Elder William Perry's Mission Address

Elder William Neldon Perry
Finland Helsinki Mission

Neitsytpolku 3 A 4 FI
00140 Helsinki
Finland

Send all mail to the mission home above

email:
william.perry@myldsmail.net

Serving from
March 2011 to March 2013



Tuesday, December 20, 2011

December 19, 2011

Hello there,

It was pretty funny talking to you on the phone mom haha. I was in the bathroom brushing my teeth or something, and I heard my companion answer the phone in finnish and then just start laughing. I assumed it was you guys haha. Mom don't worry about a little sin. Remember, "Eat drink and be merry for tomorrow we die and it shall be well with us... and ya know if it so be that we are found with a little sin, god will beat us with a few stripes, and we shall be saved!" That was a joke... haha NERD (me not you). But it was so good to hear your voice. I couldn't get to sleep I was so excited.. well that and my companion was listening to David Archaletta (with the mormon tabernacle choir) or whatever his name is until you called, so I was hearing Joy to the world all night in my mind! David really speaks to me... His voice is as the voice of a butterfly flying away... uh hmm (big cough)

So really nice, and I am so excited to talk to you both on Sunday! I just need to know if I'm getting one phone call or two, and I will be checking my email after tuesday to hear this response. If you both are calling then Phone calls can start after three my time. So if one of you wanted to call at like 3 or 4, and then the other at 4 or 5 that would be great. I do want to stay as close to the white handbook as possible. President said, 30 to 40 minutes so that means 40 haha. This is a letter of the law situation!! So dad make it happen! What am I paying you for!? haha jokes..

Anyways I guess I'll start by my experience leaving Joensuu. I must say that it was one of the hardest days but also happiest days of my life. Sister T drove me and Elder Rogers and his new companion to the train station. As we were pulling my bags out of the car, my big sister N came walking up!! It was a huge suprise to me! She said I wanted to say goodbye haha. Then we all pulled my bike and bags to the dock, and the H Family were there (some more members of the ward). Sister H made me some cookies. We got my bags situated, and I took pictures with my sister, and Sister T. Sister T is like my Finnish mom. She calls me her son haha. As the train was leaving, everyone waived goodby, and started walking away, but not Sister T. She stayed, and I noticed. I put my hand in the shape of a heart, and then pointed at her, I love you. I will never forget the look on her face, the thought of the love in her eyes brings tears to my eyes.

I can't in words describe how much I love that city and those people. I didn't know what love was until I came on a mission. Of course I loved people, but I didn't know how important it is in life. Pain comes to my heart thinking about never being able to see them again. It is so real. However I know I'll see them again. Someday, I prayed, and I continue to pray that someday I can just see them again. However I thanked my Heavenly Father on the train for the blessings I recieved in Joensuu. I learned, and grew so much in that city. Sure maybe I had to give up Jen, or family for a short time, or a job, or postpone college or other things... But I can't tell you how much I love and miss those People. Had I not come on a mission, I don't even want to go there. My life, and who I am as a person would not be the same.

I felt Heavenly Fathers love sink into my heart as the Spirit whispered to me, You did all that Your Heavenly Father sent you to do in Joensuu. I know that even though that chapter of my mission in Joensuu is over, my work is not done here.

Now on a more up beat note haha. Kouvola is so great! In fact Elder Larsen and I are best friends haha. I'm not sure how but everything is so perfect! Everything is just hilarious. We have fun doing everything together in the work! Study, Finding, teaching, playing the guitar at the ward christmas party in front of all the members haha. I'll tell you more about that on Sunday haha. We have really been trying to work our hardest and leaving the rest up to the Lord. I testify that this principle is true. When we work, and pray, and have theeeee funnest time ever!! THe Lord will show forth His hand, and miracles will happen. Today is the first day of the change, and last week we found two new investigators!! It is going forward, and nothing will stop it! We live life, make mistakes, and try not to look like an idiot in front of the ward on your first day, and everything goes well.

We have zone conference on the 23rd down in Helsinki, and I believe I will get my package then from you Daddy. I can't really decide what to buy with my christmas money... I'll probably just save it until I come across something cool. Like today when I go shopping haha! I need this Justin Bieber T shirt!!! It's sooo me!
well I love you both, and I will talk with you in a couple days to arrange everything... I mean... read your words........ and stuff..

k bye
Will

Friday, December 16, 2011

December 12, 2011

HEEELLLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

So the big news on change calls... am I leaving?? am I staying!!!???? uh... Elder Perry you will be... leaving. Heart.. crushed to the floor... nails. piercing... haha. President Rawlings called us on a random day haha. I answered and pronouced my name in finnish. He said haha who is that? I said well... uh... I think he's good looking haha! oh... hmmm.. excuse me President!!!

