PICTURES FROM SCHY

Well, I had a little balling session this morning...... I set my alarm for 5:15am, but either turned it off and fell back to sleep (which if I did I totally don't remember) or it never went off, So, I pretty much missed being able to chit chat back and forth with Schyler today.  First week ever and I can't tell you how sad that makes me.  She was online pretty earlier and had only a very short while to type emails, but it was such a let down. SO, next week I am setting two alarm clocks and hoping to wake up in time. She sent a great email this week and some cute pictures - I will share those with you here.

Sisars Jordan and Seegmiller

Looks Cold Today Girls???  Is that Ice on the water in background?   

NEW PEOPLE, NEW PLACES, NEW EXPERIENCES

Dearest Family and Friends,

This week has been so great! Let me first start by telling you about a really funny experience I had in a lesson this week. We met this guy on a metro and he spoke English and was from India.  He was really interested and wanted to meet.  So like two days later, we met at his house.  We took Sister E from our ward because she spoke a little English.  She is an older lady who is SUPER bubbly and funny.  So we are having this great lesson and I recognize she really doesn't know as much English as I thought because she would just randomly spout out things based off of words that we said. So closer to the end of the lesson, we were talking about baptism, and had asked him to be baptized and she just randomly spouts of while holding a piece of her hair in the air: ´we no baptize like this... uh huh´ hahahaha.  It was the funniest thing, and our investigator just look at us really funny.  So then we had to explain what she meant and everything.  It was just really funny.  Me and my companion laughed for quite some time the rest of the week.  

Second cool story.  We have this new investigator and he came to church on Sunday.  AHH... it was so exciting and we were super happy about that.  We went to teach him on Friday and his wife was there which we were really happy about.  She actually sat in and listened to our lesson.  I am really hopeful for him and even possibly his wife.  He is really tender hearted and soft spoken and he has thee cutest little boy ever.  He is from Nigeria and speak English.  

So yesterday was probably one of the coolest days I have had here.  It was freezing cold.  It started snowing-raining and the wind was blowing and it was super cold.  We didn't have any lessons planned so we decided we would go try and contact this former investigator who had somewhat gone off the face of the planet.  So we headed to Vuosaari and got to his apartment complex.  We knocked a few times on the door and no one answered so we were pretty disappointed.  We had another possible investigator on our list in the same apartment complex, but no last name, so we didn't know which door was hers.  So we just decided to start at the top floor knocking on doors and see what would happen.  It was sort of crazy.  It makes your heart race.  So we knocked on like 6 doors and no one answered.  Then we heard some kids from a door down the hall and so we felt we should knock on that one.  It took us weirdly enough like 10 minutes to figure out kind of what we would say and finally rang the doorbell.  A little boy answered the door and I asked if this lady lived there.  He said no and so then I asked if his mom was there.  He went and got his mom and then we asked her.  She said no.  So then we kinda just looked at each other and then just told her that we believed that families could be together forever.  And then anyways long story short... we got a return appointment with her for this week and she actually seemed interested!! It was so cool! And she is Finnish which is eve better.  Then we decided to go back and check the other investigators door again just one last time since we were there and what do you know... he's standing outside the door getting ready to leave and we got to talk with him.  He hasn't investigated the church for two years and no one has been able to find or get a hold of him, but we finally did.  It was so cool and we also got a return appointment with him.  It was such a cool day and I was grateful for the neat experiences I was able to have.  Me and my companion are really trying our best to be exactly obedient and do all that we can and not waist any time, and we saw the blessing that came from doing this when we went tracting. We were just so grateful! 

Anywho... I am so grateful for all that I am learning and getting to do here.  Finland is amazing.  The language is still as hard as ever, but each day I learn more words and with each passing day, I hopefully am getting just a little bit better.  I love the members here and they are so good to us missionaries.  Finland is a special place and I love it so much!! Well that's about all for this week!! Have the best week ever and remember that when you do what you are asked, the Lord blesses you! I love you all! 

Rakkaudella, 

Sisar Jordan 

3/17/15 AND MORE PICTURES FROM FINLAND !!!!

Schyler and new companion, Sisar Shaylyn Seegmillar from St. George,Utah
Along with their mission president, Bro Watson and his wife, Sis. Watson

All newly arrived missionaries and their assigned trainer/s
FINLAND HELSINIKI MISSION HOME MARCH 2015

FOOD - glorious food.....Yum, Yum!!

