WEEK 15 IN FINLAND!!

WOW we got like 9 inches of snow this morning its a winter wonderland i love it so dang much so much better than the flippin rain! 

Monday we had a DA with the bishop for lunch than we went home and wrote letters than at night we had to go to a members to teach family home evening and they fed us it was fantastic! Members here in Rauma are the bomb they are so dang helpfull i dont ever want to leave Rauma haha! i am glad you guys all liked those videos! mom you asked for those videos and you didnt even say one word about them haha GOOD WORK NO MORE FOR YOU haah! 

Tuesday was a blast i got a hair cut from Jatta she is Riita's daughter! Riita is our land lord wow that family is the Bomb i will tell more about that in a second! Than we went over to this chinese kids house and got on the phone with CHEn Yi the chinese person we baptized in helsinki cause they spoke chinese we dont! CHen gave him the whole first lesson on the phone and we watched the REstoration DVD and Chinese man it was amazing the spirit was there and i had no idea what it was saying haha cause i am not chinese nor do i understand chinese! he is really interested and we got him a chinese book of mormon and we are bringing to him tomorrow so that will be way fun i am excited! Than we went to choir practice for the ward wow you thought i couldnt sing before try hearing me sing a song in finnish and try to sing it good HILLARIOUS haha man i am a champ though and sing my heart out, Like the WHOO's in the GRINCH louder and louder they sang and they grinch was wondering......... just giving you a little preview of the grinch man i am funny! 

 Wednesday we made cookies for Jatta for cutting our hair and we also gave some to Riita They loved it and they kept asking for more cause we made over 100 cookies man were men we dont know how to cook we just throw things together to see if it taste gooD! we had a DA with Jaadia she went on a mission to Bulgaria MAN she is the bomb seriously she hooked us up and said you guys should get a DA everyday from this ward cause the food is way to expensive haha we were like ok i am not complaining! 

Thursday we had another DA we had to ride our bikes so dang far we got last and than we called them to find us! we left our bikes on the side of the bike path and locked them! i was like WHAT THE.... if we were in AMerica they would be stollen Crazy finns dont think about stealing haha goood for them right! BAD Americans BAD!! hahaha We had pasta and gravy and this finnish strawberry GOOOO not so good for my mouth the texture is crazy hahaha i gaged everytime i ate it and she made a huge bowl of it good thing i didnt eat that much hahah! Than it was good ol' football practice they had me take all the skilled players and i ran drills with them and they were so out of shape it was hillarious and these were easy drills than i taught the qb's better skillz so it was a blast than i threw to the WR's and they complained that i threw the ball to hard haha man i was laughing so hard! after practice we had to pick up ELder Young and peltola for splits cause Peltola is the DL and elder young was my baby finn in the MTC we are best friends haha! 

Friday we went out and contacted for 3 hours had some good success saw this kid riding his bike and HE BIFFED it way hard we were laughing and than asked if he was ok and we started talkin he was way cool we got his number and asked if he wanted to come to english night! he said of course so i put his name in our phone as kimmo BIFF haha i am so funny huh guys huh dad huh right dad right haha! Do you miss that saying dad! Than we had a teach with Mauri it went really good taught him the plan of salvation watched the speacial witnesses of christ and than elder young said the closing praying and called mauri a badger cause its so close he said please bless the badger so he can feel the spirit! Than we had english night with the youth in the ward and the people we invited!

Jatta came and she hasnt been going to church for a long time and i found out that she was smoking i was so mad! so after everyone left it was the 4 missionaries and jatta and i just started talking to her about everything and it went really well i am so happy how it went she didnt have a book of mormon and so i got one from elder youngs bag (because i have givin so many out i didnt have any man i am a stud haha just playin) and gave her one! she hasnt smoked for 4 days now we were so dang happy i have got more about her later! 

