Happy New Year!

Has it really been a year since the Hansens, the Baileys, Sister Hamblin, Sister Swena and 8 young missionaries were here celebrating the entrance of 2014?

New Year's Eve 2013

2013

2014

2014

Two young elders came around 5 and immediately set about putting a new puzzle together we received for Christmas.  They worked diligently while I finished getting dinner ready.  I crock-potted (I'll bet you didn't know that is a word - or phrase.....but I wouldn't try it out in a Scrabble game if I were you.) some pulled pork, and made funeral potatoes, orange jello salad (no, it just didn't come close to the real American product, even though we had real Jello from America.....it was the frozen orange juice concentrate and marischino cherries that were sadly lacking.), mint brownies, and chocolate eclair cake.  Others brought snacks, soda pop, vegetables, another potato dish and chocolate.

Elder Vance and Elder Child

Everyone was there by 6:30....Elder and Sister Bailey, Elder and Sister Thorne, Sister Hamblin, Elders Child, Oakey, Hawkes and Vance.  The cutest young men ever and so happy to be with  us.  Elder Child was with us last New Years and he said a couple of times, "What are the chances that I could be here to see this twice in a row."

Elder Hawkes and Elder Oakey in the foreground

Elder Hawkes has a wonderful tenor voice

Our apartment is ideally located to see fireworks from all other the city.  We went up on the roof terrace at 11 p.m. to watch fireworks and were all mezmerized by the constant barrage of colorful explosions in every direction.  The noise was deafening....in fact, it still continues even now at nearly 3 a.m.

Everyone went to Tivoli for a couple of hours around 9 to watch a spectacular display of fireworks  up close and personal.  Several of the elders had not been there.

We spent the evening playing games, talking, eating, singing and watching all the fun.  The young elders were soooo cute!  I was so happy that they could join us.

By 12:30, SK took those four home....round trip 25 minutes, and then took the Baileys home, about 30 minutes.  He had no trouble negotiating the crowds and debris.

Sister Hamblin watched with me from the roof, both of us in awe at the sight, then she sighed and said, "We will never see another New Year's quite like tonight."

She is right.

A Religious Experience

The temperature climbed up to 34 degrees today!  The snow melted away.  I looked at the weather early this morning and was amused to see that no rain or snow was expected but the humidity was 100%.  I wonder about that.  When we went outside, it didn't feel unpleasantly humid.

The very high point of the day was going to Vor Frue Kirke, or The Church of Our Lady, where the Christus statue is by Thorvaldsen.  On this day when we begin our 16th month of service here, we thought visiting that beautiful old church would be a fitting way to observe that milestone.

I love entering that building and tiptoeing inside.  The acoustics of the interior make it literally possible to hear a pin drop.  I love the hushed sounds echo through the large hall.  Other people were there too but each individual entered the great chapel silently.  I saw one man step inside and cross himself reverently.  We sat down on a pew and just drank in the beauty and the peace there.  I love it more each time we visit.  It is a very special place to sit and meditate on the Savior of the world, His love for us, and what He did for us.

 

The beauty of the white marble and the still figure seems to convey something about Jesus Christ that we can't always get from the written word.  It is a powerful visual portrayal of two of His most stunning characteristics....His love for all mankind, and His wish for each of us to come unto Him and be healed.  The sculptor has captured His humanity and His godhood at the same time.

I heard someone say (a few weeks ago) that Denmark is the Church art capitol of the world.  I think if all it had was the Thorvaldsen sculpture, it would be true nevertheless.

The Warm Glow of Friends

We braved the cold to go run some errands this morning....by "braving the cold," I mean we walked from the apartment to the car.  SK did more braving than I because he had to go scrape snow off the windows.  We went to a few different places, and were probably never out in the snow much more than 2 minutes.  It was soft and powdery and beautiful.

Later, when we left for the center (walking), the thermometer had dipped from minus 5 to minus 8! ...which is about 17 degrees Farenheit,  It was a lovely walk, but a little on the treacherous side because there was ice everywhere and the sidewalks had a lot of slick spots.  If I had been a little more adventurous, I would have tried a Scrooge slide on the ice....but alas, those days are over!  But that is not to say I didn't enjoy the walk.

