Week 12: Peer Pressure

 Finland is such a beautiful place! Splendid week these last 7 days. Let's jump right in!

Spiritual Thought:  

On splits this week, while talking to one of my zone leaders, he said something that really stuck with me.  “As missionaries, I like to think of what we do as being professional friends.”  Elder Smith is one of the greatest missionaries I've ever met. Throughout our contacting that day, I saw and felt the genuine love he has for the people he meets. 

“And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.”  (1 John 4:16)

He that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God. And God In Him.   This was true for Elder Smith. He has the spirit with him, and I think that part of the reason why is the love he has for everyone he meets. People live hard lives. Hard things happen. This week my goal is to better love the people I meet every day. I invite all of you to do the same. See everyone as a child of God. See everyone for who they can become through God's love shown through you. 

Short Version of Email: Had 2 splits this week. Lots of traveling! Had my first meal with members. District P day was so fun. Went to the Russian border and did district council in a bunker. Remember to love others as children of God! 

Finnish Word of the Week:  Nähdään, which means “See you later”. We say it all the time.

5 Amazing Things of the Week:

1: District P-day this week! We went to a new city and hung out with our district, ate some yummy chicken, and played fun games at the church. 

2: We had TWO splits this week! One with the district leaders and one with the zone leaders. It's safe to say that a lot of missionary work was done and a lot of “Uno No Mercy” was played. I think it may be my new favorite card game ever. 

3:  We had district council underneath our church this week where I promptly learned that we have a bomb shelter.  4 foot thick walls, a huge door that weighs around 600 pounds with 3 huge latches sealed us in while we sat on a rather cold white floor and talked. I learned this is the standard in most towns in Finland, especially where I am because we are so close to the Russian border. 

4: Speaking of the Russian Border, during splits we went and knocked doors on the Russian border. It was kind of a surreal experience. We even got let in twice! 

5: It has been fun being able to meet the ward. We had our first time eating with the members this week during a spontaneous Sunday lunch. I got to try Salmon soup which was so, so good–10/10, you should all try it. I also was able to play in church and give a musical number, which felt good because although I may not be able to express myself yet with words, I can still spread the Spirit through music. 

Tender Mercy of the Week:  

I was sitting in the church doing language study when some members walked in, and I thought nothing of it. I kept getting this prompting that I needed to go talk to them, so I finally did. I went to talk to them through my broken Finnish. They were looking for something and couldn't find it, but the thing they were looking for was something I had moved about 20 minutes before into this random closet, and they never would have found it. It was amazing that the Spirit guided me to talk to the members and I was able to help them. 

Where I am/Who I'm With: I am serving in Lappeenranta 

 My trainer is Elder Boone

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Scripture of the Week:  

Alma 27:27  And they were among the people of Nephi, and also numbered among the people who were of the church of God. And they were also distinguished for their zeal towards God, and also towards men; for they were perfectly honest and upright in all things; and they were firm in the faith of Christ, even unto the end.

My thoughts: I like the word zeal a lot! It can mean a firm or passionate commitment to something. In this case, to the church and to God, but I think it applies to all that we do. This week, I am trying to be more deliberate in my zeal for life! 

Talk of the Week:  “The Other Prodigal”    By Elder Jeffrey R. Holland Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (April 2002) 

My Thoughts: This talk gave a new perspective on the parable of the prodigal son. I had never thought about the story from the other brother's point of view. 

I must copy Elder Henry Horsley here and admit I really do love being a missionary. It is one of the coolest things ever. It can be so hard but all the best things in life are. 

Go do something hard this week. That thing you've been putting off, that person you've meant to text, go do it! 

 Nos vemos el pronto semana, 

Elder Balls

PS--if you were confused about the name of the email and you read all the way to the bottom, the name is because I was brutally and horribly peer pressured to buzz my head. :( I am now an egg

Week 11: Finn's Don't Mess Around with Chocolate

I miss the sun. (and its windy)

It has been a full week! We didn't have any special events or activities this week so I got to see what a normal week of missionary life is like. My trainer, Elder Boone, and I kept busy this week!   

Spiritual Thought:  

At our Zone Conference this week we talked about Mathew 10:16. 

16 ¶ Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

What an interesting choice of words.

I have been thinking much this week about how to be “wise as serpents” but yet “harmless as doves” in a world of “wolves”

Elder Oaks taught, “A desire to be led by the Lord is a strength, but it needs to be accompanied by an understanding that our Heavenly Father leaves many decisions for our personal choices.”

In my constant quest to be guided by the Spirit I sometimes forget that the Lord trusts me. He lets me make decisions on my own amongst the wolves in my life and he does the same for each one of you. 

I am often afraid to make specific choices if I don't feel a spiritual confirmation of my actions beforehand.

One thing a mission has been teaching me is to not be afraid to make independent choices because I trust God and he trusts me. 

In my (not so expert) experience I have found that I have grown the most in times when I am unsure. However, as I try to be “wise as serpents” and “harmless as doves,” and align my choices with God's commandments, the Lord gives me just enough room to grow while keeping me close enough to pull me back from the wolves of the world. 

