Faces of Finland

These are such a beautiful people! Everyone was so kind and friendly. Perhaps the trees all started to look the same after awhile, but I never, ever got tired of watching the people...



I have a baby picture that looks just like this...




We were amused by the Japanese tourists posing with the little Finnish kids















Shane reaquaints with and old friend--she has held on to the book he gave her for 26 years

The Helsinki Temple--



The Helsinki Temple is truly the most beautiful temple I've ever seen. We got a special tour and our guide told us that we could take our time and to touch whatever we wanted. I couldn't keep my hands off the wood and the upholstery. I would've touched the chandelier but I couldn't reach it. It did look just like icicles hanging down from the ceiling. Here is a link to see some shots of the interior of the Helsinki Temple. The most wonderful thing was to see the Finnish people from all walks of life flock to the open house. One Sunday during the open house someone left the gate unlocked and there was an SOS call out to all the missionaries that afternoon to come because the grounds were full of people who couldn't stay away. I loved to watch the faces of those who came to see and wonder what they felt there. It was also quite moving to hear the Finnish saints express how excited they were to invite their friends to attend the open house. Being in Helsinki during the open house was simply a beautiful experience.

Our tour guide Kale and his cousins he hadn't seen for half a century. Though they are not familiar with his religion, they changed their plans to come and meet him at the temple. It was a touching moment for everyone.










The members of our tour group also got our very own tour of the temple