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, January 24, 2012




William's Christmas from the Grandview 5th Ward.



Elder Larson and William being themselves.

January 24, 2011

Moi Siellä!!

I have really started noticing the connections among all the different things we are trying to focus on. The more I focus on praying always, the more often I think about the names that we've received through the Invitation to Prayer. The more I think about those people we want to help, I get ideas about messages we could share from the Book of Mormon. I have been trying to share a scripture every time I talk to
someone on the street, which has caused me to talk to more people. Anyway, it has been able to work on all these things the more I simply concentrate on just one at a time.

So this week was pretty good. President had Elder Larsen and I go down to the trainers meeting in Helsinki!! Soooo cool! We are staying together for at least one more change haha. He called us, and said, well haha you two will not be recieving a change call. Soo funny. We were pretty STOKKED (how do you spell that?) about it!!
Another transfer in Kouvola with Elder Larsen!!

It was so funny, My district leader called, and was like is elder perry there?? haha, I answered and he was like dude!!! I don't know what I'm going to do! (He is going home this week) I have nothing going for me there! What the heck!! I thought it was supper hilarious! I am not really looking forward to the day when I have to
come home! uh.. I mean... I miss you a lot... uh... please keep writing to me.

So I don't have any real suggestions for my birthday. I really just want letters. I specifically want one from Shelby (not too much of a writer haha). Also Edwin Paul Abbe III. I specifically asked him on the phone haha. I hope I didn't offend him. Super funny. It would be really nice to get one from my aunt's and uncles as well. Aunt Lori is very good at writing so you don't have to water balloon her car!

So this week was super cool! Crazy experience I learned a lot from! We had just gotten home about 15 minutes to 9, and this investigator called and said Her family wants to meet us! I said, We're going!!! We jump in the car, and drive over there! We meet this guy, and walk into there house. Super scary. The spirit of the Lord was definately not there. They had alcohol everywhere, and cigarettes all over the
place, and the house was just a mess! We sat down, and talked, and this guy was acting interested, but not sincere at all. His wife (our investigator) just sat pretty quietly trying not to contradict what her husband was saying, and trying to agree with him trying to cross us. I'm pretty sure they were trying to record us or something. But when Elder Larsen was talking to the man, I looked over at our
investigator and said in our last teach how did you feel? She sat quietly and said, very good. And asked her something along the lines of why do you think you felt that way? She became really quiet and said, I don't know, but I believe that God led you both to me. It was a testimony builder to me to hear her say that.

I don't remeber if I mentioned this, but the week before last we met her, and she said she had been praying for 30 years, but felt no help from God. We talked with her, and prayed with her, and We promised her if she would take a minute and think about God in a positive way, he would help her know that He is there. We took a moment of silence, and we prayed together. After the prayer, The spirit of the Lord
filled the room. It seemed brighter, and she seemed so much happier. We gave her a priesthood blessing of comfort, and she said she felt the spirit in her hands and feet and in her bosom.

I have been so grateful for Heavenly Father. He is answering my prayers on behalf of our investigators. Sometimes I get anxious, and feel like nothing is happening, but if I were to say that, that would be a lie. We have seen so much in this city change! Members are gaining faith, investigators are coming closer to Christ. I have seen myself grow as well. I have felt myself changing wanting more what
God wants. Still not there completely!!! But all I can say is, things are good.

Toivotavasti, things continue to go forward. But I'll leave that up to the Lord. haha. I for sure can't do it, but I know he can. He can help anyone to change, or get back on the right path. He does it with me everyday! Sometimes I fell like he's up there saying, Ah, william, WHAT ARE YOU DOIN!? okay.... I fix this one.. haha. But anyways, sometimes when I feel myself kind of "loosing it" or like i'm going in
a wrong direction, I just say a little prayer, Heavenly Father please fix this, help me get on the right way. It works. I recommed it to anyone who feels on the wrong path, or like something is hedging up the way.

Well family, I won't bore you haha. I actually think for my Christmas present I'm going to buy an electric shaver today. Wow, the excitment is filling the room, I know! Also my pants dry cleaned haha.

Dad, I laughed really hard when you complemented me on riding my bike everywhere haha. I have only rode it once since my arrival haha!! But that doesn't matter. I'm still a rock! and humble...

I need a few things. I need from Dad, Grandpa perry's biography book thing, and some cool aid, and helicopter pictures!! Mom, I need an up date on the scholarships stuff I asked about, and a George albert smith lesson manuel in english. also 5 pair of jersey garments, just the shirts. Also a few white short sleeve shirts, yes short sleeve. Summer will be here before we know it!

I love you both, and thank you for your supporting words. They mean so much to me when I read them.

