Try a Little Harder to be a Little Better

    Hei! Miten sinun päiväsi on mennyt? That's what I say about 350 times a day! How are you all doing? Man I miss you so much! I hope life in good old USA is just going strong! I miss America! Finland is a very, very close second, but America has my heart! I bleed red, white, and blue! :) On the 11th, Sister Pace and I sang all the America hymns in the hymnbook and I read 1 Nephi 13 to pay my respects to my motherland! It was a great day...also we ate burgers! :) I hope you all had a great 9/11 remembrance day. I can't believe how long ago that was...I was 7 years old when it happened, but I still remember being scared and wondering why someone would do that. I still don't know why, but I am just so grateful to have been born in America! We are so blessed! So some shoutouts...Taylor and Ashley, WELCOME TO DAVIS COUNTY! It's the best place in the world...especially now that your family is there! I am way excited to see your new house! Also Anne, I hope you kicked some Davis butt this week...if not, that's ok too! :) Lauren...YOU GO TO NEW YORK THIS WEEK. Oh my goodness, get ready to have your mind blown, my friend! It's the greatest thing in the world! I want to hear about everything! Send me ALL THE PICTURES and go to Shake Shack for me! It's delicious. Also make sure you listen to "New York, New York" by Tony Bennett when you drive into the city. Mom tried to do that when I was 13 and I didn't appreciate it like I should...but do it...trust me! It's the greatest place ever! All the people, the sights, the smells, the buildings, the food, the grime...ahhhh...I miss it! Anyways, I hope you 3 have a party and just enjoy being there! It's wonderful! :) Make sure you tell Mom and Dad thank you...we are so lucky we get to do that! Also, Dad...I was reading the Liahona this week and read all about the church in Korea! It made me WAY happy to read about your mission land! If you haven't seen the article yet, read it!! It's way good! Anyways, all the rest of you are just amazing and I love and miss you so much!! 

    We had such a good week this week. Oh man...like just get ready guys...I don't know if I can even explain how awesome this week was. First off, we went to Seinäjoki on Tuesday. Can I just tell you how beautiful the Finnish countryside is? Honestly, I have driven back and forth from Vaasa to Seinäjoki about 100 times...I did the math...and I never get sick of it. It is gorgeous. We all need to come to Finland, rent a big old car and just drive...and drive...and drive...it is so green with all the trees and the cute little farms and the houses and the clouds and ahhh...I love it! But we went to Seinäjoki and all our investigators there went a-wall...not like they dropped us, but we just couldn't meet with any of them, except for Poe and Soe. We went and taught them about the Restoration...again...and invited them to be baptized. They said they want to, but wouldn't commit to a date because their mom said no. It's super hard...she doesn't speak finnish and I don't really blame her for being a little apprehensive about the american girls wanting her kids to join their church, but she has felt the spirit with us before, and I know she knows this is good, we just need to keep working with them. Also, at the end of the lesson, Poe and Soe asked us to sleepover...hahahaha uh, that's never happened before! I am not going to lie, it took me way off guard. I was super awkward as I miserably tried to explain why we can't do that in my high quality finnish....hahaha NOT. But anyways, I thought it was pretty hilarious. Sister Pace and I had a nice long laugh about it on the way home. 

    But ya, not too much to report from Seinäjoki. It's a hard place to work...not a lot going on, but we have been so blessed to have investigators there. Actually, President Watson just closed down Seinäjoki as it's own area and now Vaasa includes Seinäjoki so the Vaasa Elders go to Seinäjoki three times a week and we go twice. Do you know what this means? Yes, that's right...the Elders have their own car and we do too now!! YIIPPEE!! We don't even use our car that much, but man...it's hard sharing a car when you have such different schedules. Sister Pace and I did a number on our car this morning though...I vacuumed that sucker out like it was my job and we washed the outside and man...it's running like a charm. Dad, thanks for teaching me how to clean cars...I found so much joy in it this morning, I think I know what I want to major in now! :)

    So tracting...let me tell you about it...we don't do it anymore...THANK HEAVEN. I have never been a fan. President Rawlings was big on ruling on tracting except, he has this policy called "10 doors". So what it means is when you go to check on a former investigator or a potential or something, you tract 10 doors on either side of their door. I am not going to lie...I have always hated it...even though it's only 10. I know missionaries used to do that ALL STINKING DAY. I don't know how they did it, but I think it's super ineffective and at least in Finland, people get super offended and don't like to be disturbed at home. Although I have strong opinions, hahaha I try not to rock the boat, so I have always followed the 10 door rule and have never really seen much success with it. But boy oh boy, did that change! So about 4 weeks ago, Brother Aromaa gave us a referral of a childhood friend he used to have. Now he is pretty old, so we didn't really know what to expect, but man a referral is a referral. So we set out to find this lady. We knocked on her door, and no one was home. Immediately "10 doors" shot into my mind like a bolt of lightning. I kind of stood there and was like "Ugh...man...NOOOO." But my pouting lasted like 0.2 seconds and we started doing 10 doors. We start at the top of the building and worked our way down. Anyways, no one was answering. I am pretty sure that one dog almost broke the door down, headbutting it however, so thankfully he didn't break through #couldhavebeenbad but anyways, not too much was happening. This is about to get dramatic, ok...so we come to the last door and knock...we stand and stand and nothing. Then, the door opens really really slowly. It's dark inside...I can't see anything...and then I see a hand reach out...................to stop the door from opening because this guy didn't have clothes on...hahahaha sorry not too intense, but anyways, this guys says, in Finnish, "Let me put some clothes on." Thank heavens it was dark and I couldn't see anything, but anyways, this guy comes back. His name is Janne. He lives with his girlfriend and they have a cute little baby. #potentialeternalfamily He was kind of "busy" at the time, but he told us we could come back. 

    So that was about 4 weeks ago. We had a DA with the Nåsmans on Wednesday and they sort of live out by where Janne lives. We were sort of/borderline late for another appointment, but we had the strong impression to go check on Janne. So we go back and this time his girlfriend comes to the door. Her name is Heini and she is SO STINKING NICE. She told us we could come back and that they would love to hear more about our message! Guys...we found a finnish family....ok not really a family bound by matrimony, but we can work with that! I gained a testimony of 10 doors this week and we have a lesson with them in about 6 hours!! WAHOOO!! I hope with all my heart that all goes well! I have a good feeling about these two!! Oh in case you were wondering...we weren't late for our appointment. Follow the spirit always....it always works out! 

    So on Thursday, a member in our ward asked us if we could come do some service at her brand new möki...aka summer house! We said TOTTA KAI...and so Thursday morning we all set off. This member is awesome! She has 3 sons...all are super active, awesome members and she is just a rockstar. She has had such a hard life, but man, she really is so strong. I admire her a lot. But we had the best time cutting down trees and bushes and loading them up with her. She just kept saying how glad she was that we were there and she showed us all around the möki! Do we have möki's in Utah? Cause if not, we need to build one! Our family would have WAY too much fun with a möki! Plus..of course it had a sauna! It was awesome! But anyways, we just loaded up all these branches and bushes and set off for the dump. After we had unloaded all of the stuff, Sister Weijola looks at us and says, "Is it your lunch hour?" It was. We had gone over a little on our lunch hour. Anyways, she says, "Can I take you guys out to get burgers?" Sister Pace and I were like, "oh my goodness, no, you are totally fine, we love serving, please don't" blah blah blah and Sisar Weijola just sits there and then when we had finished she said, "Ok, well I am taking you to get burgers so get in the car." hahaha yes ma'am! You don't have to ask me twice when it comes to burgers! Anyways, we got burgers with her and it was just a great time! I love these members!!

    So Sister Thayne has the same birthday as me...I think you all know that, but we decided that we were going to get each other birthday presents and give them to each other at the mission conference! BTW, she got me a SUPER CUTE scarf that I love! #kiitsBFF anyways, there is this bakery in Vaasa that is MY FAVORITE! They make this delicious banana cake and Sister Thayne loves bananas so I wanted to buy her a piece and take it down to the conference. The lady that works in the bakery is super cute and is going to be an investigator. We want her to get baptized SO BAD. Luckily, we frequent the bakery enough...not too much...but enough that we are buds! Little by little...she is warming up to us. Last time we were there she even asked us about the church! YAAAA BABY!!! The power of the banana cake folks, its real!! 

    Later that night, we were down at the mission home in Espoo with all of the missionaries from the North. It was so great to see the Watsons. I just love them so much! I know I say it all the time, but they are WAY too easy to talk to! I talked to President while we were eating dinner for like 30 minutes about all the things, and Sister Watson is the same way! I feel like I have known them forever and they really make you feel like what you have to say is important. I think that is a great quality to have and one I hope I am developing! Anyways, we got to stay in the mission home which was super fun! I have to tell you though, I couldn't sleep AT ALL. It was like Christmas. I mean flip, David A. Bednar was coming to Finland. Holy cow! I have looked forward to this for weeks! I actually slept terrible that night because I was so excited. You best believe I woke up right at 6:30 that next morning, ready to go!

