HOW DO YOU SPELL 'VICTORIA' OR 'VICKI'.........

Виктория – Victoria

Вики -- Vicki

And that would be in Russian!

Why do I ask you may say! Well, you are all aware of the cross stitch Helsinki Temple bookmarks and pictures that I make and give as gifts. Yesterday, I was talking with this sweet young single adult sister that we had met the last time we was here in July. I did not know her name them but we asked what her name was......you guessed it! Victoria or Vika for short (or Vicki in English).

I decided as soon as we met her that I would be making her a bookmark! And here it is. I will give it to her later today.

Brief 'history' of how I came about making these as gifts. When we got our mission call to come to Finland, I knew I would have a difficult time with the language. I would not give up, I wanted to at least be able to read it even if I could not speak it fluently!

I wanted to be able to share 'something' with the great people that I knew we would meet.....Finns and otherwise. I thought about my 'talent' of being able to count (as in doing counted cross stitch......anybody can count, right!?) and make cross stitch pictures.

I had Wayne design a miniature Helsinki Finland pattern. I started making them as little gifts for special friends even before we left on our mission. I brought a ton of supplies with me. I quickly ran out and had to 'e-mail home' for reinforcements! I am sure i will run out again, and I will e-mail for more reinforcements. I have made countless framed pictures and bookmarks!

Here are several that I have given to Finns, Russians and Estonians.......these can be found in the far reaches of all of these countries! Maybe I can make a difference.....one cross stitch at a time!

This sweet gal came to the temple for the first time in July. She is from Savonlinna, eastern part of Finland.

The sweetest couple ever. She was previously endowed, her husband was endowed on this trip and then they were sealed. They just loved their little cross stitch picture!

And below there was Angelikka from Ukraine. She used to do baptisms all the time. She will be coming back soon to receive her own endowment. This was in July 2009

These are just a few of the cross stitch bookmarks that I have made for a variety of folks.