Elder Perry

Monday, January 23, 2012

January 16, 2011

Well Hello There,

It's been another supper busy week. President Rawlings has really been pushing us to teach 15 discussions per week every week. We did it!! We have been doing this thing called invitation to prayer. It'swhere we, at the end of our lesson, invite everyone- investigators,members, etc. to say a little prayer to themselves, and ask Heavenly Father who they know who we can pray for. Then one of their commitments is to pray for Heavenly Father to inspire them how they can help that particular person. We promise that we will do the same. We had some very cool experiences this week, and last week from following that counsel.

One in particular that I'll share was a sister in our ward who lives pretty far away. She is the only member in her family, and she loves her family so much. We did Invitation to prayer with her a couple weeks back. I didn't have a very strong testimony of it yet. However I really decided that if I want one, then I have to do my part. So we did it, and when we were at home I decided that I should pray. Elder
Larsen was in the bedroom praying, and I was in the living room. I knelt and just kind of did it. I prayed and asked for help to know what we could do to help that amazing sister. As I prayed and listened, I heard something tell me Family History work. haha.

It's something I would never think of so it must have been real haha. Last night, we followed up, and told her. She said, He's not interested at all in that haha. Later on, I knew that prompting was from my Heavenly Father, and I promised her that it was. She was accepting of it, however was still a little concerned. As we were about to leave, I felt like I should ask her if she ever needed a priesthood blessing or anything, to call us, and we would come down. She said, I'll take one right now haha. She asked me to give her the blessing, and while we gave her the blessing I felt just a tiny fragment of how much Heavenly Father loves her. It was really special.

I am so grateful for Heavenly Fathers love. He's pushed me pretty hard this change haha. However I have had an awesome companion, and awesome support from you guys, and I definately have learned a lot. I have learned how important this work is. I've learned how special the gospel is. I remember last night also, during a teach. My companion gave a promise to one of our investigators in the Lords name by the
spirit. I knew that what he was saying was true. I can't describe how special those little moments are.

So today is p day, and I gave myself a hair cut. It looks super great!! From the front... haha with the plain shaver I accidently shaved a little too short in the back. Kind of awkward. But what ever. Maybe one day, I wont look like monkey swinging from a tree. Speaking of monkeys. Dad, I drop your monkey from the top of the staircase down 5 flights of stairs haha. Every P day. I love it. We actually did it on splits as well. I just don't want to be known as "that guy with the monkey." Oh elder perry,... oh he was the one with the monkey... that would be awkward explaining to my children someday. By someday, I mean... well... this is kind of awkward... uh, last week... uh...

Anyways, dumb will, always making jokes... haha I'm hilarious!! So the members are doing better, and aren't taking my lunch money anymore. Sometimes they make me sit in the corner at church facing the wall with a dunce hat, but I've gotten used to it.
No I kid wit you. haha Everything is going well, and The Lord has softened their hearts.

I love you both so much.

Elder Perunä

Monday, January 9, 2012

January 9, 2012

Hello there haha,

So it's been several weeks since I talked to Eddie on Christmas, and I still haven't recieved a letter or an email from him haha. I think I am going to break things off, I don't know if things are working out between us haha. Jk I really miss them! As well as the rest of the family... and yeaaaah. This is that point in the letter where you have to start mentioning specific names of people so they don't feel left out haha. But, yeah... Anyways... the reason I didn't have a long email last week is because we usually email at the library, and my computer shut me down after like 20 or 30 minutes... L.A.M.E....

However, I was very happy to see your emails today, and be able to write you a letter that isn't anything but negative haha. I am a happy person, I am doing great things here (No I do not recite this in front of the mirror every morning... ahhhh, ya caught me.. Anyways... now that the spirit is here haha. That's what Vanhin Nielsen used to say when ever we got off on a tangant during something important haha. It happens a lot!! But it's okay. I miss Vanhin Nielsen! He was so great. Every day I think about something He taught me. Definately the best trainer! How is He doing, what is he up to??

So this week/ change has been one of theeeee hardest of my mission! I have never had such a hard time finding people! But the Lord has been teaching me a very big lesson on whos' work this is. I don't like it when people say I am thankful for my trails, because I am definately not! However I am grateful for what I have learned from them. I definately don't want to re live some things I went through, but I do know that Heavenly Father helped me to grow during those hard times. (Elder Larsen is looking at my computer screen so I am just going to say nice things about him so he'll think I like him...) Okay Elder Perry, let me go grab the worlds smallest violin, while you drown in your pain haha... no life really is good! We have had a lot of really cool experiences this last week!

