Deja Vu....or Has it Really Been a Year?

Just about a year ago at this time, we had a missionary zone conference where we helped our mission president's wife serve 60 missionaries a Thanksgiving dinner.  She is amazing and always cooking for someone coming to Denmark, or someone leaving Denmark.  She is not content to merely feed those individuals though....if a senior couple is coming or leaving, she invites all the senior couples in the area to join them.  That is usually about a dozen.

Our zone conference/Thanksgiving dinner was today and Sister Sederholm was with us.  She got in from America about an hour before we served the meal.  Her daughter gave birth to a baby boy 3 weeks ago, and he has had a few health challenges.  Sister Sederholm was given permission to go home for a week to help her daughter....whom, I am certain was so very grateful.

So Sister Thorne took the lead in getting the meal underway.  She cooked a turkey, made enough dressing for 60, made 2 cranberry salad, cooked a large pot of potatoes, made a couple of large pans of sweet potatoes, and did all of the shopping for the meal, including 2 large carrot cake sheet cakes.  Sister Hamblin cooked a turkey and made some cranberry salad. SK went to the center, stuffed a turkey and baked it there.  Here in our apartment, I cooked a turkey, cooked a large pot of potatoes and mashed them and made a large pan of sweet potato casserole.

We left for the church at 10, and with help from another senior couple and Sister Sederholm frantically worked until the missionaries took their lunch break from the conference.  The church is small, so they had to set up tables quickly in the chapel/cultural hall where they were meeting.  We served from tables set up in the foyer.

It was lovely all being together sharing a Thanksgiving dinner.  It was even lovelier afterward to watch a talent show that was put on by the missionaries.  This happens once a year...in November, and I remember last year being positively amazed at the talent and fun these young people have.

Two young elders were the emcees and they were hilarious.  There were musical numbers, skits, dances and a lot of fun.  I was sorry to say goodbye to one of the young sisters who has now completed her 18 months here.  She has been a wonderful missionary, and has done good things here in Denmark.

Here is a short video clip of a portion of the happy birthday song they missionaries sing to all who have birthdays within the month.

After the great and wonderful talent show, we cleaned the kitchen, collected the carcasses of 2 of the turkeys for turkey soup at the center....maybe.  We came home, I put the bones and stuff in a large pot and it is boiling happily away.

I am tired.....I am sure that Sister Thorne is exhausted.

Tomorrow I will think about a menu for Thursday.  Something easy I think.  Melissa....are you there?

Thanks Giving in Denmark

Have you ever had a sugar-dusted Belgian Waffle topped with Nutella, Bananas and whipped cream?  You really ought to give it a try.  We served that tasty treat for Family Home Evening tonight and for the ones who loved it....well...they really loved it.  One is enough to give anyone a sugar high, and several of our young men ate 3 or more.  I hope they didn't make themselves sick.  But they are good.

Our numbers were down a little for some unknown reason.  We had perhaps 25.  School, finals and other things keep people away, but most of our group manages to make it to the center at least a couple of times a month.  We have several busily preparing to leave on their missions soon, and that must take up a lot of time and energy, all the while working and sometimes going to school.

Our spiritual thought tonight was given by a young man who recently returned from a mission in France.  He told about an experience he and a companion had with a Spanish-speaking investigator.  His companion spoke Spanish so they did fine teaching the man, until his companion was transferred.  They had one last discussion scheduled, and the young missionary was concerned about being able to teach him in a language he knew little of.

They fasted and prayed, and the members of the ward did the same.  On the day of the appointment, they went to the investigator's home and taught him in Spanish.  After it was all over, they were astonished as they reviewed what happened.  The spoke and understood Spanish!  But it didn't stay with them.  When they were finished, they could no longer speak Spanish.  He had many wonderful experiences in France and Switzerland.

I visited with him afterward and was so impressed with his faith and steadfastness.  He has only been home a short time, but he is already indexing!  And he sounds genuinely happy to do it.  He told me about several experiences he has had that have inspired and energized him to do more.