By the time we got there though, I was grateful to be going indoors.  I don't know how people survive who work outside all of the time.  Throughout these past weeks working up to Christmas, we have often seen little open marketplaces where there are small booths set up where people sell all kinds of fun things.  They are about the size of a small walk-in closet and have the upper half of one side completely open to the air....and to sell things to the public.  Often there is one person sitting inside, bundled up against the cold, who has to take off his gloves to assist you.  That just cannot be fun.  I have never seen a little heater in any of those places.....I imagine they sit there with hands and feet feeling a little like ice cubes.

Once inside the center, we warmed up and set about to get things ready for Family Home Evening.  We wondered if anyone would be brave enough to come out on such a cold and snowy night.  We ended up with 14 young people there and had a great evening.  They are such fun.  About half of them left by 9, and the rest waited for a young woman to get in from the airport.  She is from Greenland.

She was here a few months ago visiting from her homeland, and was sitting on a bench in a park when two missionaries walked by.  They sat down and talked to her and she was completely ready for the Gospel.  They taught her several lessons - and baptized her -in the succeeding days before she returned to Greenland  She returned home as the only member we have in that country (that we know of).  There are no branches or wards there, no missionaries and Church presence -at all.

The missionaries and YSAs have been teaching her through Skype ever since.  She is as enthusiastic about the Gospel today as the day she was baptized, if not more so.  Ever since she returned to Greenland, she has been ordering Books of Mormon from the Mission office to give to friends there.  She is a cute young woman.  Her face radiates happiness.

Tonight she got into Copenhagen and is spending time with another YSA from the center.  In January, she will begin classes at University of Copenhagen...a big step.  But she has taken a lot of big steps lately.

While we waited for her I talked to a dear young friend about her mission to Temple Square.  I never tire of hearing about that mission.  It must be a dream....she saw many miracles and felt the spirit often in her service, and came back to Denmark with a lifetime of strengthening and inspiring memories.

The two YSAs who had gone to pick our young friend from Greenland up from the airport brought her in around 10:00 and they all stayed and visited for awhile and then they were off, each going their separate way into the dark night.

We cleaned up the center and then we crunched along the snow and ice-covered sidewalks, heading home ....very tempted to go into Tivoli as we passed by.  It is open til midnight every night until it closes for the season....New Year's will be the last day until April.  There were still crowds of people inside.  We looked at each other, thinking about our warm apartment, and agreed that perhaps we would visit Tivoli a little while in the daytime tomorrow.

When it is cold and dark outside, the sunshine of tomorrow holds a lot of promise!

Happily Ever After

It's snowing!  Not surprisingly.  It has mostly been below zero in degrees all day, dipping down into the 20's Farenheit.  It hasn't slowed down the walkers and joggers.  The pathway around the lake doesn't have time to collect ice or snow....the constant flow of traffic pretty much keeps it clear, but just in case a little vehicle clears it every so often.  We hear it go by and can occasionally see the lights.

See the ice ...it begins along that horizontal line where the birds are clustered.

We were at the Thorne's apartment for a couple of hours....it was bitter cold when we traveled all the way up the stairs to the next level to visit.  We played Nines for awhile (Elder Thorne won both...I must be doing something really stupid because I never win!) and then made our way again back down the outside stairs to our apartment.  There was a beautiful dusting of snow on the cars and parking lot surface which as yet hadn't been disturbed by anyone.

View out our front door.

From our window:  This is 2:00 in the afternoon!

Same view at 9:00 p.m.  It is snowing.

Isn't it beautiful?

SK had a meeting after Church and took the bus home.  He arrived looking very cold (he hadn't taken his hat, scarf and gloves!!!) and I keep wondering if he will ever get to the point when he decides without my nagging that it is cold enough to bundle up.  He refuses to recognize the cold.

It is our pretty ballerina princess's 30th birthday today.  She is such a lovely and kind, graceful and gracious young woman.  She is exactly the sort you dream of as a "princess who is as kind as she is beautiful."  Her husband spoke in Church today.  They together are an important part of our little branch and their testimonies are powerful.  He posted a sweet tribute to her on Facebook.

They both exude joy....they love the Gospel, they love their little boy and their soon-to-be-born little boy, they love their families and they love the Branch and delight to serve and to share their blessings. They are both gifted individuals and love to work together on cooking and other projects....always thinking of how it will bless others.

I think if I had known them when I was 15 years old, I would have thought perhaps there is truth in some of the stories I read, and I would have continued my dreaming.

Wait....I am 65, and I look at them and am inspired.....fairy tales really do come true.

