Festilavn, Erin and Doris

This is the day we here in Denmark (at least in the schools) celebrate Festelavn...which started out as a Catholic holiday sometime before Lent, but evolved into a less religious celebration when Denmark became a Protestant nation.  It is primarily for children...they dress up in costume and gather candy and treats, kind of like trick or treating.  On the way home from school, we passed many schoolchildren all dressed up in every sort of costume.

For the celebration at our school, we gathered in the back of the school and batted around a great barrel, until it broke.  It had oranges and candy in it.  In the olden days, the Danes put a black cat in the barrel, which symbolized evil.  You can imagine what happened to the cat.  These days, they are kind enough to leave the cat out of the barrel....no relation to letting the cat out of the bag.

SK was excited about the celebration....excited about breaking the barrel.  He was hoping he would be the one.  Don't you just love the excitement he gets out of simple things?  Unfortunately, the barrels were extremely well built and it took nearly 20 minutes with a lot of people (one at a time) putting all of their muscles (and there were some guys who had a LOT of muscles) into hitting that thing.  Everyone in our class had a good try....SK whacked it like a homerun....I had a swing at it....but it just took more than we had.

Yes, that is SK out batting that barrel.

There were actually about 50 or 60 people standing outside watching and participating, but I didn't get one of the crowd.  But did you notice what is different about SK?  Yes...he is the only one out there without a coat!  

Doris tried her hand at it too!

I took a picture of SK and he took one of me....but his didn't turn out, so you'll have to take my word for it.  When it broke we all got some of the spoils, then went inside for a special kind of bakery treat ...a festilavnsboller -served on this day.  The large cafeteria was filled with people from everywhere in the world.  It was fascinating.

Something really interesting happened yesterday and today.  Erin sent us a pamphlet from the Gilbert Arizona Temple....with beautiful pictures of the interior as well as the outside.  It looked like it explained the purpose of temples, the importance of families and a little bit about the Gospel.  Oddly enough it was in Spanish...with no explanation from Erin.  I thought it must be for Doris.

I tucked it in my course book and off we went to school  We had a few minutes to talk before class started, and Doris leaned over and told me of the strange dreams she had been having.  Her mother passed away when she was 1 1/2 years old.  Her father remarried and the new wife raised the children as her own.  They didn't speak of Doris's mother.

Doris has seen pictures of her.  She dreamed about her last night.  She described her and said that she seemed sad.  She was concerned about Doris's sister who lives in Peru and who is struggling through a divorce and other difficulties.  She asked Doris about her and then she asked Doris why she is sleeping so much.  (She has told me that with her depression she sleeps 16 hours a day and more.)

We chatted about it on and off during our break and then a little bit after class.  Doris asked me if I thought it was possible that people who are dead know about us and what we are doing and if they care about us....and if it was possible to watch over us.  I answered as well as I knew how....I felt the Spirit prompting me to share the pamphlet.  I gave it to her and told her that my daughter had just sent it, and I had no idea why she sent me a Spanish one.  I explained a little bit about temples.  Then we said goodbye for the day.  (In an email today, Erin said she didn't know she had sent a Spanish one!)

SK and I talked about it on the walk home.  We concluded that I was in the right place at the right time to help Doris with some of the things that are troubling her.  I know prayers are already helping her.  I hope she gets the job that she has applied for.  She already seems happier.  I hope she finds the answers she needs in the Gospel....I know they are there.  But if it isn't right for her now, I will be happy just to be her friend.

On the way home I snapped these pictures of this old building and these interesting trees.  I am looking forward to seeing what they look like all leafed out.

The Errand of Angels

Thursdays are always met with some fear and trepidation.  Today was no different.  

Things got off to a great start with our Danish class.  Doris was there, and I visited with her about seeing someone from the Church's Social Services.  I spoke to the person in charge of the Copenhagen area and they are happy to see her.

I don't know if I told you that Doris was baptized when she was 8 or 9 years old and within a few months, her father declared to his newly baptized wife and children "We are Catholics and we will go to the Catholic church."  That was the end of Doris's time in the LDS Church.  She is actually a member and so is eligible for help.  

When she first talked to me about the Church and about her depression, she asked if our church had any help available and I told her I would look into it.  I made several calls and now Doris hopefully will receive some assistance.  Her appointment with the Danish counselor is still 2 weeks away.¨

She had a job interview yesterday and it went well but she won't know for awhile if she got the it.  I hope for her sake that she will.  It will help her I know.

Our teacher is now teaching more and more in Danish and using fewer explanations in English.  So it is getting a bit more intense.  One young woman today began to cry in frustration because she did not understand.  I know how she felt!

We came to the center immediately after class and started to work on the dinner.  I don't know why some meals are so difficult!  This one shouldn't have been so bad, but it was.  Mostly because I completely underestimated the time everything would take.  

I slow-cooked a LOT of chicken and cut it up, then made my own cream of chicken sauce (about a gallon and a half, and mixed that together.  It took time.  Then SK and I began cutting vegetables.  He cut up a ton - well 6 very large red, yellow and green peppers.....mincing them perfectly, but it occupied him for some time.  I began cutting the brussels sprouts.  To my horror, they took forever!  I had nearly 8 pounds!  They had to be sliced in very thin slices.  SK started on the shallots.  By this time people were coming for class.  I started some rice cooking.

It was clear....we would never get this dinner off the ground.  Just about that time, four sister missionaries came in looking for investigators who had said they would come tonight.  They all came in the kitchen and asked if they could help.  I gave each one a cutting board, a knife and a bunch of sprouts.  

One of the investigators came so two of the missionaries left to attend class with him, and the other two stayed for the next hour helping me do everything from setting the serving tables to chopping garlic.  They were angels!!!!!

I suspect it was also the sister missionaries who did a whole lot of dishes.  When I went in to start cleaning someone had filled the dishwasher and washed up several of the serving dishes.  

You know, in a big wide world filled with cares, getting a meal on for our YSAs isn't that big of a deal...and yet it is to me.  And for some reason, the Lord cares too...at least it appears that way.  We work as hard as we can, and He always sends help in some form or another....Missionaries to help prepare, recipes, preparation utensils, the perfect seasonings, whatever.  Without that extra help, we could not do this.  No one, and I mean no one has ever referred to me as Janis the great cook.  

When everyone got out of class, the meal was ready (if you can count a huge pan of mushy rice as ready).  But it tasted OK and everyone was a good sport about it.....and SK took the fall and said he had cooked the rice.

And the funny thing?  People raved about the brussels sprout salad!!!  It was good....but not good enough to ever do that again....unless those sisters show up to help.

