Spring has officially sprung in Copenhagen. It's a balmy 17 degrees. Not sure what that is in Farenheit, but it sure feels nice!
Fun week. We had Zone Conference on Thursday and the One Month Missionary meeting on Friday, so lots of time in meetings with President Andersen and the other missionaries. It's great that I get to see Søster Arbon so much, even though it's weird not having Søster Taylor there too. I'll be visiting Søster Arbon and Søster Redd in Slagelse later this week though. I've really been blessed to be companions with the Coordinating Sister and see so much of Denmark my first transfer. We focused a lot on working with the members and spreading around the latest Family Mission Plans, so that was exciting. More and more Søster Ronstrom and I both feel like that's going to be the biggest part of our time in this area. Our ward is great, it's just getting them to keep at it and really up their level of member missionary work. We have some ideas, but it's all going to take time. Everyone can feel that something big is about to happen, but I'm convinced that any monumental success we have here is going to come from the members. Especially the youth.
This Sunday the Donny Osmund Fan Club came to church to see what it is that their idol believes. They came to Sacrament Meeting and Guest Class, and got a little tour of the chapel. A handful of middle-aged ladies swappin' stories about the Os. Good times.
We invited A to be baptized this week. Her response was that we're good people, and she likes what she's learning, but she's not so sure she really wants to be a part of a church like ours. You know, with the guy with the eighty wives and all the compounds and all that. Sigh. We quickly explained that that was not, in fact, our religion at all. We've actually gotten that a lot lately. Apparently they've been re-airing a bunch of specials on Mormons on tv due to the whole Mitt Romney stir. Not all the information is correct, evidently.
Søster Ronstrom and I have really been praying about it, and we are going to try to get two new investigators this week. I'm not sure how it will happen with being in Slagelse and then going straight to splits with the Lyngby sisters the next day, and Interviews on Friday, but we feel we have the faith and dedication to make it happen. We haven't found any in my 6 weeks here yet, and we keep praying for it. We've been trying to cover more ground and we're talking to just about every person that comes our way. If you'd pray too, we'd appreciate it. As I said, we all feel like something big is about to happen. It's just a matter of faith and cooperation to get started.
Oh, the exciting story of the week. Søster Ronstrom and I rescued a frog. Not a little frog. A frog the size of my fist. We were getting off the train and walking along a hedge on the way home when we saw him. We thought he was dog poo, until I got the feeling that I should take a closer look. In retrospect, that was a really weird feeling to get, seeing as I thought it was something to avoid, but it's just proof that God is aware of each one of his creations and we just have to follow those promptings. I'm talking about the frog specifically right now, but the principle applies to people too, I think. Anyway, I called Søster Ronstrom back and we checked him out. He was breathing, but very still and a little ... well ... flattish. We think he'd been stepped on. We didn't want to touch him, so we ripped a Plan of Salvation pamphlet in half (which I thought was fitting) and managed to slip one half underneath him while coaxing him on with the other half. Then when I went to carry him to the grass, and half way there the little bugger jumped off! Gave me a heart attack! I was afraid the fall had hurt him even more, but he gathered himself up and hopped into the grass on his own. I took that as a good sign. We made sure to pray for the frog in companionship prayers when we got home too, so I think it's all good.
Oh. Our other adventure. I almost forgot!
On Thursday morning while I was in the shower before Zone Conference, I heard a rushed voice yelling in Danish outside the door. And it wasn't my companion. Obviously a bit concerned, I popped my head out and what did I see? An inch of water puddled on the floor. It was our downstairs neighbor. The water had been coming into her apartment! It came from the shower drain and rose back up through the drain in the bathroom floor! Søster Ronstrom and I managed to dry it up as well as we could, then construct a rather clever series of towel damns around the drain so that the water had to soak through each ring before moving outward. It was an awkward week, having to sit outside of the shower while the other was in it, just staring at the drain to make sure it didn't get too far. Thank goodness for shower curtains. I don't think I've even been so grateful. Our landlords only advice was to clean it up, so on P-Day today we spend the whole morning scraping the edges of the pipes of both drains with forks to get the caulk off, rooting around to get all the hair and other lovely things out, and pouring boiling water down them to loosen things up. Eeeeeew. It was a successful procedure. This afternoon we were able to shower without any flooding!
On the whole, this has been a bit of a discouraging week. I still love the work, and I'm still really doing well in Danish for having spoken it for only three months, and I've been learning so much, but it just isn't enough. All the chocolate you sent in the care package couldn't have come at a better time, Mom. I've been reading Nephi's psalm a lot lately (Kathleen sent a letter where she referred to it as "Nephi's pep-talk"), and Moroni's words in Ether 12. Both were likewise accutely aware of their weaknesses, but were able to keep praying for solace and strength, and both held on the the end in their faith. I've always loved Moroni, but I think he's become one of my favorites since coming on the mission. Lately I've been a bit sick too. Nothing big, but just enough that it's starting to wear me down. That and my shoulder flared up again, so I haven't been able to sleep more than about four or five hours a night for the past week. Again, Mom, the sleeping pills you sent in the package were a life saver. However, I got a blessing from the Ældste Wilden (District Leader) and Ældste Holyoak (the one who forced meds and a handkerchief on me when I had a cold at the MTC. He's great.) after Zone Conference, and though my shoulder is still very sore, it hasn't bothered me since. And I've been praying every day for the energy to just keep going. It's been manageable, but this past week has really gotten to me. It's something I'll keep working at every day though, and I'm really looking forward to General Conference this weekend. Some of our investigators and many of the recent converts and less actives we've been working with will be coming. Yay! It will be so great for them to be able to listen to the words of God's own prophet specifically for His children in these times. What a blessing!
http://www.lds.org/pages/
Love,
Søster Morse
Dad - I responded to your letter, so you're good to go.
Cheryl - Sorry to hear about Matt's knee. He's so funny. Good luck to Andrew in the Pinewood Derby too!
Mom - Again, thank you for being such a godsend. I hope you're having a good time in California and that everything else works out okay. Say hi to the CA Walkers for me!
Greg - I have yet to find good bbq sauce here. Sad day. Not sure why, but I've been craving your bbq. Must be the weather.
William - How's California and the competition?
Katie - Have you seen Hunger Games yet? There are posters all over Copenhagen. Apparently it came out last Friday. Huh.
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