EXTRA DAY OFF THIS WEEK......

Every 6th Saturday, Wayne and I get a 'day off' to go where we want to go (at our own expense, of course). Today was that day! It was a beautiful 'summer' day.....although it started out on the cool side, it ended up being quite warm.....and mostly sunny!! All the Finns were out enjoying the weather as much as we were. This is not going to last forever.....will start getting cold before too long!!

We had made reservations several months ago to take a FERRY BOAT TO PORVOO from Helsinki. We had heard it was a nice 3 hour ride through the ARCHIPELAGO! It was very, very nice and relaxing. The boat traffic getting out of the HELSINKI HARBOR was a bit on the heavy side however.

The HELSINKI TORI was active with lots of people as well........and we did a little shopping there before boarding our boat.

Our boat was the J. L. RUNEBERG......a replica of an old steam engine that used to make the trek back and forth from Helsinki and Porvoo.

We got great seats.....on the top deck and right in front of the captain's 'steering thingie'!!

We even enjoyed some accordion music along the way.....this guy was great!

Once arriving in Porvoo we decided to 'divide and conquer'.......Wayne wanted to go see the museums and historical stuff. I, of course, wanted to shop!!! No surprise there. Here is a small TORI in part of the old town section of town......not as big as Helsinki but nice nonetheless!!

Loved the beautiful pots of flowers everywhere!!

And Wayne got some great shots while on his little 'self-guided tour'. He tried to catch a 'regular tour' but missed it. He probably was able to see more this way.

We had a late lunch at this little CAFE......sat on the little side porch with all of the beautiful flowers. We had SALMON and POTATOES of course!! It was so good......

No meal 'out' is ever complete without a cone of ICE CREAM for dessert!! Today was no exception to that!!

We decided to take the EXPRESS BUS home so we would have more time in Porvoo (instead of the allotted 2 hours that the round-trip ferry would have given us). It was a much quicker trip.....but along the way we saw more FINNISH STATUES!!! No surprise there....now these looked like RABBIT HEADS / EARS to us! What do you think!!

Among the many purchases we made (or should I say 'I' made) we discovered this

BRUNBERG CANDY

OH MY.......MORE GOOD FINNISH CANDY!!

One can never, never have too much good Finnish-Made Candy on hand. This absolutely melts in your mouth.

After having left our apartment at 8:00 a.m. this morning, we finally arrived back home at about 7:15 p.m. GREAT DAY.....but we, admittedly, are totally exhausted.

Tomorrow, Sunday, we are speaking in LAHTI......better get some rest and get prepared!

(The magnetic above was given to us by one of the sweet Russian sistra's that has been here all week and that we have seen before......)

YEKATERINBURG RUSSIA WEEK

COMES TO A CLOSE.......

It is sad to know that we will not see many of these goo saints again!! Not for a long, long time at least....only 3 weeks before the Kiev Ukraine Temple is dedicated and they will be in that Temple District.

Sistra Lazarenko is one of those sweet Sistra's we have come to know and love......I made a bookmark for her daughter who is on a mission in Samara Russia. She asked me to make one for her. I made a bookmark for Sistra Lazarenko last summer!!

And then there is Maria Zobnina from Sistra Lazarenko's branch in Yekaterinburg. She joined the church about 1 1/2 years ago. She is the only member in her family. She has been very faithful and very active. She has enjoyed her week here in the temple this week. Sistra Lazarenko asked if I could make a bookmark for her as well!! And of course I did. They almost look like they could be mother/daughter but they aren't!

SURPRISE TRIP TO HELSINKI THIS MORNING!!

We had not quite planned on a middle-of-the-week trip to downtown Helsinki. However, when Sisar AHTIAINEN (better know as our DENTIST....or Wayne's!) scheduled an appointment to put his crown back in, we decided we better take her up on it!! SO off we went.....

We had packages to get mailed at the POSTI....so we had time to do that before getting to her office. We just never know how long it will take to get there....although the public transportation is GOOD, sometimes 'things' can happen!!

SIX PACKAGES, 5 letters later and we walked on over to her office.....just across the street from the TRAIN STATION....and the beautiful sky with the clock tower! Just could not resist one more picture!!

AND.....here we are, AGAIN, at Sisar Ahtiainen's office.......6th floor.......

