Hello! Change call week! Or rather Elder Tippetts is really stressed week!

Well. Good to hear from everybody!

Being a missionary and working so close with ward leaders has opened my eyes as to what those callings are. Every calling in the church has the same rights in their stewardship as the prophet has in his! The church truly is lead by inspired men and women.

Answers to questions.

I did get the package and it was the best one yet! I made some of the Mac and Cheese and mixed in some Finnish makkara or basically sausage. It was great!

No, more nose bleeds or any bleeding for that matter!

Peppermint beads were awesome! I carry them with me!

I saw the Reijonens and got the pictures! Thank you! Also the Reijonens have been telling everyone in the ward that I play piano and swam. We have another meeting with them this week. We are sharing easter messages with everyone we can this week.

Also, the "Because of Him" Video online is AWESOME! Everyone must watch it!

I did see the world report. We got tons of air time this year at General Conference.

I have no specific requests for birthday packages. Im at the point where I have almost stopped caring about all the things I used to think were important. So, 3 Musketeers bars and Root Beer... You know me!

Any more questions??? :)

This week was "ihan ok" or "quite okay" haha

We went on splits with the Elders in Rauma and it was fun. Nothing much to report on there!

We taught our member from the Philippines and her friend this week. It was a great lesson and you could really feel God speaking through the Holy Ghost.

Okay so the crazy story for the week. When Elder Chapman and I got here 6 months ago we met this man, with a certain ethnic background that I cant mention to maintain his privacy, while on a bus. We told him who we are and tried talking to him about the gospel. He wasnt super interested. Well, we ran into the guy at least once a week from then on. We always talked to him and sat next to him on buses. But I had not seen him since Elder Parker got here. So, this week I see him on a bus and go to sit next to him. We chat for a little bit in Finnish and then in perfect English he says "you have been here a long time. Are transfers coming soon?" I replied by saying yes and then realized that no one knows about transfers other than people who are really close to missionaries. I asked a few questions like if he has ever met with missionaries and been to church. He said, "yes! And much more! I was a missionary myself!" Well turns out this man is a high priest and a translator for the church from a certain country that cant be named! He explained that he is in-active and really has sour feelings towards the church. Well, I try to ask for his name because I have forgotten it and he tells me that he wont give it to me so I wont try to track him down and "Re-activate him" Then, he jumps of the bus. That night I said a prayer and asked Heavenly Father if there was anything He wanted me to do to help that man. I figured that the Lord would let me know if there was something I needed to do immediately. So, I told Heavenly Father that this man was in His hands now but that I wanted to find out when the man comes back to the church. Now, flash forward two days. I see him on the bus again! I talk to him and got some more information while I was talking to him the thought came to mind to give him one of my cards with my personal email address and ask him to write me or something. I didnt have any with me so, I said another prayer that night and asked Heavenly Father to get our paths to cross again so I can give him one of my cards. It was kind of interesting because I feel like the Lord is really trying hard to get us to meet up and I know that man will come back to the church one day. Ill need some extra prayers this week for sure so I can meet him again.

The things I have been learning recently are helping me realize how serious God is in getting His children back. All kinds of things are happening around us that give us opportunities to help people. It brings a whole new meaning to the phrase "He will lead you to them or He will lead them to you".

Dad, remember the homeless man outside of the Mexican restaurant in Snowflake? You taught me a great lesson right after that experience. It was when we went to the temple and we put his name on the temple role. I was about to write his name on the paper but then I said to you, "we dont know his name! What do we write?" You replied, "Just write ´man from the street` Heavenly Father knows who he is." I will always remember that even though you may not. God knows us all individually and you taught me a great lesson. So, when you are in the temple this week, feel free to do the same with the man I met!

Thanks for the letters everyone!

Love,

Vanhin Tippetts

Ps. This week is change calls so bring on the crazy amounts of stress and acne! I have been here for 6 months and it is likely I get transferred! Send me guesses!

PPS also I will have been in Finland for one year on thursday! WEIRD!