Hey...It is Seriously Cold Here!

As I write, it is dark outside, and I have the blinds open.  Across the lake and beyond is Tivoli and they are treating me to a spectacular display of fireworks.  It has been going on for several minutes and even from this distance it is impressive...I can only imagine what it must be like right now for the people who are in the park.  This will happen the next few nights until New Year's Eve and then we will feel like we are in a war zone.  From the vantage point of the top floor of the apartment building which is open air, we will be able to see fireworks in every direction, and the noise will be nearly constant.

Tivoli will close down on January 1 until April.  It makes me sad to see it all closed up and I remember last year anticipating that day when it would be open again.  But I was surprised at how fast those months flew by....Spring arrived and with the blossoms and the brilliant yellow-green folliage came the crowds and excitement.

SK served in the temple this morning.  We are both dragging, but he has to be nearly at death's door to not be where he is supposed to be.  I cleaned and organized the apartment and rested, which felt good.  I have been fighting a cold all week, and even though we have had a marvelous week with friends and celebrating, I am worn out and was grateful for the quiet morning.

It has been below freezing on and off during the day.  I opened the blinds and was delighted to see the ducks and geese and swan standing on the frozen lake.  They look cold out there, but it must not be too terrible since they stay right out on the open surface.  As the day progressed, the sun came out and there were patches of the ice that gave way to liquid and many of the fowl began swimming around with gusto.  Many still stood on the ice.

Despite the temperatures there was the usual parade of runners, walkers and bicyclists going by on the lake path.  At one point, a young mother walking with a child of about 3, helped him sit down on the top of the little hill outside the apartment building and gave him a gentle push....it was icy enough that he had a nice little ride.  It is sweet to see little slices of life like that.

I am still listening to Christmas music....and one of my favorites is the Mormon Tabernacle Choir concert from a few years ago.  Sissel was the guest...she is Scandinavian...I think Norwegian.  She sang one song that is haunting. Here is the link for "Like an Angel Passing Through My Room:"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_MAAS3nOX0

Celebrating the Third Day of Christmas

No really, we are winding down the Third Day of Christmas, or actually Juledag 2 or maybe it is 2 Juledag.  The first and biggest day to celebrate is December 24, followed by more feasting and laid back activities on December 25, and that is followed by a nationally recognized holiday on December 26, when offices all over the country are closed, including post offices.  Many stores open however, but not as many as on a  normal shopping day.

This is a wonderful time for families and they celebrate together.  Many of our young people who left their families to move into the city for school and work, return to their homes and spend their holidays with loved ones revisiting all of the wonderful family traditions.  Almost everyone in the country stops what they are doing at 4 p.m. on December to watch the Disney Christmas special.  It has clips of all of the old favorite animated full-length films, including songs from "Snow White," "Cinderella," "Bambi," "Pinocchio" and this year, "Frost."  We thoroughly enjoyed watching it with the Paulsens.

Since we have been celebrating for two days, and since we are in Denmark we decided to go shopping! We went with Anna...a sweet young woman from our branch and Sister Hamblin.  We met Anna at the train station at 9.....no small sacrifice since we had been up very late last night and had to get up before the sun this morning (it crawls out of bed sometime around 8).

We crunched our way to the station over ice and snow and through freezing temperatures (I am not kidding....the thermometer registered minus 9 this morning.).  It was so cold that SK wore his scarf, his hat and his gloves....AND he zipped up his coat!!!!!  Layering is the order of the day.  I wore two scarves, a warm shirt and a sweater under my winter coat, and Sister Hamblin had a blouse, a sweater, a jacket and then her winter coat.  Smart.

We stood on the cold platform waiting for our train....it wasn't long before we were on it and smoothly, speedily and quietly heading for Malmo Sweden.  It is the third largest city in Sweden and is about a half hour away from downtown Copenhagen.  Everyone tells us that it is a great place to shop, and it must be true, because so many of the Danes we know shop there for Christmas.  Two reasons: it is cheaper (taxes and rate of exchange) and they have stuff Denmark doesn't have.

 I might have reconsidered (considering that it was the coldest cold I have experienced so far here) had I known that the mall we were heading for was an outdoor mall!  But the company was good and the shops were enchanting...many were one of a kind....and it was gloriously beautiful.  I guess you already know that in the winter here the sun makes a low arc in its path along the sky.  At its highest, the sunlight dazzled off the surfaces of the buildings and the ice on the ground and left us nearly blinded as we wandered among the shops.

