Hi all,
This week marks the beginning of Advent and pikkujoulu (little Christmas) in Finland. We will be enjoying that from afar, alas. At least it's snowy and cold here.
We're still keeping busy in Utah and trying to light the world in small ways. We found out a little bit of info related to the visa situation. We might have mentioned that the young missionaries we talked to at the MTC wait about 4 weeks after completing their visa application. That is where our expectation of a short wait came from, having completed ours in early September.
It seems that early this year, somebody in Immigration decided that old people like us should go through a different approval process. Thus, the situation that we and two other couples are in.
The Finnish mission president and a Church lawyer met with people in Finland and, we hope, convinced them to put old missionaries back into the previous approval process. If that's the case, we hope our wait will be only another month. Fingers crossed for that.
Again and always, thanks to you for your support and concern.
Wishing you added light in your lives this Christmas season,
Elder and Sister Bridge
Tuesday, December 4, 2018
Tuesday, November 20, 2018
Kiitos
We feel privileged to be able to say that we're so blessed to be full-time missionaries. We're grateful that we have a roof's safe shelter overhead with Sherry. We are lucky to have meaningful service opportunities with people who express their appreciation to us daily. We are so thankful that we can attend a different temple each day if we like. What a blessing it is to have time to be in one of those peaceful and holy places often.
We recognize and appreciate the support of our immediate family, our extended family, and many well-wishing, loving and loved friends. We love that so many people tell us of their concern and prayers and even fasting on our behalf. How do we show sufficient thanks for that??
We are able, more than ever, to enjoy peace and comfort and hope and faith. We have time to study and contemplate things that transcend this world.
Perhaps most cherished is that along with all of the above, we get to do this as two, together every hour of every day.
Thanks to each of you.
Elder and Sister Bridge
We recognize and appreciate the support of our immediate family, our extended family, and many well-wishing, loving and loved friends. We love that so many people tell us of their concern and prayers and even fasting on our behalf. How do we show sufficient thanks for that??
We are able, more than ever, to enjoy peace and comfort and hope and faith. We have time to study and contemplate things that transcend this world.
Perhaps most cherished is that along with all of the above, we get to do this as two, together every hour of every day.
Thanks to each of you.
Elder and Sister Bridge
Tuesday, November 13, 2018
No whinging
We take consolation from learning this week that we are just one of three couples who are waiting for their visas to Finland. One couple finished the application process 2 months before us! So, since they're still waiting, we feel more for them than for ourselves.
Did we mention we are volunteering at Church Interpretation? I vowed I wouldn't do that, but it beats pulling weeds (Sister Bridge might disagree). We feel like we're doing some good there and at the Distribution Center. We also are enjoying keeping up our missionary studies. Those things make us feel like the missionaries we are. Got done at the MTC 4 weeks ago now but still going there on Tuesdays for those awesome devotionals.
It could be we're still in Utah for the holidays, though we're doing everything we can to get abroad. The high temperatures in Salt Lake and Helsinki have been the same the past week, so that's a thing.
Thanks for your interest, concern, prayers.
Our love to each of you!
Elder & Sister Bridge
Did we mention we are volunteering at Church Interpretation? I vowed I wouldn't do that, but it beats pulling weeds (Sister Bridge might disagree). We feel like we're doing some good there and at the Distribution Center. We also are enjoying keeping up our missionary studies. Those things make us feel like the missionaries we are. Got done at the MTC 4 weeks ago now but still going there on Tuesdays for those awesome devotionals.
It could be we're still in Utah for the holidays, though we're doing everything we can to get abroad. The high temperatures in Salt Lake and Helsinki have been the same the past week, so that's a thing.
Thanks for your interest, concern, prayers.
Our love to each of you!
Elder & Sister Bridge
Monday, November 5, 2018
Visa, it's everywhere but where you want to be
Hello to all and thanks for your thoughts and prayers. We continue to wait (patiently, yes, patiently, promise) for a response from the Finnish consulate on our visas to enter Finland. Meanwhile we are happy to have a place to stay and a variety of things to keep us busy. Many of you are familiar with the mantra Stewart has adopted: "All frustration is unmet expectation." This applies here.
There is a website that shows the status of our visa applications. It says, in several places, "Do not ask about your visa, it won't help." They also have a place to show the estimated time to expect a decision and it comes out as January 5 to April 5. So, this will have to be our new expectation. Then, if it's sooner than that, well, won't we be so happy!