I will be leaving to Kouvola early tomorrow morning. My new companions name is Elder Larsen! I will be in my first car city!! During the winter!! He was in my group at the MTC!! I'm not sure how inspired this was.. but the Lord has blessed me with very good companions!!

However this change call was bitter-sweet for sure. I really love working with Elder Rogers, and in Joensuu. I have really come to love this city more than any other place on earth. I love the people here, and especially the members. They let me bare my testimony in Sacrament Meeting, and as I got up to the pulpit, I looked around at each individual, and my heart was so full. I couldn't speak. Never have I felt so much love in my heart towards a group of people. (Except to you mommy) haha dad ya know I had to throw that one in. Anyways haha, I looked at them, and I said with every capacity in me, I love you, each of you. Yesterday was a very hard day saying goodbye to the members for me.

So as far as moving to Kouvola, I'm not sure what Elder Larson has set up as far as using members computers. However President did say you could call skype to my phone there. I'm going to see if President will give me a little extra time, because my parents are divorced. So I will get a little more time I believe, I hope. If not, lame. Just kidding. I'm so excited to talk to you all!! You will probably be impressed that my voice as gotten a lot lower. Probably due to the fact that I lift weights here like a tonka truck! but I don't want to toot my horn. Just kidding........ same old will.... same high voice... actually there are times that I wonder if girls here have lower voices than me!! I wonder that.. because it's true!! A little awkward... Hi, we know that God has a plan for us on earth today... I DON'T BELIEVE THAT... UH.. DEEP... GIVE ME YOUR LUNCH MONEY!! (Insert deep finnish girl voice haha.) I'm going to throw in a hint... I'm not sure if this is okay or not, but you might try calling that number after this wednesday but before next monday (my time) for like two minutes to make sure it works, if it doesn't then I can figure things out. I promise I'm trying to be obediant! I feel kind of bad for saying that, but I don't want there to be any problems the day of.

So cool experiences haha. We had District Meeting last week, and the zone leaders came down! We had a very cool district meeting about keeping things fresh. Making sure that we're always having fun, and just a good experience in missionary work. It really pumped me up for coming back to Joensuu. We came home, and had about an hour left of work outside. We said a prayer, Heavenly Father, please help us to find those that are being prepared. Simple, and short, and out. We were on the street, and as we were waiting at a stoplight, We felt we should go a different direction. As we did so, we passed by a pizza shop, and I saw a potential who gave us a wrong address!! I said, Elder Rogers that's him haha!! We walked back and forth trying to see if it was haha. We came up with the conclusion that we had to eat pizza at that shop!!

We went in, and orderd, and I turned around and said (acting suprised), "Oh haha, well, hey how's it going??" haha nice acting elder perry! we met with him, but he was drunk... which puts a damper on things. We set a time to meet, and after 100 times of reminding him I asked so what time are we meeting? (the scheduled time was klo 14:00) He said, uh... no. tomorrow uhh... 14..... years..... haha I said Yeeeppp haha. However it was cool to see Heavenly Father put us in a place where someone needed the gospel. We gave him a Book of Mormon, and everything.

WOOOW I'm leaving Joensuu! I've been here for almost 7 months. Anyways, I got Grandma's package, and thank you so much! I wore the hat our whole weekly planning session! But I put it back in the package until Christmas when I can open it. I haven't heard from grandma in so long! What is so interesting is that morning I said a little prayer. I said Heavenly Father, If it's possible, can I get a letter from my grandma? I came home that night, and there was her package!! Even Better!!! I miss her, and grandma perry a lot. I am going to send them both a little suprise that I think they'll like.

Dad I'm going down south to that zone, so I would imagine that it will be easier to get. Good call on sending it to the mission office! Thank you so much for everything that you do for me. I love you both so much. I am so grateful to be here serving. Sometimes it's hard, but ya know, what else isn't? I love this country, I love this people, and I love this language (well sometimes). I am grateful for all the opportunities and blessings the Lord has given me here in Joensuu.

Thank you mom, for doing all that stuff for the T Family. They are so special to me, and I know they will appreciate it. I saw the daughter wearing her CTR ring at church yesterday haha. They love them. Thank you so much.

Rakkaudella,

Vanhin Perry

Hyvää Joulua!!

December 5, 2011

Morro Joensuusta!