    So we all caravan ed to Haaga and were in the chapel by 10! First off, it was SO awesome to have all the Finnish missionaries there! There are only 110 of us and it was just so wonderful to see everyone especially my MTC group and Sister Jones and my other BFF Sister Curtis! I just love them all so much! I sent some pics home of my group...it's amazing how much we have all changed. I just can't believe it has almost been a year, but that's beside the point. Anyways, we all were sitting in the chapel, studying, and then in walks President and Sister Watson, Elder and Sister Kearon of the area presidency, and Elder and Sister Bednar. I love how we stand up when they walk in...it's so cool! Anyways, the spirit was strong in that room before they came in, but man, after they came, it was incredible! I could literally feel the spirit around me! Man...it gives me the chills just to think about it. I have never been in that "intimate" of a meeting with a general authority, let alone an apostle. It was awesome!!

    Sidenote: so our investigator/friend/"can't learn about the church" guy Viet was at the church on Tuesday and Sister Pace and I were talking to each other about how excited we were for Elder Bednar and Viet, who is hilarious and nosy, comes around and says, "Who is coming to Helsinki?" Sister Pace says, "Viet, do you know what an apostle is?" Viet said, "An apostle, you mean apostle? as in a package?" hahahaha he thought we meant A PARCEL. hahahaha man, you may not think that's funny, but I about died! I thought my siblings would appreciate that! It was super funny! 

    So anyways, the meeting. So Elder and Sister Kearon spoke and it was SUPER good. Mostly because Elder Kearon has a british accent! Man, it's a good thing I didn't go to England. I would have been too enthralled by their accents...anyways, both of their messages were really good. Then cute little Sister Bednar gets up and talks to us. She started off by saying "The spirit is here, can you feel it?" We all totally could. It was awesome and you could really tell how much everyone had prepared. Anyways, I don't know if you know this, but Elder Bednar's son served in Finland and he actually served in Vaasa. Isn't that crazy? But anyways, she talked about that and she said, "Before my son got his mission call, I was so worried because I wanted him to go somewhere safe. Elder Bednar wanted him to go somewhere hard. Well, we were both satisfied. Finland fits the bill." She talked about the gift of tongues and how our families need to be praying for us to receive the gift of tongues...I know you guys have been praying because there is literally NO WAY ON EARTH I could speak this language without it. Seriously...it's a miracle. But anyways, thank you for your prayers. :) 

    She also said something that gave the heart strings a nice little tug, she said, "I wish your mothers could be here to see your faces right now. This is magical." Man...I wanted nothing more than that right then. But it really got me thinking. If my mom could see me right now, would she be proud of the missionary and person that I am? I hope with all my heart that the answer would be yes! After that she gave us all a challenge....she told us to get a Book of Mormon and to go through and read it, highlighting any instance or evidence or mention of the Savior's atonement. She said to read it from cover to cover and then at the end, write a one-page summary about what we have found. She said her son did that on his mission and sent home is summary to his family to read for Christmas and it was amazing! I am starting that right now! I have wondered about how I can more fully understand and incorporate the Atonement into my life. This is such a simple way to do it. She said that she and Elder Bednar have done this and still do this for any gospel principle they want to understand better and she said it's amazing what you find. I love that! I mean flip, what better resource to learn about Jesus Christ than The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ! I am way excited to get started and would challenge whoever wants to...wink wink...to do the same! :)

    Then Elder Bednar got up and man, you should have seen his smile! He was so happy and he just looked thrilled to be there which was awesome! The way he taught us was amazing. He started off by saying the three words of finnish that he knows, which was awesome and way funny! He knew "kiitos" or thank you, "joulupuki" or Santa Claus and he said the third word he knows is harbor but in finnish that word is dangerously close to a swear word and his son, who speaks finnish, told him not to try to pronounce that third word or we would all laugh and laugh and laugh! Anyways, we thought that was funny and it was just funny to see him speaking finnish! No one speaks finnish! Ok, anyways, he then went on to talk about agency and the difference between acting and being acted upon. He said that he would never force anyone to answer a question and he hates playing the "Guess what's in my head game". He talked a lot about the culture of the church and some of the things, that are not doctrine, that we do, just because it's "the culture". He was way funny about everything, but a couple of things he told us to do that I want to share with you are to never force people in your classes to answer question, invite them to act, never take notes on exactly what the speaker is saying, listen to what the spirit tells you. Also, he said that when we give talks, we should just study and pray our hearts out before we speak to prepare, and that we really should speak without notes. Now flip, he is talking to the note taker of all note takers, but I determined that during my homecoming talk, I am not going to have notes. You can all keep tabs on my for that. But it really is way true. When it is unscripted, the spirit it there so much stronger.

    Anyways, I could sit here and try and tell you everything he said, but I don't remember, because I didn't write it down. But man, the things I wrote down in my study journal are answers to prayers that I didn't even know I had. He taught us about so many good things. Literally, I felt like all barriers were down when he was teaching and he was just saying exactly what Heavenly Father wanted us to hear. The notes that I took are evidence of that. I received answers to questions about my past, about what I am doing now, and also about my future, during and after my mission. I have never felt so inspired and uplifted as I did in that meeting. I felt like everything was possible, because we have Christ on our side. Christ is everything. We become yoked with Him by making covenants and we remained yoked as we keep them. He talked a lot about keeping covenants and trying hard each day to be a little better. He told us that the world we live in now is as good as it's going to be during our lifetimes. Kind of a scary thought, but he promised us each that as we keep our covenants, we will be alright. I knew that was true. I felt the truth of that statement so strongly, I can't even tell you. It's a scary thing to think of raising a family and being a parent in this world. I want nothing more than that, but It scares me to death. But he told us, "As you look ahead to your future, don't ever be afraid." I was so grateful to just be in his presence and to have the opportunity to be taught by a prophet of God. Seriously, I can't even describe it! 

    Man...I wish you all could have been there with me, but you were and I felt your love and the love of my Heavenly Father so strongly. I realized so many things and had so many personal prayers answered. It was wonderful! As we headed back to Vaasa, I had the thought come to me that as wonderful as that experience was, that is how General Conference should be every single time we watch it. We have the opportunity in about 3 weeks to be taught by every single prophet, seer, and revelator we have on the earth today. We all prepared so hard for Elder Bednar to come, and I know that if we all prepare ourselves for conference by praying that our questions will be answered and our minds and hearts will be open, they will be. I wrote down a lot of questions that I had before, and I put the list away. I didn't even look at it during the meeting. But when I came home, I looked at the list and literally, every single question was answered. It was awesome! I know that can happen for us all this conference. Let's all prepare and be spiritually recharged. We need it now more than ever!

    Man, there is so much more I want to talk about, but I don't have time. I just hope you all know that I know the church is true. There is no doubt in my mind. I am so grateful for prophets. They are evidence of God's love for us. We can look to them as another source of revelation and direction from our Heavenly Father. We are so blessed. This week for the first time on my mission, I woke up and it just felt normal to be a missionary. I felt like this is what I have been doing for my whole life. I didn't have to remind myself of where I was, I just knew where I was and knew what I was supposed to be doing. Being a missionary is incredible because we have our purpose in our minds all the time. I realized I have been nervous lately about going home and falling back into the trap of not doing missionary work. The thing is though, we can't fall into that trap and if we are in it, we better get the heck out. The work is moving forward. The Lord is Hastening this work with or without us. He gives us each the opportunity every single day to share the gospel. There really are no excuses to not share the gospel with those around us. I know that each of us, especially me, know at least one non-member person or family with whom we could share the gospel. We all need to stop making excuses, and start doing missionary work. 

    Now everyone pause for a second....I am a missionary and I am here to tell you that just giving the missionaries the names of your friends is not missionary work...at least not anymore. We need to have our friends over to our homes. Invite them to do things with our families. Talk about the gospel "normally and naturally". Help people see the blessings of the gospel before we throw up the doctrine in their face. People recognize a difference in us and tell them about it when they want to know what it is. We don't have to teach them anything, just tell them the truth. Think to yourself about why you are a member of the church. How has it blessed your life? Why do you do all the things you do? Dad you said this in your letter last week, but really think about those questions. Write the answers in your journal. Add to it when you think of other reasons. Man...I am sorry to monologue, but I just know the blessings that come from missionary work and I never want to stop doing it. I know it is so easy for me to say because I have nothing else to think about right now, but I really think if we "try a little harder to be a littler better" in missionary work, we will see amazing results. I know if we all pray for opportunities to share the gospel and REALLY INTEND to act, they will come. Without fail. We need to help our brothers and sisters get back to Heavenly Father. 

    Before conference comes, everyone should pray and ask Heavenly Father to tell us one person that we know who would accept the gospel soon in their lives and what we can do to help them. We will ALL get an answer and I promise you will be amazed at how closely the Lord is willing to work with us when we let Him in. This is His work. We just need to get over ourselves and our insecurities and get out of the way and share it. We can be tools in His hands...I never understood what that meant until I experienced it, but it's true. Trust the Lord. He will take care of us and our friends that we care so much about! Heavenly Father loves us. He wants us to know that. He wants us to feel that. He wants us to be brave and strong and to know that everything is going to be ok, regardless of what comes in the world. If we keep our covenants, we are independent of what the leaders of the world or anyone says or does because we are yoked with our Savior and we have made promises with God. Everything changes for the better after we make covenants. I am so grateful for baptism and for the temple. I know this is all true. It's all real and because of Jesus Christ, we can all live together again as a family! Wow. He literally saved us from death! We can never repay Him but man, we can sure do our best every day to be a little better! I love you all so much and hope you have the most amazing week! God answers prayers in His way and in His time...always!! You are all great! I love you so much!!

