It's been a while... so everything must be OK :)

Hi Family and Friends,

I got an e-mail from Sister Squeeze this morning saying, "We haven't heard from you for awhile, is everything OK?"

 

I guess time goes too fast, so this is telling you that I am OK, actually I am more than OK. The snow came fast and furious these past couple of weeks and it changes everything around you, you kind of feel up-lifted. The forests, that is what Finland has more than any other country, look beautiful with trees full of snow. They have so many walking trails, (wintertime they are ski trails) around the city limits and they are kept snow blowed. A one missionary couple just returned from a walk, and they said it is georgeous !  Few weeks ago I was so very unhappy about the wet and rain everyday, I had to use umprella everyday! Hopefully this snow will lasts till spring !

 

I was visiting Tampere last weekend. As you know that's my home town. I have 3 brothers and their families there. The senior missionaries, we have six couples (how I miss my husband, he would be perfect here) and me. We each (couple) get free Saturday every 6-7 weeks and do what we want, so for me it's perfect to go to Tampere, which is only 1-1/2 hours away, in a "paikallisjuna" (the one that stops at every stop because it is 7 euros cheaper) ! Every Euro counts, this is expensive country ! My sister-in-law, Laila, gives me more and more winter clothing every time I visit them. This time I got a good pair of boots that she hasn't used, hardly, and I bought wool pantyhose, yes, they use them here ! And you really need them ! I kind of forgot to take my own boots, and besides there was no room in 3 suitcases (!) I had. 

 

The Liahona person, who is in charge of the home pages in Finnish Liahona, asked me to write an article about the time I  joined the Church, which was the "beginning" of the Church in Finland, 1948-49. So, that has taken a little bit of my time in the evenings when I come to my apartment. By the way, they have started to add the extra apartment in that missionary and the patrons apartment housing, and I'll be moving there in the near future!

 

This past week was busy in the Temple, members from Estonia and around Helsinki district were dew. It was amazing that so many Estonians speak Finnish, and how funny, they are so close to each other, that even I can almost guess the words. This coming week will be Tampere district at the Temple, so there I'll meet some familiar faces !

I wanted to thank you, who sent me Christmas cards, even I hadn't let you all know my address on time, but some of you did not give up ! It was so nice to receive Christmas wishes from home. I wish you all a very happy and healthy new year and hope that you will  let me know how things are with you.