March 21, 2011

Hey,

I feel like I have been cutting these letters kind of short to you lately. So I will try to write a little more. 

The Pictures. I hoped you like them. Did you like the Elder Peck and I on?  We want to get a really big one and frame and put it up on the wall for the next Pori-bound missionary to see. haha. 

So Elder Peck and I are still fighting our way in Pori. We had a ward meeting and presentation after church yesterday. We tried to get them fired up for referrals. It went ok. Hopefully they do it. Speaking of which.  We think Elder Peck and I are reaching the end. This will probably be the last change together. It's time for a change. I get along with him GREAT but 3 changes and it probably will be time for a switch.  

It's really funny how many similarities I can make the mission with the NFL. After you have been in a place for a while, everyone kind of wants to change cities. Ex: Elder Peck, after 6 changes in Pori, wants to leave. Of course, no one makes a big deal out it but it's pretty funny to relate it to like a disgruntled wide-receiver who wants a trade. "I WANT OUT!, TRADE ME OR RELEASE ME!" In most cases, the missionary is traded (ex: Elder Behnke was traded from Kerava to Pori to be the starter. Much like Matt Schaub backing up Vick and traded to Houston to be the franchise quarterback). Some cases the missionary is cut and the city relies on the draft to fill the need and the free agent is picked up by another team (ex: A couple changes ago, Elder Lytle's companion (Elder Isom) was cut and signed with Seinäjoki and Rauma scored a rookie (greenie) in the draft). So now you know a little bit of what is happening in my head come change calls.   :)  Here is my speculation:
                       The Call:  Behnke with GREENIE in Pori
                       Peck to Savonlinna with Pond

Sorry that you haven't gotten the the newsletter. I would send it to you but we get ours in letter form and not through email. Yes, Elder Horne is the AP which is why he could send it.

Yes, tons of frozen bikes everywhere. There was a really nice bike in the lake we saw in Savonlinna but we never got it. I know there is a missionary who got his bike from off a frozen lake. haha. They are tons of that everywhere.

So Scott's work has now expanded to 4 members. The Larsons are great! That is so cool. What are they going to do now for school and everything? How was their talks? What did they talk about?

I got your package! Great! Thanks a lot! The magazines are great too. Super distracting but WONDERFUL! It's crazy that they are comparing Rodgers to Brady and Manning. I don't know what we need to fill the teams rosters and stuff or what we need in the draft but I think, from my reading, we need to really resign Cullen Jenkins. That would be huge. Along with Mason Crosby, if not I hope we sign Ryan Longwell. Jenkins would be a huge resign. We can let Brandon Jackson go and snag a better player (like Darren Sproles!) or just no even worry about it with Grant back and Starks and Kuhn. It seems like we could really bulk up the o-line, we need O-line. I like Nate Solder from Colorado but it's unlikely he falls. If he doesn,t then I REALLY like Gabe Carimi from Wisconsin, Home town love. If we can't land Jenkins and by a miracle chance that the Alabama DT/DE falls that would be sweet. I told you to watch AJ Green and Julio Jones. They are studs!

I heard a little bit about the tsuanmi but not much. Pretty nuts, crazy, and sad story. I still have no idea why Japan would ever build a NUCLEAR power plant when they live on tectonic plate boundary. It was an accident waiting to happen. That was a super move. But now they are in a horrrible situation. Is the church helping?

Our investigators are still in the same spots as last time. They are coming along. The family is still awesome and working their way back. Fantastic.

That's all I have today, I hope you have a great week. I love you all

Vanhin Behnke