One more meal tucked under our belts....pun intended.  

Praying Rests the Weary

I'm getting old!  The past few weeks have been packed full of things, and it is difficult for me to keep up sometimes.  We are both healthy and enjoying everything immensely....but we just don't have the endurance we used to.  Well...at least I don't.  SK is like the energizer bunny.  He does whatever has to be done...he shows up everywhere he is supposed to be and he just keeps going!

Today was our big shopping day...comparing ads, picking up groceries where it is most cost-effective and taking whatever we can to the center to prepare ahead of time.  We got it all done, but I gave out midway and took a nap!!!!  It felt divine.  I just leaned back on the couch in the loft and snoozed away.  I know the younger missionaries don't do that, but I am glad that we have some senior privileges!

I fixed lemon bars at the center for tomorrow's dinner and took the chicken out to thaw.  Otherwise, we will do everything at the center after class tomorrow.  I am fixing a simplified Hawaiin Haystacks.  We served it several months ago and while it was very popular, no one took water chestnuts, pineapple or coconut.  They loved green, red and yellow peppers, green onions, peas and cheese....so that is all I am putting out tomorrow.  We will also serve a brussells sprouts salad.  I must admit that I have never fixed it before (the tendency to do that drives SK crazy), so fixing it for a crowd for the first time is particularly iffy, but I'll let you know how it turns out.....or IF it turns out.

The young elders came to the center and waited for someone to show up for the free Danish class they offer on Wednesday evenings.  No one came and they were much disappointed.  I felt bad for them, but other than volunteering to be a student, there was little I could do to help.  I hope they can garner some interest in the class.  I think though, that any of us from the States might do better at offering free English classes....where our pronunciation is more to be recommended!!!!

I got a sweet note from Doris, who went for a job interview yesterday.  I hope that she will get the job. I am sure that it would lift her spirits.  It is interesting that the job interview came along this week.  I know there are those of you out there praying for her....and I thank you.  I know that our prayers are being answered.

One of the greatest things about serving a mission is seeing prayers answered so quickly and in ways that make it difficult to deny....they ARE answers.  I think I need to pray for more energy.

Preparation Day

Our Danish class looked rather abysmal today, despite the sunlight streaming through the grimy windows.  Just a few weeks ago we had so many that we didn't have enough chairs for everyone.....about 20 of us.  Today, there were four of us...at 12:05, including SK and me.  The teacher looked around, raised her eyebrows and launched right into the lesson anyway.

Within 20 minutes several more came in, including a man from Brazil.  He is a film maker and married to a Danish woman.   They have a little boy.  They met in Brazil while she was working there and have moved back because she was transferred home....but in the meantime his work is in Brazil and he is here for a few weeks and there for a few weeks.  It sounds like a hard way to live.  But he is trying to learn Danish.

I didn't tell you about Andruis from Latvia.  He and his wife are here so she can do graduate work at the university.  He has an absolutely wonderful latvian accent....similar to the guy in "Despicable Me" only much better.  We all still do a lot of communicating in English.  He has 3 children and sounds like he loves his family very much.

We talked about eating habits today.  We each gave a little speech.  I did just fine with saying, "I drink a lot of water and milk...I eat vegetables, fruit and grains and meat, and I love anything from Danish bakeries and chocolate."

SK gave quite a speech....with few class members understanding a lot of what he said.  Our teacher Heidi seemed impressed.  She and SK carried on a great little conversation, leaving the rest of us in the dust. At the end of the day when she assigned another short speech for Thursday, she said, "Keep it UNDER 2 minutes!"....and SK turned to me and whispered, "I think she is talking to me!"  None of the rest of us know enough to talk for more than that, but SK....well he's SK, even in Danish!

After class we walked home.  Can I just tell you how much I love walking along the streets here?  It is a pretty straight shot down one long street from our Danish class to our apartment, and the street is lined with small businesses.  There is nothing that even comes close to a Kohl's or a SportsWarehouse. They are all little shops....and some are tiny...usually no more than 20 feet deep from front to back. The window displays always catch my interest.  My mother would have loved to walk along the streets here and window shop.

The evening has been taken up with ironing and meal planning, and calendaring for March.....it is going to be busy.

Tomorrow is shopping day, so I had better figure out what to fix for this week at the center.
Sometimes making the decision about what to make is the most difficult part!!!!

Brighter Beams the Azure Sky

Another day of sunshine!  It was a bit cooler, in the 30's but with the sun beaming down so brightly it doesn't matter.  It was the same temperature in January, yet it seems warmer now, a month later.  When we were out today I didn't wear a scarf around my neck, as I have done for several months, and people we saw who were out didn't seem as bundled up as just a few weeks ago.  There is an air of anticipation, and even some of the trees have tentatively put forth blossoms.  We have been hearing the bright cheery song of a bird that we haven't heard before.  I don't know if we have entered into an early Spring or if winter will sneak back in the days ahead.

February is fast coming to a close and the calendar is absolutely full of activities....and not just at the center.  The mission is hosting a two-zone conference next Tuesday and we will participate in that, especially in the preparation of food.  I and my crockpot have been invited to attend!  We will be busy with that from first thing in the morning until evening.  I look forward to that.  It is so exhiliarating to be with the young missionaries.

We have visiting general authorities this coming Saturday and will be in meetings with them all morning and then again in the evening.  Sunday will be a continuation in our branch.  

So far, this week is pretty full with center activities.  

We went to our Danish class at 11, where there was much discussion today about the Danish culture.  The class is valuable for a number of reasons besides the language we are learning.  It is very helpful to have a native of a country there to answer all questions about customs, etiquette, food and shopping.  For instance, we learned today that the longest days of summer will stretch out with a very long sunrise and a very long sunset and then a night that never seems to get black.  I am sometimes overwhelmed about all there is to learn, yet we have come to a country that is similar in many respects to our own country.  I can't imagine trying to get accustomed to a completely different culture!

From class, we came directly to the center where I made cookies for Family Home Evening.  We had guest speakers again, who spoke about....dating!  In case you wondered, dating has been the theme for the entire month.  It has been inspiring even to someone who has been married for 45 years.  

All speakers have talked about the idea of marrying someone who helps you to become better than you were before you met....someone who brings out the best in you.  And all come to the conclusion that in order for you to marry the right person, you have to BE the right person.  I am doing a terrible injustice to everyone I have heard speak to us by simplifying it to a very trite phrase, but all talks have developed it in the most beautiful way and have elevated marriage to something far more wonderful than society portrays it.  

And of course the truth is that it can and should be that way......but it takes a lot of work.  I can think of very few endeavors in life....if any....that are worth that much work, except having a really good solid marriage to a person you love.

