Festinord is Going By Fast in Finland

Day number 3 brought a temporary relief from the heat with a lovely summer rainstorm.  It was overcast all morning and the air was heavy with moisture.  It rained heavily for about an hour during midday.  Afterwards the air seemed a little lighter and of course the smell was wonderful.

The order of the day was similar to the last two….breakfast at 7:30, leadership meeting, devotional, classes, activities etc., except that after lunch most of the participants assembled at a soccer field where we watched a playoff game between the teams of the countries.  Denmark’s team (of course) wore red and white.  They looked pretty good out there and played hard, but unfortunately Sweden carried the day.  But we can still think of our triumphant Vikings from last night and take heart.

It is about 7:30 right now.  We will soon leave to walk the fifteen minutes to the shoreside hall where this evening’s social/dance will be held.  There is a pleasant breeze but it is still warm.  We are on duty this evening to serve refreshments until 11:45 when the closing prayer will be said.  That means we will be fortunate to be in bed by 12:30.  We need to report at 6 a.m. for the 2 ½ hour trip to the temple.  We will attend a session with the Friday temple group and then return to Festinord.  I am looking forward to it but wondering if I will be able to keep up.

SK always keeps up.  He was out on the soccer sidelines cheering everyone on today.  He and I are both sunburned, and after sitting on the bleachers in the sun, I feel pretty much like a mildewed dishrag.  He was snapping pictures right and left.  He is having a wonderful time here….as am I.  But he loves to be a part of everything.  He has played chess a few times and gets right in to the center of the groups of kids to find out what is happening.  If only there were a CRUD game going!  I don’t think it has come to Finland yet.

Since tomorrow night is the last night, it is customary for everyone to stay up nearly all night enjoying being together.  We will all have to be at the ferry by 6:30 a.m. Saturday (7:30 departure) for the 12-hour trip back to Stockholm.  That will mean being up by 5.  From Stockholm, it will be an 8-hour trip to Copenhagen.

I am very pleased at the prospect of having a room on the ferry.  It will be light the entire time we are on the water, so we will enjoy watching all the islands pass as we pull away from Finland, as well as all the islands as we near Sweden.  Once we get out on the Baltic Sea though, I am going to sleep and I am going to try to get SK to sleep since he will be driving.

On Sunday we will need to be at Sacrament meeting about 40 minutes from our apartment to hear one of our really great YSAs speak for a few minutes prior to his departure for the MTC in South Africa in a few days.  It will be followed by an open house.

What a magnificent week to enjoy the beauties of this small part of Finland.  Someone said to me today that our mission must be a particularly enjoyable one……if they only knew…..it is a choice blessing to serve in this beautiful area of the world, and to work with such incredible young people.

Ferocious and Fearless Little Band in Finland

 

 It has been a touch cooler but still hot and humid.  Dark and dramatic clouds began to gather by noon and menaced our gathering until about 5:30 and then we had a lovely downpour for all of 10 minutes.  It cooled everything off and left the air smelling fresh.

We started with an early breakfast and then our “staff” meeting, followed by the morning devotional which was presented by the stake president in the area and the mission president.  They both gave excellent counsel about how to be a missionary.  The stake president said, “Ten seconds is all it takes…..just greet someone ….say ‘Nice shoes’ or ‘Great weather’ or ‘bad hair day?’”  He encouraged us to be more outgoing with other people.

 

 

By 10 a.m. classes, workshops and helping hands projects began and most people were engaged in one of those or just sitting outside visiting or at the beach swimming.  I kind of cruised around visiting with YSAs. 

 

I spent a couple of hours with a dear young woman who was in terrible pain in her midsection.  The Festinord doctor spent some time with her, but had little here for a diagnosis.  I found her a few things to eat and drink and then just sat and talked with her until she was tired enough to sleep.  She has had a stressful few weeks and has been sick anyway.  The last few days have been exhausting for her, so I am sure the sleep did her good.

 

I checked on her through out the day…..she is sleeping on an air mattress in a room with about 16 other girls on air mattresses and it is so hot.  I hope tonight will be cooler.

 

As the day progressed, I was able to be in on many visits with YSAs that I have come to respect and love.  I enjoy them….I enjoy hearing them express their views….I enjoy hearing their plans for the future….and I enjoy watching them have a good time.

 

In the evening, we had a social and dance.  The theme was “Once Upon a Time” and people were encouraged to come dressed in costume.  We were sitting on the bleachers when 5 of the cutest young men came and sat down beside us.  They announced that they were there to protect us.  They were dressed as ferocious Vikings and they were utterly hilarious.  They were, of course Morten – our YSA President, Daniel, Simon and Mikal…and we love those guys.

 

They had on thick wigs of long unruly hair with a few stray braids and Viking helmets (with horns coming out of each side.)  They also had long thick fake beards.  We laughed and laughed at them.  They got on the dance floor as the fearless little band of Vikings and danced with abandon - waving their swords.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The best part of the day was the point at which a short film was presented by each of the four Nordic countries.  Danmark’s was a film starring our little band of ferocious Vikings.  The story line, the humor, the sound effects….everything was so funny that I laughed out loud through the whole thing!  I think all the Danes were very proud of the film.  The other three were good, but I wanted to see ours again. 

If you would like to watch it, go to Festinord20014 on youtube….I think.  So sorry, but I am not a technical wizard. 

After that was dancing.  I don’t understand how they stay up all night and still show up at that first 7:00 a.m. institute class. 

I can’t imagine that I have ever been the kind of person to go without sleep….now less so than ever.

