Week 18, Seraph and a Drunk

Dear Family,

IT is so good to hear from all of you today. I have recieved a lot of emails and because time is so short I will only be sending one email. But I am really thankful for all of your letters and emails. Today has been wonderful! I got my boxes on Friday at our District meeting. So i got them before my birthday. Thank you so much. It is alwasy a high light to recieve something from home. Speirs and Vorimo were just as excited. We have been eating like Kings. The notes, Ties, and candy have been a real hit.

 Dad, in answer to your questions.

I never received my Priesthood Line.  I did get Aldina´s email and i wrote back that week. I baptized Dmitry in the River just a couple kilometers away. Still within the city. The Language is hard, but everyday i am doing better. Coming from english to Finnish is like trying to rewire my brain.

Ok, This is a really cool tender mercy that has just happened. Ethan and I are on emailing at the same time! just a cool side note.

We had some really fun experience this week. We had a lesson with Seraph and he had some questions about the Law of the Land. We went throught and shared the we live accourding the laws of the land in which we live. Simple as that. WEll then Seraph asked about killing. We go to war to protect our families, our God, and our Freedom. (shortened)

Then he posed this question. "What if you come home and find your woman with another man?"

"WEll Seraph, We ask him to leave. We don't want to fight with him."

"what if he comes and starts hitting me?"

You Protect yourself and still ask him to leave."

What if I have a Gun?!"

Seraph, Where did you get the gun?

I am a police officer...

We are still working with him. He is awesome. We are setting a new baptismal date with him on wednesday. He also tore up a Jehovah Witness paper yelling. "This is not mine, I do not know why it is here. This religion is not for me."

Seraph is awesome, I love him.

Hanna is also doing well. We are setting a new/sooner baptismal date with her on tuesday. She has been working towards not smoking and she is doing very well. Her Grandparents are also coming to church almost every week.

That is just a quick update on our investigators. I am sorry that this is so short and a little impersonal. Today has been a little crazy. I am so greatful for all of you. I wish i could reply back to each of you , but time does not allow. It has been wonderful hearing from each of you. I feel for each of you. Today I have just experienced love from everyone. I woke up and opened one of my packages. Vanhin Speirs made me breakfast and after our study we have came to email. So the day is still new, I am also the last to email.

Dad, Mom, Justin, Kezia, Emily, Kim, Beej, Peter, Ellie, Jon, Kai, Jeff, Kindsey, Kaylee, Kelsie, and Jordan. Grandma and Grandpa. Thank you for all you do. It has been a little different being around the world and celebrating my birthday with out you. BUt know that I love you all. Thank  you again for all the letters, emails and notes. They have really helped. I love you all. Until next week.

VanhinSandberg :)

 Heikkavuori

Sand Mountain

Another fun adventure with the Drunks

I think Jeremy is top right looks like his profile

Week 17 Reindeer, Hair Cut

Dear Mama,

 Hello From High up Rovaniemi. I have actually been to the Santa Claus Park, not the village. We went and took pictures there. Anyway. My week has been great. We had change calls Saturday. So you can start counting the 9 weeks a change. We have been blessed to stay together another change. That doesn't happen very often as far as i know. So Vanhin Speirs will be here in Roi about 8 months and i will here about 18 weeks. Crazy how time flies by. Soon i will be 19, that also is a little weird. It blows some of our members mind that i am only 18. We also have Vanhin Vorimo with us another three weeks. It has been really fun to have three of us together. We have so much fun getting work done. We all get along and work really well together. So this next change will be fun!

How is the PTO presidency going? I got an email from Jerry, It was wonderful to hear from him. Answer to prayer i would say. Don't let it become stressful at all. We have a saying here in Roi. "If you are not having fun, you're not doing it right." I have to remind myself of that. If I am not having fun then i am not doing something right.

We have a soccer field just down the street from us. So that is really cool that he is playing. The Oulu elders have an investigator that plays soccer and he travels all over Finland.

How often do we have a ward campout? that sounds like so much fun! I am glad all of you were able to go. next time you see Steve, will you give him a great big hug from me? He is great, I have learned so much from him and he is another one that has prepared me for these people. I reread my P' blessing two days ago and it talks about my leaders and teachers and how i will glean from their teachings. I thought that was cool.

I am sorry that i am asking for a lot, but could jonny send me a work out schedule? i only have 30 minutes to work out in the morning and we only have our own body weight. So if he as some ideas to help me that would be great.

I will definitely keep Ashley and Nate in my prayers and totta kai I will pray for little Elijah. Prayers are heard. I found that out this week when I was praying about changes. Praying that that will of the child will match that of the Father.