Saturday the turku elders same as i said before slept over again cause we were getting a ride to tampere for stake conference so we rode with bishop for 30 mins than me and peltola got into anthoer ward memebrs car it was a SiCK MERCEDES so soft my own control a tv right in front of me it turned on and AMERICAN GLADIATORS was on haha what were the chances haha of course of course i turned it off come on now haha ! man it was like 8 hours of finnish meetings i was going to scream but it was ok cause it was fun being with 16 elders haha. Than during the meeting we had to go into another room cause it was packed and we had to watch it on the tv and the KBYU channel was o guess what was playing BYU´-UnlV game from two years ago man that was fun to watch for 5 mins haha. than we had to go out contacting for an hour so we went around the city of tampere me and elder kelley and they rest had to go tracting for an hour! its a way cool city! Then we all met up back at 8 and went to NEljaToista its a kehbab place really good than half of the people went to the ZL's place and the other half went to another! The ZL's made pancakes for everyone in the morning and we had some really funny times make sure when i get home to tell you haha! so we saw jatta and her sister come to stake conference so we were really happy than we got done with conference and had to find a ride back to rauma so we asked jaadia if she knew of anyone and this sweet family took us home! it was like they were planning on having us eat with them in there car 3 pizza subway sandwhiches and drinks doughnuts once again i hooked us up haha! So we get home and getting ready to go tracting and we go over and talk to Riita and jonni her husband and jatta and she fed us and we talked abuot them promising not to smoke it was realyl funny they take such good care of us they are the best i dont ever want to leve rauma! so we were abuot to leave and than i asked jatta if she wanted to come tracting with us and she hesitated than she said YES!! i was so happy because she hasnt gone to church in years now she is doing everything awesome! Riita was so happy her daughter went with us cause jatta friends came by and siad that were going drinking and stuff and riita said she is feeling the blessings of missionaries already helping her life and her famillies! they are not members they were but not now but that will soon change cause she wants to come back! so it was a winter wonderland last night as we were tracting i was being so much more bold last night saying we have the truth that will make you happy and i know this church is true can we come in a teach you more abuot it! ALL Said no but i felt the spirit so much stronger by being that way!!! We came back and Riita had hot chocoalte ready for us and ice cream and just all kinds of treats so we hang out with and man they are the best! In a little bit we are going to play some board games with them and she is having food ready for us! This is for sure going to be hard leaving Rauma but i know i am here for a reason and this might be my reason in finland to help the ´Kartano family haha! but seriously time is going so fast and i am enjoying it so much! 

Elder Caffaro

WEEK 14 IN FINLAND!!

Man I am learning so much on the mission I think this last week was a week that I needed to grow a lot because it was the longest week of my life and really dang hard! Each day we went out contacting to no one! no one wanted to talk to us and no one is out in these small streets! It rained everyday this week Pooring Rain no joke! i have never walked so much in my whole entire life! We dont have that many investigators and we simply try so hard to find something to do we are always doing the work but there is like no effect way to do it cause no one is receptive! My finnish is getting a little bit better but its so hard when no one wants to listen to me! I am getting bolder and bolder each day! I ask the people like 5 questions before they slam the door in my face and after I ask them stuff or talk to them about the gospel they say not interested than i say wait we have a survey and than we try and teach them off of that i wont let anybody pass me in the streets i stop them and talk to them about the gospel bout the town just anything that can bring them the light of christ in there lifes! 

We had 20 hours contacting 15 hours tracting! But its just going out and doing the work each day! Its the only inteligent thing to do that's for sure! Our land lords are letting us borrow there bikes until they need them! 

Another cool thing that happened this week was that we got in contact with a football team here so we went and helped out at there practices and they had me do a T.V interview so i was on the Rauma city news and i will be in the newspaper this week cause they thought i was amazing i was throwing so dang good it was so dang fun to be out in the field! The bishop said its better on my hips to run cause its a rythm and walking is just pounding on them so it felt great! the coaches are really excited that i can help every thursday and saturday nights! It was really cool to see my self on T.V! We've made some good friends here in Rauma! the ward saw me on tv and said its such a great thing that i am helping and we got a lot of DA's this week finally haha! this weekend is stake conference and so we are going to tampere on saturday and sunday to watch it i am excited it will be fun! 

Its been a hard week i just want things to pick up and have things to do LIKE Teaches and stuff like but i know first we have to find the people! She said she is coming back but it has to be something small so i dunno if it is worth sending it with her and she is coming home like january sometime! So it snowed last night the city is covered it was awesome no more rain i hope not at least! the weather has been a lot colder than what you guys wrote down you dont factor in the Harbor breeze MAN THE STUFF IS COLD holy cow! 

I hope this mission is blessing your guys life as much as it has blessed me life! EVEN THOUGH its the hardest thing i have ever done and i know i am growing with each hour that passes because something new is in my life and i know i have the best family to back my up with their prayers and thoughts! i am striving to be and do all that i can do day in and day out sometimes i dont see what i do or the effect but i know if i keep Pushing and ENDURING TO THE END man how glorious will the end be! so this month the 29th i have been out 6 months CRAZYness huh man i cant believe how fast and slow time goes! i agree with ej the first year is slow Especially when you are opening a new city holy cow its rough but hey bring on the hard times i need to grow!  i know i am being watched over its just hard at times to recongzie it thats for sure he is truly making god's out of us if we just let him and give him our all! so my beloved Bomb.com family i am excited to start this new week and grow from last weeks 

KEEP ON KEEPING ALL YALL

ELDER CAFFARO

Week 13 IN FINLAND!!