SK and I are still working at it....

Join in the Joy

What a glorious day!  It has been warm and sunny and absolutely beautiful.

SK and I had to part ways this morning.  He went to our little branch where one of our sweet young returned missionaries gave a talk.  She is originally from Greenland and served her mission at Temple Square in Salt Lake City...where we first met her last summer.  

I went to another ward in Frederiksberg over by the temple to hear Michelle, our outgoing missionary give a talk in in her ward.  It was lovely talk and a lovely meeting.  I stayed for Sunday School....attending the YSA Sunday School class, and then went to their Relief Society, where Michelle taught.

It was such a beautiful day that I walked home......the city was bustling with people happy to be out in the sunshine.  There was just enough time at home to have a quick meal and then we went to Michelle's open house.  She had invited just a few people, so I don't think there were more than 20 people there, but it was great fun to visit with everyone and also to have some divine layer cake.  It had several different layers of wonderful filling and fresh berries on the top....wrapped all around the sides was heavenly marzipan.  If you don't appreciate marzipan, you ought to come to Denmark and have some really good marzipan.....you'll be converted!

Louise in the gold sweater and Morten in the white shirt and tie are the co-chairmen of the program.  Lea, in black and Benedicta, standing are committee members....all are so great!

After the open house, we crossed back through Copenhagen to our apartment, and had an hour before we caught the bus back to the center for the YSA Sacrament Meeting....held every month on the last Sunday.  

I was standing with  a YSA visiting when the high councilor came in.  He was the speaker tonight.  He was taller than I by a few inches, slim with dark hair and neatly trimmed beard and very handsome.  He smiled and reached out to shake my hand.  At that point I recognized him......Thomas Kofod the actor.  He portrayed Jesus in many of the Church's films from 10 or 15 years ago.

If you want to see a picture of him the way he looked tonight (except tonight he was in a white shirt and tie and dark suit) go to this site:

https://www.google.dk/search?q=Tomas+Kofod,+Lds&rlz=1C1SFXN_enUS498US503&espv=210&es_sm=93&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=Om8KU_icFKHB4wSkjoEY&ved=0CDMQsAQ&biw=1600&bih=799#facrc=_&imgdii=hoFMmClXf_mdtM%3A%3BTyNOVOrP8P8aRM%3BhoFMmClXf_mdtM%3A&imgrc=hoFMmClXf_mdtM%253A%3Bzj0j9NdmjPa3WM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252F2.bp.blogspot.com%252F-elagIHdKgK8%252FT6JLzylZYoI%252FAAAAAAAAAeg%252FaSOJVajcID4%252Fs1600%252FRooster_01_da3e246a44_a612e2b451.png%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fmusicaldanmark.blogspot.com%252F2012%252F05%252Fnye-spgelser-hvem-er-de.html%3B533%3B800

It looks ridiculously long, but if you cut and paste, it will take you right there.

SK took his picture after the meeting, but for some odd reason it didn't work out.  

The subject was dating, and he gave a magnificent talk.  He told a little bit about his conversion and about his courtship and marriage.  He has been married for 20 years now.  He told about his wife who lived here in Denmark and just didn't see any prospects here at the time for a husband, and concluded that he hadn't joined the Church yet.  So she began to pray for her future husband.  She prayed that the Lord would lift him and encourage him to know the truth.  She recorded that in her journal, which coincided with the point in time when Brother Kofod began to read the Book of Mormon with great sincerity. 

His talk was both inspiring and pointed.  As you probably know, one of the purposes for the YSA program is to help these great young people find spouses.  He addressed that and much more, and probably sent most of them home thinking over what they are doing about it. 

He also has a beautiful voice....a tenor.  One of the young men told me that Brother Kofod has been Raoul and the Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera, which played here in Copenhagen.

We had a YSA women's choir which sang "Love is Spoken Here."  Those beautiful young women's voices touched my heart.

It has been a full day, but all so enjoyable.  Sundays...not always a day of rest, but almost always a day of rejuvenation.

I Love to See the Temple

Elder and Sister Hicks returned to their home in Randers this morning.  I know we will be seeing them again on a monthly basis for several months.  They are working with people in their area to prepare them to go to the temple.  That is what this last trip was about, as well as the upcoming ones.

The temple is such a beautiful place of light and refuge.  We have watched with interest the posts about the Gilbert Temple.  It looks magnificent.  We went to the ground-breaking ceremony a couple of years ago, and have been driving to the site often to see it slowly taking shape.  I have two dear friends from the Mesa Temple who have kept me updated, Erin and Ethan have sent pictures and written about their experiences there, Melissa and Derek have been taking pictures and sending us news as well as being tour guides, Derek and Heather have been involved with the open house and 5 of our grandchildren are participating in the cultural event....dancing and singing with (I believe) 16,000 other teens.  So it really is near and dear to our hearts.

The Copenhagen Temple right now is near and dear to our hearts as well.  We went there today.  The moment we enter the front doors, we leave the world outside and drink up the peace and beauty there.  It is a small temple, but the design makes it seem spacious.  The workers are all kind and pleasant and act as if there is nothing in the world to do except help you ....right there .....and right then.

When we served at the Mesa Temple, we often had people go through in Spanish and sometimes other languages.  When I attend here, I wear an "English" tag and wear headphones with English ...except when I am feeling adventurous and then I wing it and listen to it in Danish.  There is usually some "Swedish" tags, sometimes "German" or other languages.  It makes it very interesting.

SK has encouraged the young ones to be workers there.  The four who have become workers are returned missionaries and will be excellent.  There will eventually be a few more.  I can't imagine there is anything they could do right now to help them be more spiritually grounded than to be in the Lord's house serving others.

We took the bus today to get there.  We took bus 9A the longest stretch and then walked to a different bus stop to wait for that bus.  We had only an 8-minute wait before the next bus came, but while we were waiting, one of our YSAs pulled up and rolled down his window.  He said, "Are you going to the temple?"
"Yes!"
"Get in and I'll give you a ride."
Isn't that fun in a city of one and a half million people?

He was going to the temple also...by himself, just to get a spiritual recharge for his week ahead.  

That kind of experiences heartens us because it tells us that he knows where to go for strength.  It is akin to the feeling I get when our kids tell us that they have just been to the temple.  It gives a sense of peace about them....a sense of confidence in them.  Perhaps it is because I know in part what it does for them.

I know what it does for us....and I am grateful to have that temple near.

Called to Know the Richness of His Blessings

Well.....I guess we are staying in Denmark for the duration of the mission.