Frying in Finland and Other Tales of Woe

As I write this post at midnight, the sky outside is a pale blue towards the horizon line fading into a deeper blue high above us.  It is still a littIe bit light.  I am sitting in our hostel room with both windows wide open and a small noisy fan running with all its might (which isn’t much) nearby.  The towering pines are as still as can be…no breeze is ruffling through their mighty branches.

We began our day at a 7:30 breakfast with all the leaders, followed by a meeting with the day’s agenda as the point of discussion.  The Finnish man who is in charge of things has the most delightful accent and way of expressing himself.  All of the Finns who are in leadership positions are marvelous individuals and so eager to see that all goes according to plans…..and they have done some monumental planning.

One thing they could not plan for is the unusually high temperatures.  I believe it was up to 84 today, but since I can’t always get internet reception, I am unsure.  But I know that it was hot.  The humidity is up too.  Coming from dry Arizona, I have a difficult time being so damp and so warm.  There seems to be no effective way to cool off.  A few times today in meetings or classes I thought I was going to burst like a kernel of popcorn.  I really really really do not like the heat.  I know what you are thinking.  Yes…I do live in Arizona, and no….I don’t like the heat there either.

There are few places here, Sweden or Denmark with air conditioning….is just isn’t needed.  Most of the time, opening a window is more than sufficient to cool off the interior of any building.  YSAs will be sleeping on air mattresses in various classrooms of the school campus we are meeting in…..I hope they will be cool enough.

The high points of our day were the many times we spent with various YSAs.  They are such great young people and they are so fascinating to talk with.  I love their openness and ability to express themselves, and I enjoy the way they enjoy life.   They make me laugh and they inspire me.

Opening exercises were in a large gym with bleachers.  We had several inspiring speakers and a couple of beautiful music numbers from the sister missionaries.  Then we broke for various activities and classes.  For the majority of YSAs there was a great race of sorts that was all kinds of fun, but soooo hot.  They were divided up into teams of about 15, and given assignments to complete….such as being given several large plastic containers, rope and a tarp and being told to fashion a raft and then row it out to a certain point in the cove and back.  The more people it carried, the more points they got.  It was very creative and they had a great time.

Many came back and showered and cleaned up.  After dinner we met back in the gym for a production of “My Turn” by about 18 young Finns.  They did an outstanding job with the music and acting.  The message was wonderful and so timely.  We enjoyed it immensely…..but by the time we got out, we all looked like we had been in a sauna!

Following that there was a dance.  Everyone was laughing and enjoying their time in the gym, but could only stay a half hour or so before they had to go outside and cool down before returning to dance some more.  I am told that the average amount of sleep a night by the YSAs at Festinord is 4 to 5.  I can see why.  Everyone will be up by 7 at the latest, with some starting much earlier.  Our alarm is set for 6:30.

I think everyone had a great day and I imagine everyone collapsed into their beds to sleep well tonight. 

That is just what I am going to do.  

Frantic in Finland

July 28, 2014

Our ferry traveled through the night. 

We had to go up on deck last night to access the internet in order to post the blog.  Soooo, by the time we got it figured out and pictures downloaded, it was midnight.  We returned to our room and slept soundly…..too soundly.

We set our alarm for 6:30…thinking that would give us an hour to shower and clean up and be ready to get off the ferry at 7:30.  The big flaw in that is that Finland is an hour later than Denmark, and our alarm was set (in reality) for 7:30.  Ooops.

We were awakened by a knock at the door and a yell … something about time to go to your car.  We got up and got moving.  SK went out on deck to see what was happening, and everyone was going to their cars!  He came back in a mad dash and said, “Let’s get out of here!”  We threw everything together and ran towards the lower deck where the cars were. 

Neither of us had bothered to take note of where the car was….we only knew it was toward the back.  With suitcase and bags flying, we ran through the deck looking at cars – peering into faces in every one.  We couldn’t see our car!  We met a friendly young woman and asked if there was another deck for autos.  She said yes and pointed down the stairs where there were two more decks.  Argh.

We hurried down to the next level and ran through the rows of cars.  With possibly 5 minutes to spare, we found our car.  Hearts beat wildly as we threw our stuff in the back seat and tried to look like we were in complete control of everything.

We got the high sign and started our motor and drove out.  It is so embarrassing to look like an idiot!

We arrived at the site of Festinord in good time….checked everything out and met Elder and Sister Hicks from New Mexico/Randers Denmark Mission.  They had been on the ferry too and had looked all over for us.  We had both eaten the buffet dinner and couldn’t figure out how we missed them.  Eventually we discovered that they had been on a different ferry altogether.

We had some freedom today to enjoy the beauties of the area…..did you know that Finland has something like 175,000 lakes?  The trees around here are lovely and so green.  The site for Festinord is on a beach.  It is also unseasonably hot here…in the 80’s with no air-conditioning. 

We met with the other leaders this evening.  It was inspiring and exciting to meet the YSA couples from Finland, Norway and Sweden.  I am really looking forward to talking with them about their programs and how they run them.  We received some assignments for the week, checked into our hostel room (we share the living room/kitchen/bathroom with the Hicks), and tried to get acquainted with the buildings and rooms where most of the activities will be held.

It sounds like it will be a wonderful week….but very tiring.

So SK and I are going to bed….while it is still light!  (10:00 p.m.)

Fantastic Ferry to Finland

Today in sacrament meeting I had the head phones on listening to a young elder translate.....but not in Danish...he was translating from Swedish instead.  He did a great job.  Also attending that particular meeting was the missionary couple who work with the YSAs of Stockholm.  They will be at Festinord too.  We didn’t have much of a chance to visit with them, but I will take every opportunity I can to find out how they are doing and what they are doing for the Swedish YSAs. 

After church, we returned to our very rustic bed and breakfast establishment, packed up and went into Stockholm.  

