The best 24,40 Euros I have spent!

The real reason that I came to Jyvaskyla this weekend was not to be a fatkid and eat everything American that I could see, but it was to be able to go to church. I have not been able to go to church in 3 weeks because I live so far away and we have had volleyball on Sundays as well. When I first arrived in Finland I was way bummed to find out that the closest church was 150 Kilometers away. Not only was it so far away, but there are no buses that leave early enough for me to make it to church if I wanted to go that way. A one way bus ticket to Jyvsakyla is 25 Euros or about 30 dollars. I was so excited when my teammate Outi said that I could ride home with her on Thursday after practice so that I could be in Jyvaskyla on Sunday for church. That way I would only have to pay for a bus ticket back to Pihtipudas. I had been so excited all week to get to go to church! Back in the US I no question took having 3 churches on every corner for granted. I know there are so many reasons that I am here on this adventure in Finland, and church is definitely one of them. I have never been so excited to go to church in my life haha. A few days before Sunday, a nice man from my ward found me on facebook. I have never met him before in my life and he was so incredibly nice. He welcomed me to the ward and gave me his number. He and his wife Katie are moving back to Texas in a month, but he was so cute to welcome me and make me feel like I had a family here in Finland. Not long after I got Jyri's message, I got a text from another girl in my ward, Sarah. She invited me to hang out with her on Friday in the Center because there was a big fashion show. She also told me that I could stay with her anytime I was able to come to church. I can not believe how amazing these people are and how amazing the church is! I had never met any of these people in my life and yet they were all so welcoming and so willing to bring me right into their church family. I was so excited to hear from all of them and absolutely loved my time at church on Sunday.

"All of us, single or married, are eternally part of some family someway, somewhere, somehow and much of our joy in life comes as we correctly recognize and properly develop those family relationships. We come to this earth charged with a mission: to learn to love and serve one another. To best help us accomplish this, God has placed us in families, for he knows that is where we can best learn to overcome selfishness and pride and to sacrifice for others and to make happiness and helpfulness and humility and love the very essence of our character."

I feel so lucky to have SO so so many friends that have opened up their homes and brought me into their own families. I have so many friends that I consider family that have shown me so much love and service and who have taught me about sacrifice and love and selflessness. I hope that I am able to do the same for others because no matter where I go in the USA or in Finland I feel at home with the people who surround me because of their Christlike love.

I am grateful for families :)

Anyone who knows me, knows that I NEVER cry...I could have counted the times I have cried in the last several years on one hand. I can't even cry when I try to...or when I get pulled over on the freeway haha. It is something that just doesn't happen. I really do have a soul, I promise :) Well, something about Finland has ruined my count...It all started off with a text I received in Amsterdam on August 14th. My little sister sent me a text that I started to read and couldn't finish reading it... (I still have no idea what the rest said because my text app doesn't save more than 15 messages at a time so I lost it :() Her text was the first time I realized what I was actually doing and that I was moving a way for a long 8 months. I had the best summer with her and had to pay her everyday to hang out with me haha but it was worth all the Taco Time burritos and Hokulia shaved ice. It was the first time that it hit me that I was moving away from so much that I loved and so much comfort and so many amazing people. The second occasion was this Sunday. From the second that I stepped in the building you could feel the spirit so strong and it felt so good to be home again with family. They had a translator for me so that I could understand everything in testimony meeting as well as in Relief Society. We had an english Sunday School class with a Sister Missionary from Cedar Hills Utah. The lesson was on the atonement and of course what did I do the whole lesson?...I just cried...haha It was good tears, but I have now cried more times in 3 weeks than I have cried all year. The lesson was so amazing and I loved every second of it...

"His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground." Christ already paid the price for all of our sins and shortcomings. It is completely paid for, we just have to take it and use it. Whether we are willing to use it or not it is all covered. Christ has so much love for us and we can use his atonement not only to repent of sins, but to continually better our selves. There is an amazing talk by Brad Wilcox on Christ's atonement and how no matter what we decide to do with it, Christ has already suffered and has already paid the price. He wants us to take it, and he always will. He has so much mercy and grace and will always be asking us to take what he has done for us because he loves us so much. We are a part of his family and he has sacrificed, loved, and served us so that we might overcome selfishness and pride and so that we can make love the very essence of our character.

Here is Brad Wilcox's talk if you are interested

After church I was invited to go to a kind lady's home for lunch with Sarah and the sister missionaries.

This Sister is from Cedar Hills, Utah and she brought me a copy of the Book of Mormon in English and in Finnish! I was so excited to have my own copy so I don't have to try and read my scriptures off of my phone anymore.

It was the perfect Sunday for the perfect weekend. I LOVE our church!! After lunch I walked back to Outi's for a yummy dinner by Mikko and then it was off to the bus to head home to Pihtipudas. I think I might have cried the whole 2 hour and 30 minute bus ride as well. haha but they were happy tears! I love it here and love the church. It is amazing the comfort and peace it can bring. I Love it!! I am so grateful that I was able to go this week and I am so grateful that Heavenly Father put so many wonderful people in my life!