SPENCER TIPPETTS: Hi from Elder Tippetts

PROGRESSION LINE UPON LINE

Thoughts after arriving at the MTC: "It's been super awesome hearing about all the mission calls everyone is getting! The work is moving faster and faster every day! It becomes more and more apparent when you see 1,000 missionaries come in every Wednesday!"

Thoughts after leaving the MTC: "It’s a testimony just knowing that the church is right. The things that we’ve learned are true and real. The way I talk about the gospel now is different. The gospel is something that requires action and action is what God wants. It is real. This is what the world needs and I am engaged in the Lord’s work!"

Thoughts after 18 months: “I feel like I can handle anything now! I've learned how I will have a burning witness of the restored church until the day I die. That will be done by constantly seeking out answers to my questions.”

Thoughts after 24 months: "..."

Monday, February 24, 2014

Hi from Elder Tippetts

Dear Family & Friends,

Well, saying it has been a crazy week would be an understatement. Im kinda at the point where Im wondering how I am still waking up in the mornings!

Pretty cool that the Reijonens called! They are just awesome.

Last tuesday, I said good bye to Elder Chapman which gets sadder and sadder the longer hes gone. But at the same time I went down the the big bad city in the south, Helsinki! I got to catch up with Elder Gustafson from my MTC group. I have seen him once on my mission since the MTC so it was super good to be there. I also got to spend the night at his apartment. We are both training so I was his companion. We got a text from the assistants saying that the new group missed some flights so they will be getting in late and that President Rawlings wouldnt be able to be there for the trainers meeting! So, we all showed up to the meeting and the APs taught us. It was fun seeing Elder Kiuttu there as well. After lunch we met the new group of missionaries. They were a jolly bunch for sure! Mostly 18!

I dont know if this is true but I feel like with most of the new missionaries never having lived away from home it may cause a little bit more shock. Mom and Dad, teach Cameron how to make his own decisions. He needs to know table etiquette, how to do laundry and live with roomates. As always the time of missionary service should be determined by prayer. If one feels that a semester of college is good, then do it! I fear that it may become something we look down at if one decides to wait.

I met my companion Elder Parker. After an exchange of Finnish chocolate and a hug we sat back down and President taught the rest. He explained to the trainers when we were still separate that we were hand picked by the Lord to train because this would be the last group of missionaries to be fully trained by the time the new mission president arrives. It added a little extra stress.

After saddling up we went to Helsinki Central and headed to Tampere. Elder Parker is from California. San Jose to be exact! He is fluent in Swedish and Spanish and pretty close to fluent in Finnish already! The ward loves him. There is a lot of Swedish influence here in Tampere.

As District Leader, I had a whole other challenge to take care of. I really tried to make District Mtg the best. Its a cool story how I arrived at this idea but its way to long to try to explain in an email. Ill just tell you all sometime! We talked about praying always and how it relates to the baptismal covenant found in Mosiah 18:8-10. It was a pretty good meeting I think! haha Weekly planning was super hard though because at the same time I had to fill in my companion on how everything works I was trying to figure out how everything works too! I had to plan splits and District Mtgs! It was crazy!

Last night was also call ins. Everyone in the district calls me and reports about their week. It was fun.

So, its good and bad but we baptized our last investigator! Haha Aapo Vilonen! He is 18 and a stud! I didnt really do much for him though. He has basically been a member for his whole life just hasnt been baptized! He will definitly go on a mission! I made cookies for it as well. It was almost as big of a hit as the other stuff that they ate...

Elder Durrant gave the interview so I got to go on splits with him this week as well!

I was thinking about who I am this week. I am always displeased but when youre moving up you are always gonna look back at who you were and be looking down right? I realized though, that parents play such a huge role in the development of a person. I thought about how my dad has been drilling me and talking positively to me for my whole life. This kind of talk hard wired my brain a certain way. I think and do things in a certain way because of what my dad has taught me. Im not forgetting to mention moms they are important too. I just wanted to say that I am proud of my dad and hope he knows what he did for me.

The things we say and do can effect people more than we know. Our brains are super computers and when an external factor comes into play, it can effect how one thinks. Always be mindful of how we talk to people. I have finally started to understand the phrase, "if you dont have something nice to say dont say it at all".

Thanks to all the people that write me! Its so awesome to get letters from you!

Have a great week everyone!

Vanhin Tippetts

Bonus Pictures:

The Baltic Sea