He said that when he and his sisters each turned twelve, his father took him to the National Archives where he showed him how to research family names....which he has been doing ever since.  "I could just sit and play video games," he said, "but this is so much more fun!"

I could see why he and his family are all such a happy group of people....all actively engaged in the Gospel in one way or another.

Well....I'm off to cook some potatoes for tomorrow....we have a missionary zone conference....with about 60 in attendance.  We'll cook a thanksgiving dinner for them.  I will be cooking two turkeys, some sweet potatoes, and possibly dressing.  Sister Thorne is in charge, and it sounds like she has everything well-planned out.  The really interesting thing will be getting it there.  The church where we will serve it is at least 30 minutes away from here, and between the Thornes, Sister Hamblin and us....we will be cooking most of the meal here and transporting it to the small building where they will be meeting.  

It is so pleasant NOT to be in charge....

On Being a Missionary

We received news that Sister Swena will return home to the U.S. tomorrow.  She has been unwell for several weeks, and while the health care system here is good....it can take months to receive necessary tests and hospitalization.  She needs medical care now.

She entered the MTC on the same day SK and I did.  In fact, when we flew to Sacramento a year and a half ago, she met us in the airport along with 8 young elders and sisters. She is younger than we are, and has fulfilled her service here with exuberance.  She threw herself into studying the language and tried every chance she had to speak and listen to Danish.

It is an odd thing....these past months have gone by fast, yet in some ways it seems like years since we left Provo to come to Denmark.  So I feel like we have known her a long long time.  We all feel a woebegone sense of loss to see her leave.  She is hoping to get the treatment she needs and be back for Christmas.  I hope that is the case.  If her treatment takes much longer, I don't know if they will clear her to come back for the last few months.

I guess that is one gamble we older missionaries take...we are betting that our health will hold up for 18 or 23 months.  We have had several senior missionaries with health problems, and occasionally they need to return to their homes in America before their period of service is over.  But I think we have had several younger ones depart for their home countries during the past 13 months for health reasons too....so perhaps it is not a case of being older, so much as there is a certain percentage that will have some difficulties.  We have 5 young missionaries home now in Denmark......they returned home early from other parts of the world with health challenges, and are trying to prepare to go back out.

Our meetings at church today were absolutely wonderful.  The spirit was strong as messages of the Gospel were taught.  We had a visitor from Germany.  It seems like we often have guests from other countries....isn't that great fun?

In the afternoon SK and I went to a members' home where we had dinner with the family, the young elders, and 5 YSAs....one of whom came with the missionaries.  He was curious about the church.  He has spoken with missionaries before, and gone to church with a young LDS woman a couple of times.  I think he enjoyed being in the family's lovely home, bantering with everyone around the table, eating wonderful food.  He is a college student who - like most of them around here -is on his own and doesn't take the time to fix food for himself much beyond peanut butter sandwiches (that is really what he said, but I don't think most students can afford peanut butter, and they don't really HAVE good peanut butter anyway).

Eventually the topic turned to religion.  When asked what his beliefs were, he frankly said he is an agnostic atheist.  He is fascinated by religion, and has been curious about LDS because of their happiness and friendliness.  He has studied the Bible, but got discouraged with the Old Testament.  He has read some of the Book of Mormon and has enjoyed talking with the missionaries.

The father in the family is a dynamic almost 50-year old with a gift of expression in Danish or English.  He told the young man about his beliefs, his faith in Jesus Christ, his gratitude to be a part of an eternal family.  The young man made thoughtful comments and asked insightful questions.

Three of the YSAs are returned missionaries and so articulate about what the gospel is and why it is so important to them, and then of course there is SK who bore a powerful testimony about the Book of Mormon.  You might think it was a full-court press, but it was a sweet and wonderful conversation.

I was inspired just listening and taking an occasional part in the talk.  Everyone was respectful and quietly expressed themselves.  I think this young man will join us at the center one of these nights and he is planning on attending stake conference next week.

As I sat there, I thought "This is really what missionaries love....when the spirit is present and everyone feels it."  One of our young men said - in so many words - that the reason missionaries and members share the gospel  is that it is so important to us and we want others to have what we have. The father said that the heart of the gospel to him is that he will be with his wife forever and that their children are sealed to them....he added that now he must live well enough to qualify for that.  Looking at his sons at the table, it was easy to sense their devotion to each other.


