Hey Everyone!

This week was a pretty standard week. We ended up dropping all but one of our investigators so again, this week has been all about finding!

One of the problems this week is that we had three soft red days (days where we aren't allowed to tract) and because of our GENIUS brains, we forgot about them each day until we were about to start knocking doors... So we ending up having A LOT of walking time. Yesterday we walked from Hertoniemi to Itäkeskus twice, which is about a four mile walk each way. It was really bad planning on our part, BUT we talked to some AMAZING people which definitely made the eight mile walk worth every step!

I don't have a ton of time today, but just know, that I love this work so much and I'm soooo grateful to be here doing it! I wouldn't want to be anywhere else! This Church is the truest thing on the earth and I know it without a shadow of a doubt! 

I love you all and I pray for you constantly! 

Love,

Sister Jones

 

 

Please enjoy this last picture of me and Sister Wunderli.. I haven't taken one with Sister Crofts yet so as soon as I do, I will send it :)

 

Successful Transfer #1‏

Hei Everyone!

This week has definitely been insane! My new comp, Sister Crofts, is starting out her last transfer here! She's from Salt Lake and is the sweetest! I'm so excited to learn and grow from this "Dying Missionary". 

So with Sister Wunderli leaving, I was in charge of the area pretty much since Sister Crofts had no clue about this area at all. In fact, this is her first time serving in the Helsinki Zone, she's been out west in Tampere for the past 14 months! So she was so surprised at the difference. Definitely her favorite part is Metro Contacting and luckily, that's the safest and my most favorite contacting way, so its definitely working out for us. Ha

So being a Senior Comp for a week was great, but I'm definitely grateful I'm not an actual senior comp yet, definitely not ready. One week was great, but I'm done. Ha

As normal with transfers week, it seems like everything kinda falls apart, we had eight lessons planned and scheduled but they fell through except for one. So we ending up having A TON of time for finding! Luckily it was great and now this week has some super solid lessons lined up! Its really awesome! I'm so excited!

The Church has just released the new Easter Initiative. Being a missionary and having the initiatives is the coolest thing! I love it! And when you get the new cards and it's all really cool and it makes you just even more excited to get out there and share the message of the Gospel with people! If you haven't seen the new video #Hallelujah GO WATCH IT. It's a perfect example of how through Christ, we can all find new life! Yes, I pulled that straight from the video so now you want to watch it even more, I KNOW IT!

I'm excited to see what this next transfer has in store for Sister Crofts and me. It is really going to be so great and I'm excited to learn from her! 

Here's to Marjaniemi becoming the DREAM area in the Finland, Helsinki Mission!

I love you all!

Love,

Sister Jones

And then it was transfers...‏

Hyvää Huomenta! I HIT MY 6 MONTH MARK! Can you believe it?! I've been a missionary for 6 months! That's so insane! 

So, FINALLY both Sister Wunderli and I are better and now we are back in the game! We've been teaching one of our investigators and he's really progressing! It's so fun because occasionally we'll walk into his house and he's watching Mormon Messages or something like that. Those are definitely our best and most focused lessons with him. 

BUT on Friday the Mission President called and told us all about transfers! Soooo... I'M STAYING IN MARJANIEMI! I love this ward and this area so I'm really so grateful to be able to spend so much time here! I'm here for at least six months and possibly eight! I'm so excited!

But sadly, I have to say goodbye to Sister Wunderli tomorrow. She's off to Haaga! Which is only like 12 miles away. I actually don't know but its really not far. She's still in my zone, so I'll be seeing her quite a few more times before she heads home in July. This transfer has really been so amazing! I loved being companions with Sister Wunderli. She's really been such a great trainer and example! Its going to be hard to say goodbye but I'm up for the new adventure!

So I guess I should tell you about my new companion. Her name is Sister Crofts and currently she's a Sister Training Leader in Tampere! And this is her last transfer! So that's all I really know about her. I think I've met her once before but I can't remember. Ha I'm so excited to be her companion and get to spend the last 9 weeks of her mission with her! I'll tell you all more about her when I find out more about her :)

So yeah this week has been really just a crazy week of getting back into everything and then finding out its all going to be changed! I don't really handle change well, what human does, so this week with all the changes that are happening I've decided to just make the most of it and enjoy the ride! 

