June 16, 2014

Hello my Dear Family!

We also were able to have a wonderful Zone Conference with President Rawlings. This was our last meeting with him before President Watson comes. We are all very excited. Very tender time as we see our beloved mission president pass on the flaming torch to another. One of the beauties of this is that we are already able to feel the love from our up coming Mission President. We have not had any communication from him, but from what President and Sister Rawling say about them they are delightful.

Our focus in ZC was Praying always. And I had a cool thought a couple days later.

Simply Put. We are literally separate from our Father. Just like You( pl) and I are separate. We look forward to the times we can email and skype.

Does Not our Father also look forward to these times too when we are able to speak with him. The blessing of this, is that we can be in communication with him ALWAYS. But this depends upon us. the difference between a phone call order and a one on one interview with the Gov. of the Universes.

Another way that we  can look at this is by thinking about Navy Seals.

We are the Navy Seals(Missionaries, Men of Power, Men of God..ect) out on 'missions' and the ear piece( Holy Ghost) that we must wear always it keeps the whole team together.( Pray Always) Also gives us instructions coming from HQ (Heavenly Father).How vital this is.

"We ARE HIS agents. We REPRESENT HIM." - B. R. McConkie

We were able to see this in action on Saturday while we were in Järvenpää. I was thinking about Praying always and the simpleness of Prayer when this realization of prayer with our Father was unfolded in my mind.

I shared this with Elder Stanley and we both had a wonderful discussion about it.

Later that evening we met with a member who, in the middle of our lesson, We felt prompted to share this insight with him. Completely opened up our conversation with him about Prayer and the ability we have to pray for others.

I know that i have not understood the importance of pray and I am so grateful that I am able to learn more of it. Scripture study every morning. I don't know how i functioned before without it.

 In answer to some of your questions.

Juhannus is Mid Summer. We will be having a Party with our Ward this Friday. It is one of those days were we really cant do anything. Saturday is a Hard REd day so if we don't have appts. we are stuck in our appt.

Sister Kitchens is the mother of Elder Kitchens. I can send another picutre of him. He and I became best friends in the MTC. Helps that he lives in Logan where I have my family too. But anyway. I hope you are able to go to the Party with them. It will be a piece of what I will be doing. All but the sauna and such. Party as Hardy as Missionaries can. ;) 

 Veli Pekka and Elina have been out of town so we haven't been able to meet with them for a bit.

Change calls are coming this week end. So next week I should know.

My Retainer. It is kinda falling apart....So if it is possible to get a new one that would be great, but if not. I don't kow if you remember but I don't have a permanent retainer on my bottom jaw. It fell out right before I left. So I am really good about wearing my plastic retainer every right. :) That what my  big this on mothers day, but yeah.

Anything else i can do for ya'all just let me know. I love you dearly.

Rakkaudella

Vanhin Sandberg

Blue Tooth

Spiderman

Zone Conference

Pres. and Sister Rawlings

Vanhin Kitchens

June 9, 2014

Hello From the Other side of the Pond!

We are sure enjoying the bountiful amounts of Sun shine that comes our way. The humidity can be a bit much at times, but that just comes with the beauty

. The sun is up when we go to bed and when we get up in the morning. Probably be like this for a couple weeks. Until next change. That reminds me. Changes,  Juhannus. Our changes are the week after Juhannus. So I will be speaking in our ward next week since most everyone thinks that I will be leaving. I have only been here 8 months. Not too long.

Update on our Investigators, Pekka and Elina. They have both been out of town the past little bit so we haven't been able to meet with them, and our Less active member was unable to make it to church, but he is still holding strong. He would be more active if his health allowed. His sights are set on going back to the temple here soon. It has been about 8 months since he has last been so he is working hard to get back.

This last week was a little slow with appointments falling through and Pekka and Elina being out of town, but we were still able to find ourselves adventures.

One thing that Elder Stanley and I love is the fact that you can be in the city, but take a 10 to 15 minute walk and you feel as if you are in the middle of the forest. As we were walking we came across some mushrooms, ( Picture 1) Don't worry, I really din't eat it. but I did't come to think about what I nearly did next to the river.(Picture 2)

This was just our first adventure when we were down in Koivukylä.

I was recently reading in Gospels and thinking about why missionaries and Members are working so hard at this time. All the work we do for just one person. Rescue. I was reading about the Prodigal son and the deep meaning it has in there along with the parables before it as well. I realized the the entire chapter was trying to explain the Worth of just one soul.

Example of the Lost sheep. the Shepherd placed the lost lamb on his shoulders. We never hear of him complain about the journey to find the lamb or the weigh of carrying the sheep after, but the rejoices.

The same as with the Prodigal son, When the FAther saw his son a far off he ran to him.His pain and anguish was swallowed up by the return of his repentant son. How much must we mean to our Father in Heaven? these two parables have always stood out to me. The worth of every soul truely is great in the sight of Father.

I love you all and hope that you have fun with school being out. It felt like yesterday when school was just going back into session. Have a wonderful week. Love,

Vanhin Sandberg

June 2, 2014

Dear Momma and Papanua,

We had a week full of meetings with the members. We were feed nearly every single day this last week. and even of Friday we had two dinner appointments.  Mam can rest asure that I am well fed..

Thank you for the pictures of Ashley and Jeff, and Peiter. Pictures help with the memory of life changing.

To go along with mom's thought of motherhood. I witnessed this with a mom i saw on the street.

This Mom and her daughter were biking down the same road we walk everyday. The daughter only looked to be 4 or 5 years old, but as we were walking the rain began to fall and this little girl on her bike stopped and said something to her mom.

We were too far away to understand, but I watched as the mother stopped her bike alongside her daughter and take off her jacket she had and help put it over her daughters jacket.

I don't know why this struck my so much, but after I saw this I just wanted to walk up to that lady and give her a big hug and tell her she is a wonderful mother.

I come to understand more and more as I have been out here, how much our parents really do do for us. know that my love continues to grow with understanding and admiration as I am here in Finland.

We also had another talk with a member yesterday. He was driving us home from one of our distant areas, but he asked how is was having my dad as my bishop before I left on this mission.

I told him that it was one of the sweetest experiences I hold. For not only was my Stake President like a second father, but my Father was the Bishop. Heavenly Father knows me and blesses me with examples in my life to help me become who I can be come. And the Joy is it to already have this understanding that we have a Father in heaven. Who loves us. This is what our message begins with. We Have a Father. and it continues to the fact that we will be able to become like him and live with him once more.

What joy this message brings. Our times is so short in life and even more so on a mission. Both lives are so short, this is why we need spiritual and physical Adventures all the time.

Here are a couple pictures for you of our adventures!

playing spiderman....as safe and any 19 year old could be..... :)

Love Always,

Vanhin Sandberg

I hope that bench is bolted down!

Spiderman

Love that Smile