After coming home, I went up to say goodbye to Sister Swena.  I am happy for her that she will get some help.  She really doesn't feel well.
We will miss her.

Helping Hands

A soft mist hovered over everything nearly the entire day.  Across the lake, the tall apartment building and the planetarium were shrouded in a thin veil.  The weather report was "57 degrees and warm with fog."  The fine print said "humidity 100%"

This was a "wash your hair day."  We had a wedding reception in the afternoon and it is nicer if I don't have to wash it on Sunday....so today was the day.  After getting it reasonably straight and smooth, I ventured out to run several errands.  I walked a couple of miles, going to a few different shops.  It was very cool and bracing outside with a nice wind.  Do you know what weather like that does to freshly washed hair?

Yes....I showed up at the reception looking like Little Orphan Annie...only my hair is gray and brown.

At one point I paused to watch a small parade go by....actually more like a demonstration.  It wound its way down the middle of the street, led by a large truck with a man on who was booming out over a loud speaker.  It was some kind of a chant, and the men in the troop that followed were chanting with him...loudly, aggressively.  There were signs and flags from another country.  Women were following too, occasionally  making a strange high-pitched noise.

They must have been campaigning for rights of some sort....rights that they believe they should have. And they must strongly identify with a homeland.

I can't imagine why anyone would come to this land, take advantage of the kindness of the Danish people regarding school, health care and a high standard of living and then demand the Danes change for them.  It doesn't make sense to me.  I don't understand why they don't stay in the homeland they love and change it.  Insisting another culture change to suit them seems completely out of line.

One thing I was looking for was a gift card.  I called a Danish friend who gave me the straight story on when to arrive, how long to stay and what kind of gift to give.  She and I both felt a gift card would be best.  There is a great kitchen store about a mile from here....I got there in good time, but they were out of gift cards!  I walked farther and found one that worked and then returned home.

The reception was lovely....in the church.  It was refreshing because no one tried to disguise the church.  Tables and chairs were put up, there were beautiful fresh flowers, a gift table, the beautiful new couple all dressed up and a crowd of happy guests....oh and a table of wonderful desserts.

While I was doing such mundane things, SK was out in the country with 17 of our YSAs working at a fundraiser to supplement our food budget funds.  They worked hard.  What a great group of young people!

I finished out the day by  making a carrot cake for a YSA dinner tomorrow.  Alright!

Just Think, Christmas is Only 54 Days Away!

Happy Halloween to all of you out there!  It is being celebrated here, mostly by businesses wanting to exploit its financial aspect.  They have probably noticed what an economic bonus it is for Americans in retail.  Tivoli has Halloween decorations up and it is absolutely charming, and various and sundry shops have one lone jack-o-lantern out front.

The YSAs however are disdainful of the silly borrowed celebration day.  They refuse to mark it as anything special.  I think they have a point.  It is great fun in the States to watch the little ones have so much fun with it....the costumes, the candy and the fun.  But by and large, it is a money-making orgy for anyone enterprising enough to market their wares as Halloween products.

We took the bus to the temple early this afternoon and spent the day and evening serving, coming home around 10:00.  It was lovely to be there.  Throughout our time in the temple we saw several of our YSAs.....among them, two young women who try to attend at least twice a week....each will be leaving on her mission in December...one to France and one to Denver, Colorado.  

There were also two young elders who are serving in Iceland.  They were here for a couple of days on mission business and took the time to be in the temple.  It is just plain exciting to see their willingness to sacrifice their time to be there.

It is beginning to feel like the holiday season in Copenhagen.  It is completely dark just after 5 p.m. and cold....good things cooking send out delicious aromas into the cold air....people are bundled up and talking excitedly.....and the real giveaway:  everyone (stores and businesses) is putting up Christmas decorations and putting out Christmas merchandise.