    Rakkaudellani,

    Sisar Olivia Bitner

    P.S. Something Finnish for the week....so you know how I said there are no cops on the road in Finland? Well everyone and their dog has one headlight that is burnt out because no one is there to pull them over and tell them! It's hilarious and Sister Pace and I are "perdiddle" masters now! If you don't know what perdiddle means...ask a kid or teenager! They will know! You are all awesome!!

    P.P.S.S. I just got called to be the district language coordinator...hahahahahaha I have to teach a finnish lesson in district meeting each week for 10-15 minutes! I laughed for about 234 minutes, but I just thought I would let you know! I love you all!!

Here are some photo's of us!

Me doing service at the möki

The möki

Switching trains in Tampere...the land of my birth!

My traveling companions

"For all the WONDERFUL you add to the world..."

    What up, buttercup? :) How the heck are you all doing? Another week down...where does the time go...ok I am done with the intros...Guys....I GOT YOUR PACKAGES THIS WEEK....oh my goodness. Seriously you guys are the best thing that has ever happened to me!! Two elders from our district were down in Helsinki this past week so they were able to bring my packages to district meeting...not going to lie, birthdays have always been my favorite, but this birthday and getting packages from you all was something special! Grandma, Rachel, and Anna...thank you so much! It was AWESOME to have all that birthday stuff...by the way, how did you get my name on that banner? You guys are the best! Thank you so much for thinking of me and I especially loved the scratch and sniff root beer stickers...you all know me too well! :) They don't have root beer in Finland so it was great to get to smell it at least! hahah I love you and thank you for the sweet cards! You are my best friends and I love you all! and Mom, Dad, Jocelyn, Anne, Lauren, Luke, and Caroline...HOLY FRIJOLES! You guys are the best. I LOVE the new shirts...they couldn't have come at a better time! And thanks to Jose Eber as well...my hair is not completely boring anymore! :) 

    Thank you for the sour patch kids, white chocolate hersheys, cheez-its, no bake cookies, earrings and all the other wonderful things. You all know me WAY too well! :) Thank you for the letters you wrote...I have read and re-read them so many times this week and every time I read them, I just think, man, I literally have the best family in the world. It's not even a contest! Seriously, I don't deserve you guys. Thank you so much! I have to tell you though, above everything else....the Louis Armstrong card...OH MY GOODNESS. K, so I just have to tell you the story...I could tell that it was a thicker card and I was like, "Oh man, if it's one of those voice recorder cards I am going to die"...you know how you can do that now, like put your voices in the card? Anyways, I was kind of nervous cause I knew I would bawl my eyes out if I heard your voices so I saved it until the end. Anyways, I am sitting there and Sister Pace is watching me and I open the card and read, "For all the wonderful you add to the world..." then I open it and hear, "YEEEESSSSS, I think to myself, what a wonderful world." Guys....I was bawling my eyes out. I was laughing and crying and ahhhh...I just missed you so much and was SO stinking happy that you found that card! It literally made my life. It is the most wonderful thing in the world! Thank you so much! Sister Pace was crying too...it was hilarious... and she said that my face was priceless...I wish I had a picture, but just know it made me so happy! I loved what you said Anne, "I wish I could see your reaction to this card" and then Mom when you said, "I saw this card and couldn't resist"...man...you really are the best! I love you all so much! Dad thank you for the money and for your sweet note...I love you so much and am so grateful for your example and for how hard you work for our family! We don't tell you half as much as we should, but we all appreciate it so much! I think about what how hard you worked to get through school and everything and how hard you have worked for everything that you have. The best part is, I know you have done it all because you love us...Thank you and I love you! Anne...you are wonderful and thank you so much for all the sweet things you said! P.S. your schedule looks bomb awesome! You have Brother Palmer? He is a way good teacher! Tell him I said Hi! Lauren, thank you so much for your letter! I was laughing SO hard when you were talking about cursive and spelling! You have changed so much, but will always be my BB! Luke and Caroline, thank you so much for the pics! I have them hanging up in my room! And Doce...Thanks for the email! You are the best too! I have just had the biggest bursts of love for you all this week...for as much as I type and ramble in these letters, I really can't express how much you all mean to me. Hopefully one day you know, but for now, just know that I love you all with all my heart and pray for you in every prayer! I hope you never forget that! :)

    One thing I wanted to say though, Mom and Dad, I have thought a lot this week about saying "I love you" to our family members and I just wanted to thank you both for making that such a big part of our family. I can't remember a time in my life when I walked out of the house or got off the phone with a member of our family and didn't tell them that I love them and have them say it back to me. I never really thought much about it as a kid, it was just what we did. Now that I am an old woman, however, :) I have come to realize how important it is to tell the people we love that we love them. All the time. There is no reason not to and it makes relationships SO much better. Just that little thing. Mom and Dad thank you so much for making that a part of our lives. I have been thinking a lot this week about "laying up treasures in heaven". I have just been so grateful for the value and importance our family places on relationships. Apart from knowledge and our testimonies and experiences in life, relationships are, in my opinion, the most important things in life and really will be our greatest treasures in heaven. They are the hardest, but most important thing and I am so grateful to you all for the relationships I have with each of you. Man, talk about a full heart this week...is it almost Thanksgiving? Everyday should be thanksgiving, No but seriously, I just love you all and hope you know that!! Thank you for everything!

    Man...whew...that was fun to talk about! But now, onto our week! We had a really good week this past week. Our numbers were the best this week they have been in a transfer and a half...not that numbers matter, but it is always good to be progressing and Sister Pace and I are really working on tightening up the screws and taking our missionary work to the next level. We had another lesson with Milla this week. She has read so much of the Book of Mormon on her own which is so awesome! I am so happy that she is enjoying it and really seems to understand it. We had planned on inviting her to be baptized this week, but I don't know, it's kind of been rough with her because she kind of doesn't take us seriously. She loves the Book of Mormon which is so good...like really, I have such a strong belief that the Book of Mormon, a willing heart, and the spirit are all it takes in missionary work, but as we were testifying and about to invite her to be baptized, she cracked some joke and the spirit totally left her home. We tried to bring it back, and I think she knew that and just kept laughing and talking and offering us pulla aka finnish delicious bread and anyways, the lesson didn't go so well. She lives with her boyfriend and we are pretty sure she knows that is wrong and that we are going to say something about it, but I know she likes us and likes when we come. It's hard sometimes because people feel the spirit when missionaries and members come and they know it's good and they like how they feel, but it scares them at the same time. Anyways, she is super busy with work so we are just trying to meet with her, but pray for Milla! She needs all of your faith! :)

    The kids are doing well. We are still trying to figure out how to work with the parents. The kids want to be baptized, but Caspian and Ronja are so young and to be honest, they get bored at church. But they really have no support from their parents to come so if they don't want to go, the parents don't make them go. That's what happened yesterday. Tinja, the 11 year old wanted to come to church. In fact, when we went to the door to walk with them to church, Tinja came running out of the door and ran out of the apartment building...she told us she loves how she feels at church because it is a "pyhä paikka" aka holy place! Man...become as a little child folks, its the way to go! Anyways, the kids are with their dad this week...it is SO much harder to work with him, but I am not giving up on these kids. They need this and if we have to keep driving to their house, teaching them at the door when they are with their dad, then that's what we will do. It's funny because the parents both like church, they just don't want to "pressure the kids into joining." I totally agree. No one should be pressured, but these kids want to be baptized, they just have 0 support. I don't know, maybe I am way off base. The bishop has said SO MANY TIMES that these kids need to be baptized and heck, I know they need to be baptized and Heavenly Father knows it, but maybe we are working with the parents the wrong way. The thing is though, if we keep pushing back the date until the parents are coming to church and supportive, it may never happen. Anyways, sorry to ramble, I am just at a loss right now of what to do with these kids! Just pray for these kids! They need some serious help...it's easy to feel small sometimes, working with people that have BIG problems, but that's when we turn to the Lord! Sister Pace and I were talking about that this week as we were walking down the street. She asked, "You know, I am not trying to destroy faith here, but why would anyone want to stop and talk to two american girls on the street who don't speak finnish about God? It's kind of crazy." It really is when you think about it. After much debate...ok it lasted like 30 seconds...we came to the mind blowing conclusion that they listen, because it is true and the ones who are prepared recognize the truth when we tell it to them. There is no other way this would work! I am so grateful that this is all true! It's all real! It's the best!

    So we taught Terttu and Leinä again. Seriously, they were two of the best lessons I have taught on my mission so far. It was funny because both of these ladies are SUPER active in their churches, Lutheran and Pentecostal. They both just wanted to bash with us...why do people like that? :) Anyways, at the beginning of Terttu's lesson, there was just a real bad spirit in the home...like a spirit of "We're about to throw down". We started talking and, just as expected, she just started ripping everything apart. As the lesson went on, what I had studied in personal study just kept pounding in my head...the words, "Make this personal...this is all about her" kept running over and over in my head. I have always known that...I think...but this was the first lesson in a long time, especially when someone is ripping apart everything that I believe and love, that I just stopped, looked at her and felt Heavenly Father's love for her and I knew in that moment that all he wants is for her to return back to him. She paused for like 0.4 seconds to take a breath and while she was pausing, I jumped in and testified of Heavenly Father's love for her. I told her how important she is to him and how He really just wants what is best for her. It's funny because what I said is something that I think in almost every lesson I teach, but I realized, right then, that I don't say that as much as I should. That really is what all of this is about. It's to bring Heavenly Father's children back. It's not about numbers or the missionaries. In fact, it never has been, never will be and never should be about anyone other than the investigator. It was just a super cool experience and afterwards, she committed to read the introduction to the Book of Mormon and to pray and ask Heavenly Father if what we had taught her was true! I had a really fun time teaching Terttu and Leinä that day! That is one thing I really want to do from this point on is to make everything we teach totally and completely personal for these people. That is when the spirit can testify that they really do have a loving Heavenly Father who has a plan for them and wants them back. It's awesome!

