January 13, 2014 Week 27

Holy smokes what is happening.  I leave and then my sister is married (Bethany is engaged, sealing set for June 12)--which is a win for me!!-- I think it was a new pair of skis or a car .... I can't remember (Bethany and Ethan had a bet before Ethan left...looks like Ethan will win the bet, I'm sure Ethan will require Chase to pay up July 2015).  But that is crazy.!!!  Unfortunately I was not prepared for this event in my personal studies in the morning!! But I guess I will have to study more on that one..  It was kinda weird.  

This week was awesome!!  Yesterday at church was  a miracle we had 7 investigators at church it was soo amazing!!!  We had the Ibarra family come to church!!  Unfortunately they were only able to go to the last hour but it was amazing.  After Sunday school we called them to ask if they were still coming.  They answered and said that they were in the parking lot.  Well they were not  there, Hermano said isn't it called the The Church of The Savior..... hahaha they were next door.  We were able to direct them to the one and only true church after that!!  It was funny they rolled up in their white minivan.  They they just piled out of the car, 7 of them it was awesome!!  They were able to make a lot of friends from the members of the ward.  When we finished Hermano said that he loved it. The 2 daughters said that they loved it and that they are going to go ice skating with the young women!!  I realized how really our part is to introduce them to the branch or members.  This little branch looked a little bit fuller this week. 

Oh yeah I also had to translate for the sacrament meeting this week.  It was super hard, it was a high counsel man that hadn't spoken Spanish for a long time so it was really broken-like mine-  but it was really hard to translate and he was quoting a ton of scriptures which is a whole other language!!  But it was fun.  It is cool to see how my Spanish has grown thanks to the gift of lenguas of course!!  and having a comp that doesn't speak much English helps too!!  

We had interviews with President this week and he said that I have been here for awhile... and I was just like haha yeah.  He said that that will probably change soon.  I told him just to keep me in spanish!!  We also went to the food bank this week and it was a good branch building experience!!  I think that we set a record, we were aso able to get a ride from one of our investigators and he loved it too.  

Well sounds like this week was a pretty big change but best of luck with everything!!

much love elder finn

January 6, 2014 Week 26

Bueno

Well all of the holidays are done---yeah.  

And this week I hit the 6 month mark, it is crazy how fast it is all going!!!  time flies when you are having fun!--so I don't know why time is flying!!   haha just kidding it Is a ton of fun.  But it sure isn't easy.  

This week was really good.  I finally saw an investigator at church it was a milargo!!  His name is Ebuerto-- yeah kinda weird but he is visiting with the gomez family who live in our area.  We went over to their house for a lunch and we didn't know that he was going to be there.  But when we got there hermana said that they had someone visiting with them.  Well it turns out that he is amazing, he is solid at church, he was participating in the lessons and wants to go do service at the food bank this week!! It was an answer to the prayers!!  

We also had the opportunity to go to the temple this week!! It was kinda unexpected but the sisters needed someone to do the baptisms for Jenny because she was going to the temple for the first time- doing baptisms for the dead.  Well it turns out that missionaries can't do baptisms for the dead??? at least for the opposite sex... I don't know I guess there is a reason for everything.  So we just watched and a temple worker did it...  it was a very good gringo accent!!... But it was still cool to see and the spirit of the temple is always nice!! After that the president of the temple talked to us for a while and told us about the symbolism of the temple in Oklahoma, it is about Jacob's ladder and then there is a square and then a circle inside...  he said that the square represents the earth and the circle represents heaven and the temple is were heaven and earth meet.  It was very cool to see this.  see the pictures

That night after the temple we went to go talk to Hermano Garcia who has told us that he has no desire to go to the temple...  well after we talked to him we got him to commit to praying for a desire to go to the temple, because it, well it is a commandment.... we got him on that one.  We both don't know why he is so stiff in not gong to the temple.  Oh well we will get him there pretty soon!!! 

Elder Guzman showed me some of his bmx stuff now I can do some tricks.  Church was very cool this week, luckily we had it... it snowed right before...  but we were able to get 2 references and everyone was in a really good mood.  I am ready to get some work done here and get some people wet!!!!  Well have a good week!!  I'll see you in a couple hundred days.

Happy New Year, Week 25

Well one christmas down one more to go "hearin" Oklahoma!!!  

It was awesome to hear from all of you this week expecially my brothers!!  boy voices change!! hahah 

Thanks for all of the presents!  especially for my comp!  

We became pretty good friends during the week and now we are going to go work and teach!  