In the mail today were two official letters.  They were the results of our language test.  We were told that it would take up to three weeks, so this was indeed ... a bonus.  SK got 100% right, and I only missed one!  Unfortunately they didn't tell us which one, but that is just fine.  I am quite happy.

Elder and Sister Hicks arrived yesterday, and since we didn't get home before midnight from the center, we didn't get to say hello to them.  But we had a lovely visit this morning over Breakfast.  They had a full day and so did we, so it was short.  

We had homework from our class yesterday that we needed to get done.....and there was no time yesterday to work on it.  So in the time we had left before leaving, we each wrote out a brief essay on (of all things!) our eating habits in our homeland, and our eating habits here in Danmark and how they differ.

It was a good exercise, but it was time-consuming!  I chafe at the time this Danish class consumes, but it is excellent as far as helping us both with pronunciation and grammar (and it actually will never be a help to me at all until I open my mouth and try to speak the language - as Lia points out).  And even more than that is the sweet opportunity to be Missionaries.  

I have several new friends from the class that I enjoy immensely and I would miss them if we quit.  Of course there is Doris.  But there is also Monia, who is from Italy.  She has quit the class this week, but has promised to stay in touch.  We have texted back and forth a few times and she said she will come in and help me cook, so I plan to take advantage of that very soon so that she can feel the sweet spirit here.  There is Mary and Janani from India, both lovely young women from India who work hard at being prepared each day in class.  Each have an arranged marriage and are doing great.  There is Jystina from Poland...a beautiful and energetic young woman who helped us find Kielbasa.  There is Ruby from Ghana who is so weary of this winter weather and Melba from Liberia, a gorgeous young woman who has the bearing of royalty.  And finally Mun Yung from Korea, a young mother and wife who reports on the loving things she does for her family.  (Much of our class time consists of us haltingly sharing our schedules, habits, likes and dislikes etc.)

We came directly to the center from class, where I made a fruit dessert (using the slow cooker).......with a little whipped cream.  Ahhhhhh.

This is one of the slowest and quietest nights at the center that we have had.  We had 10 go the temple and then come here for dinner and games.  We had another two come just to be with everyone else.  They all came in their Sunday attire.....they just look so wholesome!

A set of parents came in around 6 and put together a meal for them.  Sister Andersen seemed to get it ready and served with so little fuss that I stood in open-mouthed awe.  Of course, she prepared the main part of it at home....but it was a lovely meal of chili con carne over chips with cheese and lettuce.  It was simple but so tasty.  She is going to get the recipe to me.

While we were waiting for everyone to get here from the temple, we visited.  She and I share many similarities, except that she is about 10 years younger.  She has a son and three daughters, and they are just getting started with grandchildren.  She shared some recipes with me, explained a little about Danish recipes (very helpful!), and showed me a little bit about the mysteries of the microwave in the center.

Unlike some evenings when everything is a little frantic, it has been a sweet and easy night.  We talked about her visits to the States and our families and missionary work...and the YSAs.  She and her husband have two in the program here.  We will visit their ward in a couple of weeks and spend the block with them.  That will be a good Sunday.

As I write this, it is about 11:00.  Everyone except two young men have departed.  The kitchen is clean.  SK and the two are playing CRUD, and there is much yelling and laughter going on out there.  It is fun to watch how the young people react to him.  They joke with him and tease him and goad him into playing "one more game."  They seem to genuinely enjoy his company and there are three or four who seek him out just to talk with him.  On his part, he loves all of the interaction and really loves getting into all of the games and WINNING!...which happens every now and then.

Of all the things that have been deeply satisfying on this mission so far, what has been most  wonderful are the opportunities to meet and come to know people whose lives are so different than ours.....yet who are akin to us in so many ways. 

It is a profound and beautiful blessing.

Getting Acquainted

Today went by in a blur.  We gathered everything together we would need at the center and then left for the Danish class.  From the Danish class we went to the center where we worked on the meal until we served it at 8:30 p.m.  It was a typical day at the center....and we arrived home about 15 minutes ago....about 11:45.

I worried on and off through the night for Doris, hoping she is alright, praying that she will be alright. You know how it is when you wake in the middle of the night and begin to worry...it is difficult to let it go.  I had a low level of anxiety through the night.

When I got up this morning, I texted  her....just a small little message.  She came to class today!  She has missed a lot of classes lately, including nearly all of January.  So I was elated.  She said yesterday was rough and that today she was feeling a little better.  We worked together today on the drills, but the teacher frowned when we got off subject, so there was not much time to find out how she is doing.  But I was SO grateful to see her with a smile on her face and see her there.  She told me that she will be there tomorrow too.

We went our separate ways after class....she needed to go home and we needed to get to the center.


I carried my phone with me all evening, but never managed to take pictures of the food!  Not that it was anything to write home about, but it all turned out well.  Our three gallons of spaghetti sauce was great, we got the pasta cooked on time, the garlic bread done on time, and the fruit pizzas were a hit.  Whew!

One of the things I love most are the pockets of time I have during the evening to visit with one or two of the YSAs.  Tonight before class, I had nearly 45 minutes to talk to a young woman who is so dear.  She is preparing herself to serve a mission, and she has the sweetest attitude about all that it will entail.  I am so thrilled for her and the experiences she has ahead of her.  She came into the kitchen and we sat at the table and decorated the fruit pizzas....hers looked professional!......mine on the other hand...well mine looked edible........maybe even good.

I also spent some time with a young man who is a returned missionary...he is going to school now.  He will start working in the temple soon.  He is as he put it, "a man of few words."   But he is very witty and very bright, so interesting to talk with and very handsome.  There isn't a subject yet that anyone has brought up that he can't converse about, with knowledge.  I learned some fascinating things from him this evening.  I sometimes think that since these young people have grown up with each other, they never look at one another as anything special....but each of them is wonderful.

Another of our young men just got his mission call.  When he submitted his papers, he thought his mother would not be supportive....that she might even be derisive.  He decided that when it came he would go out in the forest alone and open it.

I remember when Derek was waiting for his call, his greatest fear was that he would be called to Quartzite Arizona.  It is not that it would have been a bad place to serve, it's just that he wanted to serve a little farther from home.  Our young man feels the same way.....he would be happy to serve anywhere that he is called, and he would do so with honor.  But he so hoped that he would not be called to labor in the Denmark mission.

The call came this week to Scotland/Ireland.  Everyone is so thrilled for him. His mother is being very supportive and sweet about it.  He will be a wonderful missionary.  There is an air of humility about him that is very winning.  You just want to listen to him...with his soft smile and gentle voice.    

It has all been good today.  I am so happy that Doris had a good day, and I am content about the evening with all of the terrific YSAs.