Rauma is great haha i love it here more than anything!! I love the people so much more than the people in Helsinki it's crazy! My companion is Elder Kelley and we get along awesome! We are both really hard workers and love doing the work! I love the city so much! I love tracting here and just preaching the good word! I feel that the 4 days I have been here my finnish has gotten so so so so much better I cant believe it! I am speaking to everyone and we are teaching like crazy! We don't contact to invited people to some Dumb American night! We talk to people to teach them the good word! I am having an amazing time and I am so blessed to be moved to this city! I really believe my mission took a turn the BEST! 

Saturday we tracted for 4 hours and wow did the time fly and was I teaching like crazy I don't studder with the language I speak it smoothly. I probably have a few grammar mistakes but man I am speaking the language and I am not scared at all to talk about our amazing gospel! We should all be smiling cause we have the restored gospel in our lifes! 

The AP's came over on Friday and brought everything we needed! we have hot water we just cant take long ones I just didn't turn up the handle all the way and the heaters work they were just turned off! So don't be worrying I am great! Me and Elder Kelley get along great and are so excited to work our butts off for the people of Rauma! because they deserve the best so were going to give it to them! The weather it rains a lot so my shoes are soaked! Its been warm and cold here Today the sun is shinning and its kind of really warm the first few days were freezing! We had so much to do the first few days! By a map plan out our tracting areas just a bunch of missionary work! 

Saturday we were going to go meet a referral and we started walking and we walked in the pooring rain for 2½ hours and we got lost so we started heading back and I was like Elder I am not walking in the rain anymore this is a joke haha I AM SOKED haha good thing I had a rain proof coat on but my shoes my pants everything! so I said the next car that comes I am waving them down and asking for a ride hahaha the next car came I tried to stop it and they thought I was waving at them so they waved back and kept going haah I was so mad YOU*VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME haha so another car came and the same thing happened finally a van stopped and I spoke to him in finnish and asked for a ride and he said yeah come on in! we started talking than you know me I just wanted to give him the gospel so I started talking away but we got into town and he dropped us off! it was fun! my companion is so amazed for how long I have been in the country that I can just talk to everyone and anyone and If I don't understand someone I just nod my head and than just keep talking its so fun to get those compliments from him haha his finnish is good but we are both for sure learning from eachother and the finns around us! We got let into the 4th house we knocked on we walked to them for a bout an hour and ½ and they kept on getting off the subject so I finally decided to pipe in and say hey listen this book has really helped my life and I know it can yours we want to give this book to you as a gift like my companion said 3 times now it was funny I didn't want to waste time being in a house I wanted to get back on the streets talking to people haha! 

Our ward is great really small but we have a good ward and they are going to work with us a lot I hope! we need to find bikes because our city is a little bigger than we thought but I think that will be easy ward members said they would look around for us!! Tomorrow morning we are meeting with a football coach here in Rauman kaupunki we are going to be helping coach on Thursday s and and satudays I think! because we have to tract 2 hours a day and contact 2 hours a day we cant tract after 8 and there is no one out to be contacting at 8 so we are finding all kinds of service's around the city so that we can have things to do! We have been so tired at night's working our tail's off I love it and wouldn't have it any other way! Speaking to the people is the best!!! 

Ok I have a little favour to ask! Mom you know how you said you collect the stamps I send you well good because I have a lot of different stamps for you guys but I am collecting stamps too so maybe when you send me letters can you go to the post office and see what cool stamps they have to send me? that seriously would be awesome haha thanks you guys!

I am so happy and loving my mission so much more I am just loving the work and continue to have that smile on each day this church is true and makes me smile with a passion that it's jesus christ's church restored back on this earth today!  I finished the book of mormon again that book is really something! yesterday was fathers day in finland so we couldn't go tracting or contacting so we had to stay in and I decided I was going to read and study a lot more! we couldn't visit less actives cause they lived far away and no body wanted to take us there! but know that I love you all so very much and wish the best blessing upon you man I am stoked that I still have so much time left to preach the gospel and By GALLY the people in RAUMA will receive it haha love you all so much.

Love
Elder Caffaro

WEEK 12 IN FINLAND!!