We thought we would have several hours to look around.  We started out by driving into one of the largest cemeteries I have ever been in.  Much of it was acre after acre of headstones shaded by majestic trees, but a good portion was untamed forest.

 

We drove around for a few minutes as the skies darkened, and then suddenly we saw a crash of lightening and almost simultaneously heard thunder.  Rain came down in sheets….it was the most dramatic rainstorm I have been in.  At one point we saw a small river of water washing down the street.  We came across a young couple soaked to the skin…dancing in the rain!

This was just as the rain was beginning and you can see how this young man in a hoodie is dwarfed by the trees.

What looks like mist is actually a heavy rain.

We finally left after a lovely long tour and then continued toward the city center to find out where the ferry would depart from.  We got stuck in a long slow-moving line of traffic….and as we entered a very long underground tunnel, we were moving even more slowly.  We got to a point where the water was too deep for most cars to try, so we v-e-r-y slowly merged into one lane.

We found the ferry terminal, parked and decided to just go inside and wait there until it left.  It had taken so long to get there that we didn’t want to risk getting stuck in traffic again and missing it.

It was fun to finally board it….it is very big.  We were given a room on the 9^th level.  It is about 6 feet by 10 feet, including the bathroom, and it has a big pseudo-porthole on the wall (a mirror).  The beds fold down.  I am happy to report though that it is private and we have our own bathroom.  I am soooo relieved about that!

We stood out on the deck for the first hour and watched the islands of Sweden go by.  It is beautiful.  We went inside and had dinner in one of the 9 or 10 restaurants on board, and now we are going to head off to bed.

 

We should arrive in Finland about the time you all will be going to bed….9 p.m. for Arizonans and 10 p.m. for Utahs and Wyomingans (?)

What a great day!

Hobnobbing with the Swedes

This day flew by.  We spent the morning in the Stockholm Temple.  It is beautiful.  It is set among very tall trees, lush green grass and well-tended flower beds.  The spire with Moroni towers above the tallest trees and is a beautiful beacon.

Every temple that we have been in seems to have its own personality.  The temple here follows that pattern.  It was busy and the workers were all engaged in helping everyone.  We talked to Brother and Sister Oates from Pleasant Grove, and try as we might, we just couldn't connect anyone we knew.  Sister Oates took us on a tour of the temple worker apartments and guesthouse.  Those, along with the church and temple are on a lovely private drive.

It seems like a peaceful place to serve.

Afterwards we drove into Stockholm and walked around in the downtown area.  I am deeply in love with Copenhagen, but Stockholm was truly a magnificent city....large, spread out, clean, with stately old buildings.  We walked through a gorgeous park and then into an old church.  Everywhere we went, we were enthralled.

We came back to little community where we are staying....and beyond to a seaside town where we ate seafood on board a restaurant/boat.  There were throngs of people there to sit at outside tables, eat delicious seafood and visit with friends.  As always, we saved a lot of money on our meal....being among the few who don't drink.

I ordered fish and mashed potatoes on a plank....I don't know what that other little fellow was...but I tried to eat him, even though he was staring up dolefully at me throughout dinner.

We have been impressed with the kindness of the many Swedes who helped us today.  We ended up asking more than a couple for directions or help.  Every single time the person we approached treated us as though they had nothing better in the whole world to do than assist us!  As in Denmark, nearly everyone here speaks English.

Once again I am sitting outside getting eaten alive.  It is dusk (10:00 p.m.) and the only place to get a wifi signal is on the patio of the owner's house.  It is chilly out here....after a very warm day.  Cars going by on the road at the end of the acre-long driveway sound so loud in this sleepy little clearing.   Horses snort at each other in the fields next to the house.  Beyond the farm are large areas of forests and other isolated farms.  This is really out in the country.

Tomorrow after church, we will come back and pack up the car....return to Stockholm and get in line to board the ferry.  It will travel through the night to Helsinki.  If I am unable to post....I'll try again Monday night!

Over the River and Through the Woods

We traveled across a spectacular bridge to Sweden, and then over the country and through lovely areas covered with majestic trees.  We arrived at a little bed and breakfast five miles from the Stockholm Temple around 7 p.m.

We couldn't find the temple, and bumbled around for awhile until hunger trumped the search.  We sat outside at a little cafe and ate.  As daylight began to fade we saw two young men in white shirts and ties walking toward the train station.  Even though we were some distance away we could also see the black badges.  It just does my heart good to see those wonderful young men or women....nearly everywhere you go!

We couldn't get to them before they were gone but after finishing our dinner and paying for the meal, but we drove in the direction they had come from.  Sure enough....high over the stately old trees stood Moroni -  trumpet in hand!

It is a lovely temple with beautiful grounds.

Our bed and breakfast is in an old farm house in the middle of a wooded area.  We have horses grazing right outside, and as I sit here I am being pestered by gnats, bees and horseflies.  It is quaint, old and kind of bare bones,

It is a great adventure.

I've Packed My Bags...I'm Ready to Go...

The Blackhams were able to purchase a new GPS system this morning.....SK and Elder Blackham went to purchase it.  They got lost going to the store!!!!  It is an invaluable tool for finding your way around. 

Ours is up and running as well, which is a good thing.  We will be leaving tomorrow morning for Sweden.  It will take around 8 hours to get there (Stockholm).  If we get away early enough, we may be able to attend a temple session....if not, we will go to two on Saturday morning.  We are excited to see the temple there....but we are excited to be able to drive into a country we have not yet seen much of.  (Does taking the ferry over in 2003 and driving down the coast to the bridge and back to Copenhagen count?)