Yep! Its true I'm gettin chubby !!! HEE HEE !!!

Our study area

my bed !!!!

View from our apartment

Our kitchen/dining area !!!! HOME SWEET HOME

Finally MORE PICTURES !!!!!! YEAH!!!!

Schyler's district just before leaving MTC

Sister Egan (teacher) and Schy

Last GOODBYE's Meg and Schy at MTC

Really Girls???????  Night before departure

3/17/15 Tender Mercies

Dear Everyone:

Wow... Another week down.  So much has happened this week and I am just doing like 10 times better than I was about a week ago.  So let me get started and hopefully fill you all in on what's going on here in this special place.  

So we got a new investigator this week.  We can't mention names, so we'll just go with that for now.  We have only taught him one lesson.  He speaks english and is from nigeria.  He really wants to learn more and is actually really interested.  He has the cutest little boy in the whole world.  I am really excited about where this could go.  

We had a dinner appointment with an older couple in our ward a few days ago.  They are seriously exactly what I want to be like one day.  They both speak really great english and we had the most delicious food at their house.  We talked a lot about their conversion story and lots of fun things.  I really love them. 

So we went to this old lady's house the other day to visit her, and she wanted to feed us and had made some food.  It was raw salmon.... eck... I was super nervous... Well thank goodness for the best rule ever made: NO RAW FISH!! YAY!! haha so we just had to tell her that it was a rule and luckily we didn't have to eat it.  I was really grateful.  There was also this really weird salad she had made, that I really wasn't too huge of a fan of, but you kinda just have to eat what they make.  And then I thought I was pouring water, but forgot to check and see if it was the carbonated kind and sure enough I take a sip and it was... plus it was citrus flavored.  Talk about alkaceltzer cold taste plus nasty cheese potato olive salad flavor... wow haha but luckily I survived it.  

So we were running to get on the Metro the other night and we were with a recent convert who is really awesome, and the doors closed right before I could get on.  So I was stuck in the kontula metro station at like 8pm which is like the sketchiest place ever here.  Was I scared... Yes.  Do weird things happen to me... yes.... do drunk guys come talk to me... Yes!! haha So the metro didn't come again for another 10 minutes and so I sat down on a bench and just prayed and started studying finnish words, hoping that nothing bad would happen because I was separated with my companion and in a freaky place and all by myself.  So then this drunk guy comes walking up to me and just stares at me, and so I start talking to him, and nothing he says makes any sense.  It was pretty funny needless to say and luckily I caught back up with my companion.  We laughed really hard about that one.  

So I am starting to slowly understand a little bit more.  I can sometimes get the ghist of what a conversation is about.  I can't exactly tell you specifics or anything like that, but I can at least tell you the topic of discussion which is better than my first week here.  Slowly I know Finnish will come.  

So I really love the ALL of the members here.  I just never thought I could love so many people so fast at once.  They feed us ALL the time.  We have just a really awesome ward.  Speaking of food... so I know I said I wouldn't get fat on my mission... well.. it may be happening.  So for one, the chocolate is amazing here.  Finnish chocolate is well... heaven.  Yes jake... I said it.  I eat chocolate ALL the time.  I never thought I would love chocolate so much haha.  And ice cream... oh gee... don't get me started.  I practically ate a whole tub all by myself the other day.  It's pathetic haha.  There is just lots of good food here.  

We mostly walk, ride the bus, or a metro for most of everything we are doing.  We see the other missionaries in our district every week at district meeting and at WML meeting and at church on sunday, and sometimes at other random times.  I really like my district.  Elder Monterrosso from the MTC in in my district and I am really grateful to have him here even if it is just knowing him.  One set of Elders had a baptism last week and the Zone leaders in our district have one this saturday so things have been successful here.  

So we eat a lot of fish at members homes... mostly for sunday dinners.  It is AMAZING and I am in heaven as you all know!!! There have been a few weird things to eat, but most of the time I don't even know how to ask nicely in finnish what things are so I am just forced to eat them haha.  But anyways things are just so much better here!! I am grateful for all that I am learning.  Last week was such a struggle, but I am grateful for all that it taught me.  I know that the Lord is watching over us every day and listens and answers our prayers in his own shape and time.  I am forever indebted to him and my savior jesus christ.  I am grateful for all that I am coming to know and the people I am able to help here.  I hope I can continue to be diligent and faithful and desire the salvation of others.  Thank you all for your love and support.  I love and miss you all!! You are great!! 

