1 year as a missionary 🇫🇮

SPIRITUAL THOUGHT 🤍

Romans 12:1

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service."

The more I'm referenced to the book of Romans, the more I think, wow I should be reading in here WAY more often haha. But during my personal study I came to the conclusion and reminder that for all the things God has given us and how impossible it seems to ever be able to repay Him back for it all- there IS something He perhaps hints we can do to give back. And that is using our God gifted time for His purposes! I'm talking, if we really want to show God we love Him, because we all know He loves us so very much as evidenced by the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ, we sacrifice our time to show love to someone/to serve them, we try to find out what He would have us do and pray to find out. Most of all though, we ACT. We all know the phrase 'actions speak louder than words' unfortunately more often than not it seems I find myself in this boat of doing more speaking and marinating in my desires to do good than actually doing them haha. So I would encourage all of you to join me in having more than just a desire to do good, and to GO AND DO! God knows you love Him, but how can we ever give too much to the Lord when He's given us everything?

UPDATES

🦊 whilst tracting and knocking them doors a younger boy opens the door, maybe 13 or so and so we ask if his parents are home to which he replies "yeah......................Why?" So we tell him who we are and everything and he says "Oh we aren't Christian" so we say "No worries" he goes to talk to his mom somewhere in the house and comes back to say "Yeah uhm so is it okay if we just like don't listen?" It was just so comical I can't quite explain haha

🦊 We got to meet at a cute cafe with our Hungarian friend (the one we met on the frozen river) and it was so cool because she was so interested in hearing about our church and our message of Christ! I just think it's amazing, from day 1 I've felt a strong friendly connection with her:)

🦊 WE GOT TO CHOP WOOD! It was quite cold, definitely freezing weather but oh my days I simply loved the view being in these beautiful Finnish forest. Everything covered in snow and the sun peaking through the trees illuminating it all and making everything look so bright and happy. The wood chopping wasn't half bad either haha, had some good swings in there.

🦊 We had splits or companion exchanges for a day and while with Sister Bjorling we had such a miracle moment: As we were knocking doors this man opens the door and lets us share our short message we had prepared. He then proceeds to tell us, wait I was just reading in my scriptures and I want to share something I just learned with you guys! It was such a wholesome and wonderful moment for us, as a group of believers, getting to share our love for Jesus Christ.

🦊 Return and Report! After 6 weeks me and my greenie returned to Helsinki to practice teaching a lesson, visit the temple, and give encouragement and ideas from our amazing Mission President and wife. It's always such a joy to go to the temple, and I got to even see some of my friends from my first area, gosh I just love them. And Sister Israelsen and I got to sing/teach to President himself! I love him.

🦊 Speaking of, we had interviews this week with President Lehtinen and his wife and I really felt the love and support they have for me personally. And I'm just so grateful for, really, all the people around me here who remind me that I'm doing an okay job out here trying to serve the Lord.

🦊 Apartment checks! The guy who does these is an absolute g I love him, he's so funny. We had quite the experience since our freezer needed de-frosted completely and was completely full of ice. We apparently needed new pots and pans-and a load of other things. I appreciate their patience with us haha

🦊 Girls' night! We got to hangout with some of gals including the French baddie I mentioned last time. It was a really cool opportunity because we got to share very casually and naturally about why we're here and our testimonies of this gospel and Jesus Christ.

🦊 BAPTISM. The other sisters here in Turku had a baptism, we were able to participated in the service a little, sing and such but wow what a special feeling! Their friend was just glowing and bore his testimony of, just how incredible he was feeling making this promise and start to a life with God.

🦊 Lastly, the Elders found a very nice younger Finnish girl we've been able to become very good friends with. I absolutely adore her. She is just so bubbly and she just loved the feeling of being at church and the community there. She even told us she would love to be baptized and learn everything she can to get there! All I can say is God is such a God of miracles. This is His work, He is in the details of all of it and all of His children's lives!

As always, I love you all and since this is my 1 year mark email I thought I'd take the opportunity to share my testimony with you all:

I know Jesus Christ lives. I know He's perfectly aware of me and my individual situations and what I am most in need of in my life. And because I know that, I know He knows each one of you in an equally deep and personal way. I know God to be a loving Heavenly Father who cares for each one of His children's happiness. I know He has a perfect plan of happiness prepared for us, and I know our perfect Savior is the only reason this plan can work. I know how easy it is to feel like you aren't enough, and to have a perfect view of all your weaknesses but I can testify that God's grace is sufficient for us. He lovingly reminds us and encourages us through scripture, through peaceful feelings that come from His spirit, from the service of others of this important truth: He loves us so much, and He won't ever abandon us. I know He hasn't abandoned me, and I know I can't abandon Him. I love my Savior and my Father in Heaven. There's nothing more than important to me than being here and trying to let everyone know that they are loved. That they are children of a loving Father, and that Jesus Christ is the only true and lasting source of joy. Being in His service is such a privilege. I know everything can work together for our good when we love God. And that Jesus Christ can be our light in our darkest moments. In the name of our perfect Savior, Jesus Christ, amen.

Rakkaudella,

Sisar Dickson

yeah you could join this john if ya haven't yet