We will attend church there on Sunday and then board a ferry for the 12-hour ride to Helsinki.  It will go through the night on the Baltic Sea.  We have sleeping quarters....a four-person room....there are only two of us, so that might be an adventure!  I hope the other people in our room are at least nice.  How do you share a room with other people?

Once in Helsinki we will be in a hostel....where we will also share a bathroom and a kitchen I think.  That will be better because it will be another senior missionary couple and we are getting to be experts at sharing our living space with other senior couples!

The Festinord will begin in earnest on Tuesday and last until midnight on Friday.  The closing prayer is said nightly at midnight and then the YSAs (I have it on good authority) will probably stay up another few hours.  They will retire early enough to get 3 or 4 hours sleep before the days classes and activities begin.  I think we will try to get a lot more than that during the nights in Finland.

We will board the ferry on Saturday morning early for the return voyage to Stockholm.  It should be beautiful, unless we are so far from land we can't see any.  The ferry trip we took when we went to the 4th of July festival was delightful.  The huge ferry was clean and comfortable with plenty of places to sit and relax, as well as plenty of places to get a bite to eat.  I imagine the ferry between Stockholm and Helsinki will be nice.

After landing in Stockholm we will make the trip back across Sweden, arriving back at our apartment by 2 or 3 a.m.  SK has always been able to drive long long periods of time, but I think we will have to take all kinds of measures to make sure he is alert! 

On The Sunday after we get back, one of our YSAs will have a few minutes in Fast and Testimony meeting to speak....there will be an open house.....and then he will leave for South Africa shortly after that.

So it is going to be an exciting and busy week and a half.  We are looking forward to being with all the wonderful young adults and seeing all of the fun things that will go on there.

I am not sure if I will be able to post on the blog.  If I can...I will be posting pictures!  If I can't, then you will hear from me again on Sunday August 3.
Happy Pioneer Day one and all!....and we are all  pioneers in one way or another.

p.s.  A great Institute lesson given by Brother Andersen who is a master teacher.  I listened intently to him teach in Danish, and understood a fair amount....but understood also with the spirit.  Wonderful comments from the class.  It is so energizing to be with these wonderful young people.

Rolling Forth IV (Yes...Really)

We had a lovely afternoon with the Blackhams today.  We have been working with their GPS system in their car, which has not been great.  We went out in our mission car and used our GPS to find our way to the workplace of one of our wonderful YSA's.  It was farther away than we expected, but we enjoyed our ride and the beauties of the Danish scenery.

We arrived in the little town and found her workplace with ease.  (What on earth did we do before GPS?)  We went inside and asked for her and she came out immediately looking adorable with flour down the front of her.  Did I tell you that she is a baker....specifically a cake baker?

Her training was 18 months I believe...and it is a pretty exacting profession.  I have seen pictures of some of the cakes she has made and they are spectacular.  I have TASTED some of her creations and they are spectacular.  She is a dear dear young woman.

Well....you don't just waltz into an outstanding bakery, say hello and waltz out again.  We thought it only right to order a few items to sample....which we did.

We knew beforehand that this could be dangerous, so the Blackhams heroically stepped forward and took us to lunch first.  Fish and Chips....which were very good.  Thus our entrance into the bakery wasn't as disastrous as it could have been.

We brought our bakery goodies home....after a gorgeous drive past some beautiful beaches and stately (old and new) mansions.

We sat around the kitchen table critiquing the items.  Actually we loved them all.

Later in the afternoon, SK and I went to the home of a wonderful family.  They have two YSAs whom we adore.  The parents are amazing and delightful.  Sister Andersen fixed an Israeli meal (they recently took a trip to the Holy Land, and their account and their pictures almost convinced me that I would enjoy it.)

We had kebabs, an Israeli green salad, hummus and falafel.  It was all excellent, and happily she sent the recipes home with me.  I am excited to try it out.

For dessert, we had chocolate ice cream, topped with chocolate whipped cream, topped with mini chocolate chips.  I was in heaven.

Ok....it really is time to get serious about a starvation diet -----and walking 20 miles a day...30?...50?

Rolling Forth - Part 3

Today was a "various and sundry" day....full of various and sundry things to do.  It was enjoyable and relaxing.  We slept in and then all had a late breakfast.  Since we were late with that, for lunch we just had milk and a bakery goodie.  Blackhams need to sample the best of Copenhagen's bakeries, and so we stepped forward to lead the way.

In the evening we went with Blackhams to President Sederholm's house for dinner.   Every time a missionary couple comes into our mission field or leaves it, Sister Sederholm invites all the seniors to dinner for a "get to know you" kind of an evening.

Sister Sederholm is a magnificent cook and always puts together a feast.  SK told her tonight as we were leaving that he can hardly wait for the next time someone arrives or leaves.  She laughed.

Tonight she fixed tender sweet ham, boiled potatoes (I thought they were better than Idaho potatoes - but there were four people from Idaho at the table, who kindly corrected this Arizonan.  There were warm rolls with butter and raspberry jelly, an excellent green salad and then dessert.  Well, I don't know what to tell you about dessert except to say that it was divine.

She put three on the table...an apple betty (pie with a rich crumb topping), a layer cake (Danish layer cake --- layers of cake between rich whipped filling and topped with chocolate), and a flourless chocolate cake, ahhhhhhhhh....was that good.  On the table, she also put a large bowl of ice cream slices, which went with everything.

President Sederholm told us what lies ahead in the next few months....great things.  He also mentioned that the "Madsen Hilton" could expect more guests during that time as missionaries come to town for various conferences.   You know of course, that since this IS Denmark....this IS Copenhagen....we will have to have some more of the special Danish pastry.  It is an unwritten law (mine).