I have not heard about packages at all. But most likely this week. "Don't worry about it." that is my famous quote to say everyday.

Cool story about tuesday. We went tracting in area 8 and we had this feeling to go to this house that looked like it was having a party. At first we were not so sure, but we kept thinking about it so we decided to go knock on the door. We get up to the door and this lady comes out before we can knock and askes what we want. We asked if there was a birthday going on. And she told us that there was not, but a confirmation had just happened that day. Our intent was to sing to the birthday person, but instead we asked if we could sing to the Confirmation....er... She asked who we were and Vanhin Vorimo said that it didn't matter. "You bet it matters if i am going to let you into my house." she exclaimed. we replied that we could just sing outside. Se became nicer when she found out we wanted to sing and not preach. instead of just sing to the one person we sand to all 30 of the family members. And instead of saying happy birthday we sang happy Confirmation. It was one of the weirdest things we have ever done.But it was wonderful. We try and pray always so that we are ready to do anything the spirit directs. And who knows, maybe in the coming years someone will remember the three mormons singing at the confirmation.

I love you all. I pray for you every day. Be Safe.

Love,

Vanhin Sandberg

Week 16, Back from Helsinki, Cool Night Pictures

Dear Family,

This week has been great! we got back from interm training on friday morning. We went down Sunday night on a night train and from monday to wednesday we had training on how to be better missionaries. We did a lot of Role plays. And then we had Kieli Koulu on Thursday. This was all down in Helsinki at the Mission office. It was only for the new 6 week missionaries and our trainers. It was a lot of fun.

I am also in a Tri Companionship. We have and Elder from Espoo that was ment to go to the Mtc in Provo, but his visa is not gone all the way through yet so he had the Choice to start his mission now or wait 6 weeks. His mission call is the the Ukraine... I dont think i spelled that right, But he came up with us unexpectedly. It has been so much fun. This is only our week mark today and it has been a blast! His name is Vanhin Vorimo.

How was Kezia's Birthday? Did Justin do something nice for her? I forgot to mention it in my email last week , but HAPPY BIRTHDAY KEZIA!!!

How are they doing? Are they still not there for family dinners? I miss our family dinners. Since i have been in Roi we have only had one DA. Dinner Appointment. But that is ok. We cook fairly well for ourselves. That reminds me.

Can you send me a Crepe recipe? I have been craving crepes for weeks. How is my account looking also? I am hoping to buy a suit today...I hope that is ok. I only have too. I bought a ring three days ago. It was kind of like a companion ship thing. I will send a picture of it.

I also bought a nice coat from a departing missionary. i bought it for 20e. i will be sending him another 10e this week. He only used it for one winter and normally coats can easily cost 100e or more so i thought of it as a blessing. It is super nice.

If you want to just save the Brethren Emails that would be great. I don't want sending them to be too much of a hassle.

It makes me so happy to see how the Lord is blessing all of you while I have been gone. Life is hard, but it is never harder then we can bare. That is the beautiful thing about Jesus Christ and his atonement.

He knows us as our Father in Heaven knows us.

Dad, Vanhin Murray wanted me to tell you that you need to get yourself a scottish flag pin. Do that for my birthday and then send me picture. Vanhin Murray is from Scotland, Dun...something. I dont remember the town, but he is a convert of only three years. one and a half years before his mission. He is one of my Favorite missionaires.

I love you all. If you need anything let me know. I pray for you everyday.

Love Vanhin Sandberg

Cool Pics With Elder Silvennoinen

Debbie,

Hello! Elder Speirs asked me to send you this picture from your son.  It is difficult to see the boys, but I think the background is cool. It was taken at night when it should be dark.  The other boy is the youth that spent a week with them. I title it "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego" haha!!  I hope Elder Sandberg is doing well.  Elder Speirs loves him and really enjoys working together with him.  They are doing great!!!  I hope you are doing well.

Enjoy the pic!

Erika

Week 15

Dear Family, We are heading back down to Helsinki for the week. So my email is pushed up a day. We leave on a night train tonight at 6. Jordan would love the Night Train. But the Bathroom is a little different. Reminds me of Star Wars as it slides open. All you need is the beeping sound and Han Solo poster.