SK, Anna and Sister Hamblin posing with some outdoor statues.

SK wondering which way to go.

None of us were there to buy much....mostly to look.  But SK found two things near and dear to his heart (or stomach) at a very good price so we bought several of each.  I found a new kitchen utensil - a pastry blender - and we all found some cute Christmas things at half off.  Hardly enough to pay for the train ticket over....but it was inexpensive considering the entertainment value.

We ate at TGIFriday...don't laugh.  SK had ribs and was in seventh heaven and I had a hamburger and it was the best hamburger I have had in well over a year.  Plus it was warm and comfortable inside.

As the sun was setting, we were on the train again racing over the water towards Copenhagen.  We arrived at the apartment in the dark....had a little snack and settled in for a little reading.  By then it was nearly 6 p.m.

We watched the progression of a brilliant sunset from the window of the train.

With the sun retiring so early....I feel like it is time to go to sleep too.  Celebrating can be tiring.

I know what you're thinking...."Where was I when the mission calls for Denmark were handed out?"

We'll be getting back to work here soon....I promise.

Merry Christmas!

Once again we awakened to a quiet city, but this time it was in part because of the light covering of snow over the world around us.  I went from window to window exclaiming and taking pictures.  The sky was a pale gray, as was nearly everything in sight.  It is beautiful.

About mid-morning we began to hear childrens' laughter and shouting outside...we peered out the window and saw little ones excitedly sledding down our little hill on plastic grocery bags!  Our days are mostly quiet here, and the sound of little ones' laughter outside is like Spring.

SK set off on foot to obtain a few items for dinner.  He had to go farther than usual because most places are closed for Christmas, but there were a few who stayed open the entire day.  He came home with two large bags of groceries and frozen hands.  He hasn't started wearing his gloves yet!

The Thornes are out of town....they went up north to spend the holiday with a family he baptized 50 years ago....and while they are up there, they are delivering Christmas packages from the States to young missionaries.  For most of the young elders and sisters, packages are sent to the mission office, because they move around every couple of months.  It is a sure way for them to receive things from their families.

Sister Hamblin came over for dinner and spent the afternoon with us.  We have been doing so much feasting that I kept it simple....we just had chicken stuff (a creamed chicken on pasta), jello (she had some sent from America and we turned it into a very typical relief society jello salad), a brussels sprouts salad and an apple cake with whipped cream.  We enjoyed our time with her.  She - like us - finds it difficult to imagine that this time is passing so rapidly.

We opened our gifts and oohed and aahed over some fun calendars and really lovely books etc.  We had the sweet sweet blessing of talking to our Arizona families.  We heard Lauren play a Christmas song on the piano....beautiful!  While she was playing we could see the other kids nearby busy with their gifts. Anna and Ben showed us what they had gotten for Christmas, and Andrew showed us what he gave.    We saw Matthew and David in their Christmas pajamas and talked to them and Bethany before they opened their gifts....that is self-control!  We heard from the kids what has been happening lately.  We saw Aly helping Andersen to negotiate his way around on roller-blades and saw Kimball's Studio C shirt...and Brooke's beautiful brace-free smile.  We saw the Madsen Christmas tree, which was gorgeous.

We talked to Lia, Peter and Eliza and Rebekah yesterday a couple of times.  We feel profoundly blessed to be able to see and hear and talk to our family.

We feel profoundly blessed to have the Gospel in our lives and to be able to serve the Lord here in Denmark.  We are grateful for the atoning sacrifice of the Savior on our behalf and recognize that because of it, life is richer in meaning, improvement is possible and relationships are precious beyond expression.

Merry Christmas!

Glaedelig Jul

We awakened to a quiet and still city this morning.  No, it wasn't a blanket of snow that muffled the noises of Copenhagen.  Few pedestrians walked along our street, few runners on the lake path, fewer bicyclists out and about, and less traffic made it seem like the city was slightly deserted. What's going on here?

This is the big day to celebrate the Christmas holiday in Denmark.  Everyone gathers in the afternoon/evening to mark this wonderful occasion. The documents we studied to take the Danish language test stated emphatically "This is a Christian nation."  As such, Christmas is a big holiday. I don't know how many people are actually celebrating the birth of the Savior, but it appears that nearly everyone is celebrating something.