We are also expecting a visit from at least one daughter, maybe two and maybe even three in the coming months, and we can hardly contain our excitement at the thought of being able to share this wonderful city with them and their sweet husbands.  I think I am the only one of all of them who doesn't have Danish ancestry....and I adore Denmark!  How can they not?

Sister Swena snapped this marvelous photo of the view across the lake.

From left to right:  Elder Andersen, Elder Bailey, Sister Bailey, Sister Hamblin, Sister Swena, Elder Thorne, Sister Thorne, Sister Madsen, Elder Madsen, Sister Blackham, Elder Blackham, Sister Sederholm, President Sederholm.  Sister Swena is always so good to get pictures....and she was kind enough to share this one....I never remember!

Perfection in a Cake - or "Rolling Forth" Part II

This evening we here in Copenhagen participated in the worldwide indexing project the Church has organized. The record in one 24-hour period is over 49,000 participants, but they want to break the record.  With 3 hours left to go, there have been over 56,000 participants.  It is great fun to be a small part of such a large undertaking.

We have a senior couple here in Copenhagen whose mission is to take pictures of records in the National Archives.  Each day, all day they snap away.  But they are not alone....all over the world there are senior couples who take high quality photos of country's census, birth, marriage and death records. The pictures are digitized and put on a web site.  Also a copy is given to the country.

Someone is needed to go online and type in the information on those records.  So there are people everywhere who go online for a few minutes at a time or an hour or so and type the information found there.  Every record is looked at and typed by at least two people to avoid errors.  If the two typed records disagree, then a third person (an arbitrator) is called in to resolve it.

It is a great way to make a valuable contribution to something very important.  Once those records have been digitized, anyone anywhere in the world can search the information for their family information and find it in official documents.  I have several grandchildren who are doing this.

So for Family Home Evening, we had 27 young single adults there.  Not all brought a laptop, but many did.  Some couldn't sign in...must be all the the thousands of people signing in all around the globe.  Everyone who could  - helped do indexing and so I am excited to see the final number and know that not only our YSAs participated, but our sweet grandchildren so far away did too.

I got a special treat tonight.....we have a YSA who is a baker by profession...who specializes in cakes, and I am not talking about run-of-the-mill ordinary cake, but seriously good cake.  She and I were talking last week about rhubarb.  I just couldn't imagine how anyone could make anything mildly delicious with that stuff!  Tonight, she brought in a rhubarb cake.  It had no frosting and was in a loaf shape.

It was amazing.  It had a beautiful light crispy buttery crust on top.  It was a dense yellow cake with small chunks of rhubarb and somewhere in that decadent piece of cake was hidden a hint of marzipan.  I think I am in love!  She also had made some small meringues which are called kisses here.  They were perfect.

She and I talked for awhile.  It was so enjoyable to have a few moments to catch up with her.  She will be at Festinord....so I think we'll be able to talk again.  I visited with another YSA who is our food chairman.  She had made a wonderful chocolate cake but was worried about how it tasted.  She asked if I would sample it.  So she cut a little slice and topped it with ice cream!  It  was delicious.

We ended up staying until midnight just talking with several of them....some of the very best young adults you'll find anywhere.  They are funny and fun and serious about living the gospel.  THAT was almost better than the cake!

A Senior Day

In church today we had visitors from other countries...it is so interesting to meet people from other parts of the world.  Of course, the Blackhams were visitors (from Idaho), but I think the branch is getting used to missionaries from Idaho, Utah and Arizona....old hat I guess.  A surprising number of our young missionaries are from Utah.

We have a couple who will be visiting for a few more weeks I think...they are from the Phillipines.  They are very nice people....and are visiting their daughter who lives here in Copenhagen.

Today was the last day for a young architecture student who has been studying here.  He attends an architecture school in Phoenix.  I am sad that I never took the opportunity to have a conversation with him about what he thought about the buildings here in the city.

I am intrigued at how the old coexists with the new.  You frequently see 200-year buildings nestled between two "newer" buildings, only a hundred years old.  And then there are the apartment buildings, public buildings and structures that have been built in the last 50 years or so that are sleek and simple and which form such a contrast with the ornate older ones.

We actually ran out of the headphones used for all non-Danish speakers.  I still use them, because I so want to hear everything that is being said, and we always have excellent talks.  The young man who was translating came to me halfway through the meeting to ask for my headphones.  One of our newest members came late and needed some (he is from China).  I was highly complimented that our translator took mine (Do you think he guessed I needed them least?)  It is probably just that I was closest in proximity to him....but I was happy about it nevertheless!

After church, we went to a couple's home for lunch.  The man had served a mission here about the same time SK was here and baptized his wife!  They had invited all the senior missionaries from Copenhagen, plus the Blackhams, plus 3 people who were visiting their ward.  They had fixed a lovely meal and we sat around the tables enjoying varied and interesting conversations.  Afterwards, he gave a little fireside for us.

After arriving home, several of us walked over to the Church of our Lady to see the Christus.  We were dismayed to find that the church was closed due to illness!  We waded back through the sea of tourists out on a Sunday evening and then sat by the lake for awhile.  We were amazed to see our baby swans had turned into teenagers!  They don't have the grace or coloring yet of their parents....in fact, for the very first time, I began to understand how Hans Christian Andersen could actually call them an ugly duckling!

We ended up at the Thorne's apartment to play a few rounds of "Nines."

Not really a typical Sunday, but it was most enjoyable.

Rolling Forth

SK and the Blackhams went to the temple this morning.  I stayed home and worked on some things that needed to be done.  Catching up on things that have been nagging is as good as a rest!...if not better.

This afternoon, we went to a grocery store and wandered all over talking about products, prices, and penge (money  :-)     (--had to have something that started with p)  We spent a good hour inside doing a little shopping and a lot of looking.