Fun experience yesterday. Testimony builder for me. We went to teach a new investigator. He is a Full Time Missionary for Wym and has been Preaching form the age of 15. I think. Not positive. But He loves the Bible and knows it like the back side of his arm. If you have a question about the bible you ask him. Because he can tell you about it for hours. Any way. We went to teach him about the Plan of Salvation. He has had a hard time reading the Book of Mormon because he needs time to study his scriptures and pray to Jesus. As we began to teach him, we read through all of Alma luku 40. He had Had a question about life after death and the time between death and judgment. So we Read this luku and began to draw out the circles and lines to represent the plan. When we told him we lived with God before this life. He stopped us right there. "I can not believe that, Where is it written in the Bible?" We tried to share that it was in both books. Alma had asked and inquired about this same thing. But he wanted to know why Samuel was called back from the dead by some witch in the bible.

I asked him about the Breathe of Life and how the body was just a glove for our spirits. Things started to get a little heated because in past and present lessons he has told  us that what we believe can not possibly be true. he has had other questions about Angles appearing to Prophets and if it is not Gabriel then it cant be right.

But we ended our lesson after countless attempts to simply and gently show him what we believe. Challenged him to read the book of Mormon. And left. We were so close to Bible bash. It was not good. I got to a point that I had to stop talking. The spirit was leaving the lesson and I knew that things were not going anywhere. Our friend would contradict himself over and over. But the best part is that I have been trying to understand my own conversion and testimony. And After our lesson after cooling down a bit. I had a sweet realization. Why was I so mad and frustrated? Because I was defending what I knew to be right and true. The Holy Ghost in just the short time that it was in our lesson what baring witness to me. It was beautiful to notice after.

Don't get me wrong. We love our friend and investigator. He really is great. But there are times that you want to just throw that book as some people so they can really feel the power it holds. obviously we would not really do that. because that would not be nice and disrespectful to the Book of Mormon. BUt I have had the thought every once and a while.

Side notes. Jeff

Jeff, Do you know the song about being" forsaken for a little while"? more of the lyrics are " And the hills shall be removed and the Mountains shall depart. and The Valley shall be lost beneath the sea, but know my child, my kindness shall not depart from thee."

'some thing like that. It is from the CD Praise to the Man, number Seven.

Thank you family for all you do. I love you very much. How are the married couples? Jon and Kai. Kim and Beej, Justin and Kezia? I love you. I hope your week is great! I pray for you!

Be safe and Strong.

love, Vanhin Sandberg

Week 14

Hello Family, 

First question answers first... if that makes sense. My week has been great! unpredictable as always. But it has been great. many miracles are given to us. Our Branch is about 25-30 active members. Our meeting house is a rented out floor of a building. We live just three buildings away from it, which is really nice. That is also where we email from, It is the Seminary/ Institute room. We actually get our Mini-missionary tomorrow. We thought he would be coming last week, but we guessed wrong. Sounds like Life is great back home. It is always wonderful to hear the fun stories from home. And to see how Heavenly Father is taking care of you. Dmitry is also doing great. He is in Helsinki visiting the Temple at the moment. He is a solid member. He helps we all the time with the Language. And I help Him with his english. Two way street as we say in America. 

The Language is coming. every week i am able to see the improvements, but during the week it can be a little harder to see. And Jeff might like this, but almost everyday I am asked if I am from Sweden. The Name helps with that a lot. But then I am able to talk a little bit about our Family. How did we come from Sweden exactly? 

When Jeff and I come back to visit Sweden and Finland we will have both Languages down. We could live up here ;) 

I tease my companion that I will buy a swedish to Finnish sanakirja before i completely know Finnish because it has happened a couple times that someone will speak to me in Swedish and I will just answer them in Finnish. I cant quite understand the difference yet. But I did understand which is the funny part. So, maybe someday I will learn Swedish. 

The story about Vanhin Speirs in the Hole. We found a different way to tract. We dress in our P-day clothes and we tract. We call it service tracting  because we go and ask anyone if they need help. If we see someone in there yard then we hop off our bikes and ask. It is a good way for others to see that we are normal people. and that our service is not always spiritual. We do hope that it can lead to that, but this kind of tracting has shown to have a different effect on people. We really like it. 

But the story behind it is we went tracting and found ourselves in the area of one of our members so we popped by and said " we are ready to work. Put us to work." 

iT ended up being a blessing because our member we digging a compost hole and had hurt his back. So we showed up ready to finish the job. It was probable ten feet deep. Miracles happen everyday. 

I love you all and pray for you everyday. If there is anything i can do for you, just let me know. 

mom, Read Alma luku 26-27 and think of your `boys` Jordan, Kb, and Ethan. I read that yesterday. Thought you might like it. I love you all! 

love Vanhin Sandberg

Start of week 13

We received his e-mail YEA!!!! No worries this time.