Our numbers were the lowest that they've ever been on my mission, but I learned an important lesson from my District Leader when i was on the phone with him last night. We were talking and He asked how the week went. I told him that things were going slow, and it was a hard week. He paused, and said really?? Our week was great! He talked about his numbers, and they were exactly the same as ours! He talked about how they helped a bunch of less actives come back to church, and how they did a lot of other really good things, that didn't apply to the numbers. After the phone call, I looked back on the week, and I realized I was focusing more on the numbers than people. No wonder it was a hard week... As I have thought to my happiest times on my mission, it was when I focused on others, and helping them to be happy. That's when the Lord blessed us with so much success.

I had an awesome study today. I studied about prayer. President Rawlings has counseled us to pray always. In everything we do. I studied that today. In the bible dicitonary it talks a lot about what prayer really is. It says something along the lines of, once someone really understands the relationship that we have with God (namely that He is our Father and we are His children) thats when it becomes instinctive, and important for us to prayer. All of the so called problems with prayer, come from forgetting that relationship. When i think about people that say they don't pray, or don't like to pray or pray sometimes, it is exactly because of this principle. They don't understand who they are talking to when they prayer. They don't feel the blessings, because they don't do it. As I continued to study it, I read farther where it says, Prayer is the means whereby the will of the Father and the will of the child come into correspondence with each other. Our objective is not to change the will of God, but rather secure for ourselves the blessings which He is already willing to give us, but are conditional upon our asking for them.

I recieved a humbling renewed testimony of prayer last night, and this morning. At the close of this week, when I stopped complaining inside myself, and truly went to God for Him to help me, that's when I felt that, this week really wasn't so bad haha. I am so grateful for all of your testimonies, and counsel. I know that you love me, and I want you to know how much I love both of you. I think about you both everyday, and I always am so excited to read your letters.
We had a cool experience during our planning meeting last week. We were sitting there, and we felt all of the sudden like we should call our BML for a meeting. We realized that we needed to meet with him. We called, and arranged to meet at the church that night. We walked down, and Elder Larsen forgot the church key haha. We met in His car, and it was pretty hilarious. After wards when we were walking home, we recieved a prompting to go try a potential on the way home. We talked about it and decided to do it. We walked and all of the sudden this girl (that looks like our potential investigatior) walks into her building. I opended the building door, right as she walked into our P.I's room. I went and rang the door bell, and she opened right up. We have a teach on thursday haha. Sooo cool!! It is so cool to see those little things work out.

I can't believe it's 2012 either! So cool! Apparently the world is going to end this year before i go home... I guess this is a pretty good place to die haha! I was thinking this morning as I was getting ready, wow, I will be getting ready to go home next year at this time... that is so weird. One thing I wanted to say, however not focus on. Mom, I don't want to bother you because I know you're really busy, but I was wondering if you could look into some more scholarships for me, and also when the time comes we can talk more about it, but i really want to see my options when it comes to going to school. If I can get a scholarship to go out of state somewhere good, then that would be cool. I don't want to limit my options to just BYU haha or UVU. But I don't want to focus on that until Fall when that stuff is important. But the scholarship thing, I can write the essays on my p- day's and stuff. I really want to look into that Army scholarship from Dad you were talking about, and also a housing scholarship, and also FAFSA. Sorry that I'm babaling, I just need to get it off my mind so I can get back to work.

I love you both very much,
Elder Perry

January 2, 2012

Hi family,

So I've recieved a lot of questions, and apparently I'm not very good at answering them haha. So as far as my work here in Kouvola. Things have been difficult. The ward is not very happy with the fact that when I came here, Elder Larsen and I started following the mission rules when it came to meeting with single women. Every appointment I have gone to, is a member telling me how stupid that rule is, and how I need to do someting about it. The members are very good people, and I love them. They just don't understand the principle of obedience. It gets super frustrating, and it puts us in the bad guy position. However, I guess we'll just take it, and keep going.
I feel like this email has been supper debbie downed haha. I really am doing great. I am so greatful for my comp. He is a very strong example to me, and way good friend. I can't believe Elder lloyd has to go home for surgery! That's crazy, Elder larsen, and I were super schocked.

I gave a talk yesterday in Sacrament meeting. I was a little nervous haha. Alot of people don't seem to like me right now, but I just said a little prayer, and said Heavenly Father please help me to speak finnish clearly. I gave my talk, and talked about how I know God answers prayers. I told them the story of how I gained my testimony of Jesus Christ. I can't really remember how, but I think it started from the picture that is hanging in Grandma Perry's home of Christ descending out of the clouds, with all of the angles around him. I remember seeing that picture at a very young age, and knowing perfectly without a doubt that that man is Jesus. Wow I love Him. He has been so good to me over the years.