Everywhere we went today, SK sat in the front passenger seat reviewing Denmark's traffic laws and helping Elder Blackham becoming accustomed to driving around here.  On Wednesday, they will get into their car and head west to Odense...home of Hans Christian Andersen....or shall I say it used to be the home of Hans Christian Andersen.

After dinner, we headed out to the island of Amager, where we did an official taste test.  We were told that the best ice cream in Denmark can be had there.  We found the little shop...it looks about 50 years old or so.  There were outside tables, a lot of bikes and a lot of people waiting to get a taste of that famous homemade ice cream.

We stood in line and each got a good helping of that delicious stuff.  I am not a person to be judging ice cream (I think Dairy Queen is just fine.), but I must say it was delicious!  Then we drove to a small town that has great charm, walked down the pier and a few side street and then came home.

Elder and Sister Blackham in front of a quaint cottage with thatched roof.

We had purchased a large bakery goodie at the grocery store....their bakery counter is a thing of beauty.....so we came home to give that a taste test.  Mighty fine.

Throughout the day we have been talking about their assignment as the YSA couple in Odense and ours in Copenhagen....and the differences.  Sister Blackham is a cook....and I am sure she does it well. They will be much loved!  Plus they are excited just to serve.  I know they will be wonderful.


I am wondering if I will be able to fit into any clothes tomorrow.....

The Simple Life

Our newest senior missionaries arrived today.  They are Elder and Sister Blackham and they are from Idaho.  They landed around 1:30 and got to the apartment by 3.  I sat and visited with them for  awhile before they had to lie down and sleep.  That trip over from Salt Lake is long and tiring....especially if you have had some grueling weeks of preparation.

We were very blessed that our visas didn't come right away.  Preparing our house for our absence was huge and it wore me out.  I did not know that we had accumulated so much stuff, and sorting through it to decide what to keep, what to store, what to give away, and what to throw away absolutely wore me to a frazzle.

Getting to Lia's home and settling into one bedroom with no stuff of our own was marvelous.  We loved spending the time with them, and especially with Eliza.  The ease of our lives was a thing of beauty.   We hope that we were of some help to Lia with cleaning, cooking and Eliza....overall life was just good.

So by the time we checked into and out of the MTC we were thoroughly relaxed.  The trip over the ocean was long and once we landed, everything was new, but we weren't in the same seriously sleep-deprived position that many feel upon arrival.

The Blackhams seem to be doing alright.  He was a missionary here in Denmark about 48 years ago.  He baptized a young dad who now is the patriarch of a large wonderful family, many of whom have served missions and married in the temple.  The family is an amazing group of individuals.

I went to the temple about 5 to serve there....Friday is my day.  I got there after a couple of bus transfers and was put to work right away.  I stayed until after 9, and then waited for SK.  We came home together.

It had been kind of hectic day.  I wanted to fix a nice meal for the Blackhams since I knew they would be tired.  I made a traditional Danish dish...frikadeller or mealballs.  They were way too salty and I also served potato salad which was too salty.  The meal wasn't great...but the Blackhams were good sports about it.  I should have made a simple meal of sandwiches and we could have sat down to a relaxed dinner.

After dinner I quickly changed and ran for the bus.  I left a messy kitchen, and Sister Blackham (bless her!) cleaned it up.  I didn't have to wait long, but arrived at the temple - out of breath and windblown.  I served for about 3 hours.

The temple is a small building and done in tones of quiet blue.  Despite the small size, I frequently get lost there.  The atmosphere is serene and quiet, and it seems much larger.  It truly is a peaceful place to spend time. Outside,  we found the temple gardens!  I didn't know they exist but they are small and simple and sweet.

The round platform is a fountain, and normally has water running over the edges.  This little private area is a peaceful refuge.

Even though the day's events were good, and enjoyable, it was stressful.  But being inside the temple brought perspective once again.  Sometimes I make things more complicated than I should.  Life is good, and life is best when I keep it simple.

What's In a Name?

July 17 started out with a brisk walk to a grocery store a little farther away than the one we most often frequent.  The reason is strictly monetary.  They had several good sales on and we wanted to take advantage of them.  Plus it is always a great way to start the day!

We walked around our lake and towards town (meaning the center of Copenhagen).  The store is small but contains all kinds of wonderful things in a semi-disorganized state, but the normal prices are better than other stores and the sale prices are a real deal.  We cruised around the store, got everything we needed and headed home.

I assembled a dessert for this evening's after-institute refreshment.  It is a recipe Melissa passed on to me from SK's sister Carolyn.  Melissa said it was a breakfast casserole of sorts but worked just as well - if not better - as a dessert.  The base was cubed french bread and cubed cream cheese over which is poured a mixture of eggs, sugar, milk, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla.  It sat in the refrigerator the rest of the day soaking up the liquid.

Late morning, SK and I went to our district meeting.  We have two new missionaries as of Monday and it was nice to get to know them.  One of them has been out 2 days!  I can almost remember what it felt like to be here for only 2 days.  He seems to be doing well....didn't look like a zombie trying to recover from jetlag and even made some good comments in our meeting.

I have not yet become accustomed to how amazing their spiritual maturity is.  I sit in their meetings and marvel at the comments they make and the feelings they share.  Then out of the blue one of them says or does something to remind me they are 18-year olds or 19 or 20.  Then I laugh in delight.  They are young...but they are quite delightful.  I love being with them.

After lunch we came to the center.  It was a lovely peaceful afternoon with YSAs trickling in slowly.  A popular topic of conversation right now is Festinord...everyone is looking forward to it with a such enthusiasm!  I worked on the Institute lesson for English speakers.  At seven in the evening we had 10 Danes in the class, but by 7:15 we had enough Americans to split the class which we did.

