Look alike friend

Hi-
This week was sweet because we were in Helsinki for a Meeting and also for my companion’s language training. It was really fun staying in Helsinki with the other missionaries. It is always a good time. We woke up and played pool one morning and floor ball the next. Then went to our meetings. Very long, but very good. We talked about all the basics of missionary work. Then, one of the days was the 4th of July and so everyone wore either red white or blue and we took a big picture trying to look like the flag.  We also went out to the American restaurant to celebrate our patriotism.
 

I also had a chance to go the Finnish Temple. It had been a while and it was fun to get back there. The temple is in such a pretty area. There are just fields and fields and then a wide open area and then boom, the temple. They did a really good job of making it stick out, but in a good way. The Finnish Temple rocks.

We came back from our trip and had some good teaches. It was really cool to go with one of our investigators to church. He is a cool guy from Ethiopia, and has hair like Bob Marley although not as long (I told him he should grow it out) He didn’t have a tie so we gave him one of ours. The other great thing was that a referral showed up at church as well. He is a African American Finn who has a dreaded mohawk and is a Finnish rapper. They are both really cool guys and it was fun to introduce them to people at church. "Hi, this is my Bob Marley look alike friend and this is my Finnish rapper friend" I didn’t say that, but I did feel pretty sweet.

This week we had our investigator with a baptismal date in church. She is doing really well and I often feel like she is too perfect of an investigator for us to teach. But, we have been praying that everything will go well and that God will continue to guide her.

We bought some cray fish last week just because they look exotic and I had never tried them. A couple days later we thawed them out and tried to figure out how to eat them. We eventually got it and they were actually pretty good, but just really weird. Vanhin Kääriä only ate one and so I tried to finish the rest off but just couldn’t do it. I probably downed about 15 though. They tasted like shrimp only a little more salty. I smelled like fish the rest of the day.

That’s about all this week. Thanks for all the support.

I love and miss you all.

Vanhin Merkley