Danielle's Mission in France: My Big Fat Finnish Wedding

This week was worthy of several painful shrieks of, "Why me?!?!?" to the heavens, but we didn't return to apartment Sunday night until we found someone who was serious about being taught by us. We had started the week with twelve planned lessons. Did ANY of them happen? I'll let you use context clues. However, did we find a sincere investigator who wants to read the Book of Mormon and come to church? Yes. At 8:15 Sunday night, 15 minutes before we had to send in our weekly numbers to our mission leaders. Our numbers did not reflect our efforts this week, but I know that we at least had quality, and I'd personally take that over hundreds of numbers that count for nothing.

Fun story of the week (and I mean so incredibly fun):

context: We were at a less-active member's home teaching her about the Restoration.

Woman: Sœur Hiltunen....your eyes are so blue and gorgeous! (goes on for five minutes about how beautiful she is and then notices that I'm kind of sitting there and hearing all of it) Your eyes are nice too, Sœur Green, but they're not the same as hers.

*INSERT A STRUGGLING LESSON HERE ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO COME TO CHURCH*

Sœur Hiltunen: So we made this for you to stick on your fridge and remind you to read your scriptures. *turns around to stick a paper to the fridge*

Woman: That hair! You have beautiful eyes, beautiful hair...you're going to find yourself a nice boyfriend when you go back home.

Me: Haha yeah......................

Woman, to me: Don't worry about looks. It's what's on the inside that counts. You're beautiful because you're nice.

OKAY. I know I'm not gorgeous......but seriously, this woman was acting like I was the hunchback of Clermont-Ferrand who was neglecting my bell ringing duties by coming into her home and clouding her presence with my unattractiveness. Ask me about my self-esteem.

FACTS I LEARNED:

Finnish word of the week: Hei hei. Translation: Bye bye.

Finnish fact of the week: 90% of Finnish homes have a sauna attached to it. If I told you this already, it's because I'm not keeping up with what I write on here.......

Old French ladies think I look like Quasimodo. But f'real.

This week may not have been as successful as I'd like to report to you, but I will tell you of some incredible experiences we had with some of the members here. So, oddly enough, there is a Finnish couple here and they invited us over to their home to bask in their Finnishness and eat all Finnish food and look at Finnish art and sing songs in Finnish while wearing Finnish clothes and swapping stories about Finland and talking in Finnish (I didn't have a whole lot to add to the conversation, quite frankly). And the way they talked about Finland and the culture.....It reminded me of the dad in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding." I was literally serving in Finland for a day.

These two people are the only members of the church from their families and their testimonies are so incredible, I can't even come near that level of spirituality. They were so kind and their countenances were so bright, it was almost blinding. You can tell they've had to sacrifice so much for the things they believe. They were literally modern-day pioneers. Meeting people like that make me so proud to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Examples like them should be more prevalent in the church. Remember to not only believe the gospel, but live it as well.

I love you. So much. Thank you for the thoughts you send and for your support. It really makes moments like these lighter. Que Dieu vous bénisse!

Sœur Green