80 euro later and we have a 'fixed' tooth!

We decided to stop by the ATENEUM ..... FINNISH NATIONAL GALLERY to check on the hours and see what we could find in the BOOKSTORE!!!! We found LOTS and are looking forward to coming back during the two week break.....this museum is always closed on Mondays! No surprise there......

We were able to get the train home....just a beautiful summer/fall day....not sure which it is right now....the weather is a nice cool day with a beautiful Finnish Blue Sky!

Just some of our 'usual' sites as we take the train back to LEPPÄVAARRA......

And now......to work for our afternoon shift at the temple!

RANDOM THURSDAY.....

We are on the afternoon shift this week, which means we don't go in to the temple until about 1:00 p.m. each day. That gives us a few hours in the morning to 'catch up' and get a few things done.

Tuesday was a pretty day outside.......I had bookmarks to get made (5 in total for this weekend as gifts). Wayne decided he wanted to go out and walk on some of the walking, biking, skiing, running trails behind the Asuntola. And OFF he went.

He had a little 'delay' from the normal path because of some CONSTRUCTION.......what (MITA)? On a walking, biking, running, skiing trail you have construction!! APPARENTLY! A new bridge......

After a bit of a diversion he was 'back on the normal' trail......

Then, Tuesday evening as we came home from the temple we noticed this STRETCH LIMO in the parking lot. Brat Igor BALASOV from Avtovo, Russia is a 'driver' of busses. We think he may have driven that over here because he was here in the temple and spent the night in the asuntola Tuesday night. Just not your normal vehicle to see here. BUSSES yes......stretch limo's ......NO (AI).....

THE LAST OF THE

LAST.......

JEKATERINBURG RUSSIA

The dedication of the UKRAINE KIEV TEMPLE will take place the end of this month, August. We have had a lot of LASTS over the summer months here in the Helsinki Finland Temple. Beginning August 31st at the time of the Kiev Temple Dedication we will loose all of the Russians (except St. Petersburg and Viborg) to the Kiev Temple District.

Above is the 2010 Temple Schedule as it stands right now.....we have so many friends that are here this week.....and will probably be the last time we will be able to see them before we leave our mission here in Finland! We are very sad about that. I guess we will have to go to the KIEV TEMPLE to see them next time!! :-)

(BTW....the above temple schedule shows in 3 languages......bottom to top: English, Finnish and Russian........the 3 major languages we have here in the temple.

SHORTER DAYS

ARE HERE AGAIN....

THAT MEANS FALL IS NOT FAR BEHIND!!

The 'sunset picture' was taken Sunday night at about 10:35 p.m......notice the outside lights are on....beautiful sky!

That means FALL is not too far behind!!

This is, afterall, FINLAND and summer's only last about 3 weeks!!

FLASHBACK SUNDAY

......to 1963! Again!! We just did that yesterday, Saturday, as well with 'finding' another convert from Wayne's first mission.

Tonight we had an appointment with

ANTERO SASSTAMOINEN.

Wayne had taught him the discussions as a young missionary in 1963! After Antero and his brother were taught Wayne was transferred and they were both baptized!

Here is a picture that Antero had in his 'gold mine' of pictures! (in case you can't find Wayne.....he is the first row, far right) Love those hats!

And another picture of Wayne teaching Antero's brother, Olavi, with the flannel board 'props'....remember those days! Wow....that takes you back doesn't it!!

Just had to 'throw' this one is.....Wayne picking strawberries in someones garden!

NOW.....here is Vanhin Allgaier in 1963 when he and his companion were teaching Antero and Olavi........Antero on the far left and Olavi on the far right, Wayne top, middle and his companion bottom center.

TODAY......Antero with Vanhin Allgaier and Antero's 'friend', Raili. Unfortunately, Antero is not active in the church right now but said he was willing to have the missionaries over again! We hope we can help him again like he was helped in 1963!! He was accepting of the invitation at least.

And of course NO trip is complete without some of Finland's numerous statues!! We 'found' more tonight as we were driving to and from their home in Hyvinkää........got to love them....

The two pictures below is a '2-part' statue.....

the BALL going from one side, through the hole, and ending int he ground on the other side. Now, don't you think that is just cool!!