THanks mom for all of your help with the turuset, my computer is shuting down
love lyou
will

December 26, 2011

So yesterday was pretty cool! Talk about getting TRUNKY!!! (Thinking about home) I got a call from America, and it was pretty interesting. The people I talked to were pretty interested in the gospel, however they weren't progressing so I had to drop them haha. Just kidding! It was so good to hear both of your voices! I started to get a little choked up when you both got on the phone, but I'm pretty sure it's because a little bit of dust fell from the ceiling! It's weird thinking I just talked to you, and now i'm emailing you guys. It was kind of cool. Dad, I read your letter in my package, and then you called right after I finished it. Pretty sweet. I had a hard time getting to sleep last night, I was so excited about talking to all of you.

I can't believe I'm going on my year mark. This time next year I'll be getting ready to come home. I can't believe it! It freaks me out haha! I want to come home and see you guys, but at the same time it's like, wow... my mission is done. So it pumped me up to go even harder, and live without regrets! That is one quote I've really taken to heart. Living without regrets. So far, I feel very good about what I've accomplished. Obviously I made mistakes, and could have done things better looking back, but If I had to go back, I wouldn't change anything. I've learned so much from my mistakes, and it motivates me to move forward, and improve.

So about the Jet calender... it's pretty much... THEE COOOOLEST THING IN MY APARTEMENT! I hung up the picture of Christ next to my new F-22 raptor jet picture... uh... I don't know about that one, but, big whoop. I love it! I'm trying to figure out what I should do with the Christ calender. Maybe I'll give it to Elder Larsen and make him schedule all of my appointments on it. I love the pictures though! Tell Aunt marsha thank you so much! The T-shirt is pretty big, but I'm going to try and shrink it today in the wash. Haha Elder Larsen called the Blue angels, the Blue hornets last night... uh... we'll give it to him this time, given that it is the F-18 Super Hornet. Haha soo great! I am already on like page 50 in that book you gave me by John Bythway. Still not sure if it's okay to read during lunch and stuff, but I'm going to until someone mentions something haha. Tell Toni thank you so much, and I will write letters! It is going to take me awhile, because I have a lot to respond to. (That was not being prideful, it was an FF for today Fun Fact).

I had kind of a cool experience this last week. I already told Dad about it, but We were in a teach, and this girl had researched a lot of anti mormon stuff.. oh brother... anyways, she mentioned some things that I didn't even know about. On the way home it really kind of questioned my testimony. I was already frustrated with some other aspects of the teach, but this was kind of the last straw. When we got home for lunch, I went and laid on my bed for a minute. I laid on my bed, and the things she brought up really started eating at me. Then it reminded me of what Nephi did, when he heard things he didn't understand. He cried unto the Lord. I decided to talk to Heavenly Father about it. I said a little prayer laying there, and as I explained my frustrations, and concerns, a voice came into my mind and heart. It said, "Elder Perry, Don't you give up!" There was so much emotion in it. It sounded like Grandma Huntley's voice. I could imagine her face telling me not to give up. Kind of like she would beat me if I did haha. But I felt how much love Heavenly Father had for me. I felt his compassion in my trial. I felt how badly He wants me to come home to him.

I gained a new testimony of how much our Father in Heaven wants us back. Sometimes it's easy to think, we're here, and he's there, and that's it. But I know that's not the case. He is there, with open arms at the end of the finish line, just waiting to recieve us. It's up to us whether or not we want to finish the run. Although we might trip or hurt, or loose a shoe, it is still completely up to us whether or not we want to finish.

I know that if we have a concern about a gospel principle, or a member of the church or whatever.. if we go to the Lord first (not relying on our own wisdom) He will soften our heart, and help us to understand. I know this is true.

I am so grateful for Christmas, because it really is a special time of the year. The reason everyone feels that Christmas spirit, is because it's a time when thoughts turn to Christ. Love fills the air, because He is remembered. I love bearing my testimony about Him. I don't understand a lot of things, and I'm not a perfect teacher. However I do know that He lives. I feel His guidance, and love. I feel His concern for me, and for our investigators. The counsel He has given me over the years, has blest my life so much. I am with Elder Scott, when He says, I love and adore Him. I know we can change and overcome our weaknesses. Your called to bear your cross, and I'm called to bear mine. But with him, it's as if were not carrying a thing. As if those minor things (to us) that seem so unbearable and taken from us. The reason being..... they are.

I love you all so much. Every one of you. Please don't forget how much I care about you. I can't wait until I can hear your voices again. But, before ya know it, it will be mothers day talking to you again.

You all are so great, Love
Willie