Thanks for the Sabbath School

Today was a lovely day to travel!  Cool and crisp and partially sunny.  We set out around 9:30 to go to Roskilde, a city about a 45 minute drive from here.  We wanted to attend the ward there, where we have a large number of YSAs.  We only have the car two Sundays a month, and SK has meetings on Sundays, so our visiting may be limited to only once a month, but we want to eventually visit all the wards in the stake.

The building was a beautiful little church and the congregation was good-sized.  We got there early enough that we could visit.  What a friendly ward!  So many of the members introduced themselves to us and chatted for a minute or two.  Two sister-missionaries were there with two young people from a family of seven...who are all taking the lessons and who will probably be baptized in the summer.

Sacrament meeting began with announcements...and a welcome to Aeldste and Soster Madsen!  There are six young missionaries assigned to that ward, and two of the elders are new since transfers last week, so they were asked to talk for a couple of minutes each on preparing for a mission.  One has been here in Denmark for 8 months, and the other for 4 months.  Each walked to the pulpit and spoke from his heart...in Danish!  The one who has been out for only 4 months had to turn to the Bishop a couple of times to ask for a word in Danish, but he did very well.

The ward choir sang "If You Could Hie to Kolob" and I understood every single word...it was in English!  I watched and enjoyed the harmony and the earnest expression on their faces as their voices were raised in song.  Behind them was a large window with the curtains open, so I could see outside.  There is a forest beyond the parking lot with skeletons of trees waving gently in the March breezes.  The skies had grayed.  It was a beautiful moment when I thought "I wish I could bottle up this moment and take it out and play it again and again."

We attended the YSA sunday school class, where one of them translated for me....a lesson about Joseph who was sold into Egypt.  The teacher began by asking several interesting questions, and received some fascinating answers.  She asked us to imagine we are dead and looking back on our life. Do we have regrets?  How did we handle our trials...and are we better people because of them?  If we had the chance to go back, would we?

The Relief Society met in the chapel, and I loved hearing women's voices unite in "Love at Home."  As our voices stopped, we could hear the men singing a "All Creatures of Our God and King," and sometime later, came the sweet sound of children's voices singing "I Stand All Amazed."

Why am I so deeply moved by music? Since I have no musical ability whatsoever, it must be that there was always music in the home I grew up in.  My mother and my sister played the piano and organ movingly, and nearly everyone sang...except for me.

After church, we joined the two sisters and 2 young elders and ate a spectacular meal (normally reserved for Christmas) with the Andersen family (two of their children are YSAs) and thoroughly enjoyed sitting at the beautifully set table and visiting and eating.  When the meal was over, one of the elders asked if they could share a message with us.  He shared the much-quoted scripture in James 1:5 about lacking wisdom and asking God.  They asked what reading that scripture led to.  Answer:  The Restoration.  He then asked if James had any idea when he put that thought on paper that it would lead to such huge consequences.

He drew a parallel to us and the countless little things we each do every day, such as taking a minute to talk with someone or smile or any of a dozen things that could someday lead to significant events in the lives of individuals we come in contact with.  It was an interesting thought.

By the time we got home it was nearly dark.  Yesterday was enjoyable, but I am exhausted.  Time for bed.

Good night!