Probally the most interesting thing that happened this week was well, first I was able to baptize Josep Lopez--he is the son of Jenny Lopez (the one that I baptized 2 weeks ago.  It a very cool experience!!!  

Well earlier that day me and elder guzman were out working and we were just locking up our bikes and then this guy with long flowing hair and some crazy modified bike... it was like a chopper motorcycle but you peddle it.  

We talked to him for a while and he was super nice and he asked if our church ever had dinners and we were like yeah we have one tonight!  He was like ok sounds good.   Well we just finished praying at the fiesta and they walk in.  ME and Elder Guzman were just like oooooooo noooooooo hahaha they actually came.   We then talked to them for a really long time.   Well the night continued on, we talked more and more then... he asked the classic baptist question why do you have the title ELDER?? YOU HAVE NO AUTHORITY TO WEAR THAT TITLE/ YOU HAVE TO HAVE A WIFE TO BE AN ELDER!  Well we exchanged back and forth for a while and then we figured it best if we got this guy out of the fiesta haha it was funny but you will have to hear the whole story when I get home because the morning after I talked in the recorder for 15 minutes, so it was pretty good haha well there wasn't a lot that happened this week that I didn't talk about on the phone.

But I hope that you all have a very good new year!!

-elder finlinson

Feliz Navidad 2013

Merry Christmas everyone! 

I had a Pretty big switch up this week. I went from speaking English about 70 percent of the time to speaking English 5 percent hahah.

I guess that is what happens when your Companion is from Mexico and doesn't know much English. 

My new Companion is Elder Guzman, he is From de leon Mexico---yeah we got wrong info-- this is where it gets a little crazy, he is 25 years old!!! hahah he is 7 years older then me! I still don't know why It took him so long to go out on a mission but he sure does know the scriptures!! He showed me a picture of his license and he had crazy hair, it went down to his back!! He also was a bmx biker, he knows a lot of tricks on the bike.  He showed me some pictures of him doing flips and stuff like that!!  He is pretty cool.  

Well not a lot has happend this week,  just trying to make the transition of areas and companions for Elder Guzman.  

But it was pretty funny, last night we were riding back and Elder Guzman was just like "no have air!"  He was talking about how I live in a lower alttitude--I guess that would be a pretty big switchup--not that Mexico is much lower-- but that I don't need as much oxygen.  

He is quite a bit slower on the bike, but that will change because we use our bikes every day!!!  He didn't see some ice and slid out.... he got mad he said that he wanted to throw his bike because that is what he did when he crashed doing bmx.  

This last week was very humbling... we went to dinner with the Family Bentiez and they cooked us some really good food... you can usually see how a family is doing by what they give you to eat.  They asked us a question, "Who is more important Santa Clause, or Jesus".  Well as anyone would say "JESUS!".   They went on to tell us that Santa is coming to their house this year.   You could just see the stress of trying to please their kids on their faces.  Ahhh i am running out of time we are at the libary because the college is closed!!! ahhhhhhhh but this experience was very humbling for me.  And then intensified when I saw Elder Guzman looking for his packages three times, at our missionary Christmas party but he didn't get anything.  (So grateful we sent a stocking and several packages for Elder Guzman, I only wish we had done more!)

ahhhh I want to write more 

BUT LETS JUST BE GRATEFUL FOR WHAT WE HAVE AND GIVE WHAT WE CAN TO HELP OTHERS!!!! 

MUCH LOVE TALK TO YOU SOON

ELDER FINLINSON

December 16, 2013 Week 23

How is it going???  I am getting ready for this Christmas thing to happen, it is really distracting, and it is hard to get missionary work because everyone is so busy!!!  But i love it!   A lot happened this week, I guess we will just start of with all of the fun stuff.  

Well Jesus Has another follower this week.  The sisters had an investigator named Jenny Lopez and she decided to be baptized.  I am not sure how much I have talked about her but she is from Spain and she is about 40 years old, she came here (in October).  The sisters ran into her( spiritually),  and well now she is baptized and she said that she wanted me to to the baptism and for Elder Pugmire to do the Holy Ghost.  It was a super cool experience once we figured out how to say the prayer in Spanish ahaha.  One of the witnesses wasn't really sure on some things so we had to do it again and he kept on saying that it should be another way but it isn't!!! Luckily it all worked out and she was baptized and it was a very cool experience.  

