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Show Finn Family Togetherness HELSINKI. By. JACK E. JARRARD , Church News Traveling Editor FINLAND A trend toward family togetherness sterns to be growing in Finland in contrast to the cockb.il and socializing life. This is the opinion offered by Eero Ahola. youthful president of the Helsinki North Branch of the Church. Pres. Ahola bases his opinion on the growth of the summer cabin being built by Finnish families in the beautiful forested areas of the country which surrounds every city. "Our economy is moving up and as a result many people are building summer cabins in the forest, with the head of the family commuting to work in the city, Pres. Ahola said. He said with this situation the fuller drives back to the summer cabin for the weekend instead of attending the social events which would come in conjunction with his work. Pres. Ahola notes that there is some fall off in attendance at branch meetings because of ownership of summer homes by Cliurch members. However bis average percentage of dance is around 35 per icnt. litre m Finland the woods and lakes aie tlose and many of our members have summer cabin-- . The famihes lue in them and father commutes to work. As a retult they ate too far away to dt.ve in to attend meetings so cur attendance is below' w'hat I want it to be, Pres. Ahola said. He i.s sales manager for the biggest c hit ken producer in Finland and also one of the largest canneries of prepared meats. As a result of his woik he has to attend many sales meetings and conventions. But the fact he doesnt drink or smoke has no effect on his association with customers. They might think it odd, but they think it is a fine thing and most of them say, I wish I could quit. I have noticed a definite dropping off in the use of liquor at sales meetings and conventions. The trend is toward family life in Finland now rather than socializing, he said. He served as president of the Helsinki Branch before the North Bianch came into being He has been in the Church since & f W rn. 'ntm ts& r ' i 9 iiHjStsYrji ifeit f 4 TJ & 4b 'v&ife : - ' Af. $ ihm'v 4,: min r.'Wnr-.: ., a! 'll " : vVi r I ' Jfw : ? r . . V ' V' . " , t y -' S?V at-te- 19G0. x- . J 'sf -- B , fI .it i.4 & ' . t v 7M ,, ' i u y ' J- -- '2 , - T w ; vv,iL &! M CMMfrC" ' . w , i ' . Stockmann, famed department store, It was his girl Iiiend now his wife ho was responsible for his joining. I got acquainted with this Mormon girl and she took me to Church once in a while. I w ent the first two or three times because of her, but then wanted to go on my own. I asked the missionaries to tell me more w about the Church. One summer I did not see my fi iend at all. I wanted to make sure it because ol a sincere desire to learn truth and not because of her that I Pres. Aero Ahola, president of Helsinki North Branch, checks over membership records of branch. WEEK fcNDiNG NOVEVSCR 1969 girl was the was is - e ir-..- , ?'. - j x rl 'S f 4, - . - wMr r g h'; 11 fe r 'ty' v .' 'V 4rt rW-- ;- 1 ' -.- in downtown Helsinki. learning about the Gospel. I was baptized before I saw her again, and I proved to myself that the Gospel was true. She had been in the Church from the time she was 14 when her mother came into the Church. Her mother was one of the fust people in Finland to come into the Church. "The Church has helped me immensely in my woik. I know that if it werent for the training I have received in the Church in speaking and in communicating with oth Helsinki North Branch U ers I wouldnt have ihe job I li.ue i.u he said. He had a big ptoblmn with his paiems when he first joined. They asked him to leave home, but as Pies. Ahola says, we are visiting one anothe: now'. The big pioblem is tithing. They cant understand the pnncple. They say the Church mast just be a big business organization and not a Chunh at all, ha smiled. He and his wife have two children. chapel nestles in a grove ot pines. |