I love this work and I love the people of Finland! Its so amazing to see so many people and just marvel at how amazing they are! Even if they don't want to talk to us, its okay! Because they are amazing and God loves them! 

I love my mission and these first 6 months have truly been amazing! I love it!

I love you all! 

Love,

Sister Jones 

 

 

And This is a wonderful candid taken by Sister Wunderli. Enjoy. Ha 

They cut down one of our trees on our walk to church... So obviously this had to happen. 

 

And for a third week, I dwelt in the house..‏

Seriously it's ridiculous - three weeks. BUT there is an end in sight. We went to the Terveystalo last Tuesday because we were still sick, and well everyone, I NEVER HAD THE FLU. Never. I just had an extremely contagious and a really bad case of... BRONCHITIS!! Yep. No worries. Just that. But luckily I have been on antibiotics for a week now and I am much better! I should be fully recovered any moment now. I'm practically already healed. Pretty much. Ha 

Sister Wunderli was really worried about the possibility of her having it as well since we spend every waking moment together. So the next day we went to the Terveystalo for her. She has a horrible case of an UNIDENTIFIABLE VIRUS! She's convinced that her body has produced this virus to stop her from getting Bronchitis. I'm doubtful. 

But all is well! The work is moving forward and you would never know based on our Key Indicators that we have been bed ridden for 20 days (unless you look at our contacting numbers, then you could tell!). We are already doing better than our last two weeks and its only Tuesday! Yay! Next week I promise I won't be writing about me being sick. I promise.

Now a fun story! Since the other week we were bed ridden and unable to go to church, we were unable to check our dinners for the upcoming weeks. On Wednesday we were going to teach a lesson which ended up falling through and so we went to drop a video off at his house and then go visit this INSANELY cute widow who lives really close to us. While we were walking there she actually called us and asked if we were almost to her house. To our shock we said yes we actually were. She then explained that she had signed us up for lunch at 1. It was then 1:20 and we had just eaten a huge lunch because we weren't going to be able to eat until a lot later.

So on our walk over we started stretching as much as we could before we braced to tackle the beast that is a "Widow's Lunch". Now we ate a lot of food. She kept giving us more and more and you know you have to eat. So we did. It got to the point where literally we couldn't even smile. We were 100% focused on not throwing up. I've never been so full in my life. Never. I didn't even know that was possible. Both Sister Wunderli and I were so full that we couldn't do anything else the rest of the day. The only thing we could do was sleep. That was a whole new experience. The food was awesome though! I just wish I could have been able to enjoy it more...

But anyway! It has been a pretty standard week with FINALLY figuring out my Bronchitis and getting better! It's really been so great and I'm so grateful for the love and support of you all and the members here in Finland!

I love you all! 

Love,

Sister Jones

 

 

Me at the Terveystalo! Yay!

 

And again, I dwelt in the house...‏

Well, it's been a week. Sister Wunderli and I have still had the flu with a running total of 12 days now. Seriously, it's been pretty much the same thing. It's pretty funny because one day I'll be feeling better and Sister Wunderli will be feeling worse and then vice versa. NO WORRIES EVERYONE, we are going to the Terveystalo (Instacare) today to finally figure out what's wrong with us. We will return to full health this week (unless we get struck with another plague!).

Despite our ailment, we have been teaching lessons and they have gone really well! We have an investigator who is really progressing and has committed to getting baptized! It's been so awesome to see the change in him since we met. We had a lesson with him the other day and when we walked into his apartment, he was cleaning and listening to really soft, peaceful music. Sister Wunderli and I both started singing along and then we stopped and looked at each other. He was listening to EFY music that he found on YouTube! Needless to say he's pretty cool!

One  thing that will surprise you all, unless my parents have already told you, I GOT GLASSES! Yep, I guess that six months of reading tiny print and some of my genes finally took its toll. I went to the eye doctor and the conclusion was that I needed to receive spectacles. So that's pretty much been the most exciting part of my week! Yay for bad eyes!

I want to thank you all for the wonderful emails I received with the warm wishes of my full return to health! I will be there by the next time I email! 

Thank you all! I love you!

Love,

Sister Jones

 

ME with my new glasses and our church in the background :)