Finnish, Swahili & Kieli Koulu School

Train Ride to Helsinki for Kieli Koulu School

Dear Family,

Well, this week has been interesting. I've gone to Kieli Koulu Language School. It's a thing where we travel to Helsinki and work on our language stuff and how to study better. Also, we had district meeting this week in Oulu. So this week has been nothing but train rides everywhere.
Your package arrived the day I traveled back from Helsinki. So I missed it by a couple of hours. So, now I have to wait till zone conference which isn't really that far away. Plus, its a good thing I didn't get it. I would have opened it before Christmas. So it makes me wait. I'll look for your other package in the mail this week. Thank you. I will be here in Kajaani through Christmas. There is a chance I may be leaving just before New Years Day....possibly the Tuesday or Wednesday before, so don't send anything too late.
Lessons have been scarce, as in none. But since we have been traveling so much, we didn't really have a full week. We have two investigators, the P's and an African family. We found the African family by tracting. We ended up getting a Swahili Book of Mormon for them. We will see how interested they are as time goes on.
I have a letter written for you. I just need to get it sent off before it gets too late today. I'm also going shopping today for Christmas gifts, but you may need to tell me if you want something in particular. I'm trying to send them off next week on monday, so that they get there on time. I've already picked out something for Jason though. I have no idea what to get Dad.....uh, tools don't ship very well...lol... well, love you all.
Trev
PS I am sending a tape this week as well ....it will be coming soon.

No "Turkey Day" for Me

Thanksgiving Dinner at our apartment

Dear Family,
Our week has been a little busy but good for the most part. I haven’t found a new winter coat yet. I’m waiting for the Christmas sales, and plus, everything in Kajaani is melting. So, it’s not cold here. Well, I still wear a jacket. It’s pretty much about 2 degrees Celsius. The sun comes up around 10 am and goes back down about 3 pm. Our days are pretty much the same every day. We study, do chores and go tracting. Yesterday, we went to a member’s house and had dinner. It was sort of like home, except I couldn't actually relax too much. There is one family that we know well enough. They are a family which has investigated for years. They have two daughters and a dog. They are quite kind and like to have us over. They don't either want to know or haven't tried to find out about the Book of Mormon. We are trying to work with them again. It is very funny here. Little kids come to the door undressed. I’m not sure why. This week, I tried to communicate in Finnish and I said “this way” instead of "on the back". It is very hard to get all the words in the correct form. Ok, so I can understand and talk with people for the most part. It just takes me some time. lol..

So, I could use some recipes from you and Arica. Something simple and easy to make would be nice. And I’d prefer something less fattening. I am trying to keep my weight down. We are being fed too much by the members. They always tell us to be a friend and take more.... guilt trip. Thanks for the recipes when they come and I will write a real letter to you. It will take too long here on email. My companion, Elder Henderson, and I are getting along great. We are really trying to work smarter and enjoy this city and the people. It is helpful for me as I’m trying to get used to the language and the mission.

Anyway, say “hi” to Laurie and the family for Thanksgiving.

Love, Trevor

Santa Land at the Arctic Circle

Bro and Sister Call, a missionary couple, took all of the missionaries in the Finland Northern Area to visit Santa. They gave Santa a Book of Mormon as a district group. Here is the link for a video of Trevor's group at Santa Land and also links to Finnish Lapland.

http://s879.photobucket.com/albums/ab359/diannecall/?action=view&current=41-005.flv

http://www.santaclausvillage.info/eng/video.htm

http://www.santatelevision.com/lapland/index.html

Dear Family,

Hey, next week we will be on the computers for email at 11:30 am our time. So like 9 hours back for you…um, like 2:30 am your time. We have the computers reserved this time, so I should be there. I don’t know if emails are delayed. I guess we will find out. I don't expect you to get up in the middle of the night just to chat a little…but thanks for trying...

Sorry Mom, I didn't get the package from you yet. But, I’m sure it will arrive this week. Um yeah, I'm back in Kajaani, and it’s about the same--just whiter. The snow is here to stay. Last week in Oulu was nice because we had a car. Not that I drove. The other drivers were really slow. They don’t drive very fast here…not like me or dad. Elder Smith was nice and pretty easy going. He really loved his food and likes to cook. I am gaining weight like crazy. I am now 160 lbs and am trying to eat less so I can lose some of it. Yikes, I’m a fatty. I also gave a prayer in the Oulu ward and we got some service opportunities last week in Oulu. Elder Smith and I chopped wood for a while and moved some clay shingles for a member. We also raked leaves again just before it snowed.

We have about 6 good hours of daylight, but we are usually inside during that time. It’s lighter in the mornings, but we are studying during that time. It is usually overcast most of the time as well. I have not found a new coat, but I am doing great with what I have and I don't really need a coat just yet. So you don't need to send me a coat. I’m not using the blue coat…it just sits in my closet resting. lol. We don't have a CD player, just my Ipod player for music. No one here in our ward plays the violin and Elder Henderson does play 4 songs on the piano for church.. yup, we’re pretty good here on the music department. Um, I am working on a tape for you all and what not. So it should be coming in a week or so. Well, hei hei. Rakastan sinua, Trev

PS… For Christmas packages, don't send any candy...just letters, some tapes and pictures.

Finnish Missionaries...Trevor is in the grey suit on the left.

