A Call to Serve - in Ireland!

First of all, I will post a few pictures of the Langche....the traditional dance done Friday night at the gala for the YSAs:
 The first pictures (in daylight) were at the church.  They gathered together before a little program, had their picture taken in front of the building, drank apple cider, then ate around 8:30....after which they stood around in the parking lot assigning rides out to the home where the dance was held.  When they are standing in the parking lot, it is nearly 10 p.m.  It gives you an idea of what the light is like at sundown.  (These aren't in order of occurrence because I was pulling the best of 200 photos and I am not very good at it.)

The next few are of the dance....it is dark, and the pictures don't show the charm of the dance or the joy they danced with, or the music.  But it was a lot of fun.

I thought it was a bit chilly and so sat under a blanket mostly.


This is now Sunday evening and we have had a sweet day.  We went out to a suburb of Copenhagen to attend a ward where one of our YSAs spoke.  (He is leaving on a mission for Ireland/Scotland this Wednesday.)  We were excited to hear him.  He is one of the nicest young men I have ever met.  We were so pleased to hear the lineup of the meeting.  All of the youth sang a special number and then mid-way through the meeting three of our young women sang a beautiful hymn.  The first two speakers were YSAs and the last speaker is the soon-to-be missionary.  You know that feeling you get when someone you love gets up and gives a talk or sings?  You feel joy that they are there doing something that is so right and so strengthening to their spiritual well-being?  We love these young people and couldn't have been more proud of them. Well, we felt that all through the meeting.

We thought the meeting was wonderful.  It was a large ward with many families and it is one of the friendliest wards I have ever been in.  When the Bishop gave announcements, he told what the subject of the talks would be next week and the week after.  He also introduced SK and me as visitors.

In Priesthood meeting SK was asked to stand up and tell a little about himself and what he is doing on a mission here....he got up and spoke in Danish!  I don't know why but he doesn't think he is very good at speaking the language, but he is very good....and everyone tells him that!

We came home and had lunch and then almost against our will.... both slept soundly for about a half hour!  We had just enough time to get ready and leave for the missionary open house.....about 45 minutes away.  It was lovely and packed with well-wishers (many of them our YSAs.

We are home now and the sky is deepening into a lovely twilight (at 10 p.m.)
SK has been talking to our children who are calling to wish him Happy Father's Day.  It is a joyous ending to a beautiful day.