GODT NYTÅR TIL JER ALLE SAMMEN!
Jeg håber I har haft den bedste nytårs aften nogensinde! Det var en dejlig aften for mig og det er rigtig svært for mig at tro det er året 2011! Er det mærkelig eller ej? Det er meget mærkelig for mig at jeg skal hjem denne år. Jeg følge lidt nervøs og stresset at tage hjem, men det vil nok komme og jeg vil har det fint. En ting jer er lykkelig om er at jeg har alle min familie og venner at komme hjem til. Jeg ved det godt nok at jeg har I at hjælpe mig justere til normalt liv. Det er jeg meget taknemlig for. So mange ting at ser frem til! Jeg håber jeg kan arbejder hårdt for herren før jeg komme hjem!
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OF YOU! Can you believe it, another year down. Its just incredible to me how fast time is going. The concept of time is quite interesting, if you think about it. Its weird how to all of us it feels different, throughout the year. While my first 2 months on my mission were some of my hardest and slowest times, for others it was speeding by. I am grateful right now at time is just screaming by. Lets just say if a cop were to pull "Time" over for me... the ticket would be outrageous. 2011 is going to be great! So my week was good, quite boring and slow, but fun.
On Monday we continued the remodeling of my apartment. Yes it is finally finsihed and I am happy to report it looks amazing. I uploaded them onto the online web album. Take a look! (Click or copy and paste link)
We also went around the city and did some shopping. My companion really likes to shop and be out. So we walked around and checked out all the stores. It was kind of fun. we didnt buy anything but were just enjoying the sights and sounds of Denmark. I realized that day how much I really am going to miss it here. It kind of hit me like a ton of bricks... I only have 8 months left... scary.
Then on tuesday we had the Jylland Zone Christmas Gathering. We got together as a Zone and met in Århus.Mission president and his family also came. We had a spiritual message of course, then after that we just played games, and ate great food. Then after we did some games and things together as a zone president let us play Wii and talk with each other for the rest of the evening. It was a lot of fun. I was able to see a lot of my old companions and missionary friends. It was a very relaxing day and just plain fun. That took most of the day. Then after the gathering Elder Pfeil and I stayed and cleaned up the church building a little better then how the rest of the zone left it. We ended up coming up a little later that evening. It was a great day.
Then on Wednesday we met with our wonderful English student Thu. We started recently pushing more and more with the gospel and she has really enjoy it. We have her the Joseph Smith story in English and it Vietnamese and she read it and found it very good. Then she also gave us some sad news, and that is she is moving Jan 8th to Canada. Her Husband showed up and thanked us for all our help and teaching his wife English. I could see he was very grateful. I encouraged them to look up the church in Canada as they can continue to offer her classes. Then I told them that the church would be a great way to meet some new people in Canada. They thought that was a great idea. I got there email and they have mine and said if we cant find it we will call you! haha. So I am excited. I also told Thu that church is in English, so she could practice English all day. She just loved that idea. So I hope and pray things will continue to go good and well for her and her husband in Canada.
I also this week got my papers to renew my visa. I am approved and Now I just had to go into the Police station and get a work permit sticker in my passport. So I headed over there and I find the door locked and closed, even though it says its supposed to be open. I figured because of Christmas it must be closed that day. So we waited until the next day and we went over. The thing with my visa is I have to get this done ASAP and before Jan 1st or I might get deported! haha. So I was getting a little stressed out. I finally made it in and they guy told me that I have to go to the immigration office again. I questioned him and he told me he was pretty sure. So again i had to wait until the next day as the immigration office is only open to 12:00. Stupid, yes, but so Denmark. haha, Finally I made it to the immigration office and I went WAY early and was 2nd in line. The lady that helped me was super Nice and was very impressed that an American was speaking danish. She even went out of her way to make sure I got my hospital card (Denmark as socialized health care). I thought that was very nice of her. I said yes I had it and she smiled and wished me a merry Christmas. Normally these immigration people are never nice. So it made my day and I was proud to speak decent danish with her! :)
Then on Friday we had a normal work day planned when we got a call from our Zone Leaders informing us that president as cancelled work for the day and that we need to get home. So we ran home and had a really boring day. lol! We have nothing to do in the apartment. So we slept and listened to music. Then at 6:00 we went to a members home for New Years. We went to Brother and Sister Bohonkos. They are a really old couple but really fun. She made great food and we played a lot of fun board games. We also watched the Queens speech she gives every year. It was a lot of fun this year as I was able to understand her. She mentioned issues in the country and mostly how we need to have more respect and love for each other. She really gave a great speech. It was a lot of fun. :) To see the Queens speech check out this link.
THEN MIDNIGHT HIT AND 2011 BEGAN! It was insane as last year. HUGE FIREWORKS and drunk people everywhere! Honestly that night is the only time on my entire mission where i felt a little concerned for my life! The fireworks here that normal people can buy are the fireworks that are illegal in most parts of USA. So it was a lot of fun. We didn't stay out long as missionaries and drunk people and fireworks don't really go together. We got home late and with presidents mission got to sleep in. It was a nice day.
The on Saturday (New Years day) we cleaned our apartment and relaxed. We took a walk outside and just enjoyed the danish air. Then we also got permission to see a Christmas movie in Danish. We watched Polar Express or in Danish, Polar Expressen. It was a lot of fun in Danish. Our apartment is clean and beautiful. I will let you know the results of the mission wide contest. The missionary companionship with the cleanest apartment wins dinner at a nice danish restaurant, on president! haha. I am pretty sure i won...but we will see.
Then on Sunday we met with Nicole after Church. She is doing well and seems very happy in the church. She is still struggling with a few things but she now has a new boyfriend that is a member and he is teaching her and helping her out a lot. I think shes really enjoying the community that comes with the church. Most of all though, she is still progressing in the gospel and I cant be any more proud. The gospel truly does change people. Its a miracle.
Well everyone, I think I officially wrote way to much this week. However I do have a spiritual message for you. If you read in the good Old Testament in the Bible in Genesis 19, you find the story of Lot. This is the story where he was commanded to leave a very wicked city and told not to look back. Well his wife did, and she became a pillar of salt! Its quite a wow sort of story. However the message I got out of it is "Keep moving Forward," It is a new year, with a new beginning you can say. Now is the time to take what we learned from the previous year and move on, move forward, be better. Lets not get caught up in past mistakes or just in the Past in Genernal. Lets look to the future, and future more focused on Christ. How great are lives can be and will be if we keep moving forward, keep moving forward to Christ!
Happy New Year everyone! or in Danish, GODT NYTÅR! ( Pronounciation Got Newt Ore)
Din Dansk Missionær.
Med Kærlig Hilsen,
Ældste Skyler Hardy
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