Rakkaudella,

Sisar Jordan 

Tidbits from Mom

3/11/15:
Well, the long awaited email .... "Hey everyone!!! not sure if anyone is up right now but I'm on! I'll try to answer every one's emails!"

-sisar jordan

 Came at about 5:09am Tuesday morning !!!!!  After a very long night of checking emails at 2:15am, 3:24am, 4:30am and then finally 5:17am ........it finally came.  Schyler's time in Finland is 8 hours ahead of us, so not knowing for sure when she would write I started checking from about 11am (her time).  As expected her first email to us was in much the same tone as her first letter from the MTC - complete and utter discouragement, disappointment and great feelings of inadequacy.  The language is still a huge battle for her. She has struggled NOT to feel like a huge burden to her companion and feels unable to contribute anything to conversations or discussions about the gospel or anything for that matter, so for now she mostly just listens and observes.  In  her words, " I have never f'elt more alone and scared and hopeless in my life before.  I literally cannot understand ANYTHING, let alone say anything either.  It's slightly cold and rained almost the whole first week I was here, and everyone just says the language will come, but mom it's been a week and I still can't say or understand anything more than when I got here.  It takes everything to get out of bed in the morning and even just smile at one person........ words don't sound anything like what you memorize because in finnish everything gets conjugated.  Mom it literally is the most complicated language on the planet.  It's not even a language really... it's just well idk but i'm not too fond right now."

So, on the positive side of things - Schyler really loves her companion/trainer, Sisar Seegmillar.  She is from St George and has been on her mission for 8 months. Sisar Seegmillar attended Dixie High School and I believe a semester at Dixie State College.  She, like Schyler played high school sports, so they have found they have a lot in common.  Fortunately, Sisar Seegmillar is willing to run and gets up with Schyler to do this each morning.  The two of them are located in a small province of Helsinki called Marjaniemi - a small seaside community.  Ironically, this was the last place that Jake served in so he knew many of the people she has run into this first week. This will be fun for her to share stories and do some follow up on people Jake had worked with.  Sunday she was asked to bear her testimony and made it through that "barely" as she stated.  She really likes her mission President and his wife, loves the food and so far seems pretty comfortable with the country and the people.  Hopefully, she will send us pictures and tell us more as the weeks progress. Most importantly, she could use your prayers and words of encouragement as she overcomes this language challenge.  I believe it will come and when it does it will come brilliantly - the catch is WHEN?!!!!!!

"Another Life"

3/10/14

Hello Everyone!!! I am here in Finland crazy enough.  I am in Helsinki, in a part called Marjaniemi.  Things are definitely different here and I feel definitely out of my element.  Everyone speaks Finnish and I thought I somewhat knew finnish when I left the MTC, but came to realize that I knew practically nothing haha.  I understand nothing.  And they talk SO fast, but everyone says with time I will eventually start to understand it.  

We have had quite a few Dinner appointments and also teaching opportunities.  I have tried to contribute when my companion asks me too, but other than that it is really hard to say anything, but i assume someday it has to at least come.  There are so many kind and nice families and I love them a lot already.  The ward is really great!! 

I had to bear my testimony in sacrament meeting on sunday in finnish and that was scary, but I said some things really fast and then sat down just as fast haha.  

It was really rainy and dark here for a few days, but yesterday the Sun came out and it was really nice. One of the families we ate with the other night, made this really yummy salmon and I really loved it! The food is really great... as well as the chocolate! ;)  

My trainer is really great and luckily is really patient with me.  We ride the metro and buses about everywhere as well as walking.  Honestly I am a little lost this week, but I am slowly starting to pick things up and hope that it will continue to just get a little easier.  I am grateful for hard things, even though sometimes I may not sound or act like it.  I know that I am learning things and being humbled in so many ways.  I am really grateful for all of your kind emails and the support and time taken to email me! Thank you for all the prayers and fasting as well! I love you all so much and I am so grateful for all of you!! Have the best week! 

-Sisar Jordan