We are studying The Pearl of Great Price.  We had a great discussion.

By the time we were done, so was the dessert.  I don't remember the name of it, but it was French Toast something.  Now....I am experienced enough with serving food to know that if it has a good name, it will be received better.  SK hates French Toast.  I tried to come up with something dignified and delicious-sounding for a name.  So I said "Raspberry Bread Pudding."....which in his eyes - actually - is just a half a step up from french toast.  He announced to the group of 20 or so that it was "Raspberry Delight."  (Can you believe how awful that sounds?....like the things they used to dream up in the cafeteria kitchen at Bountiful High several decades ago!)

You bake the concoction for an hour and then pour warm raspberry syrup over it, and then top it with good Danish whipped cream.  I told two young men that it was raspberry bread pudding, but then realized one served a mission in England and the other has dual citizenship in England (his mother is British)....so I quickly added, "kind of."  (You know of course that England and bread pudding are practicial synonymous.)

My "Sort of Bread Pudding" was a hit.  One American declared it to be the best thing she has eaten since she got to Denmark!!!  Heady praise.

Afterwards one of my dear young friends decided that it should be named "Sister Madsen's Special."

So that is what it will be henceforth called....with apologies - as well as great thanks to Carolyn.

We Believe in Jesus Christ

We had a sweet opportunity of touring one of the older churches here in Denmark today.  It is near Copenhagen and has been a church for royalty for over 1,000 years.  Kind of boggles the mind.  This country is rich with history.

It is a stately brick building that looms large over the surrounding city.  Cobblestones are the groundwork outside of it.  Work began on the church in the 900s.  It has been through a some rough times and been repaired and rebuilt but there is much there from the original.

It is the burial place of kings and queens dating back to the 1400s.  As you walk through the cavernous interior, you see slabs in the tile floor...the slabs are tombstones and inscribed with names and dates and quotes.  There are little chapels and small rooms off the main chapel that entomb past monarchs.

When it was first built, it was a Catholic church, but became Lutheran during the Reformation.  There is a painting of Martin Luther hanging at the end of the great chapel.  The national church is Lutheran, but is simply called Folkekirken or Church of the People.

Throughout our time there the bells of the church pealed out several times.  It is summer, and there were many tourists crowding in to see the old building.  But all seemed to sense the weight of the years that rested there.  The size of the great hall, the echoing sounds that reverberated throughout, the light streaming through the mammoth windows called forth a quiet reverence.

Generations have worshipped there, been christened, married and buried there.  It has always been a church that worshipped the Savior Jesus Christ.  At the heart is a great altarpiece depicting the last mortal days of the Lord....a very moving and thought-provoking work of art.

It is a nice feeling to know that we share that faith in Jesus Christ with so many who have gone before.

You can see how massive this church is....look at the tiny people on the left of the church.

See the beautiful water of the fjord beyond.

The sculptor of these figures also was the sculpture who created Denmark's famous icon "The Little Mermaid."  His wife was his model for her, as well as these three tomb figures repesenting grief, remembrance and love.

See the beautiful gold altar piece down there?  look directly above at SK looking across at us!

But Ya Got to Know the Territory!

One of the YSAs told me that new missionaries from Utah and Arizona always give themselves away when they are asked to pray.  They will invariably say "We thank thee for the rain."  Our YSA said, "The water table here is high and they are NEVER thankful for rain!"  It made me laugh, because I am still thanking the Lord for the wonderful rain.

We were out today, and encountered two of the young elders.  It was windy, overcast and warm....and people were bicycling or running by as we stood and talked.  As always they looked so clean and well-groomed that I just wonder why everyone doesn't want to hear what they have to say.
They were here at the apartment complex to meet new missionaries coming in from the States.  They went on to splits with them before taking them to their apartments.

They all seem to hit the ground running.  Elder Brady in our little branch has been here a little over a month and is speaking Danish every chance he gets.  He is sometimes halting and sometimes turns to his companion for reinforcement or correction on his grammar or pronunciation.  But he is forcing himself to speak and I think he will learn very quickly.  Like Lia keeps saying, "You have to make yourself speak the language.

We will be getting a new senior couple this weekend.  They will arrive on Friday and stay with us until next Wednesday before leaving for Jutland where they will serve in a YSA Center.  We have a schedule of what we will be doing while they are here, so we will all keep pretty busy.  Most important, we will teach them everything we know about serving as the couple at the center.  It should take about 20 minutes!
We will show them about cooking, recipes, how the recipes and appliances work, about how to get around on public transportation, etc.  We thought we would take them out for a little sight-seeing as well.  We will see what the that day will bring.

Later in August, we will have another couple come to stay for a few days, and then again in September!  This could become a habit.  It is summer, and we are not cooking, and it is a time when a lot of people will be out of town on any given day because it is vacation time.  But it still seems like we are involved and engaged, and always busy.....and always tired.

I think it is typical of nearly all missionaries young or old.  It kind of comes with the territory!

Rainy Days and Mondays

Rainy days and Mondays are among my favorite things and when they happen together, well....that is just sheer joy.
We didn't leave go to the center until 3, so we had the entire morning at home.  We had the windows open and we listened to the rain as we talked and worked.  The sky was dark which made everything in the apartment seem cozier.  There were still runners/walkers on the lake path (carrying umbrellas), and there were still birds singing outside, but the feel of the day, the sounds of the rain and the atmosphere were all beautiful.

We arrived at the center and were alone here for awhile.  Then finally two young men came who are full of life and enthusiasm.  They brought some dinner with them and sat at the kitchen table with SK.  He enjoys them so much.  He is out there now with them playing CRUD.