Mom I got your package this week. We got home from Kuopio on friday, and I had a slip (in finnish) that said I could go pick up my package at the posti toimisto. Towards the end of the night, I went and the lady said, uh.... look at the date.......... your package will be here tomorrow. Lame!! but I got it, and thank you for the tie. I love it! Have you gotten your package yet?? I sent you a package for your birthday two weeks before yesterday! (Happy Birthday!!) But I guess you didn't get it yet. It has a finnish... hahaha you have to wait. No niin. But thank you for all the stuff, and i'll give those things to the T Family.

President Rawlings said we can use skype on Christmas if we can find a member to let us. I'm in the process of doing that. The problem is we get change calls on Saturday, and I have no idea if i'll be here in Joensuu. I am assuming I will, but then again I've been here for five changes. I don't want to leave. I love everything the way it is. However I'll go wherever I need to go. As far as things to go in my package dad, I would really like some more cool- aid. The red kind is my favorite... so if you could hook me up with that.

Things have been kind of rough this last little while. Two weeks before H's baptism, her husband had to go to the hospital. We haven't had any contact with them since, however he is suppose to come home on the 8th of this month, so katsoton. It makes me a little frustrated, but I try not to let those things get to me. Sometimes when I start to get discouraged, I think about funny things that happened back in the day. I remember one time doing an extra credit project for my health class in junior high. Dad walked into the room, as I was drawing my poster of the male reproductive system, and sat on the couch, and said, "I hope you don't hang that up on your wall!!" Haha pretty funny. I am so happy here! I love being here, with elder rogers in joensuu. We make literally everything fun. But sometimes there are those days that just go wrong haha.

I was pretty discouraged Saturday night, and I could feel myself getting to myself (is that a statement?) Anyways, Heavenly Father is so amazing. I read from my new conference edition ensign (5 points to mom) a scripture from a talk. It states: "Believe in God, believe that he is, and that he has all power and wisdom in earth and is heaven. Believe that man doth not comprehend, all things that the Lord comprehendeth (Mosiah 4:9). It's along those words... I realized the importance of just believing and having fun, and not stressing. I have a strong testimony that the Lord can do His own work, we just have to get out of the way, and be instruments.

I can't even describe to you how many hilarious moments I've had this week. I think last night had to top it! We were coming home to do numbers, and we were getting our in betweeners on the way home. I stopped this one girl, haha and I said something along the lines (as I was testifying) Sinä olet Jumalan tytär(you are gods daughter)... wrong... I really said, sinulla on Jumalan tytär(You have god's daughter, or maybe even you are pregnant with gods daughter) AHHHHHHHHHH LANGUAGE HIT TO THE FACE!! She was like uh.. no.. in this scared face, and I gave her our card, and didn't realize what i said, until a few seconds later!! Creepy! hahaha all I could think about after that was YOUR A WIZARD HARRY! Elder Rogers and I laughed it up for the rest of the night. DUUnnccEE!

The T Family are so cool of course. Sister T took Elder Rogers and I to lunch, at this Greek place. I told her the story about when all of us went to the greek festival, with lex and the kids, and Natalie was asking the priest all those probing questions trying to overthrow his dominion haha. (If I join this church, can I recieve this power, or so called priesthood?? ) haha just kidding nat, we love ya. But anyways it was really good. We talked about their situation a little bit. Elder Rogers and I have been praying that The kids dad will soften his heart and let them be baptized. Obviously they have as well, and the Dad is really starting to allow them to come to church. It has been so great.

I love you both so much. I cannot wait to talk to you! Rememer you can get skype, or international calling which will be cheaper. I can't wait to hear your voices, and stuff.

love you all,

Willie

P.s. I really like this quote. Excuses are nothing, but a sign of weakend faith. Whenever I feel like I want to take a short cut, I remember this, and it strengethens me.

November 28, 2011

Another week in SNOW!!

We have been working really hard this week, and the blessings have really been poured out from our Heavenly Father. Our mission president has really been stressing the importance of praying always. When we're outside, in a teach, wherever. So last monday I really tried to take it to heart. We had a very cool experience. While I was riding my bike to a specific area I decided to say a little prayer.

I said, "Heavenly Father, I'm not really sure how I'm suppose to do this, but I pray that thou wilt help us to find those that are ready... or something like that. We felt we should go say hi to one of our investigators in the area. After we were leaving his home, we went outside and as elder rogers was opening his bike, the key broke!! I immediately said, "Why are we here!!?"

We talked for a little bit, and I felt really good about going to a building across the way. We talked about it, and ended up going. As we were tracting I had this amazing feeling that we were in the right place. We came across this door, and it was my turn. I knocked and these two huge black guys answered the door. He asked, "You guys Mormon?" I said, of course haha. He said, "The bible says you cannot serve God, and mormon." I said we don't serve mormon, we serve jesus christ haha. He said, Come in! haha we followed him, and he left us in their living room for a minute. There was a huge sword on the wall!! I leaned over to vanhin rogers, and said while laughing haha We're gonna die!! It was so funny, we started bursting up laughing!