Dear Mama,

I am alive. The Londons gave me a call to asking if I had emailed. If you dont ever receive and email and want to get  on and look at my emails that is fine. Sounds like life is crazy back home. I love hearing all that is going on. Is there anything I can do with? Just let me know. Our weeks go by so fast. Our days at times seem to be drawn out but our weeks just fly by. I am going on my fourth week out in the field. Can you believe that? I am having a hard time wrapping my head around it. I feel like i still just got here. My companion likes to joke and say that i will be training on the next change. He had that happen to him. So, if that happens to me then it is all Vanhin Speirs fault. That is great to hear that you had dinner with Annakaisa and George, I hope all it going well with them. 

Love Vanhin Sandberg

Moma, Email has off schedule today so I am now able to finish emailing. It is 17:43 We left Bible study a little early so our branch president could have another priesthood holder here while he help interviews. Our Branch President looks just like Mr Gru from Despicable me. Has anyone seen the new movie yet? My Companion and I see the posters every day and he want to see it. It does look cute. Has anyone seen the Man of Steal? I want to see that one when i get back. 

Is there anything that I can do for the family? It sounds like everyone is doing well. Keep me updated on Beej, Two Kidney stones! That must be awful. 

Next week we get a mini missionary. He will be a native Finn that spends one week with the missionaries.  I dont know a whole lot about them, but we have been chosen to help train one. It will be a wonderful experience. Have you talked to Veli Boyer and Amy yet? 

They are wonderful people. You will love them. 

How are Grandma and Grandpa doing? I know I dont say it a whole lot, but I do miss everyone. May be I do say it a lot. I Do not say it individually. We are very busy on our P days. Our normal schedule is we wake up at 6:30. Exercise until 7. Eat and shower before 8. personal study from 8-9. companion study from 9-10. 10-11 is Language study. 11 we come to email. that takes two hours easily. and then at 2 we had a lesson with Hanna. at three we had lunch. 4-6 is bible study at the lutheran church and then we go get food. It may not seem like a lot, but it really is. Monday is our most busy day. and we only have three hours of missionary work. We still contact every place we go. It is great. 

I love you all. Sorry this came in two separate emails. I pray for you ALL the time. Love ya

Vanhin Sandberg

Returned e-mails

While talking with Kim she mentioned it was too bad I couldn't get into Jeremy's e-mail.  the light bulb then went off.  I had his login.  So I got into his account to see if he had gotten our e-mails and sure enough he had and ours had just come back with an error message.  What an answer to prayers.

As I got back into my e-mail program to look up his login I found this e-mail in answer to one I had finally sent the Mission Office.  So Kind!

Dear Sister Sandberg,

Thank you for your email and certainly your concern for your son.  As luck would have it, or tender mercies, we just saw your son yesterday while visiting many of the missionaries in Finland.  In fact, this morning we are getting ready to head south from Rovaniemi.  Yesterday we stopped by his apartment and visited with him and his companion while we dropped off some supplies and checked on their apartment.  They have a brand new apartment that looks great and they both seem to be doing just wonderful.  They took us on a tour of the new chapel in Rovaniemi and we left an A&W Root Beer with them.

Elder Sanberg talked to us about his Swedish ancestors and his brother's mission to Sweden.  We also talked about their recent baptism in Rovaniemi, which is always a exciting topic of discussion here in the Finnish Mission.

I will give him a call this morning on our way out of town and see how they are doing.  You should have received an email by now as they said yesterday they were on their way to the chapel to email their parents.

He is a wonderful young man and appeared well and happy.

Please let us know if you have any more concerns.  We love all the missionaries as our own sons and daughters, and certainly your concerns are our concerns.

Love,

Elder and Sister London

Dear Perhe,                                                                           July 1, 2013

First. My week was great!

Second. We email from the branch church building.

Third. The sun never goes down. It is kind at an angle all day.

Forth. I have not bought a bike yet. My companion already has two, but one of them is like tempting fate. Or playing dice. So we are buying a new bike today or tomorrow.

Fifth. My companion traveled with me. When we ride the night train we get on the train about 7 at night. We sleep all night and then when we wake up we are still not there. I compare it to driving to Disneyland. About 14 hours i think. 

I promise that I do have pictures. I have just not yet sent my card off. I know how you feel Momma about this writing thing. There is so much that goes on during the week. And trying to share it in so little time is hard. I will tell you one thing. We had an experience this week where we taught some monks. We actually went to this Hindi experience sermon. We first met this Monk on the street. He didn't speak Finnish, but he was from Sweden. anyway, he talked to us a little bit about his religion and we gave him the first lesson. He gave us free tickets to this Sermon where their head monk from India would be coming and speaking. The Head Monk is from California, but has lived in India for the past 40 something years. Crazy. But we went to this Sermon. We had permission. And we actually met one of our investigators there, but after all of this Sermon thing The Head Monk was introduced to us. We are the only Mormon Missionaries in Rovaniemi. We talked to him for over an hour. It was fun.

