Wow!

Im super glad that the way I found out that Dallin and Aubrees baby is a boy by seeing a picture at the bottom of the screen! Im not complaining, Im just saying the Spencer would be a suitable name for a baby boy! 

The temple open house sounds awesome! There is a couple in our ward here that is visiting their son in scottsdale next month and they will be coming to visit the Gilbert temple while they are there! They keep telling me about it! 

The basketball game sounds super intense! I can only imagine how intense it was! 

Well as far as my week goes we had some ups and downs. The 5th investigator we found fell through... Its okay though! We arent giving up! 

We have these role plays we do with members to practice how to give Books of Mormon away to their friends. This week we were incharge of the YSA FHE. We decided to do this role play with all of them. Well, they did it and it was great. So we commited all of them to give a Book of Mormon away and the very next day one of them gave it away and invited his friend to institute! And he came! It was great. As we get the members to start inviting then we will start finding really solid people who can really benefit from the Gospel! 

We had another school presentation where we talk about our church and our beliefs. It was an hour away in a city called Mänttä. While we were there it was -28!!!! A new record for me! It was at the local high school. After the presentation we gave a list of common questions that people have about life that the Book of Mormon can answer. Its called the Questions of the Soul and can be found in PMG in the Book of Mormon section. We asked them all to find a question that the would like to get an answer too and helped them find it in the Book of Mormon. After we were done talking to the teacher, we walked down the hall and saw two kids from the class reading frantically! It was great to see high school kids reading the Book of Mormon! 

With the diet, things have gone well. With a small slip up this morning of some chocolate due to an extremely stressful situation, I havent eaten any sugar this week! My acne is "under control" but with how hard I work to keep my face clean it should be perfect! I did lose 1 kg this week as well! 

I dont mean to brag, but I did make a yellow curry from scratch this week that will give Siam Orchid a run for its money! I have been really getting creative this week with food because my options are limited. 

There is a member family here that I really like and fully intend on visiting when I come back to Finland. The mother of the family is super cool and I really enjoy going over to their house. I was thinking that I feel very comfortable around her and there must be a reason. Well, its because she is the Finnish version of Sister Hendryx!!! It was soo weird after I figured that out because they are almost the same person just this member speaks finnish! She even corrects how we say things in Finnish! (I am currently eliminating words that start with C and making sure I say him and I! -thats for Sister Hendryx!) 

I am currently doing okay on hand warmers. My costco original gloves are working wonders! 

No specific wants other than peanut butter. and maybe more serinity and any other cool oils out there!

Journal paper is good. wont need any more for a while! 

We work out every morning. We try to go running but usually it is too cold! I do some small tony horton stuff in the living room! Its not a lot but its okay I guess. We walk pretty much everywhere. 

I would like to share an experience, like the one you all had in the Celestial Room, here in Helsinki. I was getting super stressed with training and opening a new area and it was really weighing down on me. I can remember that when I went into the Celestial Room and sat down, I couldnt hear anything. (It helps that air conditioning doesnt exist in Finland!) It was totally silent! It was pure silence and the first time I felt complete and total comfort in a long time. I remember looking up after this and seeing my too greatest heros, Elder Durrant and Elder Jefferies sitting around me. I felt complete happiness with some of my best friends. Not to be trunky but, to be there with my friends was one of the greatest spiritual moments in my life but being there one day with my wife will be the best day of my life. It made me think that if you have not had the privilege of receiving the full temple blessings, do everything you can to get there. God is always waiting to give us more. Get ready and go! It will be the greatest thing you ever do on your own or with a spouse! 

On my mission I have learned, on my own, how to prove the truthfulness of the church with the scriptures. On my mission, with the Lords help, I have received an unshakable, spiritual testimony of the truthfulness of our message. On my mission I have received a personal witness that Jesus is the Christ and that He, through a prophet, has restored His gospel to the earth. God has spoken, do everything you can to hear Him. I love you and He loves you. 

Have a great week! 

Vanhin Tippetts