Week 26: Upside Down

  Week 26: 2/18/2025

Transfers yesterday! Today is my first full day in my new home. I'm serving in Tampere! It's a big city that is crazy. There is so much going on everywhere. 

The first day was filled with dinner with the Sisters in our Wardshare, Zone Leaders over for dinner/planning, some crazy street contacting, unpacking, and way too much dragging our heavy suitcases through the snow.  It is going to be a fun transfer and a big adjustment right now for sure. 

Spiritual Thought:  

For me when things change in our lives it always helps me to think of things I'm grateful for. 

This week just take a minute to think about some things you are grateful for. - Like running a 10K with a new companion and sister missionaries.

Short Version of Email: Last week in Lappeenranta. Last language night, Sähly, last lessons with our friends. Transfers. 

Finnish Word of the Week:    Koiranluu = dog bone but literally translates to  “suspension drop link”

Daylight Counter!

Where we started–4 Hours 40 minutes

This week–9 Hours 18 min 

5 Amazing Things This Week:

1: A week of many lasts but two were especially bittersweet. 

1:Our last lesson with two of our friends was amazing. They have genuinely become my friends. I got to share my testimony with them. I hope the best for them. 

2: Our last District Council. Each transfer in my District is like a family. I hope I get to serve around some of these amazing people again. 

2: On our way to a lesson this week Elder Goodrich was driving, got to a roundabout, went around the whole thing and right as he exited it he told me to get out of the car. Because the tone of his voice was so serious I promptly did as I was told - only to find an old lady sprawled out on the snow and ice. Elder Goodrich parked the car and ran over. We then proceeded to help a very old, very drunk lady on the snow and ice get back to her apartment a block away. 

3:  My lovely companion Elder Goodrich makes ties for a hobby. It is awesome. Because he is the goat he showed me how to make one! I made this tie all on my own. It even has two different colors to show that I did it! 

4:  Church on Sunday was really something. I guess the Ward really wanted to get their use of me because I accompanied the hymns, played a musical number, gave a 20 minute talk, taught a second hour lesson, and said the prayer. It was a wild day. We did it though. 

5:  We had our last language and Sähly night as well this week. They were so much fun and there was a good turn out for both of them. 

Tender Mercy of the Week:

Transfer day was crazy. My comp had 8 bags and I had 3 so together we probably were a very strange sight. I had a 7 minute layover but my first train was delayed so the layover was actually only 5 minutes. With some help from other missionaries I managed to switch tracks and get on my new train just in time. It was a miracle that nothing went wrong

Where I am/Who I'm With: I am serving in Tampere. My companion is Elder Gillespie. 

Scripture of the Week:  

Alma 34:22 Yea, cry unto him against the power of your enemies.

My thoughts:  I like how Amulek didn’t say to pray against our enemies but instead said to pray "against the power of [our] enemies." Just another example of how loving God is. 

Talk of the Week:  https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/david-a-bednar/consider-the-wondrous-works-of-god/

“Consider the Wondrous Works of God”  David A. Bednar

My Thoughts: I really love how much this talk focuses on work. We are God's greatest work and we can perform God's greatest work too. It really gives you a sense of perspective. 

Absolutely crazy this week. My world has been turned upside down. 

-Elder Balls

Week 25: Mountains to Climb

 I've been on a mission for 6 months. Woah. Time Flies! Transfer Calls are in 1 day!

After being in Lappeenranta for 4.5 months (18 weeks) it feels weird that my time here is over. This is crazy. I could leave my area and go somewhere new. So exciting! But also bitter sweet. 

Spiritual Thought:  

I really only put highlights in my emails. 

I don't often put in hard moments because I like to keep things positive. 

But man, missions are hard. 

Sometimes, they are a forever uphill battle.

I listened to a talk this week called “Mountains to Climb” by Henry B. Eyring (Shoutout Hailey) 

I like to think, what are the mountains in my life right now? 

What mountains have I already climbed? 

And what mountains are in my future? 

Because looking back at the last 6 months, there have been a lot of big mountains. 

Lots of them I'm still climbing. 

But looking back at the mountains I have climbed I realized I haven't done it alone. 

I read in a missionaries email this week, “Away from the support of family, friends, and familiarity. Missions force you into a sink or swim situation.” (Shoutout Preston) 

This is so true, 

But we have the best lifeguard. Jesus Christ. 

And a bunch of swimmers next to us to help us along the way. 

Looking back on these 6 months, I'm so grateful for all the amazing people and most of all for Jesus Christ. 

For giving me mountains to climb and for never leaving my side as I climb them. 

Short Version of Email: Went to a game night this week at a bar. Had some great lessons. Elder Goodrich gave a fire talk in Church and I am preparing mine for this week. Transfers are in 3 days. Walking on a frozen lake. My zone is awesome. 

Finnish Word of the Week:    Autotalli - - garage but literally means car stable

Daylight Counter!

Where we started–4 Hours 40 minutes

This week–8 Hours 43 min 

5 Amazing Things This Week:

1: Bishop came to fix our door this week. After, he pulled out the newspaper and showed us an ad for a Game Night telling us it would be a great opportunity to meet new people and be seen. We agreed and showed up later that night at the address of the game night, which turned out to be a bar. We went in getting some strange looks in our white shirts and ties, made some awkward introductions and proceeded to play a board game about rock bands all in Finnish. Got to tell a lot of people about who we are and why we are in Finland. Twas fun. 