How could I ask for more?

(Well...it sure would be nice to hug my grandchildren.)

Miscellany

Wednesday is our big shopping day.  We only visited two stores today.  We are possibly preparing two meals this week because Friday night is temple night and the young people like to eat dinner after their session.  They go to the temple immediately after work, and so they are ravenous by the time they get to the center.

Daniel My Brother sent me some awesome slow-cooker recipes and so we will probably be making a slow-cooker dessert this week.  I think that sounds like great fun.  I really ought to name that cute little cooker....it is such a good friend.  It will get a workout tomorrow night with spaghetti sauce.

After our shopping adventures, we went to the center, where we assembled the spaghetti sauce and warmed it through.  We put it in the refrigerator until morning when we will go back and start it simmering in the slow cooker and in a big pot on the stove top.   We made a ton....well maybe 3 gallons.  I also made 4 very large sugar cookies....I made them in spring-form pans so they are probably 9 to 10 inches in diameter.

Tomorrow, we'll just have to cook the pasta and make the garlic bread.  I'll frost the cookies with sweetened cream cheese and top them with the best looking fruit I can find....fruit pizzas!!!  We are keeping it simple, and not even having green salad.  Sometimes green salads are very popular and sometimes not so much.  We will have some cut fresh veggies and fresh fruit and then the fruit pizzas.
We had a dynamic bunch on Monday night and I hope it carries over, but since we will be there Friday evening as well, I don't know if some will only choose one.

The big Valentine's party in Sweden was quite spectacular according to all reports.  There were about 45 from Denmark.  One of the area authorities told our chairman Louise that Denmark is doing great. He said there is great excitement and enthusiasm from the group.  That is exciting to me.  We have investigators weekly at the center.

My friend from Danish class didn't come tonight to the center, and I so hope and pray that she will be able to overcome the depression that is weighing her down.  Depression is an awful ugly debilitating thing.  If you have a broken leg, you can think clearly enough to get it treated and then seek the necessary therapy.  Depression doesn't always let you think clearly enough to know how to get help.  I am praying for her and praying that I may know how I can help her.

Two elders came to the center tonight to teach the English/Danish class.  They came from the pseudo taco shop down the street where they had eaten dinner.  They were celebrating because the junior partner just passed The Test!  They said that the owner of the shop always gives missionaries a discount...they thought because he gets so much business from the missionaries.  I'm sure he does since his is the only taco shop in Copenhagen that I am aware of.

They went downstairs to get something and didn't come back.  SK went to find them and they were outside on the front sidewalk talking to two men....very interesting looking men according to SK.  The men were mostly interested in debating, and it may have gotten a little heated.

Afterwards when they came up to the center, they told us a little more about it.  I was struck again by their youth, their enthusiasm and lack of guile or cynicism.  After the evening was over, SK told them we could take them to their home which is about 45 minutes away by train, but they declined.  They thought they might see people on the train they could share the gospel with.

Tomorrow evening we have another senior couple coming from a few hours away.  They are coming with a man from their ward who is going to the temple for the first time.  They will stay for a couple of days and nights.  I am not sure we will see them though since they will be up and away early both Friday and Saturday, and we will not be home either night until very late.  I am sure that we will have more opportunities to visit with them in the future...they have been out a few weeks longer than we have and will be coming to Copenhagen at least monthly for the next several months.

Tonight is one of those lovely nights when we can actually get in to bed before midnight and I am taking that opportunity before it gets too late.....

Goodnight one and all!

This....Is....A....Test

Today was the BIG day!
It dawned ...and nobody noticed.  Actually, it did get lighter, but it was very foggy.  It is so beautiful when it is foggy!  I should have gone right outside and taken pictures, but I didn't take pictures at all today.

We left here in time to get to the test center about 30 minutes away from our apartment.  We passed through the city and into the suburbs where we saw a little more daylight between buildings and homes, past lakes and forests.  SK worried all the way to the test!  Do you think he was nervous? Yes....for me.

We parked and went inside the building, checked in with the receptionist and were conducted to a waiting area.  As we stepped inside the room, we saw two women and their husbands, and four fresh-faced young elders waiting to take the test.  They looked at us with a glimmer of recognition, and we greeted them and shook their hands.  We both had our coats on so our badges were not immediately apparent. Two of them are from way up north (5 hour train ride home for them), and the other two I think we have seen at zone conferences.

Each was dressed very neatly in white shirt and tie...a couple had sweaters on.  Two were taking The Test and two were companions along for the ride.  The two who were taking the test were obvious....they looked how I felt.  We visited for a few minutes.  I wish I had snapped their pictures.

It wasn't long before a very kind and cheerful lady with the best Danish accent (have you heard a Danish accent?  It is positively delightful) gave us instructions and then conducted us to a small room lined with eight booths, about the size of a voting booth....except that it was enclosed and had a glass door.  Inside the booth was a small built-in desk with a monitor, a keyboard (with a sign that said not to touch it), and a set of big headphones with a small microphone attached.

She checked out the headphones and microphone, then closed the doors and left us on our own.  There was a silent wait of about 3 minutes before the test began.  I had my headphones on and could hear my heart beating!!!!!  Then a countdown began from 1 minute down to starting.

A voice came on giving instructions.  Honestly....I didn't understand every word, but I knew what he was saying.  Then the first section which was comparatively simple.  All questions were in Danish.  What is your name?  Are you married?  Where are you from?  Do you have children? You'll be happy to hear I got those right.

The next sections were dialogues repeated twice and followed by questions about the content, pictures to identify, stories told and questions to check comprehension, and finally a whole lot of questions about Danish history and laws.  What is the name of the Danish flag?  What colors are in the Danish flag?  What is the name of the building where the Danish Parliament works?  Is an education from another country accepted in Danmark?  Etc.

I think I understood nearly all of the questions, and I think I answered correctly.  So I think I passed.  In fact, I am pretty sure that I passed.  It will be 3 weeks before we get the results back, but it will not be a nail-biting time.

So on the day that we finally got The Test out of the way, (I hope), we went to our Danish class and found out that we will have a test sometime during the third week of April to cover what we have studied.  It sounds pretty interesting.  It too will all be oral.  We must read five books, and be prepared to present a review of each (1 minute), we must prepare 2 reports about a variety of subjects to choose from, and then we will be given 6 pictures and must ask the testers questions about the pictures.

You can see that this will not be difficult....SK read his in 15 minutes!

It is no pressure at all....what is the worst thing that can happen?  I won't pass the course....but I am already so happy about what the course has done for me.