We started teaching him, and he was so prepared!! He kept asking all the questions that we have answers to about life, and god, and everything! And then his other black friend (in a spido) came and started listening! And then this other black guy came and started listening! We found three new investigators. It was such a spiritual teach. I was so grateful for that experience! It was so cool to listen to a prompting and figure out that it was the answer to someone's prolonged prayer.

Elder Rogers is legit! He and I get along so well! We have so much fun doing everything together. Even though sometimes he still stares at me while I sleep... I've learned to accept him for who he is haha. Just kidding! He reminds me a lot of Jace Larsen! (Bytheway can you find out where jace larsen went on his mission?) We literally laugh about everything. He helps me with my finnish so much. The Lord has really been helping me with my finnish. I have been so grateful for his love, and help, and advice. I know I couldn't puhua suomea ilman häntä.

So as far as thanksgiving.... a little awkward. We end up going to this couples house for thanksgiving, and we literally don't know anyone there. I talked to a lot of people, haha. Poor Elder Rogers was on the other side of the room haha. And then they started pulling out the alcohol haha. I just decided we need to finish and leave haha. As we were leaving they asked, Do you want pie to go?? OF COURSE WE DID!! We took it and left. Elder Rogers was a little tipsy, I guess He picked the wrong juice haha. IT was a joke! Chill... He didn't drink anything!

As far as the pictures, thank you so much! They made my day! That is so great! I will make sure and get you our cell phone number. We only have a cell phone, so sorry about that. Make sure and look for a code online that can get you keeper minutes. Elder Weaver told me about it, and his parents only had to pay like 12 cents a minute.

Rakkaudella,

Will

November 21, 2011

IT IS SNOWING LIKE CRAZY HERE!!

I was sitting in compi study, and I looked out the window.... my jaw dropped, and I said, Oh no...... this is an unfortunate change of circumstances haha. Anyways, It is pretty cold haha. But if I say that too a Finn, they look at me with a prideful smile, and say, "oh... not yet haha" I guess the really bad stuff hit's around January, February. Curse those months!! We were riding over here to the library, and the snow was hitting me in the face so bad I couldn't see!! I look so dorkey with my helmet and winter hattuni (hat). It is pretty hilarious though!!

Elder Rogers and I were coming down the elevator with our helmets on haha, and these two really gorgess girls were getting in the elevator as we were coming out... duh... I wear helmet... Hi...uh...cya... hahaha so great!! There are so many ridiculous moments as a missionary where you just think.. what in the world!? But that's kind of the story of my life haha. Anyway's so where do I start??

We had our weekly cordination meeting with our veli järvinen, and I was served a piece of some humble pie!! Mmm.. my favorite. We were talking in finnish, to him (stickler) uh.. hmmm. excuse me... and towards the end of the meeting I asked, "How is my Finnish?" haha, and he gave me the... well... you have a very good vocabulary, but your grammer is horrible! uh... crush... I called sister T later that night for esome reason, and I asked her haha She said, I'm doing fine. THanks... Sister T.
I have been trying to push myself with studying the grammer, but holy timothy! It is crazy. However the Lord has really blessed me. I am doing very good. I love finnish, and I very much hope I can master it. I really want to communicate with people the way they speak, not just understandably. I can already do that now. However I want to speak like they speak.

T and H are doing very good. They didn't come to church on sunday, which means she can't be baptized on the scheduled day. So it's okay we just have to move it back a week. She is completely off tobacco, and coffee, and has commited to pay tithing. She is so elect. I am so grateful for her as an investigator.

Sorry I got kicked off the computer, so I don't have very much time. I guess there is a scheduled course today our something here. Anyways, they reimbursted me for my eye doctors appointment. They payed me back in my account here. So I will just pull the money off the account. President also asked us to keep like 200 Euro's for emergancies at home. So i'm working on doing that.

Anyways, thank you for telling me about Grandma's Mckinney's funeral. I touched my heart to think that she talked about me. It brakes my heart to think I didn't take the time to go see her when I was down there to go through the temple. However I'm glad that she has moved on. All things will work together for good to them that love God. I have a very strong testimony of that. However hopefully one day, I wish to ask for her forgivness.

Please tell grandma huntley how much I love her, and think about her. I wish I could be there to help.

I've learned a few things out here. One thing I've learned is that if your too stressed out, that means your relying on yourself too much. Always remember, He can carry our load.

Love,
Will
P.s. If you could throw some money on my card that would be great. I need to buy some winter things.. I guess now.. haha. Kiitos paljon!!