December 29, 2015 Lots of Christmas Fun !!

kaikille:
It's been another great week.
I love my two companions so much and we have lots and lots of fun contacting and tracting together.  We laugh so much.  Laughing is the best.  Sister Saarinen is always so happy and it rubs off on me and I am so thankful for her.  Sister Adams is such a hard worker and is so driven and it helps us all to remember what is most important and how significant our calling here is.  I am so grateful for them both.

Christmas is the best time of year isnt' it?!  It was so great to see my family and talk to them, and I could help but think of how blessed I am to have such an amazing family.  I am so blessed.  The members here fed us a lot.  I was stuffed, but it was yummy.  Finnish Christmas is definitely different than American, but both have positives.  I love them both. I tried lots of new interesting food.  You'll have to look at the pictures.

This week is super short and I apologize.  I just want you all to know that I know that our Heavenly Father loves us.  Each on of us.  He knows us personally and cares about us.  Jesus Christ lives.  He is our Savior and Redeemer.  Only through Him can we return to live with our Heavenly Father after this life.  I know that through Him all things are possible.  ALL things.  He loves us.  He is there.  I know this church is true.

"Enjoy all of it, Learn from it, Grow from it, and Know that it will never come again!"

Cherish each moment.

Make yourself a great week.

Rakkaudellani,
Sisar Jordan

Our Christmas in Finland

My Yummy Christmas Dinner !!  Salmon, pickled herring, pickled onions and mixed veges with a special sauce.

Skyping my family for Christmas !!!!

December 22, 2015 Merry Christmas !!!

Kaikille:
Well another week.  Surprises never seem to cease lately in my life.  It's great!  Changes are good.

We had Interim training at the Mission home this last week in Helsinki.  There were about 18 elders, 5 sister, the 2 assistants, and President and Sister Watson.  It's so much fun to stay at the mission home.  We do lots of training and role playing and talking and learning and crying and sharing.  It's the best.  Well... While I was there I found out-- I will be getting a new companion.  Sisar Saarinen.  She is a Finn.  AHH... I get to serve with an actual Finn.  I am so excited.  So now I will be training both her and Sister Adams.  It's been a crazy last three days for sure since we all came back from the mission home to Jyväskylä.  So she was supposed to go to the MTC, but she still hasn't gotten her visa yet and they don't think it will come for at least 6 more weeks, so for right now she is going to be serving here in Finland.  Her call is to the St. George, Utah visitor's center misison.  How cool is that?  So close to home, so I have lots to tell her about there.  This is definitely going to be an exciting next few weeks.

Guess what everyone.  Dec. 21st has come and gone--- know what that means?? The days finally start getting lighter here.  I made it.  I made it through the darkness.  okei... so it actually wasn't' that bad, but definitely weird to get used to. It still hasn't snowed yet and i'm sad.  I hope it snows for Christmas.

I finally got to go to the temple too while we were at Interim.  It's the first time i've been through a session in English for about 10 months.  That was really nice.  I love the temple here.  Well everywhere I love it, but it's really special here.  It's just so Finnish.  I love the temple and I'm grateful they have one here.  Even though we don't get to go very often at all, I am really grateful to even have one.

Well that's about all the most exciting things for this week.  I'm sorry my emails everyone are getting more boring probably and less informative.  Hopefully those of you who have served missions or are serving will understand.  I love you all!  Hope you have a wonderful MERRY CHRISTMAS!

"And then may God grant unto you that your burdens may be light, through the joy of his Son." (Alma 33:23)

Christ is everything.  Remember why we celebrate Christmas and contemplate the blessings your knowledge of Him has brought to your life.  Remember His life, and His example.  I love Him.  I am so grateful I can share my testimony of Him with the people here in Finland.  I hope you all can really think about Him this Christmas.  I love you all!  Have a fantastic week!

Rakkaudellani,
Sisar Jordan

Fun christmas cards from Sister Adams's Mom.  Lots of fun at the Mission Home! :) 

Sisar Saarinen, Sisar Adams, and ME! :)  I love my companions! 

Selfies with President's Wife-- Sister Watson.  She's the best! We sure love her! 

December 14, 2015 With Successful Planning You Can Accomplish Anything

Kaikille:
This week was great.

We had Elder Dyches of the 70 come speak to us.  We traveled all the way to Helsinki for that.  Long train ride (4 hours)... but so worth it.  Definitely will be a day that I remember for years to come.  We learned all about effective planning.  I really have come to see that when I really focus and take the time to plan as effectively and concisely as I can, we see greater blessings and success, and I feel much more accomplishment for the things that we did.  I'm so grateful for the life lesson I learned-- Effective daily planning will bless me the rest of my life to become the person Heavenly Father wants me to and knows I can become.  So grateful for Elder Dyches.

