Would you believe Another Holiday...

Today the stores were closed AGAIN for Second Pinseday,which means yesterday was Pinseday or as we know it Day of Pentacost (England's Whitsun)  It is celebrated 7 weeks after Easter and is the day the Holy Ghost fell on the apostles. We had a special Sacrament Meeting yesterday with two musical numbers and talks about the Holy Ghost.   I find it interesting that the Danes celebrate so many religious holidays and don't go to church.  I suspect most don't know what they are celebrating.
  Today was a good day to go biking as there weren't many commuters out.  The swans are growing and learning how to eat from the bottom of the pond. There are still 6 babies, the other two are in the reeds.

"This Is The Way We Go To Church"

  It was a beautiful day today, high 60's with no rain or wind. Perfect day to walk to church or better yet

Bike.. This is our Stake Patriarch, Hans Andersen and his wife, Lis with Jim.

It was the last day for our two temple missionary couples.  Good-bye to the Browns here.  We are already missing them.

Patiently waiting for a parking spot...

Fruits of Your Labors

!0 years ago, when we were here,  Gudrun and her boyfriend were approached and taught by the missionaries.  Gudrun who is from Iceland, caught the vision, was baptized and moved out of the relationship.  After 6 months she came as a short-time missionary to work with our sisters missionaries.  She visited Utah and  went to the temple. But in the ensuing years she had fallen away until someone helped her sign up on an LDS Singles website.  She met Steve Whiting from England and they have been married for 6 years and have a darling 9 month old daughter.
   Yesterday Steve received his endowment and today Jim sealed them and then sealed their daughter to them.  A wonderful missionary couple, the Calloways, have worked with them in Iceland..  They have finished their mission in Iceland and planned this last stop to go to the temple with Gudrun and Steve on their way home.  Pres. and Sister Soderbom the mission president were so supportive and took care of the baby while they were in the temple yesterday.

Amazing Connections

Sister Lam was converted 18 months ago when the missionaries knocked on her door.  She is Vietnamese and came to Denmark 25 years ago with her husband and three daughters.  Two children were left behind to come on the next ship out.  She has never heard from them again. She has wanted to come to the temple but her Danish is pretty limited.  Elder and Sister Middlemiss came to the ward and have worked with her to get her prepared.  Elder Middlemiss was in the service in Viet Nam and was able to make contact with his old branch president there.(another story about how the branch president was able to get 2/3 of his branch out on the last boats, but he was captured and spent 4 years in a prison camp).  Over the internet, through "the little black box" connection the Middlemisses would give the temple preparation lessons in English and the branch president would translate them back at the same time and then answer any questions. Another example of how the Lord works in the details of our lives - making all the connections necessary for Sister Li'm to come to the temple and understand .
     There was a Vietnamese sister in a ward a hundred miles away that came today to help her, also her visiting teacher. It was a very sweet experience.  Tricky at the last part with no one really understanding what the other side was saying.  But the Lord knows.  They are coming back tomorrow for two sessions so that will help.

Happy Holiday

Denmark celebrated two holidays today: Father's Day and Grundlovsdag. The Grundlove is the Danish Constitution and was signed in 1849. It was important for the church as it allowed freedom of religion and the missionaries could preach openly. Today it is a half-holiday which means I guess you get a half day off with pay.  It matches a half holiday they had a couple weeks ago, so you could  combine them and work one and take the other off.  Whatever the case, the stores were closed on both days.  Except for the bakeries and flower shops.  Hence Jim got this lovely cinnamon bread from our neighborhood bakery for Father's Day.        

         

  As you can see we have eaten most of it.  It wasn't near enough for the great father Jim is. But it is one of his favorite things and about all we need these days.



                                                       

  

More Fyn

 This is a unique Viking Ship Grave.  Read below.

   They are making an exact replica of the Ladby Viking Ship using the same methods and tools they would have used in 900 A.D. Note all the iron rivets

   We ended the day at the Ilskov's beautiful home.  When they bought it in 2009 it was in ruins.  They have made a fabulous, liveable home with a combination of modern and old.  Their garden was wonderful as was the dinner that concluded a lovely day.

Kerteminde

Today we had a lovely day out with the High Priest Group from our ward.  It was organized by Carl Ove and Karin Ilskov who served in the previous Temple Presidency and lives in Kerteminde on the Island of Fyn. It is the middle island and reached by the big Store Belt Bridge from Sjaelland.  We visited the Johannes Larsen home/museum which was a gathering place for the Fyn artists about the turn of the century.  So many different mediums and styles by various artists.

We stopped for lunch on the beach....  

A walk on Fynes Hoved, the most norther tip of Fyn,

And then a break for cake/cookies at the Niels Eric Ilskov's home (brother)

More tomorrow on the Viking Death ship, Kerteminde and dinner.....excited?