Family Home Evening is over, the activity is over, the refreshments have been served and 3 games of CRUD have been played.  Our numbers were few...17 plus two missionaries, but there were enough to make a very enjoyable evening together.  Now at about 10:30, there are 10 left.  They are drifting toward this end of the room where they throw themselves on the couches, pick up a guitar and start strumming while they are talking. 

We watched a very excellent clip from a talk by Elder Bednar talking about the blessings of modern technology.....as well as the possible problems with too much attendance to it.  It was very timely, since no matter where you go, you see people focused in on the little screen in front of them - ignoring all the people around them.  It is particularly distressing to see a parent at a table completely engrossed with his/her telephone while a child is sitting across the table quietly eating and staring off into space.

Then we played Mafia...my first time.  It was a lot of fun.  I've had some great conversations with several terrific young people....I love these YSAs.  They are really good people.
We have some American students visiting and I am enjoying them....they also seem a cut above.

Voices have quieted down as more people have left.  I think we are down to four.  I love to listen to them speaking animatedly in danish.  I love the sound of the language and the way they speak it.  That - set against the sound of the rain - doesn't get any better! 

Ties to Home

This day dawned cool and overcast.  Can you imagine that?  July 13, and we wore light coats to Church, carrying the Mary Poppins umbrella - and using it.  Today was our day to take the bus.  The buses don't run as often on Sundays and tend to be emptier than on weekdays.

We got to our first bus stop and stood for a couple of minutes in the rain.  I love standing under an umbrella in the rain!!!!  The sign said it would be another 10 minutes before it came.  So we started walking and managed to make it in 10 minutes.  We had only a wait of two minutes or so before the bus to Amager (the island where our church is) arrived.  I don't know what it is about Sunday morning, but all the bakeries looked so alluring!

When we got to the church, we met two couples from Utah who were visiting Denmark, the land of their ancestors.  Do you even know anyone besides me (and of course Judy, Dave and Dan) who does NOT have Danish ancestry?  Notwithstanding the lack of Danish blood in my veins, I do have a VERY Danish last name.

They had only a week here, and spent all of it right in Copenhagen.  I don't blame them at all.  There is so much to see right here that even after 9 months, we feel like we have barely scratched the surface of this great city.

One of the couples live in Mantua, the beautiful little city tucked into a lovely valley 4 miles up Sardine Canyon from Brigham City.  They know SK's cousin Gary.  Isn't that fun?  They also know a distant cousin of mine....the temple president in Brigham City.  The two sisters are....sisters... literally.  The other sister and her husband live close to Harriman west of Salt Lake City.

I love it when people come to visit, and in the summer that is almost weekly.  I can see that most everyone is as enchanted with this place as we are.

Our young women's president spoke today about the Sacrament...such an excellent talk and a great reminder of why we are there in church.  The other speaker was one of our young full-time missionaries.  He has been out a year or so, and stood at the pulpit and gave his talk in Danish about baptism.  Another excellent talk full of good thoughts.  I am so proud of these young people.  You would think I was their grandmother or something!

We closed the windows a couple of hours ago....too cold.  I'm smiling as I write this...the unpredictability of the weather here is so refreshing.

I have a feeling though that being back in the valley of the sun someday will bring back happy gratitude for the clear blue skies that dominate the weather forecast.

Raindrops Keep Falling

I looked up the word "malaise" in Webster's Dictionary.  The definition didn't work for me, but I like the word nevertheless.  Webster says that it is "a slight or general feeling of not being healthy or happy.  

I am healthy and I am happy, but today I have been in slow motion, so I will redefine "malaise" to mean "not quite up to par."

I cleaned and did laundry and did some shopping, some writing, some working on next week's lesson, some studying and some cooking, and all was done with a certain amount of lethargy.  
Have you ever had a day like that?

It is a good thing it is Saturday....Sunday always recharges me.  

As I sit here by the computer there is a breeze gently blowing through the window and I am typing to the accompaniment of a steady downpour of rain.  The various surfaces it is pelting provide a variety of sounds that is soothing music to my ears.

It will lull me to sleep tonight.

Friday and Two Badges

This was our first Friday to work in the Copenhagen Temple.  It is a lovely place to spend some time, and even though we were there over 7 hours, we came away feeling rested.  We will be there again next Friday and then be with our YSAs the following two Fridays.  They gave us our white temple badges with our names on today.

The temple is short of workers right now and it is a good feeling to know that we can be useful for a few hours a week.  I think this is going to be a boost for my Danish too.  I spoke with a lot of Danes today....and heard 2 sessions in Danish.

On the way home, we got off the bus and began walking home.  The streetlight wasn't working near our home, so as we crossed the street I noticed a large crowd of people coming our way, filling the street.  We waited to see what was happening.  As they got closer we realized they were skaters.

About that time, a couple came and stood beside us to watch.  We struck up a conversation and stood there on the street corner talking for about 20 minutes or so.  They were about our age, and so friendly.  I did my Danish/English conversation with her.  I used as many Danish words as I could think of, and she spoke mostly in English, throwing in a Danish phrase here and there.  It is great practice.

They asked about our black missionary badges and we talked about what we are doing here.  They said that they used to have neighbors who were very active "Mormons."  We parted friends....I think if they lived here, we would have become good friends, but they are leaving tomorrow for Sweden and then will return to their homes in the very south of  Denmark.  The Danes are such nice people!

There were a few thousand skating along the street.

On another sweet note, Doris went to the ward barbecue in Frederiksberg.  She and her boyfriend attended and seemed to enjoy it very much.  They may go play soccer tomorrow morning with all the local missionaries.  The young elders and the sisters have fallen in love with her....not hard to understand.  She is wonderful.