Uh oh! Transfers!

Dear Family & Friends:

It happened! The change calls came! I will be....... Staying! Elder Chapman is going to Kaajani or the coldest place in Finland! I will be training a new missionary as District Leader in Tampere. It was a rough change call. I have to say goodbye to my better half, Elder Chapman. 5 months together!  Also, Elder Fourtina was transferred out of the district for his last change so, I talked to him on the phone for the last time last night. It was sad. Also Elder Kiuttu is going to be AP so he was taken from the district. I was sad because he is one of my best friends ever! However, Elder Jefferies and Durrant will be coming to be the ZL in our zone and in my district! Ill get to go on splits with them! 

I am excited to be a District Leader because I think planning district meetings will be soo fun! Also, I am making graphs for our district so we can visualize things a little better! Graphs make everything better! Also, training again will be fun! I get to go to the temple again! I go to Helsinkitomorrow night! 

This week has been quite exciting! I realized that I have 1 year left one my mission so, to make the event as trunky as possible we went and ate pizza with Elder Kiuttu and Oberhansley. It did the trick! I also signed up for a 1 year subscription to the Ensign to be shipped to the mission office so it can then be forwarded to me wherever I am in Finland! Im quite excited! 

There is a member in our ward who is a freelance radio guy. He also teaches us finnish every week. Well, we were talking about daylight savings and I told him that in Arizona we dont have Daylight savings. He was fascinated by that. So, he made a whole program about it. He did the program on 3 different radio stations and said something along these lines. "I met a Mormon missionary Elder Tippetts this week and he told me he was from Arizona, We talked a little bit about it and I learned that they dont have daylight savings there!" So, let the record show, I have been quoted on three national radio stations, 2 in Finland and 1 in Sweden! 

This week we have another baptism here in Tampere. Because he is my investigator, I cant give him his baptismal interview so, Elder Durrant will be doing it! It will be so fun having him in our city! 

Lammintaus Dinner appointment was a success as usual. I realized I spelled their name wrong and its super embarrassing because they will likely be reading these emails on my blog... Sister Lammintaus told me to tell you guys that you have a good missionary out in the field. I dont know who she is talking about because I am the only missionary you have and it cant possibly be me! 

We will be giving a blessing to a sister in the ward tonight. She is so special. She is from the Phillipines and is just a light in the dark! Im gonna get her in contact with Dallin so he can be her friend and stuff. She needs all the support she can get! 

Well, a spiritual thought. The Book of Mormon teaches us that the Savior suffered and died for all of our pains and afflictions that we could ever have. Literally every sorrow and traumatic event that has ever happened he felt it before you did. With that knowledge, know that He loves you. There are many romantic songs in our society that refer to giving ones life for another. The kind of person that would give his life for you would be a person you would want to be right? One has given His life for you and has provided a perfect example. So, lets be like Him and focus our personal prayers on others even when our situation seems harder. If the husband prays for himself and the wife for herself, they miss out on the numerous blessings that come if they would pray for each other. In the time of weakness, turn outward; turn to the Atonement. Go to Gethsemane with the Savior and know that all is made right through Him. 

Have a great week.

Vanhin Tippetts