The is kinda interesting though, is she is a hippie.  Me and Elder Pugmire went over with the sisters the day before, to teach her how we were going to do the baptism and talk about the Holy Ghost.  We made sure that their was another male there at the house and she said that there was.  So we get there and she is like come in...  lets just say that we had a lesson in her bedroom. hahah it was super awkward both me and elder pugmire felt it.  but hahah she started talking a lot about virgin Mary and how that she should be prayed to.  It was supper weird but we just thought to our self that she will forget that once she goes to church a couple of times. hahaha, well this last Sunday at church we gave her the Holy Ghost.  Me, Elder Pugmire and President Barbosa, and she started falling asleep!!!  during the prayer it was crazy hahaha I thought that Elder Pugmire was pushing her head but no, she was falling asleep.  She was super tired or something i don't know but during Sunday school she was out dead tired- i guess she had a night shift.  but at the end of the class she was asked to say the prayer- so she stands up and gives THE PRAYER TO THE FATHER the catholic prayer that is the prayer that Jesus said in the new testament.  It was super funny.  Those are the things that happen in Gospel principles though#mishprobs#spanishbranch#gospprinciple... 

O man but we had a good time this week the Oroxon family one of our less actives are really struggling right now.  They just moved into a really small house that is destroyed.  But we had a really good lesson with them and you can see their desire to change.  They are starting to see that they have no one else to turn to except for Jesus Christ.  It was a very cool experience to see.  We talked about enduring to the end in the doctrine of Christ!  They started Crying,  it was very cool,  I can see them in the coming time being strong members and sealed in the temple-  they were able to go to church this week for all three hours that is something that I haven't seen ever.  

There is a lot of work to do here with the members.  Most of them haven't been through the temple.  It is something that we are really starting to stress.  This isn't just the work of baptism it is the work of salvation!!!  Baptism is the first step.  Going to the temple and enduring to the end is the last!!!  It is just as important!  Well my mission father is leaving :(  he is going to Ardmore--I guessed that he was going there!!  I am getting a new Comp ELDER GUZMAN he is from guadalajera mexico!  He doesn't speak a lot of English is should be pretty fun hahaha it is going to be an interesting Christmas!!! Well I think that is all that is going on here, hear from you alll sooon!!!!!  

FELIS NAVIDAD 

ELDER FINDLSON ( FEE-LEE-SOON---that is how they say it)

December 9, 2013 Week 22

Wow... 5 months down..... it is crazy!!! time is going so fast!!  

Uhhhhh I really don't know what to write.  As far as this week goes with missionary work it was terrible,  the first of the week was very good the temperature was nice and warm and everyone was answering their doors..... then the great snow storm came... ready to hear the grand total.... wait for it, wait for it....2 inches!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! crazy right.  

You would think it was a lot if you were from here.  The night before "the great blizzard" we were at a members house and they had the news going and they were telling everyone to go and get supplies and to get food storage!  hahaha it was comical and the Hispanics are the worst at it!!  They take it way to far.  

On Friday we went out and we knocked on all of our investigators doors but none of them answered!!!  They think that if they get out in the snow then they are going to get sick... I have no clue.  It kinda reminded me of when we went and built snow caves up little cottonwood...  it was Eduardos first camp out with us and he was so confused why we would do such a thing!!! hahaha yeah but it was a very slow week and not a lot happened...  

I guess one of my packages got ripped off and that makes me really mad (We sent Ethan a Lego Advent calendar--his package was tampered with, he received everything in the package but the advent calendar--really?  this is the US not South America? disappointing--the lego advent calendar was a very hot item this year--crazy huh?  I'm wrapping all his Christmas packages in duct tape!) but oh well what can you do!!  

Our branch canceled church because of the great snow storm!!!  So we went to and English ward and had the sacrament.   We then had dinner at one of the member's houses and it was good, they had to take off the duct tape of the door though-- they line the door with duct tape so it isn't as drafty...the only problem is that they can't open up the doors.... uhhhhh.  

I really don't have a lot to write this week.  It is terrible I will try to show it in pictures it will be a little easier.....

Not shown is a very graphic photo of Ethan's big toe nail destroyed--no camera prank-- I told him to take care of it so they don't have to chop it off, he said, "ok".  We also found out we get to talk with Ethan on Christmas for about an hour.  He is not allowed to skype.  Thanks for all your love, support and prayers for Elder Fin.   Please pray for his struggling Spanish branch--it seems they have been cancelling church every other week.