This week I hope you will think about how you can be “wise as serpents” but yet “harmless as doves” in the midst of your own wolves. 

Do what the Lord would have you do. 

Be wise. Be harmless. 

And trust yourself enough to grow. 

Short Version of Email: Did a ton of street contacting! Tried some Finnish Chocolate. Played sahlu (Finnish floor hockey) which was so fun! Trust yourself because the Lord trusts you! 

Finnish Word of the Week:  Saippuakivikauppias, which means “Soapstone Merchant”. The cool part is that it is spelled the same forward and backwards.  

5 Amazing Things of the Week:

1: My comp and I got to teach our first lesson to a real person this week. Because we both got put in a new area we have mostly been trying to find people to teach so it felt good to finally teach someone after all the days of contacting. 

2: We presented at a school this week about our Church. We thought the teacher texted us to come but it was actually a student. It was still fun to do even though it may have been a prank. 

3:  It has been snowing a lot here. It is also so cold that the ice doesn't melt on the roads/sidewalks. They can't use salt to melt it because it is too cold. Ice here is no joke. There is a solid sheet of ice covering everything. As I am writing this I am sitting in a tire shop because all the cars get studded tires for the winter. Not sure how people are still biking. 

4: We drove out to a Immigration Camp right next to Russia to teach a lesson this week. It made me very grateful for my little apartment. The people there were so kind. Everyone in Finland is so kind, for the most part, even if they are mostly uninterested in our message. I love the people here more and more every week. 

5: We do a lot of community events. My favorite one we do is a floor hockey night! It was so much fun playing against some of the ward members. They are really good but I can run so it evens out. We may even go with a member to a hockey game! 

Tender Mercy of the Week:  

Our main way of finding people to teach is through talking to people on the street, which can be frustrating sometimes, because no one wants to talk with us. (I don't blame them though because I wouldn't want to talk to someone random on the street either.) 

It felt discouraging this week after our third straight day of knocking doors/finding people- all day with no success. I was just hoping that the Lord would see our effort for the past 3 days and help us find one person who wanted to talk to us. Then right as I was thinking that we met someone who was interested and is now coming to our events! Stereotypical mission miracle I know, but it felt good to see a personal way the Lord was watching out for us this week after hearing about it happening to others so often. 

Where I am/Who I'm With: I am serving in Lappeenranta (which is a town on the east of Finland right by Russia, like seriously it's so close we can walk to the border of Finland and Russia). My trainer is Elder Boone. 

Elder Boone has been educating me a lot on Finnish foods and culture which has been fun! 

Scripture of the Week:  

1 Nephi 21:16

16, Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.

My thoughts: I love the symbolism in the atonement in this verse. I like to think that each of us is “engraved” on the Savior’s hands where the nails pierced his flesh. His hands and body literally bear witness of what he did for us. Just some cool symbolism this week. 

Talk of the Week:  “Swallowed Up in the Will of the Father”  By Elder Neal A. Maxwell” (October 1995) 

My Thoughts: Great talk this week full of good quotes. I've heard this is a very famous talk but if you haven't listened to it it is so so good. So many lessons to be learned. I listened to it like 3 times this week lol. 

“Many of us thus have sufficient faith to avoid the major sins of commission, but not enough faith to sacrifice our distracting obsessions or to focus on our omissions. Most omissions occur because we fail to get outside ourselves. We are so busy checking on our own temperatures, we do not notice the burning fevers of others even when we can offer them some of the needed remedies, such as encouragement, kindness, and commendation.” 

There are so many lessons to be learned from this talk but I loved this reminder to look outward! 

I hope you had a lovely week! Send someone a thank you text this week because you love them! Gratitude goes a long way. Thanks to everyone who sent an email to me this week. I love reading them! 

 Sure love ya, 

-Elder Balls

October 2024

October.  Some great hikes and biking adventures.  Battle Creek Loop was beautiful. Hiking up Cherry canyon was perfect since the ground was frozen and not sandy.   Biking in Eagle Mountain was beautiful until we got rear-ended on the drive home.  Carbon Fiber bikes and being rear-ended dont mix.   

Darren went to Kansas City for a few days.  Such a beautiful place.  

Abby and I got bangs and Ella chopped her hair.  Lots of fun changes.  Abby is doing great at school.  One of her teachers sent us a note about how great she is.  I enjoy Waffle Wednesday when Ella brings friends home and I get to see and talk to her friends.  

Great Halloween Brunch by Valree.  I was the only one not dressed up.  Thanks to a hat and an orange blanket it was ok.  I love book club and even more... just getting together with ladies I love.  I did "Dress Up" for Halloween.  I was just Amy- Dressed up.  Ella was a scarecrow adn Abby a giraffe.  Halloween also means Jordan and Michaels Birthday.  Fun to be with the Harston family.  

Abby and friends went biking a few times in October.  A new experience for some of them.  So great to have strong girls.  We need more girl bikers. 

We miss Tyler and think about him a lot.  P Days are so fun to talk to him.