Monday, December 23, 2013.....a year ago today we were working on submitting our papers to serve a mission. It seemed like the process was long. It seemed like a long time waiting to see what our call would be. It seemed like a long time waiting to get our visas. And now after all the long times, we are here about to celebrate Christmas in Denmark.
I am a stranger to time I guess....It baffles me. It rushes past like the water in a river...never to return. And all we have right now is right now. It is a lesson I am continually learning. I want to make the here and now count for something good.
SK and I have spent time today planning and discussing what direction we should take with our mission. There is some latitude for us. For instance, we often begin our days at the center around 2 in the afternoon and end them around midnight or later. We have not been given callings in the branch...and I believe that is so that we can visit the other wards and branches and get to know all of the YSAs. But that is still up for discussion.
And with a new center, and possibly longer days at the center (10:00 to 10:00), we may have to reconsider the way we do everything.
Our Stake President is actually the man we answer to, and we need to visit with him. We saw him at the concert last night and he mentioned that he wants to visit with us after the new year...which is good. Our Mission President said that we were assigned to our little branch to be of assistance there, so we have been hesitant to not attend. For the time being, we will work on getting to know all of the YSAs in our branch. There are 18 or so, and perhaps 5 might be considered active. So there is much we can do here.
We are so very grateful for this beautiful opportunity.
Tomorrow is the big celebration! Most everyone here celebrates big on the afternoon and evening of the 24th. We will start out our day by traveling and hour and a half to deliver mail and packages from home to some missionaries in an outlying area of the zone. While we are there, we will inspect their apartment. Doesn't that sound fun? It will be the first time since we got here that we have traveled so far outside of our little area.
That sounds delightful!! How did the mission president know you love to go for drives?! Delivering packages to missionaries sounds just like you. Last night I read Christmas Dress for Ellen to the kids. The mailman who drove through a blizzard in the middle of the night to get the packages to Ellen's family was Danish. I just noticed that last night, and it made me think of Dad. I cried even more than normal reading it because I knew that Dad would have done the exact same thing. Now I find out you are going to be driving around the Danish countryside, making sure missionaries have the packages from their families in time for Christmas. They are so very blessed to have you there with them!! Merry Christmas Eve!!!!
ReplyDeleteWe would love to be the heroes here, but our sweet mission president was concerned about the 3 elders in that little town getting their letters and packages from home for Christmas. He asked the mission couple to see if we could deliver them...and then he said not to worry if we couldn't....HE would deliver them. This is the mission president!...who has a daughter getting married this Saturday in the Copenhagen Temple and who has a house full of company for the rest of the week!...and dinners and a reception.
DeleteBe sure to keep your eye out for Sister Bartholomew!! Have you met her yet? She's a deputy step in-law of sorts!
ReplyDeleteWe haven't seen her yet, but I am pretty sure that she is on another island and in another zone. We'll watch for her.
DeleteWhat a wonderful time of year - and it has been an EVENTFUL year for you!!!
ReplyDeleteLoved your description of time - and the running water of the river. How appropriate- and TRUE! The Lord will bless you in your efforts. L&P
Yes it has. We have felt His blessings and have been very grateful for the tender mercies that come our way.
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