    So we have been doing really well with finding investigators these past few weeks. Last week we found 5 and this week we found 4. BAM! We have really been focusing on talking with everyone, by the spirit, asking for referrals from EVERYONE, and utilizing our assets better. We found 1 new investigator through "The Area Book Cleanse". Sister Pace had the flu on Friday and Saturday. Friday we did work, but Saturday she was super sick, so she was sleeping it off and I went through and cleaned out the Area Book. So here's the thing...in Vaasa, there is a block of student housing known as "Olympia". I think I have talked about it before but man...you know the slums on Batman Begins? Ya, that's what Olympia is like but not as dark or scary. It's just this maze and this place is chuck full of foreigners. Well, in the past, a lot of missionaries have tracted out Olympia to find investigators, because you are pretty much guaranteed to find someone. We teach anyone who will listen, but the problem with doing that is that these students who the missionaries teach live in Finland for like 4 months to 1 year and then they leave and never come back again. Anyways, our area book was just stuffed with teaching records of people with only their name and their telephone number. So while Sister Pace was sleeping, I called all the people...ALL the people. It was awful, but we got it cleaned out and actually found one new investigator through it. His name is Femmi. He has lived in Finland for 3 years and LOVED meeting with the missionaries about 2 1/2 years ago and then for some reason, they never came back. Anyways, we taught him last night and he is super genuine. Like I was a little skeptical, not going to lie, but he had a lot of good questions and we are teaching him again this week and are super excited about it!

    While we were going to Femmi's house, there was this african woman standing outside her house, smoking. Sister Pace and I stopped and started talking to her. Come to find out she is like hard core Protestant and believes she is saved...sidenote: I can't believe people really believe all you have to do to "be saved" is to tell God you sinned and "mean it"...man...being saved on those terms seems like a little puny thing...it's so not! Anyways, this lady wasn't wanting to talk, but she said, "Hey, I have a roommate who needs God...she is from China...would you two like to talk to her?" Of course we said YES and this cute little chinese girl in footie pajamas #rockon came out and said, "I would love to learn more about the God." The chinese are back everyone! The whole in my heart is being filled! :) Anyways, we have a lesson with Hexiayan tonight...that's her name...she wrote it down...I have no idea how to say it...and I am way excited for it. Honestly hearing someone pray for the first time who has never prayed before is my favorite thing. We are focusing on prayer tonight, so hopefully all goes well and hopefully she prays with us! :)

    We have a new district...that's always a fun time! We got two new greenies in our district, Elder Smith and Elder Reyes. All the rest stayed the same! Elder Reyes is a convert of a little over a year and he told us his conversion story during lunch after district meeting. Man, it was so cool. He is from L.A. and he told us how earlier in his life, he had nothing. He didn't believe in God at all or really anything for that matter and he told us that when he thought about life after death, it scared him. He worked as a paramedic...or was studying to become one...and he said this 40 year old guy came in one day...or his family brought him in because of heart failure. This family had been playing basketball and the dad just dropped. Anyways, long story short, they couldn't save this dad and he passed away. Elder Reyes said that when he watched the man die and then went out into the hall and saw his kids and wife crying and mourning for their father, he knew that there had to be something more after this. He said, "I never really understood why I wanted to be a paramedic, but that day, I knew that I needed to have experiences like that in order for my heart to soften." Anyways, he had a member friend who he talked to about life after death and all the good things. He started meeting with the missionaries, but he was drinking way hard and was into drugs. He said the missionaries literally saved his life and he loves them so much. It was so cool to be able to hear about someone's conversion from their perspective, especially a young, "punk" surfer dude from California who really didn't care about anything and now he is here in Finland, wearing a white shirt and tie, talking to people about God. The gospel is incredible and can change anyone. No problem is to big. It was a really cool experience to hear his story!

     Sorry this letter is kind of lame. Sorry if all of my letters are kind of lame. I found myself wishing the other day that I had amazing stories of "thousands being baptized" and all the other stuff, but I have learned a lot this week about gratitude. You know, we all see miracles in our lives everyday. I see them all the time here in Finland. Ya, there may not be thousands of members here and we don't have the highest, record breaking numbers here, but the work is going forward, unhindered. It really is. Every time I start to get frustrated or start to lose hope, I just think of how much the mission has changed since I have been here. It's pretty incredible to see how things that we used to focus so much on when I was a greenie are just second nature to all the missionaries now. I am so grateful for President Rawlings and all he did for this mission and for President Watson's leadership as well. I am just so grateful to be where I am. Granted, it's not always easy. I have to tell you, I have been really worried about being in one place for a long time. I have been in Vaasa for 6 months...that's not too long, I know people are in places for 1+ years, but I just don't want to get too comfortable. I have this fetish in my brain that I think I have developed on my mission. I feel as though if I am not struggling or having a super hard time in life, I am not progressing or moving forward. 

    Right now, life is pretty simple. My companion and I are friends now, our area is growing and doing really well, we love the members and they love us, my family is all happy and well, my friends are awesome and are all being just their amazing selves....I have found myself looking around and thinking, "What the heck, this is too easy...I must be doing something wrong." Talk about backwards thinking. I was praying the other night and was just super frustrated with myself. I have been thinking and praying a lot to know why I am still in Vaasa and what Heavenly Father wants me to do here because honestly, I felt like I was leaving and I felt like I needed a change. I was just kneeling there by my bed, not really saying anything, and I really felt the "still, small voice" tell me that I need to slow down, look around myself, and enjoy the journey. It really was that straightforward and simple. I think I have a tendency to get so focused on the task at hand or the end goal that I completely forget to stop and look around me and just to enjoy my life and enjoy all the blessings my Father in Heaven has given to me. I have been better with this at times on my mission than at others, but I just look back on my life and my mission and I have realized I haven't let myself enjoy my life as much as I should have. Now I don't mean to say that I haven't enjoyed my life at all, because I have, but I just want you all to know that I have a testimony of Heavenly Father's love for us. That love includes his desire for us to be happy and to enjoy our lives and to be grateful for all that we have. He wants us to work hard, but he wants us to SLOW DOWN. We can never stop trying to be our best, I know I can never stop trying to improve, but I know that Heavenly Father wants me to enjoy this time I have in Vaasa...my favorite place in the world with people that I love SO much, being supported by a family as wonderful as you. I really don't know why he has blessed me so much. I feel so unworthy of all that I have, but I just hope you all know that I am working as hard as I can here in Finland. I want nothing more than to make you all proud and to do the will of my Father in Heaven. If serving a mission is a way that I can say thank you to my Heavenly Father and my Savior for all that they have done for me, I would stay here and do this forever. You all mean the world to me. I know I am so not perfect, but thank you for loving me in spite of that. When I opened your package, I just cried and cried. Why am I so lucky? What did I do to deserve you all? Probably nothing. Heavenly Father just knew I needed you all. Thank you for who you are! I wish I had time to write you all individually, every single one of you and tell you everything I love and appreciate about you, but I pray every day that Heavenly Father will help you all to feel of my love for you. Anyways, I just hope that you all feel that you are a part of my mission. I know I ramble and write about things that probably don't matter, but I just want you to be a part of it and to really know and feel what it's like to be a finnish missionary...at least through my eyes. Ok, I am done now! I just love you! :) Thank you for all "the wonderful you add to the world."

    Anyways, "Something Finnish" for the week...a member in Tampere told me...in English...that all Finnish people fall into the category of gnomes, trolls, or elves. Let me 'splain...so their facial features resemble that of a gnome, a troll, or an elf. I read my journal the other day about that and I laughed for about 43895 hours because it is SO TRUE. There are 3 distinct groups and you can pretty much put them all in one...how is that for generalizing my favorite people in the world? :) It's just way funny...Finns are the best and I love them a lot!!! 

    We are super pumped this week...we go down to Helsinki on Thursday and then ELDER BEDNAR IS SPEAKING TO ALL OF US ON FRIDAY! I am so excited and I have been praying so hard that I will be able to receive some answers to my prayers during this meeting. Elder Bednar told President Watson that he REALLY wants us to prepare well. I have heard Elder Bednar has cancelled meetings before because he felt people didn't prepare or weren't ready...man...I hope you guys enjoyed those talks I sent and really studied them. They are so good and apply to each of us for different reasons! Anyways, I am so excited to tell you about it next week and will probably have all sorts of good pictures of me and ALL MY FRIENDS!! 3 of my former companions are dead...RIP Sister Egan, Sister Foster and Sister Frog...Fronk.. :) But I am SO PUMPED to see Sister Thayne, Sister Pack, Sister Woods, Sister Dixon, Sister Jones, and all the other wonderful missionaries I know and love! My best friends are in this mission! It's going to be so great and we get to stay at the mission home! Party on! Anyways I love you all so much and if there is anything I can do for you, please let me know! I want to help you all if I can! Keep me posted on all the good things! Thanks again for the packages...it literally made my life! :) I am saving the blue shirt for the Elder Bednar day...I have my outfit all planned out! hahahaha some things never change! I love you so much!! Have the best week ever!