We had two recent convert lessons this week with our new family.  Members came to both, and can I just say... I AM SO GRATEFUL FOR MEMBERS. They seriously work magic in your teaching.  Their testimonies make yours and the things you teach so much more powerful.  I'm so grateful for this ward and the willingness they have to help the missionaries and for the testimonies that they share with those we teach.  I love Jyväskylä.

Christmas is coming up really soon, and it makes me sad that the Christmas holiday season will be over soon.  There is a special spirit in the air here.  People actually smile and say hi back to you, and they are much more willing to talk with us.  I'm grateful for Christ and the life and light that He brings in to the lives of others.  I'm so grateful to be serving here-- truly an instrument in His hands.  I love being a missionary and I'm so thankful for the things I'm learning and the ways Heavenly Father is blessing me.  I love Christ and I am so thankful for Him.

"For verily I say unto you that I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the light and the life of the world-- a light that shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehendeth it not."  (D&C 45:7)

Enjoy this special Christmas season! Love you all!

Rakkaudellani,
Sisar Jordan

The Three amigos  FINALLY meet up again after so long... 

These are my MTC companions and we literally haven't all been together and seen each other since we very first got in the country.  Happy reunion! :) 

Finally got a baby christmas tree!! :)  

December 8, 2015 Another Week In the Life

Kaikille:
Sorry everyone... I've not been the best about emailing lately.

This week was good-- but slow too.  We haven't found a new investigator, but we've been talking to LOTS of people.  We're going to find one soon.  I know it.

I really think it's a lot colder in Utah than here.  We don't have any snow on the ground.  It rains a lot.  It's light from about 9:30am until 3:15-3:30ishpm.  It's weird.  But oddly enough, there's a part of me that likes it sometimes.  Thank goodness for happy lights.

This week nothing too out of the ordinary happened.

We have a ward Christmas party this week on Friday.  I think Sister Adams is playing the violin and I am playing the piano.  Hopefully it goes well.

This week is the Mission Tour.  We're traveling on the train to Helsinki for that.  I think one of the members of the quorum of the 70 is coming.  I'm excited for that.

Sister Adams is awesome.  She teaches the Restoration like it's nothing to people on the street all the time.  It amazes me every time how she finds a way to just start telling them the first vision.  Seriously blows my mind.  She is teaching me every single day.  

I love the Christmas season.  It's special here in Finland too.  I am constantly reminded of the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ.  What a special time of year, and especially here as a missionary.  I get to tell people everyday about Him.  What a privilege? A scripture I've really been pondering this week, and probably will continue to ponder is found in Matthew 11:28-29.  It says, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls."  I have truly come to know that my life is so much easier when I turn to my Savior Jesus Christ for help.  He is there in every our of my need.  He lifts me up and helps me to do things beyond my own strength.  I love Him.

Ponder what you will give to Christ this Christmas.

I love you all! Have a super week!

Rakkaudellani,
Sisar Jordan

We finally see LIGHT !!

Packages are the best !! (Even ones that come late LOL!!!!)

I Love SIS ADAMS !!!!!

December 1, 2015 Happy Holidays to All !!!!

No big email today from our missionary.  Their time emailing has been cut back, so today we just received pictures and our individual email.  She did mention in our email that the weather is actually warmer there than here.  Temps have been about 30-32 degrees 24/7 with some snow and lots of rain and 100% humidity - so it probably feels colder than our weather here in Utah.  Currently, she and her companion are a bit frustrated with no current investigators, so now the search is seriously on for "Finding" someone!  Keep them in your prayers.
This past week the YW of their ward prepared a huge thanksgiving dinner for the missionaries in this area.  This was a real treat!!! Schyler wowed them with her finnish creation of a frog eye salad.  It was a hit!!! Now she has to figure out how to translate the recipe into the finnish language as many requested a copy of the recipe.
Schyler mentioned to her Dad that Salmon is frequently caught there and eaten often!  She is right at home with all the fish and seafood.  That is one of her favorites!!!
Hard to believe she will hit her one year mark Dec 31st!!!!!!!!!!

Me and the Frog Eye Salad--
 Sammakko Silmä Salaatti in Finnish.  :) 

THANKSGIVING DAY !!!

ME.....trying not to freeze!!!!!