My friend didn't come to class today.  She didn't feel well, but she assured me in a text that she will come to the center tomorrow and eat dinner with us and help me make cookies, and then stay for the Danish class.  I know prayer is a powerful thing,and if you would pray for Doris, I know it would help her.  She needs to find purpose and something to get up for in the morning....a passion.  She needs to find faith.

This evening we had our monthly feast at the Knudsen's home.  This is the couple who serve the missionaries dinner every month.  They are magnificent cooks and it is always a treat.  Tonight there were four senior missionaries, 6 young missionaries, the temple president and his wife and two other temple workers.  It was just delightful.

My Residence Permit card came in the mail today with fingerprints and mugshot.  My Passport is valid.  I'm reasonably sure that I passed The Test..... I think I'll be able to serve out my mission here.  Thank you one and all for your prayers and your encouragement.

Happy Happy Birthday to our dear Erin....one of the brightest sparkling lights in our lives, and a blessing from the moment she was born.

Sweet is the Peace.....

We had our Danish class as usual today....from noon to 3.  Our numbers have dwindled down to 9 today. There is still an interesting mix of individuals representing Africa, Europe, South America, South Sea, Asia and of course...U.S.A.

The first part of the class went along as usual.  We meet for an hour and a half then take a break, then back to class for an hour.  Today as the teacher excused us for break, the lady next to me asked if she could speak with me....so I followed her out in the hall to an isolated area where we sat and visited.

She is going through a difficult time in her life, she is experiencing some very real depression and anxiety and she does not know where to turn.  She went to a Danish doctor who without further talk referred her to a psychologist.  Her appointment is in 3 weeks.  She feels like there is no meaning or purpose to life and she feels empty.

She prayed and she said that I came to her mind.

We talked past the time when class started, and finally went into class.  After class, I invited her to go to the center with me, where we talked for nearly 3 hours.  She had leftover winter root soup with me and we talked while we ate.  We went into the office and I opened mormon.org for her and showed her how to look around.  I even showed her my profile, or whatever you call that.  

I gave her a Book of Mormon in Spanish, I explained the Plan of Salvation, i.e. The Plan of Happiness.  I read with her Moroni's promise and I bore my testimony that there is a purpose to life, there is always always always cause to hope, that our Father in Heaven knows her and loves her, and that she is His child.

I shared with her my opinion that medication can be helpful for her, and that when she sees the psychologist, she can ask and then make a decision.  But she told me that she doesn't think there is a medication that will "fix" the emptiness in her heart....she said "I don't think I need medicine.....I need God."

It was an incredible experience.  I don't know what will happen from here, but she is reaching out....she is praying, and the Lord wants her to have the gospel.  She asked so many questions and amazingly I knew the answers.  

I will see her tomorrow in class, and on Wednesday she will come to the center to have dinner with us and she wants to help prepare the meal.  So she and I will make sugar cookies!

The Family Home Evening tonight was grand fun.  We had almost 40 here and our speakers were a couple who blog about love and dating.  They asked me to take pictures for them which they will post on their blog. Here is a picture of them with some of the best young adults in the world.

They are from New York and are currently traveling, before moving to Guatemala.  They have had some very difficult trials in their lives and have come to a beautiful understanding about how to treat each other and other people in the best of all possible ways, in order to achieve happiness in their own lives.

After their talk, the center erupted in conversations, laughter, CRUD and snacking on fruit. We had two investigators and 2 visitors from Rome.  Now all is silent, SK is in the kitchen cleaning (!!!) and I am ready to go home.  

Tomorrow, The Test!

Welcome, Welcome is Thy Dawning

Our Temple President and Matron spoke today in Sacrament meeting.  They are a dynamic couple and gave some very inspiring messages.  I understood every word Sister Williams said...it was in English.  She had Anna, a translator stand beside her.  She gave her introduction and testimony in Danish.  Otherwise she spoke one or two sentences at a time and Anna followed with it in Danish.

We have been geared up for The Test tomorrow, but found out this evening that it will be on Tuesday morning instead.  One more day to fuss about it.  Then it will be over and safely tucked in the past and all my worrying will be over (with any luck).

One family was all sick today....they have 3 teenagers and 3 Primary-aged children.  That meant we had no young women, no young men, and only 2 children in Primary.  Plus we were missing a few adults.  I looked around in Sacrament Meeting and thought with a start, "There are more Americans here than Danes!"   I don't think that was quite the case...but almost.  Three senior couples, two senior sisters, 2 young elders and the Temple President and Matron.  That is 12, and I don't believe that we had more than 18 regular members of the branch.  It is small, but the Stake Presidency has faith that we can make it grow.  The members of the branch are such stalwarts and so good.  The little church building has been there for many many years and so we are nurturing it.

It is interesting when I consider how every ward in Gilbert seems to be bursting at the seams....with gigantic Primary programs.  I am not sure there are too many wards out where we live that don't have multiple nurseries.  Sacrament meetings are often difficult to hear because of all of the babies and toddlers that have not yet learned to sit quietly.

In our branch here, we have one three-year-old who makes little noise because he has so many adults around who love him and are happy to entertain him quietly.  Other than him, there are two little girls about 8 and 9 years old, and a 10 year-old boy.

But despite the age dynamics and the language, our meetings are much the same as any meeting anywhere in the world.  We partake of the Sacrament, we sing the hymns of Zion, we hear inspiring messages and we pray.  We hear the announcements of upcoming firesides, temple nights, relief society meetings and food storage.

Relief Society is very recognizable...tablecloth, flowers, encouragement to get visiting teaching done, invitations to help each other with needs, womens' voices blending in song.

It is a good place to be on a Sunday!

Some Observations

We went to the temple today, and the session was full.  The first lady I spoke with thought I was Danish and spoke to me in Danish, but I understood what she said to me...for which I am grateful. The session was in English, and the prayer was in Swedish.  I believe there were some people there from Germany as well.  It was lovely.

We took the bus(es) there and back.  We have taken that route many times and so we weren't really sight-seeing, but I was nevertheless sight seeing.  The streets we take are lined with small shops and businesses and on a Saturday there were many pedestrian shoppers, carrying bags and pushing strollers.  I love the way adults around here hold the hands of their children.  If the little one isn't in a stroller, he is most likely holding the hand of one of his parents.  Even children who could be 10 years old walk hand in hand with an adult.  It is a sweet sight to me.

It is not only children but adults who hold hands.  Couples stroll along holding hands or linking arms, almost unaware that they are doing so.  At one bus stop, a beautiful young Danish couple approached the bus.  She was lovely in a white woolen tam with long dark hair flowing over her black coat.  She was carrying a large white rose.  She stood at the door of the bus for a few seconds while he kissed her one long good-bye.  I was surprised that the bus driver waited!  Flustered and flushed, she climbed on the bus and he left walking.

