm down, relax. So I do it that and then something says to swollow and I swollow and big piece and spit the rest of it up. Then I could breathe again. Elder Schoof is wondering what heck happened. It was crazy but I'm alive. This is probably not a story to put on a blog (of course it is says Donna!!). It was pretty cool how I was guided out of it. Just know that despite the bike crashes and choking, you son is still safer than ever out here. Anyway, the kebab was pretty good :)

That's all I have for you. Take care. I'll talk to you all soon. 

Love you all,
Vanhin Behnke

Elder Behnke's apartment - looks rather spacious actually:

Nice kitchen......I like that there are no dishes in the sink, well done Elders!

Nice!

Elder Schoof

The view from the Elders apartment - Hot Lips Sex Shop - funny!