TLDR: went to a game night in a bar all in Finnish. 

2: Had a great lesson with our friends Rasheli and Viraje. They told us they want to get baptized! This is so exciting, if all goes well they will be baptized after I leave Lappeenranta sadly. But I am still so happy for them! 

3:  I haven't had to buy groceries for 3 weeks because I'm just trying to use up all the extra food from the apartment which has been nice to save up some MSF. (missionary support funds) 

4:  My area has the biggest lake in Finland inside it and the ice is now thick enough to walk on. We took a short cut over the lake this week which was cool and saved us some time. 

5:  Final Zone call this week which is bitter sweet. I love the missionaries I serve around. They are the best examples to me. 

Tender Mercy of the Week:

A few weeks ago we made a social media post about doing free service which got so slandered it got taken down lol. But, we got in contact with this young Finnish guy who we talked to over the phone for a long time. He says he knows lots of his friends who would want to meet with us and come to our game night. So I guess even if the social media post failed, some good came out of it.

Where I am/Who I'm With: I am serving in Lappeenranta. My companion is Elder Goodrich. 

Scripture of the Week:  

Doctrine and Covenants 6:8

8 Verily, verily, I say unto you, even as you desire of me so it shall be unto you; and if you desire, you shall be the means of doing much good in this generation

My thoughts:  It's so cool that if we desire to have a positive impact on the world, if we desire to do good, we are promised through scripture that we can accomplish it. 

Talk of the Week:  https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/jeffrey-r-holland/times-trouble/

Jeffrey R Holland BYU Devo

My Thoughts: A great talk focusing on having a positive attitude. I love how he said that “trouble has no connection to discouragement on its own”. Another good reminder that our attitudes about life's circumstances are an important part of who we are. 

A bit mundane week this week but it's always good to learn to enjoy the less Interesting parts of life. 

-Elder Balls

Week 24: Mystery Meat

 Hola! Cómo estás? 

Super fun week, crazy to think my second transfer is almost already over! 

Spiritual Thought:  

Sometimes prayers aren't answered in the way we think. 

Especially for Alma. 

While teaching people in Ammonihah he had no success.

None 

He was mocked, rejected, spit upon, and literally thrown out of the city. 

I can't imagine what he must have felt. 

In response to his prayers, an angel appears and says, 

15 Blessed art thou, Alma; therefore, lift up thy head and rejoice, for thou hast great cause to rejoice; for thou hast been faithful in keeping the commandments of God from the time which thou receivedst…it.

Rejoice. 

Instead of promising miracles and baptisms the angel says 

Rejoice. 

This must be different from what Alma thought the angel would say. 

But I think the message had nothing to do with Alma's physical circumstances and everything to do with his spiritual circumstances. 

And this is the message:

No matter what bad things happen to you, 

No matter what people do to you in a negative way, 

No matter how hard your challenges are, 

What really counts is your standing with God. 

Alma can rejoice, because he has "been faithful in keeping the commandments.” 

Maybe when Alma realized that, it made all the hard things he had to do just a little bit easier.  

Short Version of Email: District leader splits. Our friend, Sasindu, is close to baptismal date! District Pday. President Interviews and dinner. 

Finnish Word of the Week:    Veturi - - it means locomotive or train engine but literally translates to puller or dragger. 

Daylight Counter!

Where we started–4 Hours 40 minutes

This week–8 Hours 11 min 

5 Amazing Things This Week:

1: District splits this week in our city were great! We were able to teach 2 lessons, meet with members, and play Sähly together. 

2: President Interviews this week, which were amazing. I got to do the whole interview in Finnish which was fun. President and his wife are amazing. We got to go to dinner with them after too! I tried kebab for the first time as a right of passage for missionaries in Finland. It was Intersting. Saucy mystery meat. Tasted good though. 

3:  District P day this week was an absolute joy. Basketball, boardgames, pizza, my best friends (other missionaires), all make for a fun time. And the sun even came out! 

4:  Elder Steadman (a brand new missionary here) and I went tracting and we gave out our first Book of Mormon all alone. It was awesome even though I don't even know if the lady could understand us, hopefully she understood our genuineness. 

5:  Because transfers are in 13 days I have been reflecting on my Finnish progress. It has been slow but so nice to see my Finnish improve. That has been a highlight for me this week.

Tender Mercy of the Week:

We had an amazing lesson with a guy we found on social media. He was contacted before but fell out of touch with the missionaries. I texted him again on messenger this week and we set a time to meet up. He asked every single question that a missionary could want to hear. (Why are we here? Is there a God? What is the Book of Mormon and can I have one and read it? Things like that) He lives in Helsinki but we hope that he will meet with missionaries there. 

Where I am/Who I'm With: I am serving in Lappeenranta. My companion is Elder Goodrich. Sure love him. 

Scripture of the Week:  

Alma 38:4

4 For I know that thou wast in bonds; yea, and I also know that thou wast stoned for the word’s sake; and thou didst bear all these things with patience because the Lord was with thee; and now thou knowest that the Lord did deliver thee

My thoughts:  I like the thought that we can bear all things with patience if we know the Lord is with us. 

Talk of the Week:  Worldwide Devotional for Young Adults 2025  Brother and Sister Uchtdorf

My Thoughts: Even though this was for young adults I think the message was really good! It applies to everyone. 

God does not abandon us by letting us make our own choices and decisions. 

Exciting week this week! Hopefully it is for you too! 

Elder Balls