Hey! Where Is Everyone?

Since we had no Danish class looming today, we decided to do some shopping for the dinner tonight.  That allowed us to do a little more comparison shopping yesterday.  We thought that rather than return to the stores with the best price, we would wait until this morning.

It was overcast and windy.  We drove out to our Costco wannabe to get the final items, plus 2 little evergreen trees for our front door.  As we drove, SK said, "Look at how deserted it looks!"  He was right.  There wasn't nearly as much traffic on the road as usual...not cars, not bicycles, not pedestrians.  

It couldn't be the weather that was keeping anyone home.  Even overcast and cool is a good day and people are always out.  The Costco wannabe looked a little unusual as we approached. There wasn't a car in the parking lot and there wasn't a soul around!  We drove up close.  It is closed today.....and tomorrow (Good Friday)....and Saturday....and Sunday....and Monday!  

We drove back to our apartment looking at stores all along the way.  Very few were open.  The flower shops and fruit/vegetable shops were open, but little else.  We parked the car at our apartment and set out on foot to see if we could find a grocery store to buy the last items needed for tonight.  The large grocery stores were all closed up tight.  We finally found a small shop that normally stays open longer than most places, and were able to get everything we needed.

Our first clue might have been that the auto mechanic who changes the tires on the car told us yesterday, that he would be on holiday for the next 5 days.  We just thought that since he owns his own business, that is a nice holiday!

The truth seems to be that this long weekend is a loooong weekend for a lot of people and businesses.  This is a good thing to make note of.  This is a time when families love to celebrate together.  I am told that it is the second largest family celebration time in Denmark, next to Christmas.

At Institute this evening, we waited and waited, wondering if anyone would show up.  Around 7 p.m. we had about 8 people there....by 7:05 it was up to a whopping 10.  I began cooking dinner for 15.  By 8, there were nearly 30 young adults there!  

We tried to plan a meal that would be flexible depending on the number who were there.  Coming into the holiday weekend, we decided on meatballs from IKEA, potatoes and gravy, peas, rod kohl, and chocolate mousse cake.

We had purchased the meatballs a couple of months ago for ourselves and decided that would be fast and easy.  Yesterday we bought some more to add to what we have.  So I started out cooking a relatively small amount, and as I saw people going by the kitchen door, I kept adding meatballs in the oven, and potatoes to the pot!

When class was done at 8:30, I had everything ready!  The meal seemed to be a success, and one of my sweet young friends who is a professional cake baker whispered that she liked the cake, so I was very happy with it.

Of course, as in every other meal, the best part was the young people who came into the kitchen to talk and to help.  Two of the young sister missionaries were there waiting for their investigator and we talked.  They are the cutest and dearest missionaries, and I wish so much that I could get someone for them to teach!  I am working on it.

One of our young men received his mission call yesterday....to South Africa!  He is so handsome that I think if he just smiled at someone, that would be enough to make them listen.  But he is so nice and has such faith, that he will win people with his testimony and example.

A young woman came into the kitchen after dinner and helped me wash all the pots and pans I had used in my last-half-hour frenzy.  What a lovely visit we had!  I had not ever had any kind of a conversation with her until tonight, and she just wanted to help.  So I washed and she dried and we talked.  She has been to America several times as well as other countries. She is strikingly beautiful and has a very steady and abiding faith and testimony.

We spoke with one of our co-chairmen who is looking at some major changes in her life sometime in the near future.  She too astounds me with her faith.  It is the kind of faith that moves mountains, and actually if it became necessary, I am sure she could do it.

At the end of the evening, when all others had left, one young man remained...an investigator who has had an interesting life.  He was born and raised in Denmark by parents who were from another country.  They want him to marry a girl from their old country, and he is checking out this young woman to see if that is a possibility.  He has had some interesting challenges, but he is upbeat and cheerful.  

Well, if I don't get into bed soone, I will be neither upbeat nor cheerful.

Good Night!