Week 17 - 'Goodbye's and 'Hello's

Hello, my beloved brothers and sisters in the Gospel. I love you all so much. :)

This week is my final with Elder Childers. We operate on nine week transfers here in Finland, which means we get a bit more attached, and I'm sad to have my last week with my trainer, but we'll make it the best one yet!

Another thing I'd like to mention is that my girlfriend Jessica is leaving on her mission this week! I am so proud of her and I know she will be such a blessing to the people she has been called to serve in Cambodia.

This week I thought a lot about what being an effective missionary means. Sometimes I wonder if there's something that I need to do better in order to start finding more people to teach, and of course we can always improve, but I have felt from my communications with God this week that effectiveness in missionary work, regardless of whether or not we're full time, is measured by our dedication to the spreading of the Gospel and our true intent.I have felt so much strength from the Lord this week and I know that if I come back with only one converted heart, one strengthened heart, one heart ready to continue on in the work of the Lord when I return to America next year, it's going to be inside me.

And of course I still try my best to help others. :) I have been very blessed in my learning of the Finnish language, and I have such a testimony of the gift of tongues. My trainer has helped me so very much, and I feel so happy to be able to talk to these people and testify of the truths I already knew in my heart in their language. It hasn't been easy, and I'm still very imperfect, but I am one grateful greenie.

I love you all so much! I have found such a love for the blessed city of Helsinki and the people here. Continue on in the strength of the Lord, and you'll be blessed beyond you and I's measure of understanding for it.

Love,

Vanhin Hancock

--

Elder Hancock

Week 16 - Uh, well, the sun is coming back!

Which makes me way happy because I love the sun. Around the solstice it would set around 3:30 and now it's already an hour later! #blessings

Apparently my email last week didn't send. Darn! I resent it but we shall see if that pesky guy gets out to all of you.

This week has been great! We got a new investigator and also got to teach the fifth lesson during Priesthood in church to a traveling investigator in the army! That was AWESOME! It's the last lesson before baptism and we're so excited! His fiancee is leaving on her mission to Russia soon and the plan is that he'll have been a member for a year so they can get married in the temple when she gets back! I loved it!

Also! This Church is true and I know it! We have two weeks left in the transfer and I'll be sure to make the most of it! I love all of you!!!!

--

Elder Hancock

1 I think we were at the highest place in Helsinki! 

1 I think we were at the highest place in Helsinki! 

2 - yes, I own this car 

Fwd: Week 15 - Magic, Snow, and Finns

Terve, rakkat sukua ja ystäviä!

This week was wonderful! 

We were able to go to Return and Report, which was a three day long meeting at the mission home with half of my MTC group. We were able to talk a lot about our experiences these past weeks here in Finland and hear from President and Sister Aura how we can be better missionaries here in Finland and overall.

We were able to attend the temple in Espoo as well! It was a wonderful experience and I've missed going through the temple so much.

This week we had two wonderful lessons with less actives! One actually came to church with us, and I got to sit by him and talk to him while my companion was on the stand for a talk. I loved it!

In one lesson with an investigator our discussion wasn't really going anywhere, but then he turned to me and told me to share a scripture out of the Book of Mormon. I shared Ether 4:18, which is Christ telling us what we need to do in order to come back to him. I didn't know the reference, I just prayed really hard in that moment that I would share something that would help him, and it sparked him to ask what he could do to return to Christ! We actually had a very nice lesson after that, and I'm so grateful for the Spirit's involvement in that.

Also, in a lesson with a different investigator, near the end I felt the Spirit in my so strongly that my cheeks started burning and I was shaking, so when it came my turn to testify at the end I felt the Spirit testify to him through me, and it was a really really cool experience. Teaching with power and authority is the best way, and we need to make sure we live worthily to have that wonderful feeling. It was amazing.

I love you all so much, and have a wonderful week!

--

Elder Hancock

Week 14 - I've loved my time as a missionary!

Aaaaaannnndddd I continue to love it, just in case you thought I was leaving! I love to reflect on the last 14 weeks and think of how much I've grown, what a different person I am already, and how excited I am for the rest of my missionary service!

This week was awesome. We contacted a man on Saturday in the streets of Hakaniemi in Helsinki. We asked what brought joy to his life and he said that his wife did, but that she passed away seven years ago. He said that he's incredibly lonely. We said 'Well, would you like to know how you can be together with her again?' He said 'I want to be with her more than anything. I was married to her for 48 years.' He started to tear up and the Spirit that was with us was so strong. We were able to testify that he would be able to be with her again, and it was so special. That doesn't happen every day and it's something I treasure.

Sometimes I think we forget about our futures in order to live in the moment, which is fine in some situations, but we need to make sure we remember that the way we live right now determines how we'll feel in the future. Don't sacrifice your future for something right now. Share this gospel of happiness with somebody! I know for a fact that that man will see his wife again, but he didn't know it. Being able to share that fact with him was a privilege that I'll never deserve, but that I will always be immensely grateful for.

This week was Zone Conference! I was able to see my good friends Elders Krause and Viitanen again, from my MTC group, as well as meet some new friends! This week we have Return and Report at the mission home, which is why I'm emailing today instead of tomorrow. I'll be able to see half of my MTC group there as well!

This Gospel is pure happiness. We always have to sacrifice something in order to gain more, but sometimes people only look at the sacrifices, and not at what they will bring. I testify that this gospel is true. It is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This gospel, however, is not stagnant. Our message is a message of stand up, and do something more, than dream of your mansions above! Christ says even as ye have done this unto the least of these your bretheren, ye have done it unto me. What are you going to do for someone else today? What are you going to do for Christ today?

I love you all and have a great week!

--

Elder Hancock

Me and Elder Gamett

Me and Elder Crump on exchanges

The bridge in Hakaniemi

 Me in a field

My scarf hat!

District meeting with the zone leaders today

Week 13 - My testimony will live forever!

Helllloooooooooo everyone! Happy New Year!!!! I hope everything's going great back wherever you all are!

This week was only slightly not normal! I sort of forgot about New Year's for a bit but that's okay! This is the only full year of my mission and that's crazy but I'm way excited!

The investigator we found is progressing and that makes me so happy! He's way nice and he prayed in our lesson on Sunday and it was so beautiful, he has a heart of gold. He also had me play the guitar and sing to him so John Denver came in handy! I love that man.

I love missionary work, and I love Finland! This place is so great. I love this gospel. IT. IS. TRUE. No matter how many people try to say that it isn't, I know it's true, because I've received the witness myself. This message I share is a message of joy and gladness, nothing else, and I absolutely love sharing it. Nothing else brings me greater joy than this gospel. My testimony will live forever!

I love you all and have a great week!

www.mormon.org

--

Elder Hancock

From Mom:

We also got this surprise email today from some Senior Missionaries serving in Helsinki:

We were at the chapel today to pick up some crockpots for Zone conference on Thursday and found these two working on their weekly emails to home in the family history center. It is always fun to run into our missionaries unexpectedly.