Christmas Eve in Espoo, Finland.

The blueberry smoothies.

Above is the assortment of fish.  Below is the ham and sauteed reindeer.

The temple missionaries were invited to  the home of Ilkka and Paula Aura to enjoy a true Finnish Christmas Eve celebration, there were nine of us.  We arrived at noon and soon thereafter started eating.  We began with Finnish rice porridge (riisi puuro).  This is prepared by cooking the rice in milk for about four to five hours, then eaten with either butter, cinnamon, sugar, cream, or fruit syrup or all put together.  Then we played games, sat around and talked.  Sauna was then offered.  All that wanted to go went.  The rest did some more talking and game playing.  After sauna was complete, the fresh salmon was place on the smoker and smoked.  While the salmon was smoking we all sang songs and shared memories of Finland long ago.  The climax was the Christmas story in Luke.  About six o'clock pm dinner was served and served and served.  We had a large variety of foods.  The fish included:  smoked salmon,  salmon, white fish, fried muikku (with eyes and heads still attached) and marinated muikku, heads removed, raw herring, cured reindeer, sauteed reindeer, fresh kinkku (ham), and fresh lingonberries (everything was thus far served cold).  The hot  foods were:  carrot casserole, rutabaga casserole, mashed potatoes, boiled Lapland potatoes, and an American green salad with avocados.  We drank water, fizzie water (carbonated water), mehu (fruit drink) and fresh frozen blueberry smoothies (without sugar).  Deserts were provided by missionaries so they were not so Finnish.  Raw apple cake, apple pudding with sauce, tapioca pudding, and some gluten free pasteries.  It took us a while to eat!  After dinner had settled we visited two graveyards, one in Espoo and one in Helsinki.  The Finns really honor their dead, especially war dead.  Candles are lit and placed on the graves.  It is a beautiful sight to behold to see a dark graveyard shimmering in the night.  The weather was normal for this time of year.  It was warmer here than in our home state of Utah.  It was rainy and dark outside, but really warm and fun inside.  We arrived back  home at 10:30 pm.  We were all tired out.  It was a very special Christmas Eve that will always be remembered because of two wonderful unselfish people, Ilkka and Paula Arua.  Thank you.

Table set for riisi puuroa. Rice porridge.

Game playing.

Our hosts, Ilkka and Paula Aura, in the kitchen.

Candles at the cemetery.

Old Espoo Lutheran Church, built 400 years ago.

Sauna, Finnish style!

This is the entrance to the sauna.  You enter through the shower room.

 

 

This is the sauna stove.  It is strategically placed in the corner of the sauna.  It is a wood burning stove, this makes the steam smell good.

Once inside the sauna you sit on these wooden benches, fortunately for us they were covered with towels to keep us from blistering our rears.  You either wrap a towel around you or go bare naked.  Finns go naked, so we all went bare a-- naked.  It was fun.  When the wood heats up it smells very good inside the sauna.  The sauna took two steps:  first you go in and sit down and sweat and sweat as someone throws water onto the rocks.  The first step lasted about 30 to 40 minutes.  We showered, went into a lounge area, sat down, drank water or pop and cooled down.  The last step was we reentered the sauna, threw more water on the rocks and really steamed up this time.  We didn't leave until all the water was gone from the sauna bucket.  We then reshowered, dressed  and rejoined the party upstairs.

Notice the little wooden bucket and wooden ladle.  Water is taken from the bucket and thrown onto the hot rocks on the sauna stove, this produces really hot steam. 

Hyvää Joulua!

We wish you a Merry Christmas from Helsinki, Finland!  We love you.

Alexsanterinkatu (Street) and the National Cathedral (Tuomiokirkko)

Alexsanterinkatu is a busy shopping street in downtown Helsinki.  It is the only street with Christmas decorations draped across the street.  Between the strings of lights are large "A's" which stand for Alexsanterinkatu.  The street was named for Alexander II from Russia.  This street runs past the national cathedral where there is a large statue of Alexander II in the middle of the church square.  This street is home to some very pricey real estate.

This picture shows the national cathedral.  It is really rather white.  It sets upon a hill and can readily be seen throughout Helsinki.  It is shaped like a huge fat cross.  The inside is not lavishly decorated like many European cathedrals.  It is Lutheran.  The Twelve Apostles adorn the four porticos.  There are three apostles on each entrance.  Climbing the stairs to the cathedral is much like climbing a pyramid in Mexico.  The small red huts are Christmas booths.  Like the street upon which they set, the prices are high.  We have visited it many times and it is time to let others spend their money!

The only guy left when the bar closed.

This guy was lonely on the dark cold street, so Sister London and Sister Williamson tried to invite him the temple.  

Our missionary District and friends at the MTC.

This picture was taken the day we graduated from the MTC.  There were eight in our District and I, of all people, was chosen or told to be District Leader.  There wasn't much to do, but I had a good time with it.  The people from left to right are.  Elder and Sister Roberts, Philippines, Elder and Sister Rohner, New York City South, Elder and Sister Williamson, Helsinki Finland Temple Mission, Sister and Elder Soloman, Alpine German Speaking Mission.  We hope they are all well and happy!

And they went into the forest....