SK went to claim our package at the post office, only to discover they were closed today.  We will have a grand time opening it on Saturday.  He showed up back home soaking wet and clutching a bright bouquet of red tulips....which he ceremoniously presented to me.  How can you not love that?

Early in the afternoon, we (accompanied by the Mary Poppins umbrella- which inverted twice) battled our way through wind and rain to the station where we boarded a train bound for Bagsvaerd...25 minutes from downtown Copenhagen.  A ten-minute walk from there landed us at the home of the Paulsens.  He serves in the Stake Presidency and she - among other things is teaching my temple friends and me Danish.

As we were leaving the train station - around 3:00 p.m., the sunset was a blaze of golden light.

Each plate had a heart-shaped cookie with a guest's name on it.  Mine was even spelled correctly!

 We entered their home to the delightful smell of all kinds of wonderful things.  There was a long table set in their living room for 9 of us, and logs in the fireplace gave off warmth...not just the physical variety.

Soon the other two couples who are temple missionaries came and we all visited with our hosts and their daughter Sarah, who is a YSA living in the states.  She is here for Christmas and we love her.

The Paulsen's home is absolutely lovely.  It is so cozy and so beautifully decorated with Christmas.The glow of candlelight, the firelight and the love in the home washed over us as we laughed and talked.  At 5:30, Jesper....who had been in the kitchen the whole time cooking called us to dinner.

It was THE danish Christmas feast.  Potatoes and brown gravy that SK and I are both utterly enamored with, Fleskasteg (pork roast), roast duck (I really love duck meat!), small sweet potatoes, fruit salad and several side dishes.  Mette served everything on Royal Copenhagen Christmas dinnerware with crystal goblets.  They had gone to Sweden - a half hour trip from here - to purchase a special drink that was outstanding....carbonated and clear and so good.

When it came time to hold hands and dance around the tree, Jesper lit the candles on the tree.  (They kept a bucket of water handy.)

Come on everyone!....Join hands.

Time to play the white elephant game.

The worst white elephant gift ever (and therefore the best), a fresh everygreen branch stuffed into a high-heeled shoe with a candle and a couple of ornaments.

It is well-known around here that a Danish dinner is an occasion....a time to sit leisurely around a table eating, talking, laughing, eating and eating.  It takes some serious time to eat a meal together.  It is also known that often Americans think 2 hours for a meal is more than enough.  After the main course, we sat talking until Mette announced that it was time to dance around the tree.  We all took each other by the hand and danced around the tree as we sang Christmas songs.  There are several I adore, so I must get copies of them somewhere in English, and then I must learn them!

Back to the table for dessert,We had the classic dessert Ris Alamande, a delicious rice pudding - but better than any rice pudding you have ever had before.  It had plenty of chopped almonds and one whole one.  If you got the whole one, you kept it in your mouth without saying anything until everyone was finished eating.  The one with the whole almond won a prize!

Once we were all full....and I do mean full, we opened gifts. It reminded me of a scene from "While  You Were Sleeping," where the heroine, participates in a family gathering to exchange gifts and is so happy to be a part of it.  It was fun just to see what each person received.  Everyone ended up with a nice gift.

We played a game with our white elephant gifts.  Pairs of dice were sent around....if you rolled a six, you drew a gift from the pile of gifts in the middle.  After all of the gifts were gone, a timer was set and everyone continued to roll the dice.  If they rolled a six, they were allowed to steal a gift from someone else. When the time had expired, everyone opened the gifts they had won. Finally, a timer was set again.  During that time, if they rolled a six, they were allowed to steal an opened gift.  It took quite awhile and it was all kinds of fun.

During that time, there were big bowls of chocolate candy and tangerines on the table, and believe it or not, everyone kept nibbling!  Everything tasted soooo good!  Jesper told us some delightful stories of his childhood and his 6 brothers.  He kept us all  laughing.

What a gracious and beautiful family, and what a spectacular evening we spent with them.  The food was marvelous and the company so enjoyable.

At 11:30, the Paulsens walked us to the train station, where we caught a train back to our neighborhood.  The trains were pretty much full of tired but happy Christmas visitors on their way home....like us.

I watched out the window as the city lights blurred by, feeling a warm sense of contentment.  Our Danish friends take Christmas traditions to a grand new high.

I hope I can incorporate them into our Christmas celebrating someday.