Isaiah 30:15 In quietness and confidence shall be your strength

Hey everyone! It has been so long since I have written, I say to myself just about everyday "I need to write in my blog" then the day is over before I know it. I have just about two more weeks here in Finland before returning to the States, how times flies by. Amazing things have happened, divine appointments, it is amazing how our very steps are ordained by God. Pilvi and I took a road trip to northern Finland by car, we actually made it to the Arctic circle, yes where Santa lives! We had made plans to stay with a school friend of Pilvi's who studies there, Pilvi had mentioned to me she wasn't saved, so we where trusting God for a chance to share the gospel. The Lord opened the door and gave the opportunity. She asked me about my life and what I am doing, the culture here is strongly based on having a profession and if you don't have one getting one. To a finnish unsaved mind, a life like how we live doesn't make sense, so I was able to share with her my heart behind choosing to be a "missionary". She later opened another door for us to share by asking about what is going on in America, the Lord helped me creatively steer it to giving her the full gospel. She didn't not pray to receive but she heard the clear gospel and I believe she will think about it a lot. Pilvi later told me she has been praying for her since high school! The rest of our trip was amazing we saw 4 reigndeer while we where driving! We then went to the Vaasa conference for Easter weekend, this was great to be with the body here in Finland and celebrate the resurrection, with the sun shining all day Easter sunday.

There have been so many amazing testimonies I could share, a verse that ran through my mind over and over for a couple weeks was The Lord thy God in the midst of the is Mighty, He will save, He will rejoice over thee with joy, He will rest in His love, He will joy over thee with singing Zeph 3:17. This is it He does it all He is the mighty one, It is not me it is Him. 

I have been thinking about what the Lord has done in my own heart during my time here. I thought right away about the verse's James 1:19 Let every man be swift to hear and slow to speak and Isaiah 30:15 In quietness and confidence shall be your strength. I have spent a lot of my time here quietly listening taking things in learning new things not speaking much. Many times I am in a place where there is only finnish being spoken, I have gotten use to these times, being able to quietly sit in a room of people and be content. At first it was very difficult not knowing what was going on, God used this to teach me quietness before Him. When english was being spoken I found myself so excited just to listen to what was being said. When you are so familiar with understanding everything you hear you take for granted much of what is being said, when you can't understand much of what is being said the little that is spoken that you can understand you soak it up. I don't know if that sentence would make sense to everyone but it sure does to me. So the Lord has really shown me the importance of being swift to hear and really slow to speak, and in quietness and confidence there is strength. It would be a challenge for many to sit in a room with everyone speaking the same language and you are the only one that doesn't understand, it was for me, but I wouldn't change it for anything. God new I needed to experience this. He speaks to us, He loves us, He joys over us with singing, He is mighty! 

Please pray for God's clear leading in what is next, if I come back. The Lord knows! 

I will see many of you soon

oh and yes it is still cold here and today it was snowing most of the day :)