Everywhere we go, we see inviting little archways that lead back to ivied walls and quaint old structures.  We pass shoe-repair shops, chocolate shops, bakeries, clothing shops, candy stores, hardware shops and hair salons, each smaller than the average convenience store in the States.  In fact, there is one tiny little cafe that we pass on the way to our favorite grocery store that has two tables that seat two each!  It is tempting to go inside and see what they have to serve.  Perhaps someday we will.

This evening we walked into Copenhagen, and over a a good sized bridge going to the island of Amager.  As far as I can tell the Baltic Sea is the source of the narrow waterway between the two islands.  We stood for awhile on the bridge and watched the boats.  We walked down apartment-lined streets, shivering in the cold wind.

We visited a member of our branch .. a very kind lady about my age.  She lives alone in a small apartment (they are all small here) that is filled with her life.  She has a lovely collection of figurines, classical music CDs, vases and books.  As we sat in her living room, she bore her testimony in so many ways.  She has been a member of the Church for 25 years.

She has experienced many struggles, including losing her job after 38 years with the company and taking care of her mother who has Alzheimer's.  (Her mother is in a care facility)  She now works in a genbrue (2nd hand store) and genuinely enjoys it.  We promised we would go see her there this week, and she will look out for little dessert plates for me.

Her son lives about 20 minutes away and was on his way to help her with computer problems (see...some things are the same where ever you are).  But we didn't stay long enough to meet him.  We were there nearly two hours and had a lovely visit.

She told us that she has had bone-chilling depression for years.  It was especially bad when she lost her job.  She went to doctors who could do nothing for her.  So she has learned to live with it.  It comes out of the blue every now and then and stays - an unwelcome guest - for 4 or 5 days.  She prays and she waits it out, knowing that it will go away.  But what a challenge.  Four or 5 days can be an eternity when you are feeling so down.  "I am so grateful for prayer and for knowing that He is there." she said.

She coached me a little bit with my Danish and promised to work with me more when we get together. In her work, it was required that she speak Danish, English, Swedish and German.  I was amazed and a little bit embarrassed by my struggles with just Danish!  Of course, I told her of the looming TEST.  Her immediate response was "I will fast for you tomorrow!"  I asked her not to...knowing she is diabetic.  She was adamant.

With that kind of faith, how can I possibly fail?

Love and Marriage

Happy Valentine's Day to you!

Our prayers have been for our YSAs - many of whom are on their way right now to Sweden, a four-hour drive from here.  They will stay in dormitories I think and be involved in activities all day tomorrow, then a dance, and Church meetings on Sunday.  They will probably get home Sunday night in time to get a good night's sleep before work/school on Monday.  Most of them will show up for Family Home Evening on Monday evening.

This is one of the three biggest gatherings of the year.  The Valentine's activity is always in Sweden, then a Golden Days activity always in Copenhagen in September.  Sometime in the middle of summer is Festinord...which is the most well-attended, and it rotates from Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Finland.  This year it will be in Finland, and we will go along.

You must know that the purpose of these gatherings is not just fun, not just spiritual feasting, but to meet other people with similar beliefs and values....in other words, to find a wife or husband!  We know a few couples who met each other at such an activity.  These get-togethers are a good thing.

I often look at these dynamic young adults and think, "He/she will be so much more settled when married....he/she needs to find a companion!"

I know the YSAs at our center enjoy each others' company and seem to have genuine affection for each other, but - they tell me - looking at each other as possible marriage partners is like looking at your sibling.  And who doesn't want a little romance? ..especially if you are twenty-something and thinking it is about time to marry.

Ah romance.  SK told the story of how we met to some of the YSAs last night.  He is animated when he tells it, and I don't know how many times he (or I) have told that story.  They seemed to enjoy him telling it.  I remember how exciting it was to fall in love.  What a twenty-something doesn't realize is that it happens over and over again throughout your life.

We can often get caught up in the busyness of life and lead parallel lives for a time.  Then for whatever reason, we are reminded of what it was that attracted us, and we begin to fall in love - all over again, usually with some degree of calm!

SK found an excuse to leave this morning and came back with a valentine - of the chocolate variety.  I was quite disarmed.  So...even people with gray and white hair get excited about Valentine's Day!

We have spent time today walking, studying Danish (for The Test as well as our Danish class), working on lessons, cleaning, laundry and planning our week ahead.  Most weekdays, we leave home by 11, and are often not home again until 11 p.m. and sometimes much later, so this was a bonus day. Our YSAs would think it was a very boring Valentine's Day, but it has been splendid for me.    

Warning to all men:  This necklace is not a good Valentine's gift.  I thought we had left all those ugly little critters behind in Arizona!

Markers

It is funny how you mark time.  The older you get, the more time markers you have.  February 13 is the day our first child was born.....42 years ago.  I remember everything from the ride through the "cold gray Chicago morn" to the University of Illinois Hospital, to the nurses who seemed slightly oblivious to me, to the young Korean resident who kindly stayed with us until Derek was born, to watching the drab colors of day turn dark.  It was a day of wonder.

He was perfect and perfectly beautiful.  His smallness terrified me.  I was so grateful to have my mother awaiting our arrival in our apartment a couple of days later.  She knew exactly how to hold him, to burp him, to bathe him.  He was a patient and even-tempered baby who thrived in spite of his novice mother.

My mother used to replay for us the events of the days each of her children were born.  I find myself doing that as well, and now I have 13 grandchildren added into the mix, with another due in early May.

Sweet little Anna was also born on this day.  She is 10 years old.  I look often at our family pictures taken on a sun-drenched day last Spring with oranges dangling from the trees behind us.  We have a serious pose with everyone standing at attention, and then one that I love...with everyone leaning in together and laughing.  Each one in the photo brings a smile to my face...just makes me happy.

Anna in yellow daisies on black leans her head softly against her sister Lauren.  While nearly everyone but the two youngest boys is looking at the camera, Anna's gaze is downward and not focused.  She has a gentle smile on her face, as though she is thinking of something wonderful.  When I think of Anna, I think of that smile.

We had our Institute/dinner this evening.  We were fewer in numbers tonight - 21 - most likely because of the grand Valentine's weekend in Sweden that many of them will be going to tomorrow.  It is a four-hour drive to get there, where they will stay in dorms and have activities and a dance and then a sacrament meeting on Sunday.