Monday, December 2, 2013 Week 21

Man what a hard week,  not only the passing of Grandpa but the lack of work here.  On Thursday we went up to Edmond to play in a turkey bowl.  it was a ton of fun.  After that we went to a McDonald's and got some powerade.  That is when I got the news.  Elder pugmire said that we missed a call from president... that is weird.  So he called and president wanted to talk to me, at that point I knew that it wasn't good news.  He said that my Grandpa Quilter had passed away.  

As I look back to the past weeks the Lord was preparing me for this event.  On the planners we use missionary's usually decorate them with pictures of Christ/ church stuff.. well 3 week ago I decided to put the picture of me and my Grandpa Quilter carving the angel moroni... I have no idea why I did that I just felt like I needed to do that. Also looking back to all of the personal studies I had before. 

some of my favorite..

  Elder Nelson

The aging process is also a gift from God, as is death. The eventual death of your mortal body is essential to God’s great plan of happiness.¹² Why? Because death will allow your spirit to return home to Him

Then the day I guess Grandpa died I read the words of our prophet, as he described the passing of his eternal companion...

Our Heavenly Father, who gives us so much to delight in, also knows that we learn and grow and become stronger as we face and survive the trials through which we must pass. We know that there are times when we will experience heartbreaking sorrow, when we will grieve, and when we may be tested to our limits. However, such difficulties allow us to change for the better, to rebuild our lives in the way our Heavenly Father teaches us, and to become something different from what we were—better than we were, more understanding than we were, more empathetic than we were, with stronger testimonies than we had before.

This should be our purpose—to persevere and endure, yes, but also to become more spiritually refined as we make our way through sunshine and sorrow. Were it not for challenges to overcome and problems to solve, we would remain much as we are, with little or no progress toward our goal of eternal life. The poet expressed much the same thought in these words:

Good timber does not grow with ease,

The stronger wind, the stronger trees.

The further sky, the greater length.

The more the storm, the more the strength.

By sun and cold, by rain and snow,

In trees and men good timbers grow.⁸

Only the Master knows the depths of our trials, our pain, and our suffering. He alone offers us eternal peace in times of adversity. He alone touches our tortured souls with His comforting words:

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

“Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

“For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”⁹

Whether it is the best of times or the worst of times, He is with us. He has promised that this will never change.

Thankfully I had a strengthening of my testimony, before this happened or this would have been a lot harder.  This is the 2nd death of a close family member.  But they were very different in how I reacted.  I spent a good 30 minutes during my personal study this morning just pondering this.. 

The first passing that I went through was my Dear Uncle Robert.  I received the news quite similar to the way i received the news about grandpa.  I was away from home on a mountain biking trip.  We had just finished a hard morning ride and were preparing for lunch.  The Bishop(Bishop Howes) then called me over, and gave me the news that my uncle had passed away.  At this point I broke down it was terrible.  I was mad at everyone, especially God.  I asked myself what God would take a father away from 3 kids?  This thought ran through my head as I rode another 20 miles back to the camp.  

That night i didn't sleep.  But that night changed my life.  I decided to sleep under the stars.  and I was just  pondering what had happened that day, for those who have seen the night sky it is..well Holy... As I looked into the sky that night I felt the Holy Ghost. This was my Enos experience.

my soul ^ahungered; and I ^bkneeled down before my Maker, and I ^ccried unto him in mighty^dprayer and supplication for mine own soul; and all the day long did I cry unto him; yea, and when the night came I did still raise my voice high that it reached the heavens.

 5 And there came a ^avoice unto me, saying: Enos, thy sins are ^bforgiven thee, and thou shalt be blessed.

Now I didn't physically hear a voice... but I didn't need to.  I was comforted.  Heck I was converted that night.  That night I knew that God had a purpose in all things.  And that gave me a perspective that I hadn't seen before.  When the news came that Grandpa Quilter had passed away.  I was sad.  But my perspective didn't change.  Am I sad that I won't see my Grandpa after my mission? of course!  But when we look at it from a different perspective.  I will see my Grandpa and Uncle Robert very soon!  

The Psalmist wrote, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints” 

(Psalm 116:15);.

But this week was very good we moved!!! the new address is 

4200 N Meridian ave. 

APRT 939

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK (and it is the same zip code)

-- i think

And we got a letter not to send anything to the office just send it right to the apartment address the new apartment is soo nice.  It is a lot bigger. For Christmas I thought of desk toys, Sharpie fine point pens and all of the colors, and yeah that is about it.

I think that that will be my letter for this week have a good week everyone!

Elder Finlinson

and I didn't even read through this so good luck if it doesn't make sense -- make up stuff