    Rakkaudellani,

    Sisar Olivia Bitner

    P.S. My bike is a champ...seriously she is holding up really well! Thank you so much dad for letting me buy one and for all the other stuff! I am just really grateful for you! Ok, bye!!!

My greenie and our ex AP, Elder Heaney...he just went home

My attempt at being creative...I was a photographer for the Fairfield Junior High yearbook

Finnish clouds...dang girl

BEST BIRTHDAY EVER! YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING!!!

I love you all more than life itself!!! Thank you so much for everything!!

One year older...still working on the wiser part... :)

     No, Moi! Miten mene? Well how the heck are you all doing? I have the best family in the world...truly...you are the best...speaking of Truly, Joce, Anne, Lauren, Luke, and Caroline...never forget Lionel Richie...."I'm TRULYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY, Truly in love with you girl." I tried to explain to Sister Pace this week how funny it is when we all scream that song together in the car, but you just have to be there I guess! :) Remember me when you hear that song! haha But anyways, I hope you all had a great week. First week of school...man I want to hear all about your classes and teachers and everything! Fill me in! Also, Thank you ALL so much for the birthday wishes! I missed you all so much on my birthday...we always go so ham with birthdays in our family, but I knew that you were all thinking of me and I am SO glad you bought a cake and ate it at the ranch...that is hilarious and AWESOME!! It made my whole day to see that! Thank you so much! Also, a couple shoutouts, thank you so much to the ward for the wonderful birthday card! It was so nice of you all to think of me. We have the best ward ever...but I am not going to lie, I didn't know about half of the names, so that's going to be a little weird when I come home, but hey, that's ok! I am sure all the newbies are wonderful and I already flipping love the oldies so anyways, you are all just great and thank you so much! Also....GRANDMA IS SINGING IN CONFERENCE!! Heck ya!! I am SOOOO beyond excited that I get to see your beautiful face Grandma! Keep me posted on where you are sitting and you best believe I will be glued to the screen until I see you...I'll probably cry, but that's ok! I just love you so much! :) Also, shoutout to my madre...minun äitini...New Young Women's Prez!!! Dang girl! I am way happy for you mom. You evidently are just meant to help the young women of the church...I mean you had 5 daughters and have been in a Young Women's Presidency for most of your life...you are so wonderful mom and I am so blessed and humbled to be your daughter! You are pretty much the perfect example of what a good wife, mother, daughter, friend, and just person in general should be! Just be yourself in this calling and you will KILL IT! I know you will and I am always praying for you!! I love you all so much!!

    So...drumroll please....Sister Bitner is staying in Vaasa and finishing Sister Pace's training! This will be my first companion I have had for more than one transfer...wow...what an experience! I am really happy to be staying here in Vaasa and Sister Pace and I really have worked things out and are so much better friends than we were before. It's amazing to see how much that has reflected in our missionary work. People can feel when there is tension and people can feel when you are having fun and loving everything! It's so much more effective when you are on good terms with your companion, but at the same time, I am so grateful that last change was so hard. I learned so much from Sister Pace and will still continue to, I am sure. She is a great missionary and really has such a strong desire to be here. I am grateful to be her companion. But hey, keep us in your prayers still. We can use all the help we can get. But, I just have to say that it is the greatest tender mercy in the world that I can stay in Vaasa. I freaking love Vaasa. I didn't even want to think about leaving this place, and I am SO glad I don't have to worry about it for a few more months. The thing is though, now we are getting closer and closer to Christmas and I would LOVE to be here for that. These people are my family. Like seriously though, I love every single member of this branch here. They are the greatest but I am just so grateful to have another transfer here. At the end of this change, I will have been in Vaasa for 7 months...that's a long time!! YIPPEE!!! :) 

    Well, We are at the beginning of a new transfer. That is always a super cool and interesting time as a missionary. I love it because you really get a chance to step back and ask yourself, "How can I take my missionary work to the next level?" Sister Pace and I went out this morning and rededicated Vaasa to the Lord. I love doing that at the beginning of a transfer. It really reminds me why I am here and that the Lord has given me stewardship over this place. It's super humbling and it's really easy to feel super small sometimes...even though Vaasa isn't very big, but still I just love it. One super cool thing though I wanted to mention is about "Visions". Not like..."Oh an angel is next to my bed," but establishing visions for ourselves of where we want to be. Sister Fronk and I established a vision for Vaasa in May that, by the end of September 2014, we wanted to have 2 "youth" baptisms, 1 reactivation, 2 "other" baptisms, and 6 member family implementing family mission plans. Also our "overall vision" was that we wanted to FIND THE FINNS. Vaasa has been notorious in the past for missionaries just teaching foreigners...not that that is a bad thing, but we really wanted to focus on finding people who are going to stay in Finland and build the kingdom here. Well, it's just been amazing to look back and see how much Heavenly Father has blessed us to accomplish this vision. Definitely by the end of hopefully October, we will have 1 youth baptism, 3 other baptisms, and hopefully 3 reactivations and we are still working with a lot of members in our ward which are in the process of having mission plans! I think one of the greatest things about setting goals is that we can look back and see how much the Lord has blessed us and we can DEFINITELY see his hand in our work and in our lives! I am just super excited for this change and I know a lot of good things are going to happen!

    Something Finnish for the week...Nordic walking. Go google it. It's hilarious and literally EVERYONE AND THEIR DOG does it. They walk around with ski poles and really pump the arms. All the Finns do it. It is so funny, but man, it looks like pretty good exercise. Also, some people roller blade with ski poles too...I don't really see how that is exercise, but hey, I can't even remember the last time I rollerbladed. Is that a verb? Probs not! I bet it Probably would be hard for an old fuddy duddy like me....mom and dad, I am 20.....hahahaha you have a 20 year old child! That is weird!! Anyways, it's really funny and SO FINNISH. I love it about them!!! 

    First things first, I have to write about the Nåsman's. I LOVE THE NÅSMANS!!! Brother Nåsman is the district president, and they are just the most wonderful family. They have 4 kids. 2 boys. 2 girls. 2 are married and one is on a mission in Taiwan and one is still at home. I am sure I have probably mentioned them, but I have just grown so close with their family over these past 5 months. They really remind me so much of our family...especially Brother and Sister Nåsman and Mom and Dad....I just love them a lot. They have us over to eat every other week. It is so wonderful of them to feed us and Sister Nåsman is always making sure we are doing ok and she always offers to help. It's kind of nice to have a sort of "mom" figure sometimes. I really miss my mom #bestmomever #loveyoulady :) But I just really appreciate all they have done. We had a DA with them this week with a less active and one of the elder's investigators and they are just the most awesome missionaries and members EVER. Brother Nåsman is a lawyer and he has a SUPER SWEET BMW. Funny story...so last week, we went over to their house to do some service. They have a summer home aka möki and they had cut some trees down so they could cut some firewood for the möki. Anyways, Veli Nåsman felt super bad that Sister Nåsman had asked the sisters to come help haul all of this wood out of the forest, but Sister Nåsman is just hilarious and said, "Oh the Sisters can do it." I love her. Anyways, we just had the best time hauling wood out and chatting with Veli Nåsman and then afterwards, he hooked up his trailer to the BMW and said, "Hey sisters, would you like to come with me and my wife to the möki to unload the wood?" Sister Pace and I have been talking about this car for 10 weeks and we jumped at the chance to ride in it. Sister Nåsman comes running out with Fazer chocolate bars and gives them to us and just kept saying "Thank you so much sisters, we just love you." So my companion and I sat in the back of our district president's BMW eating Fazer chocolate, riding through the forest of Finland. #poshlife No but seriously, it was so fun to be with them and to do service and I just love their family. They have the same sense of humor as our family and it just cracks me up to be with them. I feel so welcome in their home and anyways, I am done rambling about the Nåsmans, but they are awesome!!! Plus their youngest daughter looks just like Anne and I always tell her that when I see her. It's crazy!!! She's beautiful, just like you! :)

    So on Wednesday evenings, we have been teaching a Finnish class for foreigners. It's super hilarious!! We have 2 vietnamese "students" and 1 nepalese...person from Nepal...is that how you say that? Oh well, they have been coming and two more are coming this week who are also from Nepal. It is seriously HILARIOUS and is a great way to get people to come to the church. I never thought in a billion zillion years that I would be able to teach finnish to someone....it's kind of been nice to know that I am still not a complete idiot, but seriously! I don't speak finnish well, but just the fact that I can get around this place and buy train tickets and talk to members and shop at the store and all these things astounds me every day. I do not have a "kieli pää" as they say in Finland or a language brain and Heavenly Father really has blessed me so much. So for all of you future missionaries who are learning a language...if I can learn Finnish....ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE. But on the other hand, I have worked my tail off to understand this crazy language and I know that Heavenly Father has made more of my effort than I could by myself. Anyways, I have just been super grateful recently that I can speak Finnish so I thought I would share that with you!!! There can be miracles if you believe...and study!!! :)

    We reset Tuulia's kid's baptismal dates this week for October 18. We are going to try this another way...SLOWWWWWWWW!!!!!!! Sister Pace and I have both been feeling that we can't just baptize these kids and throw them to the dogs...they need some support when they are done, so we are working with both of the parents now and just really trying to make it so they will have a support system after they are baptized. It's amazing how baptism is the first step, but that is SO NOT the end of it all. Getting baptized is the easy part. The hard part is "Enduring to the End" but man, it's so worth it! The kids came to church on Sunday though and LOVED it. They both wanted to sit by me which is so cute...hasn't happened in awhile :) jk Sister Pace was giving a talk, so I was sitting by myself, with the kids, but anyways, it was just great to be there with them! I love these kids and can't wait for them to be baptized!!! Pray for their family though. There are a lot of pretty serious problems with the parents and they could definitely use your prayers!!!

