Elder Hancock's Mission in Finland: Week 11 - It's Pretty Cold But That's Okay

Hello friends and family! This week was so awesome, and filled with great work.

First off, I love Finland. It is so beautiful here and like I said, it's cold, but that just brings a sort of magic with it that I can't really explain. Helsinki is wonderful and I love it here!

So this week we were able to give a lesson to our investigator who was going to get baptized but then decided not to. We had a great discussion on faith and his own feelings and I loved it. We also had a lesson with a recent convert, who is one of the humblest people I've ever met, about hope, Christmas, and preparing him to go to the temple. It was so lovely! I love the people here.

This Christmas I hope we can all concentrate on charity and love. Charity suffereth long, and is kind and seeketh not her own. Remember this Christmas that Christ is the reason we can live with our families forever, but what does that mean to us if we aren't treating our families like Christ would? Sometimes I think it's easy to be kind to friends or even strangers, like Christ would, but he also held his mother in the highest esteem, and I know that he treated his family with that same esteem as well.

I love you all so much, Helsinki is wonderful, and make the place you are for Christmas wonderful too! In Paul's epistle to the Philippians he says 'Not that I speak in respect of want, for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am in, therewith to be content'. As we let Christ into our lives we can feel that rest and peace as well - if you remember, Paul was in a jail when he said that. Let us all do the same this Christmas season, and indeed, forever after.

I love being a representative of Christ. Christ said that He Himself is the Light of the world, and as we seek to light the world by emulating our Savior's example this holiday season, remember that if we have done it unto the least of these our brethren, we have done it unto Christ.

My testimony is of Jesus Christ. I know that He lives.

I love you all!

Elder Hancock