Hello all my Family and Friends.
It is snowing today here in Randers! Its crazy. Randers actually looks really beautiful and clean. One thing about the Danish people I have learned as they don't really care about the outside of their homes.the insides are nice but the outsides not so much... So the buildings on the outside kind of get run-down and in short don't look as good as they could. So when it snows it hides all the dirt and makes the buildings look nice and clean. Its fun having snow here, it has really made it feel like the Christmas Season.
Unfortunately there is not much to report this week for me in Randers. Things are really hard right now as everyone is extremely busy. Nobody has the time to listen to our message. Almost every day has been rainy or in today's case snowy, and people don't generally want to talk to us as they are trying to get where they need to go as quickly as possible to get warm. I don't blame them. It is cold and the last thing I would want to do is stand out in the cold longer, talking to a complete stranger. Oh well... Hopefully after Christmas people will have more time, and the weather will cooperate a little better. One can only hope. :)
But just because my contacting has not been successful does not mean I haven't had some exciting and weird events this week. The number one on the list is we had a new Missionary Meeting in Copenhagen this week. So I get to see all the missionaries I trained with at the MTC. Unfortunately for me its a 4 hour train ride from Randers. So we got up at 5AM and made our train that left at 5:45AM. We made it and found a seat and collapsed. I slept almost the entire way and we had nobody sit next to us. I kind of felt guilty as I was thinking maybe I should talk to people or something, you know spread the gospel and such. My companion told me its illegal to do that on the trains. We can only talk about the church if somebody asks us about it. So that guilt quickly left. The train was basically empty anyways, as who rides a train at 5 in the morning, lol! Anyways me made it to Copenhagen and what a mad house that was. With the COP15 conference and the holiday shoppers it was insane!
There were a lot of Anti-USA signs and people shouting and protesting about certain things in Danish that I didn't understand, luckily, who knows what they could have been saying! haha. Besides those protesters they had a lot of weird Hippie like people all around. They were dressed as flowers and trees dancing to weird music. My companion told me they performing the "life of a tree" and its struggles as it faces the change in climate. So yea kind of weird. The weirdest one is they had this huge white mat in the center of this outdoor plaza. There were about 30 people all dressed in white. Symbolizing the fresh pure air in the world. So they are dancing around to this happy music, then the music changes to this scary, dark type music and some mean Pollution air comes in and attacks the pure air. They run around all crazy and the pollution air destroys some of the pure air. After that I left as I thought it was really weird. They had lots of Advertisements talking about Denmark and how green they are- their theme is Hopenhagen, creating hope for the world... something like that. So its kind of crazy. They have all types of shows and famous people and concerts all talking about climate change, etc. So Denmark has really made this conference a big deal. They also have all their military men walking up and down the streets armed with guns. That never happens, even the cops here don't have guns. So yikes! I was a bit nervous walking to the church in Copenhagen as i didn't want to have to deal with anybody and this climate issue.
Fortunately I did make it to the Chapel with no problems at all. It was really fun to go to this meeting as I got to see everyone that was with me at the MTC. It was a lot of fun to hear about all their experiences and the fun stories they had to share. The Mission President talked to us and asked as how we were doing. He gave us some advice and in short said work hard as your the backbone of this mission in about a year! Crazy, I hope I am ready in a year! lol! Then we left the room and the President talked to our trainers about us the new missionaries. I don't know what was said but I hope it wasn't anything too bad. Then we had lunch, which was Dominoes Pizza. Go figure, I had no idea their was a dominoes pizza here. It was yummy and tasted just like the pizza from home. I talked to my old companion and was sad to here he was not have as good of an experience as me. He doesn't like his trainer and his Trainer doesn't like him. I don't know the details but I could sense some contention in that companionship. Unfortunately I know my old companion and they things he does and I think it has a lot to do with him, NOT his trainer. Oh well, he will figure it out.
After the new missionary meeting we had to leave pretty quickly so we could make our train to get back to Randers. So that day we spent 8 hours traveling. It was a long and tireing day. I slept pretty good that night! So then the next day which was Saturday we woke up and began our studies, had breakfast etc. Then we got this call from a member and asked what time she thought we would be over... My companion looked confused has he didn't remember her inviting us over. Turns out she thought she did and had made a big dinner for us. My companion told her we would be over around 12. unfortunately this member lives about 2 hours away. So we got ready real quick and ran to the bus station to a town called Grennar. Once again we were traveling. We did make it and the meal was amazing and we were very grateful for it. He did teach her husband who is not a member and I think he really enjoyed it. So I guess that made it worth as we were able to teach somebody. After the meal we tried visiting some people in the area, but theirs not a lot of people in Grennar. We soon left and boarded the bus and headed home. Another 4 hours of traveling that day. Its just crazy how things happen.
