Meet the new mission president

The last MLC with the Watsons

Meeting the new mission president and his wife at Zone Conference

Things in Tampere have been great. We have had some fantastic weather and life has been great. We still wear sweaters, but summer is really here and it is just so beautiful. I have to take time every day to stop and just look at all of the beauty around me to try and take it all in. It’s such a beautiful place and I feel so blessed every day.

My week went well. We had exchanges in Lahti and it was on Sister Burden’s and mine 18 month mark. I bought a pineapple (so we could eat the fruit of our labors together) and when we got there she had bought one too, it was fantastic :) We had a great exchange and a great week of work. We had a man that we had a first lesson with and he committed to be baptized, and then he took his Book of Mormon on his work trip and read clear to 2nd Nephi. Yesterday in our lesson at the end he said, “What does God think about my smoking? I don’t think he would be very happy.” And then our member explained a little about the word of wisdom and we gave him a pamphlet and told him we would talk about it more next time. He texted us last night and said that he read the pamphlet and that he is going to start living it cause he knows the Lord will help and it is his goal to get baptized in September. We were just blown away. Also, we contacted a referral from the elders last Friday, he was a young YSA man and we invited him to church. He showed up! and he stayed all three hours and absolutely loved it! He is going tonight to our Finnish language hour to help teach. He is incredible. Miracles literally happen daily. I just feel so blessed to see the Lord’s work and to be a small part in it. So it has been a great week. 

Ilkka Olavi Aura, 54, and Paula Kaarina Tapola Aura, Espoo 2nd Ward, Helsinki Finland Stake: Finland Helsinki Mission, succeeding President Wayne T. Watson and Sister Luana Watson. Brother Aura serves in a stake presidency and is a former stake executive secretary, high councilor, bishopric counselor, institute teacher, and missionary in the Finland Helsinki Mission. Managing partner, Sequoia Partners. Born in Jyväskylä, Finland, to Urpo Olavi Aura and Pirkko Liisa Paasilahti.  Sister Aura serves as a seminary teacher and is a former ward Relief Society, Young Women, and Primary president; temple open house and dedication committee member; nursery leader; and missionary in the Finland Helsinki Mission. Born in Kuopio, Finland, to Anssi Tuomas Tapola and Kaija Annikki Rautiainen.

The Finns love to swim in the lakes