I visited with an enthusiastic young man from Germany who is going to the Sweden YSA activity.  He decided to visit Copenhagen and the center on the way there.  He sat at the piano for nearly a half hour before things got underway and sent lovely music wafting throughout the rooms.  I was in the kitchen (of course) and thoroughly enjoyed the concert.

A beautiful young women came tonight for the first time....she recently returned from her mission to Temple Square, Salt Lake.  In fact, we visited her last summer while we were waiting for our visas.  We searched all over Temple Square looking for a sister with a missionary badge from Denmark.  We were excited to find her and visit with her - partly in Danish.  She will be going to law school here.

We had two other young men who were there for the first time....so there was a lot of visiting to be done!  Is it just my imagination, or does the presence of one beautiful young woman and two handsome young men add excitement?  I hope everyone gets to Sweden safely and enjoys the social gatherings there.

I spent time with several different YSAs and got to know each a little better....my respect and love for them grows with each chance to talk.  A quote attributed to Plato says "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle."  It seems to be a true statement.  Life is not easy for anyone.

Yet they all say in one way or another, "Life is so much better with the Gospel."

Their calendar markers are "The day I was baptized." or "The day the missionaries knocked on my door." or "The day I went to the temple."

Think of all the exciting calendar markers they have ahead.







 

Friendship is born at that moment when you look at each other and say, "What? You too?"

Our friends from Alborg arrived today.....The Middlemases.  We started our missions together at the MTC....where the men reminisced about their missions to Denmark many years ago and speculated with excitement about how it would be to serve here again.  They are taking "The Test" tomorrow morning, doing some sight-seeing and then heading back to the northern part of the country.

Sister Middlemas offered to help with the cooking, but I hate to have her standing in the kitchen peeling vegetables when she and her husband could be seeing some of the great sights in Copenhagen.  They will only have a couple of hours after "The Test" and SK and I can prepare all the vegetables in that amount of time.  That IS what our Thursdays are all about after all.

The four of us went out to lunch at the little Chinese restaurant that we discovered shortly after we got here.  Elder Middlemas also remembers going there with other missionaries way back when.  SK has such happy memories of going there with several other elders often.  It was (not so much now) fairly inexpensive and they must have gone once a month or something like that.  It was a favorite of the young missionaries.

SK and I both got the sweet and sour fish....I know it doesn't sound very good, but it IS.  Neither of us even wants to try anything else.  Elder and Sister Middlemas got other dishes that they liked.

It was great fun to visit with them.  They are here doing the same thing we are doing - SYA.  But we laughed as we shared experiences.  Their mission is much different.  Ours revolves around the center and all of the gatherings there.  Their mission is more missionary work as you normally think of.  They are technically CES/YSA but they also do a great deal of member support and looking after the young missionaries.  Their YSA group is much smaller and only meets once a week, IF things work out right. So they fix snacks or treats for the once-a-week get-together, they teach, and they go out visiting and they do missionary work.

When Elder Middlemas was here before he baptized a man whose family has been a great strength to the Church here, and it is a source of great joy to both Elder and Sister Middlemas.  It is very inspiring.  It is also very inspiring to talk to them and see how their mission call is so right for them.  They both have family lines that go way back.....many of them right to the area where they are serving.

They went to the temple this afternoon, and we had the Danish class at the center.  Afterwards, we all got together here with the Hansens and Sisters Swena and Hamblin and had a pizzookie with ice cream.

The conversation between 8 senior missionaries is always fun....and always upbeat and inspiring!  We learn about excellent talks, books and interesting history.  I am grateful for the times - even though few and far between when we can get together.  Great day.

Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head

After the magnificent day of sun yesterday, we are back in the doldrums of dark and rainy weather.  I really like it!  But most people find it very oppressive.  In fact, I looked on our ipad's weather app to see what was in store for today and this is what it said:

Barbeque  - Poor
Beachgoing - Poor
Dog Walking - Poor
Hair Frizz Risk - Moderate
Kite Flying - Poor
Lawn Mowing - Poor
Outdoor Activity - Poor
Outdoor Concert - Poor
Stargazing - Poor
Bicycling - Poor
Fishing - Poor
Golf - Poor
Jogging - Poor
Running - Poor
Sailing - Poor
Skateboarding - Poor
Skiing - Fair
Tennis - Poor
Arthritis Risk - High
Common Cold Risk - High
Sinus Risk - Moderate
Asthma Risk - Low
Flu Risk - Low
Migraine Risk - Low

I don't think anyone reads that report, because I see a lot of bicyclists, joggers, runners, dog walkers and people like us out for a walk.  But I didn't see anyone mowing their lawn.

This was our P-day....so after doing preparation things in the morning, we set out for a walk.  The temperature was 37 and there was a steady drizzle of rain...so the Mary Poppins was our constant companion.  It inverted only once....which was easily remedied.

Our destination was the Bertel Thorvaldsen Museum about a mile away.  We got there in good time, found a spot to leave the Mary Poppins and toured through the historic building.  Denmark lured him away from Italy where he was enjoying fame and fortune by building him a museum to house his works and his personal collection of art.

I don't know what it is about sculpture that puts me in awe.  He was a master of the human figure. You may recall that his figure of the Christus is the one all of the sculptures of Christ in our visitor's centers are patterned after.  It is magnificent.

We wandered through the building which was completed in 1849....it is much as it was then.  The floors are inlaid tile which is uneven from the many years of wear, but still beautiful.  The display cabinets are the original ones.  Looking out at the courtyard, we realized even the windows were the old leaded glass with some distortions. The plaster models were darkened with age, but the marble sculptures were gleaming white and jaw-droppingly beautiful.

He really had no intention of doing a self-portrait but was finally induced to create this image of himself.  He holds a hammer in his right hand, a chisel in his left, and his arm is resting on a sculpture of the Goddess of Hope.  It is an incredible sculture that seems to capture the very essence of the man.

Look at the close-up of their hands.

How do you do this with a hammer and chisel?

We walked back to the apartment taking another route.  This city is so charming.  Walking is a pleasure.  At one point we saw a baby carriage...inside bundled up from head to foot was a baby perhaps 1 year old.  Her little face was all that was showing from the interior and even under the wraps, the baby was in a snowsuit.  Her little eyes were large dark orbs and her cheeks rosy, and she watched the sights go by - seeming to take everything in.

After dinner, SK went to a meeting at the center and I went to Relief Society.  There were 9 of us there.  We made Christmas ornaments!  I had admired some that a sister had made and they figured that this was a good time to make them since Sister Hansen will be leaving in April.  It was fun....and I brought home materials to make another one.

Sister Bjerrum gave me these beautiful angels and she showed me how to make the little ball ornament!

Now...see what a lovely day I would have missed had I paid attention to that weather report?