    Our investigator Milla is doing pretty well...she has been kind of flaky lately, but we went and had lunch one day at the restaurant where she works. We aren't sure if she is completely ready right now, but we have another lesson with her this week so hopefully all goes well. It's been really interesting lately for me to realize how CRUCIAL it is that these people we teach have real intent. We cannot and should not drag someone to baptism. All we can do is invite these people to make and keep commitments. Actually dad, that is what I wanted to tell you for mission prep. Have the missionaries practice teaching to commitments! That is an aspect of teaching that is SO STINKING IMPORTANT. If we don't invite them to do anything, they don't even have the possibility to change. Earlier in my mission it was really hard for me to commit people to do things. Partly because investigators are sometimes few and far between and I didn't want to lose the ones that we had, but I have come to realize that we HAVE to invite them to make and keep commitments. That is the whole point. We don't want to teach those that aren't ready. We are here to find the elect and the elect are around us, but if we waste all our time teaching those that really don't have that "willing heart and mind" that is so critical, we won't go anywhere. It's super hard though because you really grow to love these people so much, but our job is to give them the best chance that we can and to teach it simply and clearly so that they can choose for themselves. Anyways, that's my two cents for the week on mission prep! :)

    So on Friday, we had a miracle day in Seinäjoki...seriously....it is only by the grace of God that this day went so well. So we drove down there and as we were driving along the road, this big yellow house with a red roof really caught my attention. I have driven to Seinäjoki TONS of times and have never ever noticed this house before. We passed it and I had the STRONGEST feeling ever that we needed to go knock on that door. At first I was like, "Psh, ya right, then I'll get kicked out of the monastery", but then I thought...Ok...follow the spirit...duh! So we flipped the car around and set off to find this house. Well...I kid you not, the house is not real. We looked and looked and drove and walked and climbed and hacked through the bushes and....NOTHING....it wasn't there. I didn't know if I was crazy or what, but we got back into the car to finish driving to Seinäjoki and honestly, I was a little ticked. I was like, "What the heck, we just wasted like 30 minutes looking for this dumb house that isn't even real." We get to Seinäjoki and we had planned to go contact a referral when we first got there. We go to this lady's house and I am still secretly bugged that the yellow house isn't real and this lady opens the door and says, "Oh good, you two are here. Come in." I was like, "Wait, what? Are you serious?" I didn't ask her that...good thing :) But anyways we go in and talk to Terttu, and she said, "I knew you guys were coming today"....we never have met her before...she continued, "but I was so worried that I would miss you...I just got home 5 minutes ago." Now let me take a few steps back...we have tried to contact Terttu like 32327 times and she has NEVER been home. So earlier Friday morning, Sisar Pace and I told Heavenly Father that we would try Terttu one more time and then we weren't going to go back. Well, He knew we weren't kidding so he helped me lose my mind for a few minutes while seeing mirages of "yellow houses" so that we could actually get the chance to talk to Terttu. Anyways, she is awesome and is a new investigator and I just still can't get over how involved Heavenly Father and the Savior are in this work. It's amazing and it was super hilarious and I don't think I am crazy...yet! Heavenly Father just has a sense of humor! :)

    Anyways, as the day in Seinäjoki goes on, we got 2 phone calls from former investigators asking if we could come back and meet with them again...what? Ok....TOTTA KAI!!! Of course!!! Poe and Soe Meh, those two Burmese girls we taught awhile back are investigators again and one girl named Sam from Vietnam. I haven't ever taught her, but she was progressing really well apparently and then left to pick Strawberries on a farm for 6 months #finlandlife but good news, she is back and is now a new investigator! Then at 18:00, we had a lesson with Päivi, another former investigator who the elders had talked to. She came to the church and was just glowing. I have never seen someone like that. She has had such a hard life...her husband is an alcoholic...can I just say how much I HATE alcohol. It is horrible. Anyways, she has probably the strongest faith in Christ I have ever seen an investigator have and she LOVES him. It is my favorite thing in the world to teach and testify about Christ. I LOVE IT SO MUCH. Anyways, the branch president in Seinäjoki said that the next baptism there is going to be on November 15. I think it is going to be Päivi!! I am super excited about her and really just love her already! She is wonderful!

    Sidenote: there is this one turkish guy who plays soccer with us and is Muslim...yay....they are always trying to argue with us about our religion and Jesus and Mohammed and all that other stuff, but anyways, he came up to me on Saturday and said, "Jesus Christ is not God's son." That's all he said... and walked away. After he walked away I felt absolutely SICK TO MY STOMACH and I just looked at him walk away and then I ran over to Him and I said, "I know that Jesus Christ is God's Son and He is our Savior". It sounds kind of weird, but it was one of the coolest, most black and white experiences of my mission. When he said that horrible lie to me, I felt like all the light and love and hope and goodness drain out of me. I felt empty and sick. It was weird. But when I testified of Christ, it all came back so strongly and I was SO happy and grateful that I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior. Anyways, it's really cool how sometimes when people bash our beliefs or laugh at them or mock them, those are the most wonderful times to testify. It was a way cool experience for me and it happened on my birthday! IT WAS AWESOME!!!

    Speaking of my birthday...it was way good! :) I had a wonderful 20th Finnish Birthday! I always wake up super happy on my birthday and this year was no exception. The only downer was that Sister Pace didn't feel well. She has had a SUPER bad sore throat and cold, so she slept in a little bit, but I was able to study and write in my journal and ready some old letters from my family and just have the greatest morning ever. I was so full of gratitude and joy for all that Heavenly Father has blessed me with, especially my mission, the gospel, and my family. I missed you guys so much...not going to lie, I cried a bit, but it was really good and I just kept thinking about how grateful I am that I can be with you guys forever. I am not going to lie, sometimes I get homesick...still. I miss you guys like crazy and just can't wait for the day I get to see you again. I usually don't let myself think about it, because it's just hard, but this time was different. I miss you guys, yes, but man, I am so grateful for eternal families. This week, dad, I testified to one of our investigators about God's plan for us and about families being together forever. I shared the story about when you had cancer and how terrified I was. That really was the first time in my life I ever really thought about Heavenly Father's plan and what that really means. But as horrible as that trial was, our family is so much stronger because of it. I am so grateful for this plan our Father has for us. It seriously is the greatest source of hope in the world! 

    Anyways, we played soccer on my birthday...I scored some pretty sick goals which was awesome! It makes the turks mad which secretly makes me happy...don't worry, my competitiveness has toned down....hahahahaha....NOT. Just kidding, it has but I love to play soccer. It was our last game. Now we start playing sähly or floor hockey on Saturdays, but it was a great way to end the soccer era. The best thing though was after soccer, the members all came around and sang "Happy Birthday" to me in Finnish and then our friend Vesa from the ward...he is awesome...gave me a bar of my favorite finnish chocolate which was freaking awesome!!! I was way happy!! Sister Pace also made me a burger shaped like a heart for my birthday....I love burgers...she is awesome and it was so good! Then we had some chocolate chip cookie dough so after we had planned that night, we made some cookies and I blew out a match for my 20th birthday! I didn't even know what to wish for, but I made a good one...I am pretty sure it will come true! :) I just love birthdays and thanks again for all the birthday wishes. I didn't get the package yet mom, but we go down to Helsinki next week so I will probably get it then!! Thanks again for that!! :)

    Well guys, I am just really happy! Granted, we all have our days, but I have learned so much on my mission about the reality of choosing to be happy. I love the quote from President Monson, "We can choose to have a positive attitude. We can't direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails. In other words, we can choose to be happy and positive, regardless of what comes our way." It's so true. I have been studying a lot about Faith lately...Elder Bednar told President Watson to have us study 3 of his former talks before he comes, which I will forward to you, by the way...they are all BRILLIANT...but anyways, he talks a lot about acting vs. being acted upon. There are so many ways to apply this principle, but I have especially thought about it a lot recently regarding happiness. We can be agents unto ourselves and literally DECIDE to be happy or we can let other people's actions or behavior make us sad. It's really that simple. I think when we all really take control of our lives and our happiness and say, "You know what, this is not going to bring me down anymore. I am choosing RIGHT NOW to be happy." It doesn't come all at once, trust me. Just saying that isn't enough. We have to work with ourselves and really work ourselves out of funks or sadness or just feelings of BLEH!!! But I know that with consistent and persistent effort, it comes. Being happy is a habit, just as much as reading your scriptures or saying your prayers. Someone said that you have to do something 20 something times in order for it to be a habit...do you like my quoting skills back there...sorry :) But anyways, it's so true. Taking control of our happiness gives us a sense of freedom like none other. Heavenly Father wants us to be free. He will help us get there, but we have to decide. He can't and won't take away our agency. Anyways, I would be lying if I said I was happy everyday, cause I'm not, but I know that we can work through our sadness and we really truly can be happy, always. My favorite scripture is Mosiah 2:41. It says 

    41: And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it.

