Vanhin Gandolf

Hello! Hello! Mita kuuluu?

The countdown has indeed begun! We have daily discourse on Finland and what to expect upon our arrival, and so like dogs who smell their bone we dig down deep. Hoping to ultimately find some gratification from our perseverance here. If there is any indication of our stamina, it would be our soccer team. We are now 7-0 having the past 5 of our games as shutouts. A few assists and goals from yours truly :) Anywho, your letters make life sound marvelous! Uncle Steve, your quote is engravened in our hearts. My companions loved it! And your kids sound great! I am a little jealous of Shawn. Anywho, parents - have you thought of any thoughts you had from my setting apart? Because I would love to have those. And I hope you got my message, mom, but any camera is good. As for supplies, I think I should be okay. You are excellent though :)

Last night, President Uchtdorf came and spoke to us about obtaining eloquence of heart whilst on our missions. He discussed the difficulties of learning a language, and how we may not obtain that flowery diction we so desire, but we should have an eloquence in our countenance to speak with those the Lord knows are ready. This word "eloquence" really struck me for some reason. Therefore, I did some research on the root of the word and stumbled upon the Hebrew root of "El" in the Bible dictionary. Many of our words in english seem to apply this "el" in their denotation as a type of action word. And indeed, the denotation proved to second my opinion. The meaning is - might/strength. We might then assume that eloquence invokes a strenght of action. Both in the word and the heart eloquence will indicate power, and perhaps a certain degree of discernment made possible through the Spirit's eloquence. Eloquence then in its elementary form has similar assonance to elegance and symbolically can elongate our eligibility to receive the Lord's direction. We ourselves must elect to obtain this eloquence, but it is not until we eliminate man's philosophies that we can elevate our abilities. There is a certain element of elopement betwixt metaphysical action and the ever elusive elation of spirit which comes through the Spirit in electric form. The strength then at which the Spirit works within and through us , might qualify us for the Lord's might.

President Uchtdorf also admonished us to submit our work daily to the Lord and seek His approval for our efforts. Therein lies an eternal eloquence which gives us the elegance of His power. I have begun to do this in my prayers already, since being chastised already by Elder Oaks to have purpose in prayer. And all at the same time, accept the Lord's will. We really shouldn't desire to have every prayer just immediately answered; Oscar Wilde informs us that "if God wanted to punish us, He would just have to answer all of our prayers". No, it is the work and struggle to obtain what the Lord has in store that brings the ultimate happiness. And I am especially glad to be forced into the Finnish language. Of course I always pray for Him to bless me with "kielten lahjella" (the gift of tongues...tongue's gift) but as for the result, "katso taan" (we shall see). D&C 90:11 Qualifies our work and efforts, since every person must hear the message in his tongue. And in that form will I go. "A kite flies highest againt the wind", eh?

In other news, I have been reading a lot about temple work and the sacred nature. Focusing on those ordinances along with the Lord's Atonement keeps me fresh in my revelation. Just like pasta, study never gets old. The taste, I know all too well. Yet I crave it constantly.

I think you hvae probably tired of my poems, but on I write!
It we don't pay heed, chalk may merely be scratched on a board / Or the keys hit in procession are made into some monotonous chord / While the teacher of "this principle or that" provides a taste of but a goard / Yet the holder of the chalk, this player, and tutor appear in likeness of the Lord / What strikes this miracle more refined to my eyes / Is the forsaken one's forceful despise / When an undaunted testimony will seal / He who desires to await the ample peel / For to see, to taste only a scent / Sharpens my sense and no steel heart ever will rent / To be plucked and refined in nature's forlorned element / The Lord's glory ne'er err in becoming supplement/

It is a type of response to Henry V....his prayer to the Lord - who he desires will "steel" His soldiers' hearts from the innumerable odds. Anywho, when I look at the talents of my companions, it reminds me of his cry. We go forth to struglle, not really knowing what to expect, for we are in the Lord's hands.

Now for some finnish - one of the reasons it is so difficult, is because the cases reform every, I mean EVERY word in a sentence. So you can tell the object, subjuct, verb, and what its specific purpose is by the stem on the end. This means that the order of words in a sentence doesn't matter, because one should know by the ending of a word what it implies. It is then impossible to understand what the exact translation is.

Anywho, I love you and my prayers go out to everyone and all those in your letters