Hello hello hello

It is getting very dark here like around 4 ish and yes very cold! 

This week has been very crazy and fun we have been in a 4 some all week because an elder went home a week early so we had 4 in our house for this whole week! It was a blast! But when we went out we went out in 2's like contacting and doing splits! That was hard because Elder pettus doesn't do a thing and It killed me and he is 2 changes older than me! He sleeps in and does nothing I always make wise jokes each morning I say you broke your record and slept in even longer everyone laughs except him haha!  Man on man me and Elder Gandola made pasta with gravy It was so good I couldn't believe how it felt to eat like a human not a bum haha! 

Tuesday was district meeting I had to give a motivational thought so I gave this poem about a missionary and his dream its called I've been there before it is really good everyone enjoyed it! I learned this in the meeting! Church is not a country club for saints it's a hospital for sinners! Pretty cool huh its so true cause some people think they aren't worthy to come to church and it's the total opposite I love doing this work! Bring the souls to church so they can renew themselves and feel the spirit that much more!

Ok Wednesday was the most exciting time besides Sunday! We have been teaching this guy named Hallar he is from Estonia and we teach him in English! A few weeks a go after American night I taught him the whole first lesson and gave him a book of mormon! He asked the next day if we could meet! We met and talked about the book of moron and the plan of salvation! Does scripture study in the morning help or what! Seriously I was pulling scriptures and words out of no where! Of course in English but still I was still way amazed and so happy! This kid is way smart and likes business a lot and just had to keep him on tract and apply his business stuff with the gospel! Than at the end I committed him to be baptized he said yes and we are meeting with him tomorrow night and man I am so sad to see that I am leaving on Wednesday but tomorrow night I want to make sure he has a testimony. Cause he said I believe what your saying I know you wouldn't lie to me so I want him to get a testimony so I hope the Elders that come into haaga really push him on those things! But it was such an amazing experience to have the lord bless us in that teach! And I asked Hallar to pray at the end it was a really fun time to be able to see him do that and he said wow that felt really good and different! This church is the bomb it can make us feel so dang good if we choose to follow it with a full purpose of heart!

Thursday night was my last night at American night it was sad but I love change you all know that so we put on a sweet American Night! We did Fear Factor is was pretty fun but I was more excited to get home and try on my new sweats! I have never seen it rain as bad as it did Thursday night it was incredible everything was soaked I couldn't believe it I love and hate the rain right now haha! 

Friday I had to go out contacting and and tracting with elder pettus it was good we got into this old ladies house and taught her for a hour and half we didn't understand much but we kept teaching her the first lesson and gave her a book of mormon it was way fun we got her number and wanted her to come to church but she didn't but it was awesome! IT WAS SO DANG RARE TO GET LET INTO SOMEONES house

Saturday was weird it was a no proselyting day because of a holiday so we had some teaches and a DA  and came home around 7 and started fasting and played monopoly until the AP's called and told us about change calls! I was getting the shaft no one wanted to give me their property but I had the most money it was a very fun game just when I was about to go and roll the dice the phone rang! Yep the AP's me and elder robinson are leaving OutReach! 

Elder Robinson is going Zoneleader in the South and I .............................................................the suspense is killing you huh? I am opening up a new City called Rauma its above Turku on the west of finland by the harbor! I am pretty excited than when I get to church everyone said its an amazing ward there hundred percent are active but the down fall they say that Rauma the city is the hardest finnish ever it is classified as another language! My heart dropped I guess heavenly father has humor when he sends me here cause he already know I cant speak regular finnish haha so wow the fast all went well! No but I know if I can get this down than everywhere will be a cake walk to speak! They haven't had missionaries in this city for 6 years so they needed really good missionaries there LIVE AND UPBEAT ones that was me until I have to learn a language inside a language! Mom I hope your heart dropped too for me cause man oh man I am scared It's a whole new dialoque and my companion is Elder Kelly elder robinson trained him also so I think we will do good I leave Wednesday morning at 7 so wish me luck Robby is just moving to the down down town of the city! 

But don't worry the lord with bless I am not stressing!! JuST KEEP Praying I love you guys so much oh I we met this Italian guy on the metros and he wanted to cook for us straight from italy so Sunday night we went over to his house! WOW He made the best pizza everyone thought he was drunk at first haha I was like nope he is Italian they are all like that! It was the bomb pizza haha But my week was much better and I am striving to be the best I can be! I LOVE CHANGE AND YOU ALL take care  and I love you all!

Elder Caffaro