Sorry our frustration is coming out in this email, but we're really doing fine, just anxious to get going in Finland as expected. After everything leading up to our start date, entering the MTC, then finishing at the MTC it's like:
1. On your marks
2. Get set
3.
And if you're still reading this, thanks and our love to you!
Vanhin ja Sisar Bridge
There is a website that shows the status of our visa applications. It says, in several places, "Do not ask about your visa, it won't help." They also have a place to show the estimated time to expect a decision and it comes out as January 5 to April 5. So, this will have to be our new expectation. Then, if it's sooner than that, well, won't we be so happy!
Sorry our frustration is coming out in this email, but we're really doing fine, just anxious to get going in Finland as expected. After everything leading up to our start date, entering the MTC, then finishing at the MTC it's like:
1. On your marks
2. Get set
3.
And if you're still reading this, thanks and our love to you!
Vanhin ja Sisar Bridge
Tuesday, October 23, 2018
MTC Week 3 (sort of)
You'll be glad to read a short email this week since there's not a lot to report.
As mentioned, our flight plans for Thursday the 18th were cancelled because our Finland visas have not come through yet...and so we wait.
We checked out of the MTC on Wednesday and moved to Sherry's (Bridge) house where she has graciously allowed us to camp out whilst we wait. We're still hopeful that this arrangement will last just another week or two, but it's impossible to get any updates---just sit in quiet desperation (it's the English way).
We talked the local Distribution Center into allowing us to volunteer two days a week because we were in there to get something and helping them out seemed like a good thing to do. The Temple Square greenhouses have some grounds-care for us to do on the other days. So, we try to keep busy with that and helping the fam and others and act like missionaries by doing service. It's still too much to offer to serve at Church Translation---Stewart needs a lot more humbling before that could happen. :)
We're still "in the MTC" as far as the Missionary Department is concerned, so we plan to go to the Tuesday devotional there because those are so awesome.
Love to all,
Vanhin ja Sisar Bridge
Bountiful, Utah (for now)
As mentioned, our flight plans for Thursday the 18th were cancelled because our Finland visas have not come through yet...and so we wait.
We checked out of the MTC on Wednesday and moved to Sherry's (Bridge) house where she has graciously allowed us to camp out whilst we wait. We're still hopeful that this arrangement will last just another week or two, but it's impossible to get any updates---just sit in quiet desperation (it's the English way).
We talked the local Distribution Center into allowing us to volunteer two days a week because we were in there to get something and helping them out seemed like a good thing to do. The Temple Square greenhouses have some grounds-care for us to do on the other days. So, we try to keep busy with that and helping the fam and others and act like missionaries by doing service. It's still too much to offer to serve at Church Translation---Stewart needs a lot more humbling before that could happen. :)
We're still "in the MTC" as far as the Missionary Department is concerned, so we plan to go to the Tuesday devotional there because those are so awesome.
Love to all,
Vanhin ja Sisar Bridge
Bountiful, Utah (for now)
Tuesday, October 16, 2018
MTC Week 2
It seems like we've been here much longer than just a week. We've come to know some other couples and it seems like we've known them for years. I guess the common bond has something to do with that, plus the intensity of the classes we share in and talking about personal stuff.
Our mornings and afternoons have been filled with classes lead by two different 21 year-old sisters. There are 4 couples in our group plus we're assigned another companion couple to get to know. You'd think that would be weird, young sisters teaching old folks with years more experience. But, they handle it extremely well. They're full of the Spirit and are humble enough to listen to what some of us geezers pontificate. Plus, they recently returned from being missionaries full-time so there's lots they can answer from our questions about the practicalities of what we'll do, day-to-day. They push us to extend ourselves and our efforts and that's a good thing. Really it just makes us all the more excited to get our there and start working with people.
We had a little disappointment. Because our visas to Finland are not approved yet, our flight plans for this Thursday got cancelled. In talking to the young missionaries who just flew out to Finland today, most of theirs took about 4 weeks. Our last communication with the consulate was 3 weeks ago, so we're hoping and praying it'll happen within the week and we can get new flights booked. In the meantime, we're not sure if they'll assign us to do something, like in SLC, or if we'll just wait. We're disappointed but not stressed. It'll work out just fine.