Tivoli will close this weekend for a couple of weeks while they take down the Halloween/Fall decor and put up Christmas.  I can hardly wait....last year it was so charming to wander through that place.

It is worth it to be cold.  It is so fun to come in out of the cold.  It is so fun to bundle up in a warm coat, scarf, gloves and boots and crunch along in the snow.  It is fun to walk into warm homes, churches, the center and shops.  It is so nice to be out and feel the excitement of Christmas shopping.  The sounds of the city hall's bells echo in the most charming way through the cool night air.  And when is hot chocolate any better than on a cold frosty evening?

Hey....I think I am ready for the holidays.

Chimis!

Sunlight and cool temperatures were the order of the day as we made the rounds on foot to our favorite stores to get the best prices.  Have I mentioned how much I love this place?

Our meal at the center (on paper) cost relatively little, because we had purchased the meat and the tortillas weeks ago at super low prices.  We had 50 very large burritos...at least twice the size of those we eat in the States.  We purchased more than a dozen avocados, sour cream, lettuce, tomatoes, bottled salsa (and it wasn't half bad!) and corn chips.  I made a pumpkin sheet cake, and we had a meal!

While class was in session, I had an easy hour and a half chopping lettuce and tomatoes...I made the guacamole about 10 minutes before class got out.  I started cooking the burritos as soon as I heard them coming out.  (They were individually wrapped in foil and had been heating in the oven.)

I deep-fried them - four at a time and sent them out to the serving table as soon as they were done.  It took at least 20 minutes to get them all done and served....perhaps longer, but they disappeared as fast as I got them out.  Nearly everyone was unfamiliar with the term chimichanga, which immediately moves the dish up a notch on the exotic scale.  I would say they were an unqualified success  ("unqualified success" is a term I have heard for years....but it seems like it should be "qualified success." ...any editors out there?)

Considering the chimis were mostly made and considering that it is one dish I have made many times and so very low-stress, I would say that today has been lovely and comparatively easy.  It is still a very long day cooking and cleaning, but it was a good day.

I spent some time with a sweet young woman who is an au pair (nanny) for a wealthy family here.  She is from Brazil and is outgoing and cheerful, but it has been a struggle for her to find a niche here with friends and church members.  She is brave to set out alone like that from so far away.  I think she will be fine. I am sure that she will begin very soon to feel more at home here.  It sounds like her host family think very highly of her.

I can't imagine even trying to do all that I do here without SK!

I also spent some time with a beautiful young law student.  She was so helpful getting the meal on with me and so cute.  She has a delightful sense of humor and I so enjoy spending time with her.

We have a small group of YSAs who are nearly always there to every gathering.  Otherwise, there are many who come when they can...maybe once every 2 or 3 weeks.  There are so many that I just love and look forward to seeing.

When all the food was put away, there were 3 or 4 rousing games (and I do mean rousing) of CRUD.  Morten the young man who is the president/chairman/CEO/head honcho of the YSAs here in Copenhagen talked to Brother Andersen about it, and it looks like it will be gone as soon as movers can be arranged for.

So until that happens, there will be lively games in the evening.  I do hate to see that happen, because it has been such a joy to watch, listen and laugh at all the antics that go on over that game.

I think we will get very creative and find many new and exciting activities that people will enjoy at the center.....but it is sad to say goodbye to that game.

Thoughts About Life

This has been a day to prepare and to work on various assignments....and to clean and IRON.  Those white shirts stack up.  I listened to a few BYU Women's Conference talks....one was by Bruce and Marie Hafen.  It was very inspiring....but then they all are.

We heard of an accident in Gilbert.  A young police officer on a motorcycle collided with a car in an intersection not far from our home and died.  He was married with four children, living in Erin and Ethan's ward.  I am sure the entire ward and neighborhood is reeling.  My heart aches for his young wife and children.

When something like this happens it shocks us. It shouldn't happen this way.

Life is fragile and can be taken without warning.

But there is purpose and meaning to life, and peace and comfort available to us.  I know that during these very difficult times the Spirit can be felt more immediately than other times. It is literally a balm to the soul.

Many heartfelt prayers will be offered for that little family and ours will be as well.