    I love that so much. It is on my mission plaque. If we are keeping the commandments and we decide that we want to be happy, there literally is nothing standing in our way. At the same time, it's not just a "one and done" deal. It's like brushing your teeth...you can't just brush your teeth really well on Monday and then hope it lasts for the whole week. You have to brush every single day. It's the same with any good habit. We can't just go to church on Sunday and never read our scriptures or prayer for the rest of the week and hope that our Sunday juice carries over. We can't just have one good day where we are bubbles and sunshine and happiness and hope that it carries over for the rest of the week. We have to decide every day what kind of person we are going to be, if we are going to brush our teeth or not, if we are going to study our scriptures and pray, what kind of a day we are going to have, and if we are going to be happy. The funny thing is, most things turn out the way we decide they will. Kind of funny how that works. I think I have quoted dad's and mom's letter before, but when I was in the MTC, you both wrote me a letter and you said, Dad, "Who cares if the home grass is greener, make the most of the grass you possess." Mom, you said, "Take the love that we have for you and let that make you happy." You have no idea how many times I have thought of those letters during my mission and especially those lines. You are both so right. I hope that we all can choose today to let our blessings and the Lord's hand in our lives make us happy and also to make the most of the grass we possess. Let's all adjust the sails on our happiness boats this week and make it the best week ever!! I love you all to death and hope you have the most spectacular week in the history of the world!! You da best!!!

    Rakkaudellani,

    Sisar Bitner

Sisar Kristo...she is hilarious...member....

Elders in our district

Me eating pizza...yay!

Our Seinäjoki friends...Päivi

Sisar Niemistö

Poe and Soe Meh

First pic as a 20 year old YAYAYAYAY!!!!!!!

Sister Pace made me a heart burger...YAYAYAYAY!!!

My birthday cake...Chocolate chip cookies...YAYAYAY!!!

Some selfies after we went running....I am so cool....NOT!!! hahaha

The Decade of Decision

    Wow! What's up guys? How are you all doing? I hope you had the best week ever cause you all deserve it because you're wonderful and I love you! :) I have been thinking a lot about my little sister Joce's first experience in a singles ward....hahahahaha man, I hope it was so great and I want to hear all about it! Anne, I hope soccer went well...have  you played Davis yet? Try and get the cup back for us...we haven't had it for awhile! :) Lauren I hope tennis and 8th grade is just the best thing ever and Luke and Caroline...how the heck are you two? I miss you all so much! Mom and Dad, you are both wonderful! I am so grateful for you and for all you both have taught me...I printed off the picture you sent me of your side of the family, mom, at the temple last week and I put it up on my wall...you are all just so wonderful! I have the best family in the world! Speaking of family...I think it is my Birthday Buddy's birthday this Friday so Will, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! I am so sorry I can't be there to share it with you this year, but have the best 9th birthday ever and know how much I LOVE YOU!!! Also shout out to by BFF Abby-G during 20 this week! Dang girl, you are so old! :) The title of my email is the decade of decision....cause that's what we are about to enter woman!! How scary is that? I am super excited to not be a teenager though! I know this probably sounds way stupid, but I love my birthday so much. I really don't even care if anyone gives me anything or says happy birthday, although that is great, but just think, a whole day dedicated to the fact that you were born. Literally, we have done absolutely nothing to merit any sort of recognition or celebration, and yet, it it like the BEST DAY EVER! I think we really should celebrate our mothers...that makes more sense! But anyways, I just love birthdays and am super excited to be in Finland for my 20th!! YIPPEE!! But Mom, I have been CRAVING sweet and sour chicken and oriental rice...real bad! Could you send me that next week? Also, I really don't remember what my favorite foods are anymore...probably cause I love all food, but if you see any recipes that remind you of me that I could make...remember, I am a beginner....send them on over! I am kind of getting sick of the food I make! Time to shake it up! But anyways, I love you all so much! Thanks for all your prayers on my behalf. I feel them ALL THE TIME!!! You are the best!!

    Well Fall is on it's way in good old Finland. I FLIPPING LOVE FALL!! I love when the weather is just a little bit cold, to the point where you can't decide whether to wear a jacket or not...I love that boots are once again practical...YAY...and that scarfs and coats and jackets and sweaters are all coming back...wow, I guess I just like clothes...is that all I think about? Absolutely....not! But anyways, Fall in Finland is just as beautiful as winter, spring, and summer have been! This seriously is the most beautiful place. I know I talked about the clouds already, but MY GOODNESS!! The clouds here would blow your mind! They are gorgeous! If you all want to just move here, that would be fine with me and then I could stay forever! I was thinking about it the other day and the only thing I will be happy about when I leave Finland is seeing you guys. Everything else is going to rip my heart out, but we can worry about that later...right now I am just going to enjoy all the good things and hopefully share it with my wonderful family! Finland is beautiful and I love it here! That is my "Something Finnish" for the week...Finns love Finland SOOOO much and I really love that about them. They build their cities and homes AROUND nature...ok, calm down...I am not going tree hugger on anyone, but it's super funny cause we will be walking down the street and all the sudden this GINORMOUS boulder is just sitting right in someone's front yard. We always just stop and laugh and shake our heads and say "Oh, the Finns!" They would rather leave things the way they are than disrupt nature. It's really a way good thing and is one of the reasons their country is so beautiful! Yay for Finland!

    I realized last night that I haven't really written anything about our BOMB AWESOME new mission president and his wonderful wife! So the Watsons are great! Seriously, I love them so much! It was so good to be down at Interim with them. I actually talked to them for a way long time during lunch one day! They are from Heber City, UT and Dad, we talked all about Bitner Ranch and President said that he is absolutely sure that his dad or grandpa or someone knew the Bitners...small world! Pays to have a sheep ranch! :) Anyways, it is just so easy to talk to them. Each time I have talked to President and Sister Watson, I know that they love me for who I am and want the best for me! They really are so great. Sister Watson misses her family and was telling me about all of her grandkids. She is seriously the sweetest person I know and you can just tell she is and always has been a really good person. President is super funny and is SOOOO nice and He is really good at simplifying the gospel and focusing on the basics. He just really makes you feel so good about yourself. They are wonderful people and I am so grateful for them! 

    I think I have told you about soccer. We play every Saturday and it's really turned into this HUGE thing. We have these 5 turkish men that come and are pretty crazy! They are really good and go a little too hard...some people just take things so seriously! :) But anyways it's so much fun to play and it makes me feel so good! I love soccer so much and Sister Pace is a champ to play with me. She doesn't really like it...but she still plays. I really appreciate that! Anyways, I scored a sick header goal and won the friendship of the turks! My life is complete! :) Transfer calls are on my birthday! I am not going to lie, I am pretty nervous, but I am trying not to borrow problems from tomorrow. No point in doing that #parkinsonworrybunch #iworryallthetime but I might be staying or leaving Vaasa! We will see what happens!! 

    So this week, I didn't feel very well on Thursday. I woke up had the worst headache I have had in a long time. I was super dizzy and exhausted and knew it wouldn't be a good idea to hop on a bike and try to talk to people...at least not with my nametag on...#drunkmissionary. Anyways, I went back to bed and slept for 5 hours straight. I didn't even move. But I woke up and felt better, so we just took it easy that day...didn't bike at all, and just walked around and talked to all the people. Talking to people in Finland is super interesting. Finns are reserved...yes all the stereotypes are true, but that's not the real issue. The real issue is they care A LOT about what other people think of them so when we talk to them on the street, they are always looking around kind of nervous like, making sure that no one they know is passing by. It's kind of frustrating/funny/awkward/awesome, but just one of those things. Usually when we say hi, people say hi back and keep walking. We talked about that in district meeting how we need to stop our feet and expect that the people are going to stop and talk to us. Not going to lie...it's SUPER awkward, especially when they keep walking by. Sitting here writing this, I can't help but laughing...it's going to be so funny to watch this part of my life again up in heaven, but we really just do our best to shake it off and laugh. Usually I say something like "Ok, well have a wonderful day" and other times I just say "Merbaderp". That is my favorite thing to say. I think it's finnish...just kidding its not, but It kind of sums up how I feel when people don't stop :) The thing is, we have the greatest thing in the world to give these people, they just don't know it. Sometimes I just want to run up to them and say, "I know this is really weird, but just hear me out for like 5 minutes and I promise you won't regret it." That would be even weirder though. I don't know if I will ever master the art of contacting, but I am trying and it's always more fun when we just laugh and have a good time while doing it. I know I wouldn't want to talk to some sour faced missionary...so I really try hard to smile and be friendly! Heck, it's what Jesus would do, I guess I better do it too! :) 

    We had a lesson with Milla this week...she is flipping awesome! I love her so much! She and Sisar Pace really have a special connection...I think they were friends in the pre-existence. It's actually really fun to watch them talk. It's like Sister Pace is talking to herself. But she really has such a desire to learn. We knew we wanted to teach her about the Restoration, but we both felt super strongly that we should focus on Christ and his earthly ministry and atonement. Sister Pace laminated this awesome picture of Christ and wrote some scriptures on the back for Milla. When we gave Milla the picture, her whole face lit up and she just kept saying "Oh thank you, oh thank you". It's amazing how having a picture of Christ changes the entire spirit of a room or home. That is one thing I want everyone to have...if you don't have a picture of Christ somewhere where you can see it all the time, get one! It's what changes a regular home to the home of a member or better yet, the home of a disciple of Christ! We need to remember Him always!