So finally Sunday arrived. I was so relieved for Sunday to finally come. We woke up and studied and headed off to church. As we were sitting around getting ready for church to start and member came out and said, "Elders, you have a lady on the phone that wants to come to church, come speak to her..." So my companion went over and began to talk to her and she said she didn't know where the church was and wanted us to come over to help her. So we left church. One again our plans were thrown out the window. haha. We left and luckily her house was only a few streets away, so not too far. We arrive and we ring the doorbell. This is where it gets a little weird... OK a little weird is an understatement, it gets waaaaaaaay weird.
A man in his brief style underwear opens the door with a cigarette in his hand. He was kind of fat and hairy and well, I felt my eyes needed to be sanitized after looking at him. My companion asked him, "A lady called from here asking us to come by" he was like, " that was me". oops. My companion just called him a girl. haha. His voice sounded like an old lady! It was kind of funny. He invited us in and said he was going to go get dressed. We walked in and sat down and immediately I felt a bad spirit in the room. I could tell he had been up to some bad things. From where we were sitting we saw a girl in his bed (she was dressed, and was just smoking and watching TV, luckily), alochol bottles all over the room and cigarettes smoke and cigarette buds everywhere. I could just see from the evidence he was doing some very sinful acts. I will leave it at that. My companion whispered to me and said we need to make this short and get out of here. I had no objections! The guy came back, fully dressed still smoking and said he wanted to come to Church today. My companion didn't know who he was or if he has even met with the missionaries. We gave him directions and the time and he said he knew where it was. He said he just wanted to come to sacrament meeting. In the Randers ward sacrament mtg is the last mtg. They have Priesthood/Relief Society first, then Sunday school then sacrament. So he said he would come later, closer to sacrament. We said great and looked forward to seeing you at church. We left and went back to church. But what an interesting experience. It was really bizarre. I don't even know If i can explain to you how weird it was. So yea. Unfortunately he did not come to church, which means we will have to go back to his home and schedule a teaching appointment. Next time however we are going to bring our Ward missionary Leader for extra help. haha. My companion calls him the Crazy underwear guy. So I will let you know if their are any more wild Adventures from crazy underwear guy! Oh boy what a Sunday. haha.
Anyways, I think after that story, not much can beat it. haha! My companion told me this is just the beginning. Apparently to Danish people, Nudity is not the big of a deal. The good news its Winter and its too cold outside. So When Summer arrives, make sure you keep me in your prayers! lol!
This week was also good because we were able to do some service for one of our Investigators. Her name is Antinouette. She is an awesome person! She is completely opposite of any Danish person i have met. She is way outgoing, friendly and willing to talk about Religion. She absolutely loves the missionaries and the book of Mormon. She loves all the stories in it. She has only been taught once or twice but so far has loved everything the missionaries have taught. I have never taught her, but was able to get to know her a lot these last few days as we were helping her move. She couldn't believe we were willing to help. She was so thankful and honestly without us being there I don't think she would have ever gotten anything done! lol! Unfortunately for us shes moving outside of our area and she will be taught by other missionaries. We called President and since she is just barley outside of our area we can still go visit her occasionally but should over the new few weeks transfer he over to the other missionaries. My companion has really built a great relationship with her and she really trusts the missionaries. I hope the best for her as she would be an awesome member of the church. She is one of those type of people that if she became a member, she would share the church with everyone, lol! It was just a lot of fun to help her out. Serving others for nothing in return. It was just great. Its one of those events that give you that happy feeling inside, lol! She invited us over to her new home in a few weeks after she gets settled. So I look forward to teaching her a few more times. Its amazing how even in this messed up world we live in, you can still find good people like Antinouette out there.
Well what a week. Now that I have written out in paper, I can see that the missionary work is still progressing. Just not in the way I was thinking it should work. Its funny how things work out. From crazy underwear guy to helping someone move, its been week to remember. Who knows what will happen. I am just glad to be out here serving and doing my best!
Merry Christmas everyone. I hope your holidays are fun and filled with joy!
Your Denmark Missionary,
Ældste Skyler Hardy.
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