A "Vaihtaa" -- of Time and Location

A park in Oulu

Dear Family,
Sorry about changing times for emails. I just figured out today that we can reserve a computer a week in advance. I am going to try to get a more concrete time each week so you will know when I’ll be on line. (Today, it was at 2:30 am Utah time. Last week, it was 5:30 am) Thanks, Dad, for your insight about not being so stressed out about hitting the payment all the time. However, we are working very hard to find people that we can teach. The people we meet will either agree to look at the Book of Mormon for a little bit before they agree to let us teach them, or they say they are good with where they are in their lives right now….Which really means “No thanks.” We’re trying not to too feel bad when we don’t fine anyone that is interested.

Trevor, Vanhin Smith, Vanhin Henderson

This week, I’m in Oulu. My companion, Elder Henderson, is working with the district leader and getting additional training this week. So, I’m working with the district leader’s companion, Elder Smith. Elder Smith has been in Finland for about 4 months and is pretty easy going and fun to be around. Since it is P-day, he is taking me on a tour of Ollu. I will be sure to take pictures and send them. We are using a car in Oulu. It is a lot warmer than our bikes in Kajaani and much faster. Lol We are teaching 3 people here and one has a baptismal pending date. He is still trying to give up coffee. The other two people are not as interested, but hopefully they will be touched by the Spirit. Zone Conference was very interesting and good to see the “MTC 8”. It was nice to see familiar faces. I liked it because I didn't have to worry about what was going to happen next. It was a good time to sit down and rest a little and recharge my Spirit and testimony. It was nice to get ideas and talk with the other missionaries, ya know. Also, we got instruction on things that we need to improve upon in our proselyting.

So here is my advice to the Priest Quorum at home: Get ready for a mission by reading and studying the Book of Mormon every day for a couple of minutes. Get to know where things are in the Book of Mormon and Bible. Also, start talking to people where ever you have a chance, especially adults. It doesn't have to be gospel related just yet, but just get used to talking to people. This will help you if you ever decide to serve a mission, because that is what you do all day. Oh, and start keeping your room clean at home. It will solidify a good habit on the mission for your companion and for when you get home and get married. Serious. Well. I'm all out of common non-language related ideas. Study, pray, go to church, and keep your room clean, follow the spirit….that’s about it. Good luck and have fun!
Love, Trev
Check out Oulu, Finland http://www.oulutourism.fi/en/etusivu.aspx

Pyhä Päivää -- "Holy Day" or Halloween

Dear Family,

Yeah, I got the package today! It's the 2nd of Nov. yay!
Let's see, this past week was interesting. We ran around all week and got 4 new investigators or was it 6. Anyways, we dropped all of them but 1. And we will probably him too by the end of this week. It's like there is no one here who really wants to hear anything about religion at all. We've been told by all of the people who speak English that no one talks about religion. Yup, lots of slammed doors. But besides that this week has been going great.

Also, their Halloween is called Pyhä Päivää or holy day.... its a time when they respect the dead by lighting candles in the grave yards. I took some pictures for you. Also, I got some extra SD cards to send home with videos and recordings and I will probably send home a tape too. um... also, they have this kekripuki or goat that they make in the start of fall...dunno when. Then on Halloween, they light it on fire. It's sort of like celebrating the begining of winter. We didn't get to see the goat lite on fire. We had to go across town for more tracking. But, we didn't find anyone at home. They were all at the festival. But, I have a picture of it before they lit it up.

Also, zone conference is this weekend, so I will be traveling a bit. Yesterday, there was ice everywhere. Our bikes were a little hazordous. lol. My companion, Elder Henderson just about died 6 times. (Maybe these two should invest in studded bike tires...would they work on ice?)Well, yeah I think thats everything. By the way, the tape is good and I am enjoying it thouroughly. Thank you. I haven't gotten to read the letter just yet. But, will see if I can't write someing back before the end of today, via posti. Ok, I'm going to go check to see if you sent anything again. You said you were up at like 10 30 am, my time lol (BYW: I was up at 3:30 am Utah time--got to love those "night feedings"---I have to go to bed at 9:00 on Sunday..Linda)

Love Trevor



From Elder Henderson:

Dear Family, Thank you for the package and all of the good stuff. This week has been awesome. We were able to teach 8 times this week, meaning open, closing prayer, commitments. That is a teach. We taught one that is about 20 and he was taught before 2 years ago. We were pretty straight with him. He wants to talk about church, then hang out. I want to tell you what Finland nights are like. So, about 8'clock we have to stop tracting because it is the law. So picture us on a a 1932 Jupiter bike, toes frozen, chin numb, big grins on our faces, blue lightning helmet, leather gloves, fly jacket, conjugating a sentence, and peddling crazy in the muddy black streets through the forest from the neighborhood. The air smells like wood burning stoves and sometimes cooking; the smells at night are so good! Usually we buy some Kinder Chokolata, that is German. I usually buy a small chocolate stick on Mondays to split with my companion to give us a little boost to dominate the streets. We pull into the small city center that has about one street that goes right down the middle, park our Harley's (bikes) and talk to as many people who are sober and talkable.There was one lady that let us come back and teach her and she was sweet; she is an older lady who wears white gloves and is so happy. Her husband left her when she was young and then her son committed suicide. She fed us hot soup from meat that her neighbor shot and then we had to teach very tactful. She was happy to allow us to share our belief in God and we testified of Christ and the love God has for us. She didn't accept the message but I felt such a love for her. Sirppa was her name. Elder Christensen and I are eating well and working very hard. We have Zone Conference this week on Wednesday. Love, Äldste Henderson