Several Sundays  ago we and the London's,  Rick and Lynne, were invited to the home of Aimo and Nellie Jakko for Sunday dinner.  And to attend their branch in the morning.   We were excited to go visit them, they live in a forest about 3 hours away in the town of Kouvola.  Thank goodness Rick has a GPS and the voice of the very nice lady can "re-figure"!   We needed it, the nice voice and the 're-figuring'.
The branch meets for 2 hours, they alternate with Priesthood, RS , YM, YW one week  and Sunday School the next week.   Primary is every week. The music people were out of town so I played the piano and Lynne led.  Primary was practicing for their program so I got to play for them, too!  Yeah.  Lynne got to go to YW where there was one young girl and a visitor, the daughter of the high councilor who had given a very good talk in Sacrament mtg. Rick and Wayne were called on to share their testimonies in the meeting also!

Aimo stayed for a meeting and we left with Nellie.  The drive to their home was through the country.  The Jakko's bought a school that is between 2 towns.  They live in the building where the teachers lived!   The school part they use as a work place, they have looms among many items.   It truly was out in the middle of 'no one is around but the trees.'   It was much colder in that part of Finland than down here in Espoo and Helsinki by the ocean. 

One of the things Nellie wanted us to do was go mushroom hunting.  But it was too dark by the time dinner was through.  But, someone goes hunting for mushrooms because she had several LARGE jars full of dried mushrooms.  We had mushroom gravy over potatoes with baked salmon!  Yum!  It was such a treat to talk with them.  Nellie comes from Holland and Aimo was there for a short time as a building missionary....and love blossomed.   She speaks very good English besides Finnish.  Aimo comes from a large Mormon family and all but one of them are members.   Nellie is about the only member she knows of in her family.  But she is very proud of the Mormon geneology of their children and the Jakko family.

Lynne and Nellie and I went out to her 'building'.  Not huge, just accommodates her 'business' of miniatures.  She buys them on line and then has quite a list of customers who order from her.  She got into it about 3 years ago when she bought a doll house for a granddaughter....but she discovered  it is really a grown up  hobby!

Aimo and Nellie are amazing people!   They have been instrumental in introducing the Gospel to many Russian people.  In the early eighties they were instrumental in bringing the gospel to about forty (40) Russian Saints, baptizing, fellow shipping, and helping them along their way. Because of Nellie's championship table tennis days she was able to get into Russia a little easier!  She may be taking it up again this summer in senior games.

It's our priviledge  to renew acquaintances with them (for Wayne) and the rest of us get to know them!

Temple Worker Christmas Party

Finnish and American food!

The Temple Presidency hosted a great Christmas party tonight.  Lots of the regular workers came and the paid employees and us...the missionaries.  About 50 were there.  They started with a Christmas song and then the Haikkolas spoke.  Then we ate.   Then a few more songs, then more food.  Then a 'traditional' play with acting and singing about Christ.  (Roles: King Herod, a wise man, a Knight, and Mankki, he bears the star).

Then Joulupukki came!!  We all had to sing a song and he answered. Don't ask me what we sang to him or what he said to us.  Next year I'll figure that one out!  Then more eating.  Then the missionaries sang a song and I think there was more eating!  The drink they make here is Glorgy,  you warm it up and it's like wassill. Yum.

It was a very nice evening of socializing with wonderful people.

Wayne can't help me with this blog...he's making our lunch for tomorrow!  VERY similar every day: voileipaa (open faced sandwich with meat, cheese, cuke, tomato and anything else in the fridge) , 2 nice mandarin oranges, maybe a  cookie.  All put in bags that we recycle from somewhere!  Bags are a big commodity here.  Wayne misses sandwich, ziplock, hefty....any of those.  Also  you take your own bags to the grocery store or you have to buy them, .16 cents.  And, of course you bag your own groceries.  You don't buy huge amounts of items because nothing is sold in huge amounts.  Less than 5 lbs. of sugar or flour in sacks  etc. etc.

 

Finland Temple

Looking down at our home from the Temple.

There are 62 steps from our home to the Temple, or there are 62 steps from the Temple to our home!  

Finally, Finland

We have been here in Finland since Tuesday, November 1st!!  No snow yet and it has been  a little warmer than South Jordan.  Yesterday it started getting a little  more nippy though.  There are soo many trees here.  It really is a beautiful sight.  So nice to finally be at our new home!

The temple is awesome!  Too bad we can't post a picture of it yet...one post at a time.  We started doing our 'job' in the temple on the 2nd.  It's a good thing, what else to do but sleep?
The number of languages spoken in the temple is amazing.......and the number of people who know English is amazing.  However, there are those who don't so I guess I will still study Finnish so I can speak with some of them.  Wayne is really doing well with Finnish and will come home knowing much in several other languages, I'm sure.

We live in an apartment building on the grounds but down from  the temple.  The 3 full time (2 more couples to come) missionaries live here as well as  President and Sister Haikkola.  Then there are some part time missionaries who come for a few months from other countries.  There are also a couple of 'bunk' apartments for members who come from greater distances  so they can stay a couple nights.  Downstairs (main floor) there is a large eating area with 2 kitchens where they can cook their meals. It smells really good in there and the place is really 'jumping' sometimes.   No one under 12 is allowed to stay in these bunk areas.  We can have 'guests' under 12 stay with us......come on Venna, Jonah and Tucker! 

We will get more creative with this thing I'm sure.  Maybe even put in pictures!!
Doris Ann....you better bring a coat when you visit...so far we keep the window open at night, but the open part has gotten a lot smaller the last 2 nights!
Take care....love ya all

Pres. Hinckley with Finnish flag

It Starts.

We have just under 2 months until we are outta here and life is getting hectic!  Caleb and Michelle are here driving us nuts and we don't know what to do about our blog.  How will we ever survive without our kids to teach and tell us what to do!!?!!