Thursday, Friday, Saturday - October 10, 11, 12 Whew!

Thursday October 10, 2013

Lia and Eliza took us to the airport at 9:30 a.m.  Little Eliza was definitely not interested in long sloppy goodbyes!  So we kissed her and Lia and took our leave.  Our plane pulled out of Salt Lake City sometime around 12:30.  Despite being full and fully crowded, we had a pleasant flight, landing in the fair city of Dallas, Texas.  At least it looked fair from the windows as we raced to the airport shuttle and onto the next leg of the flight to London.

We traveled with Elder and Sister Middlemas (going to Alborg Denmark to work with young single adults), Elder and Sister Freeman (going to Iceland to work with young single adults), Sister Sweena (mission office worker), and Sister Hamblin (mission office worker).  We were scattered throughout the plane.   

We left the cocoon of the MTC where we were treated with deference and even respect to stop briefly in Salt Lake Airport where we were smiled at and wished well by kind strangers – even asked where we were going to serve – to Dallas where people stared and glared at our name badges, looking suspiciously from one of us to another.  It was a completely new experience for us.

The flight from Dallas to London was interminable!  It was crowded and I was in the middle of two tall men – and I am not exactly small!  We each watched our own little screens.  I started 2 different movies and turned them off before getting to the end….and finally watched something through to the end.  It wasn’t very memorable – in fact I can’t remember what it was!  Then I read, then I sat and looked at the ceiling, then I slept for a couple of hours.  Eventually the sun came up, and finally we arrived in London with a two-hour layover, or so we thought. 

After shouldering our considerably heavy carry-ons, the eight of us hurried through the airport to catch the flight to Denmark.  We moved from terminal C to terminal D in a bus, which for some silly reason reminded me of a C.S. Lewis bus ride.  After exiting the bus we walked as fast as seniors can walk lugging heavy backpacks, 40-pound suitcases, purses and (in my case) a 39-inch umbrella. (It has been suggested that it can double as a cane, a weapon, or even a light-saber.)  We must have walked 2 miles….I am sure of it.  We checked in like you check in at any airport and then headed for security.

A woman who must have been a drill sargent in another life, directed each of us to different line.  There were at least 27 lines and probably more.  We were spewed out of each security checkpoint at different times after having everything searched, including ourselves.  I am certain that any single one of us could have passed for a terrorist.

We regrouped at the gate for the flight to Copenhagen moments before we were to board.  I say “we” somewhat loosely since only 5 managed to find their way to the gate before the plane took off.  Stan and I were two of the five who were in the plane when it lifted off, leaving behind one of the sisters and another couple.  We were all concerned about what had happened to them, but since no one’s telephone was working at that point, we had no way of finding out.

Upon landing in Copenhagen we retrieved what luggage we could, and discovered that everyone of the five were missing at least one suitcases, and one of us – namely me – was missing both!  We couldn’t communicate with the mission president, because no one answered at the mission home, and if we went outside to see who was waiting for us, they would not admit us back in without boarding pass. 

After filing reports on the luggage, we sat down to wait and wait and wait for the next flight from London.  Happily, our luggage and our missing missionaries were on that plane.  We loaded up everything (a word of advice to anyone desiring to serve a mission – make sure you have an able-bodied man around to help with heavy suitcases) and left the airport where we found our very patient mission president and mission financial officer. 

By this time it was Friday evening in Denmark – October 11.  We drove through the streets of Copenhagen as I floated in and out of consciousness.  We unloaded the car in our apartment – which we will share with two other couples for 3 days…..great fun except there is only one bathroom.

We then all got back into the car and drove another half hour to our mission president’s home where his wife had fixed a feast for us.  Two other missionary couples were there as well as a teenage son of President and Sister Sederholme.  We thoroughly enjoyed an hour and a half with them and returned to our apartment, where we crashed!

Saturday, October 12, 2013

After 7 hours of sleep, I begrudgingly pulled myself out of bed.  We all joined together again in a neighboring apartment where we had breakfast and orientation.  We spent four hours together asking being instructed on everything from traffic laws to how to keep our shower from calcifying into oblivion.

A big treat was to walk together a couple of blocks to a large shopping street in Downtown Copenhagen, where our first stop was at a little trailer stand selling hotdogs.  I ate  “Danish Classic” which though very tasty was a little scary…..but so far no problems with food poisoning!!!!

Our next official stop was at a grocery store, which was quite an adventure.  I needed a guide – Sister Hanson instructed me on money, store brands, store layout etc.  It was a little unnerving to buy a loaf of bread that said 21.87…..which turned out to be about $4.  Oh well, the total was not nearly as much as I thought it would be….but it is still quite steep - comparatively speaking. 

We went to our branch’s ward dinner this evening.  It was spectacular.  There were 60 of us there (10 missionaries, 2 investigators and 48 members including 6 children (the entire Primary).  It was potluck and soooo delectable.  Several foods I have not had before.  It was followed by a beautiful program which included group singing.  I didn’t sing because I didn’t know the tunes and I am still pretty bad at pronunciation.

Incredible desserts ended the evening.  I visited with a lot of the members and bumbled my awkward way through several interchanges in Danish, but since everyone is quite fluent in English I had several really satisfying conversations as well.  (Don’t worry Derek….I didn’t say anything too embarrassing.)  The branch members were so welcoming and kind that I felt like a ward member coming home!