Missionary work is hard

Good morning from Finland!

Now I have found that this blog is the most fun to keep, at least so far. Thank you to the people reading it. If no one read it, it would be more difficult for me to continue. But I think I am writing this mostly for myself, to remember and keep somekind of missionary work journal for myself to look back on.

Missionary work is really tough. I remember when I was street contacting people in Jyväskylä on my mini mission... One person THREW the Book of Mormon on the ground and yelled at us. A lady argued with us a long time once when we visited her. I knew this could happen but I still got very shocked.

Nowadays missionaries can use facebook and they have it a little easier to invite people to come visit church and we often have many fun activities at church during the week. I want to support them and also I get to eat, play games and hang out with all the people at church. We have game night on Tuesdays, Pancake evening on Thursdays and on Saturdays we watch The Chosen (a series about Jesus Christ). I have severe depression and anxiety but these activities have helped me a lot. I do not want to stay at home and feel alone and sad anymore.This is a real miracle in my life.

I love all my new friends at the activities at church.

Another difficult aspect of missionary work is the emotinal stress you can feel during your mission. I was too serious about my job as a missionary when I was on my mini mission... I also had the predisposition for getting a psychosis, my biological parents also had had mental health issues. Nowadays I feel really good, I have the right medicine and I rest a lot so I don't get stressed out.

It's a tough schedule to go to bed 10.30 pm and wake up 6.30 am every day. To keep everything going. I just could not cope with it and got so stressed I could only sleep 4 hours a night. That is way too little for me. The stress of living with two strangers also took its toll. We do not always get along perfectly with our companion(s) and it can all be a little too much.

I am grateful for my difficulties during my mission because even though I became very very ill, my mssion have lasted most of my life, because I have kept on with the missionary work and always tried to help the missionaries.Once a missionary, always a missionary...

More later!

Comments

Transfers: Update

Dear all,¨ I hope you are all doing well. I am really happy but I am so sorry I haven't updated this blog in a long time... There has been some changes. I mean transfers :D lol. I have spent a lot of time in my hometown Jakobstad. I have been so blessed and happy that my bonus son elder Stratford has served there for the past month. It is his final transfer :( I know. It is sad... I have been so blessed and grateful to get to know elder Stratford. He has been a good example and a very nice friend and bonus son. He is a good example to everyone. He is very social and friendly. It is very hard to feel alone or unnoticed in his company. He makes people feel seen and appreciated. At least he has taken good care of me and been a great support and friend. I hope we can meet in Utah next year, I am still planning on going there next summer. We have got new missionaries to Tampere! :) Three new elders and one new sister! :) I am just getting to know them but at least they seem friendly

My trip to Finland's old capitol: TURKU and fun times with the missionaries...

Good morning! :) How goes it? I am happy and I am going to the Temple today with my best friend from my ward... Anywhooo... I visited Turku/Åbo at the end of November. It was a blast. I spent four days in the old capitol of my country, which in my humble opinion should have been kept as the capitol... As a person from Tampere/Tammerfors I should maybe expected to NOT like Turku, but like my father - I do like Turku and have liked it for a long time. I stayed at my friends' place and they were so kind to me and I could "do my stuff" there in peace, like reading, writing and listening to music. I also loved attending the zoom -meetings that I had during my stay. My lovely friends are originally from Jyväskylä. We have known each other for years... Sorry, long intro... :D I spent four fabulous days in Turku. On Thursday I arrived and didn't meet with the missionaries that day, I rested from my trip to Turku. I arrived in the morning. OK. Sorry for the long backstory.

Boss/Mom and her excellent children :)

Good afternoon! This post is about two things: 1. How awesome missionaries are 2. How I am always on their side come what may SO. There has been a little break from last week's Tuesday until this week's Tuesday when I couldn't go to church or the activities at church. I had the flu... :( A little remnants still but almost okay now. I went to Game night this week on Tuesday. It was good. I spent a lot of time talking with one of the sisters and we played the piano for each other.. Then I also got a blessing because my anxiety has been acting up again. I must say, our elder Heaton is like a big brother, even to me! :) So wise and je ne sais quoi. Just a really good person. I am so grateful for all my bonus children. I do not really remember if I told you in this blog that I am saving up money to go to Utah next year with my mom :) I have never been there. We have two relatives and their families living in Salt Lake City... I have like a billion children in Utah lol. Not a b

Swedish-speaking Finnish Missionary Bonus Mom

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