We Made It!

Well I finallz (The y's and the z's are switched on this computer so bare with me) it to Finland. I seriouslz can't believe that I actuallz made it here. Ever since we got here we have been on the move doing missionarz work which is awesome. But mz poor legs have been suffering, thez were so used to sitting all daz. I don't know if I just liked missed the memo or something but like I actuallz have to talk to people, like random strangers who I have never met about the church and it is prettz daunting. Mz companion Elder Henrz is reallz good at talking to people and we give out Book of Mormons like mad. Well not reallz but we have had some success which has been reallz cool. We have some investigators and it has been so cool to meet with them and get to know them. I do not understand most of what thez saz but just seeing their smiling face is so cool. We have been working a ton with one of our investigators who is having some difficultz quitting smoking. I can't help him too much but I have been able to testifz for just a little bit about how through the Atonement of Jesus Christ we can overcome anzthing and when we have faith in him then nothing can stop us. I don't know if mz message was completelz understood because as zou probablz all would guess mz Finnish isn't anzwhere near perfect, regardless of mz Finnish the spirit was definitelz in that lesson and hopefullz it will help him quit smoking. 

Anzwazs I am out of time on this super busz P daz but Finland is amaying and I alreadz love it soooooooo much. Sorrz for the z and y but I don't have the slightest clue how to fiy it. Bze

Vanhin Lewis

Leavin' On a Jet Plane

What a week, what a week, I can't believe my time at the MTC is almost expired. Considering the fact that the last three devotionals we have had apostles come I feel pretty blessed. To have heard from 1/4 of the quorum of the twelve during my stay at the MTC tells you two things. 1 I have been extremely blessed to have such perfect timing, and 2 I have been here longer than the the lifespan of most bunnies. To be honest I actually have no clue what the lifespan of a bunny is but I think you get the idea. Anyways hearing from an Apostle about missionary work is seriously the coolest thing ever. So many things that were discussed came to me on such a personal level I couldn't help but not feel changed. 

As I reflect for one last time on my progression here at the MTC I am come to the realization that I am so incredibly beyond excited to be a missionary. I have learned so many things here not only about the Gospel but about myself. I have learned too much to even try to quantify it. I seriously cannot wait to get to Finland and apply what I have learned to the people there. I am not sure how well I will do with the Finnish but I know that the Lord will help me, as I do my part. Well goodbye MTC you have treated me well. 

Vanhin Lewis

Be Trusted

So this week was pretty amazing. As i'm sure you are all aware Fast Sunday was this week and so that means we don't get the meager bowls of cereal we normally are served on the Sabbath. Considering how much food I eat here I could probably stand to skip a meal or two so it was not only a good thing for me spiritually but also temporally. So I finalized realized that fasting allows us to focus more on whatever thing we want to fast on more fully because the hunger reminds us of what we are supposed to be thinking about. 

OK so on to even bigger and better things this week Elder Christopherson came and gave a devotional talk. It was amazing. There were so many things that he said that resonated with me so deeply I don't even know how to describe it. He talked about the power that we all can gain from Repentance. I love how Repentance means to turn and when we Repent we turn towards Christ. The other thing he talked about is Trust. Which as you can tell is my subject for the week. He quoted David O McKay and said it is better to be trusted than to be loved. It took me awhile to realize why that is so but the more I think about it the more I love it. We can love everyone and it is one of the strongest things on the planet but the people who we are closest to are the ones that we trust. I want to be a trusted missionary, and I am going to work towards that throughout my mission and throughout my life. I love how much this Gospel has changed me just in the short amount of time I have been here at the MTC.

Highest Regards, 

Vanhin Lewis

Kärsivällisyys

Because I'm sure you all have access to google translate the subject of my week was Kärsivällisyys or patience. Patience was one thing that I really tried to work on this week. I think God wanted to test how patient I was because multiple times this week my patience was seriously challenged. I like to think of myself as a patient person but this week I've found that the more I focus on patience the less I really have of it. Because you can't learn a language over night I have had to exercise a lot of patience with learning Finnish. As I focus on patience I have come to the realization that I sometimes on the rarest of occasions maybe just maybe overreact. Now I haven't had any full blow outs here at the MTC but there has been some close calls. I also have focused on patience the last week because sometimes I'm not sure if there even is a life after the MTC. The Scriptures continually reference the benefits of patience and long suffering so I like to think I will someday reap the rewards for being patient. So as for me I will continue my quest for patience and with continual growth maybe someday I won't start to cry when someone cuts me in line.

Vanhin Lewis