Doctrine & Covenants 93:1

"Verily, thus saith the Lord: It shall come to pass that every soul who forsaketh his sins and cometh unto me, and calleth on my name, and obeyeth my voice, and keepeth my commandments, shall see my face and know that I am."

Monday, August 31, 2009

Aug. 31, 2009

Rakas Perhe
31 Aug 2009
This was the last week of the first change. This next week is District Meeting which means I have my personal monthly interview with President Brown!!! I love him so much. He has paid the price and continues to do so to be a great mission president. I will be returning home about a month before he does. So we get to finish up together.
The Finland Helsinki Mission is hard-core Preach My Gospel which is the best. We are all focused on bringing our brothers and sisters unto the Savior. We all believe they are out there ready to be found. We just have to put forth the faith and effort. Also something new here, the area president of europe has emphasized ''teach to find''. This is a new approach they have implemented. It is where one missionary immediately begins teaching in a few sentences (to whoever they meet on the street, bus, train) and then asks a question about what they just taught to help the person really think about it. Then the missionary testifies. The companion then testifies, asks a question, and teaches more. This can continue to go until either you get a teaching appointment, contact info, or they just are not interested.
Also the members here are so kind (they also cook the most delicious food). Kouvola is the perfect city for me to start in Finland. I love this city.
It is getting a little colder. It seems that fall has come. The smell of fall is my favorite (Mary, Laura, and Sarah know that). Also the country here is beautiful. As we drive from appointment to appointment we have the opportunity to observe beautiful Suomi.
The Lord has taught me so much this first change and is continuing to teach me more. I love how when we want to learn and grow the Lord is there to help. We just need to ask.
I love you all and will continue to keep you all updated on Finland.
Rakkaudella,
Vanhin HamnerRakas Perhe

Monday, August 17, 2009

Zone Conference

Zone Conference was AWESOME!!!


17 Aug. 2009

Rakas Perhe,


17 Aug 2009


This past week has been amazing! Yesterday Kirsi was baptized and we had our golden investigator, Natalia, at the baptism. Also we had zone conference. I forwarded the pictures of zone conference to you. President Brown is an amazing man. He shared so many insights in the scriptures and particularly the Holy Ghost. He concentrated on how the Holy Ghost is central to all teaching/missionary work. It was very edifying. I also met other missionaries (about half because there are two zones in Finland). They are all superb missionaries. I will be sending more pictures this week or next week.


Finland is changing and for the better. President Brown has revolutionized missionary work here. This is a legitimate Preach My Gospel Mission. I love PMG. There is so much gold nuggets of spiritual knowledge and strength within. I recommend it to all.


Thank you for all your letters and emails. I love you all and remember ''pray always that you may come off conquerer''. Develop your own ''grove of trees'' where you can commune with the Almighty for He wants to help His children so much. This is a great work and what a blessing it is to come right now in Finland. We are all truly blessed to have the gospel in our lives.


Rakkaudella,


Elder/Vanhin Hamner

Monday, August 10, 2009

Aug. 10, 2009

Rakas Perhe,

10 Elokuu (Aug) 2009
This past week has been a lot of hard core contacting/tracting and lots of learning (I love learning and improving!!!) First of all we have an investigator who is getting baptized on the 16 of Aug. We are so excited for her.
I am also understanding the Finns so much more (of course all credit goes to Heavenly Father). This past week we had companionship exchanges with the zone leaders (Elder Kääriä and Elder Nikiforov) One is swedish and the other Russian. I think you can pick who's the Russian. I learned so much from just observing them and how they go about doing missionary work. They are ''Preach My Gospel'' missionaries. Elder Kääriä helped improve my contacting methods and Elder Nikiforov gave great advice on tracting, personal study, and when you do something (i.e. Exercising, studying, contacting, tracting) do it 100%. Dont do anything half-hearted. That has really helped me increase my effectiveness and not waste any time.

Heavenly Father has been tutoring me much this past week through the Holy Ghost. Our Father in Heaven is so wise. I just love Him so much. The mission is the best place for me right now. I am learning all kinds of life skills that will bless me and more importantly you all and everyone else. Being a missionary helps shed so much of the natural man. A speaker in the MTC said that the mission is the best time to develop Christlike Attributes and the best time to shed the unChristlike ones. I wholeheartedly believe that statement.

Our District has set some high goals for this change and the next (which I love! Stretching is always good). One goal is to have a baptism per change (6 weeks). We will reach this as long as we are true and faithful in all things. I can feel that more miracles are coming to Finland but they will not come if we dont work. Dont worry we are and will continue to do so with the third member of the Godhead as senior companion.

I am exercising 6 times a week for 30 min starting at 6:30 am. I am also eating well. We get £190 each month. Bytheway the ice cream, jam, milk, cereal, and pretty much everything else is delicious. Bytheway I never liked dark chocolate until i came here. A member gave me this bar of peach dark chocolate. It was so good. I will mail some home when winter comes. I love you all and pray for you.


Rakkaudella,
Vanhin Hamner


Our sweet
European ride!!!




Elder Bird & I.

Monday, August 3, 2009

Aug. 3, 2009

3 Aug 2009

This past week was hard but awesome (I like it when its hard because you know you are doing the right thing then). Last Thursday was District Meeting in Lahti. I had my first interview with Pres. Brown. I love him sooooo muuuucchhh!!! He is amazing. He was a CES institute teacher before he was called as a mission pres. I was very much edified by our interview.

The branch here in Kouvola is quite small but there is so much potential. We are working hard as we contact and tract. The Lord is definitely helping me in understanding this language and speaking it. This past Sunday was fast Sunday and I bore my testimony. I was initially nervous but the Spirit calmed me and I felt great. The peace can be described like a bright sunny day right after a spring rain.

Rakkaudella,

Elder Hamner

Helaman 5:12

And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.