I kinda lost my train of thought, I had to start this email and then come back to it. We have Bible study at the Luthern Church every monday at 4. We count it as a missionary work.

How is everyone doing? I am glad to here that everything is ok with Justin. It is always wonderful to see the hand of the Lord in our daily life.  I know I am able to see it. Slowly at times, but I am able to see it.

I am so sorry that I cant remember what I wanted to tell you before. There is so much to tell and so little time that we get a little scatter brained.

My Greeny Hunger has kicked in. I have started to eat everything. We cook food for four people at least and then I seem to eat for three or two. I dont know how much i weigh now. 65kl i think. I dont know.

I hope you all know I love you. I think of you often. Everyday has a new adventure and I wish you understood the support you provide just as the memories in my mind. I say this often, but you have all helped to get me to this point. You have prepared me for the people that have been prepared for me. Heavenly Father works in the details of our lives. Always remember that. John 16:33. Our Christ has already over come the world. We should be of good cheer. I love you all so much. I am sorry that we are getting the brunt end of this tiem. I let my companion go first so that he had plenty of time to email. We did this all after gettting food and right before bible study. So I have had a little less time. But that is all ok. I will send pictures next week. Remember that you are Remembered! I love you futher then the sun shines. Cant wait to hear from you next. Yours,

Vanhin Sandberg

Hey Perhe,                                                                               July 8, 2013

I dont know why you did not receive my last email. I know that i sent is. Weird. Sorry sorry,

How is everyone doing this week? sounds like Lagoon and the Fmaily part was a success. We have a new investigator. His name is Abel, He is awsome. He has one of the best laughs. I know you want a list of names to pray for. First names are what I can give. I think.

We have Sirpa and Dmitry, They are recent converts, Dmitry was the follow i baptised. You can pray that the finnish peoples hearts will be softened. They love the missionaries, until we come and what to talk to them. They admire what we are doing at such a young age. I told my Companion that they are a form of Hermit people. They like to keep to themselves. Which is not a bad thing. It is very nice at times, but it can be difficult talking to them about this Beautiful Gospel when they dont think they have time for it.

Geoffrey and Silvia also just need prayers to help them in their individual lives.

I dont know if this is bad to say, but if or when you come to Finland, you must come to Rovaniemi. So many people that you have to meet. They are wonderful here. All fo our investigators need prayers too, but those are specifics that i can think of right now.

Momma, I am very sorry that you didnt get my email last week. I is on my account with a picture attatch from our talk with our Monk friend. So You can get that picture and post it on your blog. Which reminds me. Nick and Amy Boyer. I will be sending you and the family some chocolate. I will also be sending them some chocolate too because you have too meet them. You will love them. I just know it.

Could you also send Birthdays schedules to me of everyones birthdays? I feel awful that i cant remember everyones.

How are Jonathan, Jeff, and Beej keeping up their language? That is super important to keep up. says so in PMG.

Do you have a Crapes Recipe that you could send to me? We have bee craving crepes. Sorry i dont know how to spell that. But those really thin pancakes.

another question, Will you ask Leah how she sings the wide vowels? Because in Finnish we have these wide our flat letters. Ä. Ö. Y. They fit different in your mouth and when I sing these are very flat, I noticed this in our branch. I want to be able to fix that in my own singing. Kiitos.

YOu can contact Nick Boyer by his email and cell

(nicholasaboyer@gmail.com)

and 509- 638-7429

Call and or email him and his wife soon, because he is one of my new best friends. he was one of my teachers in the MTC. They just live in provo.

Random request too. Do we have any more of those braces floss. like the needle threaders but for teeth? mine broke...and i dont and any more.

Is there anything i can do for you? Sorry again that my email didnt go through last week. I pray that this one will today. If not i will expect a call from President Rawlings or Sister Rawlings. I love you Family. You are great. Sorry if i did not answer all of your questions. Time is never long enough. I even limited myself. I emailed my Brothern and left plenty of time for my Perhe email. I just love you all so much. Is everyone doing all right? no more scary work experiences like justins? I have not seen a hand written from Kindsey yet ;) she is out dating too much, i bet.

My companion is from Idaho. He has only been in the country three months. And he is training me. We are just that cool. I love Speirs. He and I get along great. I promise to tell you more about him next week. Reminding me would help. I love you again. I pray for you. If you need anything just let me know. I will also pray for anyone that you cant think of that really needs it. Love you!!

Vanhin Sandberg