We had some free time Friday night so we went to the BYU Homecoming SPECTACULAR
!!
You'll be so jealous once you realize that performing, just yards away from us was...that's right...The Cougarettes!
And, not only them, but Vocal Point! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxIILbNMTHY
I know, can you stand it? Oh, and Colbie Caillat and David Archuletta were there too. 😏
Our mornings and afternoons have been filled with classes lead by two different 21 year-old sisters. There are 4 couples in our group plus we're assigned another companion couple to get to know. You'd think that would be weird, young sisters teaching old folks with years more experience. But, they handle it extremely well. They're full of the Spirit and are humble enough to listen to what some of us geezers pontificate. Plus, they recently returned from being missionaries full-time so there's lots they can answer from our questions about the practicalities of what we'll do, day-to-day. They push us to extend ourselves and our efforts and that's a good thing. Really it just makes us all the more excited to get our there and start working with people.
We had a little disappointment. Because our visas to Finland are not approved yet, our flight plans for this Thursday got cancelled. In talking to the young missionaries who just flew out to Finland today, most of theirs took about 4 weeks. Our last communication with the consulate was 3 weeks ago, so we're hoping and praying it'll happen within the week and we can get new flights booked. In the meantime, we're not sure if they'll assign us to do something, like in SLC, or if we'll just wait. We're disappointed but not stressed. It'll work out just fine.
We had some free time Friday night so we went to the BYU Homecoming SPECTACULAR
You'll be so jealous once you realize that performing, just yards away from us was...that's right...The Cougarettes!
And, not only them, but Vocal Point! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxIILbNMTHY
I know, can you stand it? Oh, and Colbie Caillat and David Archuletta were there too. 😏
It was indeed a spectacle!
It's pretty great to be focused on doing one thing and when that one thing is done for the day, to have time to do something like attend a performance. We've lived in Utah County 30 years and I don't think we've ever gone to the Homecoming Spectacular, so it was fun. Also, it was fun to walk home afterward amidst all the cars waiting to exit the parking lot. Another perk of being a missionary.
Something odd about being "seniors", Sunday they had us attend the meeting for new missionaries, those newbies who arrived last week. I'd guess there were about 350 in the meeting. Then, later that day, they had us attend the good-bye meeting for those leaving this week. Since seniors are only here about a week, we're new and we're old all at the same time. Funny.
Can't think of anything else funny, at least nothing that wouldn't be at the expense of somebody else, and missionaries aren't supposed to think like that, so we'll leave it.
We realize that we're in a protected and spiritual environment here, like a bubble. It's easy to have spiritual feelings and seeing so many young people trying to do their best is really inspiring. They're still 18-20 year-olds, so they act goofy sometimes, like at the dining hall, but they're sincere and really trying to be good. We love seeing that. They also remind us often to be examples of a happy married couple and walk together holding hands. That's another easy thing to do and maybe some missionary will see that who didn't see it in their home life. We hope so. It's easy to love here, especially your companion.
Our love to you all,
Elder and Sister Bridge
It's pretty great to be focused on doing one thing and when that one thing is done for the day, to have time to do something like attend a performance. We've lived in Utah County 30 years and I don't think we've ever gone to the Homecoming Spectacular, so it was fun. Also, it was fun to walk home afterward amidst all the cars waiting to exit the parking lot. Another perk of being a missionary.
Something odd about being "seniors", Sunday they had us attend the meeting for new missionaries, those newbies who arrived last week. I'd guess there were about 350 in the meeting. Then, later that day, they had us attend the good-bye meeting for those leaving this week. Since seniors are only here about a week, we're new and we're old all at the same time. Funny.
Can't think of anything else funny, at least nothing that wouldn't be at the expense of somebody else, and missionaries aren't supposed to think like that, so we'll leave it.
We realize that we're in a protected and spiritual environment here, like a bubble. It's easy to have spiritual feelings and seeing so many young people trying to do their best is really inspiring. They're still 18-20 year-olds, so they act goofy sometimes, like at the dining hall, but they're sincere and really trying to be good. We love seeing that. They also remind us often to be examples of a happy married couple and walk together holding hands. That's another easy thing to do and maybe some missionary will see that who didn't see it in their home life. We hope so. It's easy to love here, especially your companion.
Our love to you all,
Elder and Sister Bridge