    So we have been trying super hard to not be frustrated with Caius and Tuulia lately. Their kids are wonderful and need and want the gospel SO BAD it's insane. It's just super hard to work with the parents. Sister Pace and I have talked about it a lot, and we really don't want to just baptize these kids and throw them back to the sharks. That wouldn't do them any good. But when we try to work with the parents, they don't want to cooperate. Anyways, This week during weekly planning, Sister Pace and I both felt that we just needed to give them to the Lord for a few weeks and see what happened. We felt good about it especially since we are trying to do missionary work by the "Lean Machine" method. The Lean Machine means we focus on 3-4 solid investigators, 3-4 less actives/recent converts, and 2 member families. That way, we can focus on daily contact with investigators and really really helping them progress as opposed to having like 238734 investigators that we see once a month and never go anywhere. Boy has it been working well...

    So Saturday night comes around and Sister Pace and I had worked so hard to get Milla to church. We had a member invite her and offer to give her a ride and Milla totally said she would come! We were so excited! And then, as we were sitting at dinner, I looked at Sister Pace and said, "You know, I think we should try one more time to get those kids to church." She agreed and we called a member in our ward, asked if he would be willing to pick them up, then called Tuulia and she was SO NICE and totally said we could come get the kids for church. What the heck? I have been trying for months to get these kids to church and the second I turn it over the the Lord...BOOM....miracle! Literally it's a miracle! I don't think anyone really understands the magnitude of what just happened! :)

    Anyways, long story short, BEST SUNDAY IN CHURCH EVER!!! We had 4 investigators there, Milla and the kids, 1 less active, and my boy CHAU PASSED THE SACRAMENT IN A WHITE SHIRT AND TIE! Seriously, I was so happy sitting there looking around at all the people I have been praying for and working with and man...it was just the best! Granted, our happiness shouldn't depend on numbers or "success" in life, but I learned a valuable lesson this week. This transfer has been super hard, for a number of reasons, but every single trial, tear, hardship, frustration, pain, and everything else was nothing compared to the joy I felt yesterday in church. As a matter of fact, they all went away. I literally couldn't remember any of the hard things that have happened these past 10 weeks! Heavenly Father gives us trials because He loves us. How does that make sense? I don't know. But I know every time we are frustrated or wonder, "Why me, Heavenly Father?" he is just sitting up there looking at us just pleading for us to keep going and to trust him. Plus, we wouldn't be half as grateful for our blessings if we didn't have to go through some trials as well. Like it says in my favorite song, "You can never know the good if you never know the bad, you can never be happy if you've never been sad...it's called opposition my friends, opposition" (Yes, i did just forget the rest of the words to that song) but man, My Turn on Earth knows what's up! :) Thanks mom for introducing us to that!

     But seriously, trials bring us closer to our Father in Heaven. I think that is the case for two reason, A, we are humbled by them which in turn gives us the opportunity to ask our loving Heavenly Father for help and B, we literally are strengthened and refined EVERY SINGLE DAY we go through something hard which makes us more like our Savior. Wading through the muck is awful. It's not fun. No one wants it, but I think we are all grateful for it in the end. I have that picture you sent me, mom, of you and dad and I the day you dropped me off at the MTC #wasthatreallife but I was looking at that picture the other day and I realized, I don't even know that person anymore...myself I mean! :) I just looked at myself and thought, "Man, I am so grateful that Heavenly Father has done more with my life than I could myself." I thought I was doing pretty well before my mission and I was doing alright. It's not like I was evil... Not like I lived perfectly...obviously, but man, it scares me to think that my pride almost kept me from trusting in my Father in Heaven. He knew what I needed before I even came here. He knew I needed Finland. He knew I needed to leave my family. He knew I needed my trainer and all my companions and all the hard things that have come on my mission, but he also knew that the joy and everything else I would experience in Finland would give me experience and would be for my good. We just have to believe that is true. There is no other option, but I can promise each of you, because I have experienced it, that as we turn it over to the Lord, we will be amazed at what he can do with each of our lives. We will look at what we have and what we have accomplished and think, "Wow, there is NO WAY I could have done all of that on my own." It really is such a happy, peaceful way to live. Not to be all "Miss America/meditation man, but that really is how we find inner peace. WE LET GO. Give it all up. It's so much better. 

    One of my FAVORITE talks is "Swallowed up in the will of the Father" by Neal A. Maxwell. I think I have talked about this before, but it's brilliant...seriously...go read it! But a couple of things he says really highlight CRUCIAL truths about "Consecration" and trusting in the Lord. He says:

    So many of us are kept from eventual consecration because we mistakenly think that, somehow, by letting our will be swallowed up in the will of God, we lose our individuality (see Mosiah 15:7). What we are really worried about, of course, is not giving up self, but selfish things—like our roles, our time, our preeminence, and our possessions. No wonder we are instructed by the Savior to lose ourselves (see Luke 9:24). He is only asking us to lose the old self in order to find the new self. It is not a question of one’s losing identity but of finding his true identity! Ironically, so many people already lose themselves anyway in their consuming hobbies and preoccupations but with far, far lesser things.

    I love that..."finding our TRUE identity"...ok keep reading...

    Thus, brothers and sisters, consecration is not resignation or a mindless caving in. Rather, it is a deliberate expanding outward, making us more honest when we sing, “More used would I be” (“More Holiness Give Me,”1985, Hymns, no. 131). Consecration, likewise, is not shoulder-shrugging acceptance, but, instead, shoulder-squaring to better bear the yoke.

    Mom, this is your favorite song and I love it too...but think about that...turning outward when it's easy to turn inward is what it means to be consecrated...interesting thought...

    Along this pathway leading to consecration, stern and unsought challenges sometimes hasten this jettisoning, which is needed to achieve increased consecration (see Hel. 12:3). If we have grown soft, hard times may be necessary. If we are too contented, a dose of divine discontent may come. A relevant insight may be contained in reproof. A new calling beckons us away from comfortable routines wherein the needed competencies have already been developed. One may be stripped of accustomed luxury so that the malignant mole of materialism may be removed. One may be scorched by humiliation so pride can be melted away. Whatever we lack will get attention, one way or another.

    How many of us have felt that way? I think everyone...

    Consecration is thus both a principle and a process, and it is not tied to a single moment. Instead, it is freely given, drop by drop, until the cup of consecration brims and finally runs over.

    Thus, acknowledging God’s hand includes, in the words of the Prophet Joseph, trusting that God has made “ample provision” beforehand to achieve all His purposes, including His purposes in our lives (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 220). Sometimes He clearly directs; other times it seems He merely permits some things to happen. Therefore, we will not always understand the role of God’s hand, but we know enough of his heart and mind to be submissive. Thus when we are perplexed and stressed, explanatory help is not always immediately forthcoming, but compensatory help will be. Thus our process of cognition gives way to our personal submission, as we experience those moments when we learn to “be still, and know that I am God” (Ps. 46:10).

    Then, the more one’s will is thus “swallowed up,” the more his afflictions, rather than necessarily being removed, will be “swallowed up in the joy of Christ” (Alma 31:38).

    The Joy of Christ...I think that is what it means when we can't remember our pains anymore...they are literally washed away through Christ....

    In conclusion, the submission of one’s will is really the only uniquely personal thing we have to place on God’s altar. The many other things we “give,” brothers and sisters, are actually the things He has already given or loaned to us. However, when you and I finally submit ourselves, by letting our individual wills be swallowed up in God’s will, then we are really giving something to Him! It is the only possession which is truly ours to give!

    Consecration thus constitutes the only unconditional surrender which is also a total victory!

    Isn't that the most brilliant thing? Granted, this whole consecration thing is probably the greatest process we could ever find ourselves in, but man...I just feel like sometimes when we get a little taste of that "joy of Christ" nothing else really matters! As we really let our will be swallowed up in the will of the father, we will experience greater joy than we can ever imagine! Helaman 3:35 and Mosiah 2:41 are two of my favorite scriptures for that reason! I am just so grateful for Heavenly Father and his plan and what he has in store for each of us. It's so exciting to think about all the changes and big things that are coming in our lives. I got a blessing a few weeks ago, and in it is said, "More great and wonderful things are ahead." I was like YAAAAAAHHHH!!! I can't wait to see what is coming next and the greatest thing is that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ will always be with us. Nothing will ever take that away! It's awesome! We can have TOTAL VICTORY as we give our will to the Father! It's so cool! 

    Anyways, I love you all so much and am so grateful for you! I hope you always remember that I am in Finland, praying my heart out for you! You are all so wonderful and I know Heavenly Father loves each and every one of you so much! Thank you so much for all you have done for me! I really don't feel worthy enough to call you my family, but for some reason, I am the luckiest person in the world! Have the best week ever! :) I love you so much!!

    Rakkaudella,

    Sisar Olivia Bitner 

My boy Chau passed the sacrament on Sunday!! YIPPPPPPPPEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!