Week #16

Long time no see!! It was way sweet to skype you guys!! This week has probably been the funnest week yet on the mission!!!

District Fun

So on Tuesday we had the usual District Meeting but the highlight was definately opening gifts from Secret Santa, even though thats not the true meaning of Christmas:). So at zone training we drew names and I got Ældste Poff, and i knew Ældste Poff LOVES legos so i got him so Lego Star Wars which he loved! Oh, and Ældste Millwaard, a ZL, got  me a sweet FC København scarf so that was awesome! Then later in the day me and Guddy went to an eating appointment with an old lady in the ward (shoutout to our ward because we have had an eating appointment everyday) and even gave us presents! We are spoiled! Then after that we went to Lundby to have a Chirstmas Koncert.....So our district sung for this opgang neighborhood and it was way fun! But dont worry, there was like only ten people there and we werent even that bad at singing!

More Service :)

So the day before the real partying begins in Denmark, me and Guddy got to do more service! So my job was to clean this already clean shower. So i thought, oh it would be easy, but after 2 hours of scrubbing and who knows what, I was finally finished but dead tired! But it was okay because they fed of of course! So the man is from Finland and made us this Finnish bread things which were so so good! Then we had authentic Danish hot dogs which were so good too! Then when we left they gave us decorations for our house, and of course me and Guddy put them up! I got pics so dont worry :) Then we went to H and M and bought matching Christmas sweaters which every loved! 

Christmas Eve

So a Danish Christmas is a little different.... Christmas Eve is their actual Christmas when they open presents and all that good stuff. So the day started with going to our Chinese investigators house and eating  Chinese Hot pot, which was so good! It was like this pot with spices and all different kinds of meat and me and Guddy just ate and ate! Way good stuff! We had a way fun time there too! Then at about four we went to Veksø to meet up with President Olsen, who is in the stake Presidency for Sjælland. We went to his house and it was definately a party! So first when we got there we watched disney cartoons like Donald Duck and Lady and the tramp, and it was weird, it was all in Danish! It was way fun! Then we went to stop by some of his friend's and sing Jingle Bells to them, but we didnt end up singing so sad :( haha just kidding! Then we went back to his house, which by the way is so sweet! It is like a 100 year hold Danish manshion with a forest and a huge pond by it! While waiting for dinner we watched Michael Buble sing Christmas songs. Then we ate a Danish Christmas dinner, and Oh Man!!!!! It was too die for! We had ham, brown potatoes, and goose! THen after we were stuffed we waited for a while, and then sang and danced around the Christmas tree which was way fun! I love the danish songs we sung too, and i am definately taking that tradition home! Then we ran around the house holding hands and singing a Christmas song because i guess its normal, haha, and then i layed down on the floor about to die because i was still stuffed! Then we opened presents! :) We got muffins, a gift card to a restaurant, swaggin wooden Danish shoes as a joke, and a sweet tie! They are so nice! Then we played the almond game to finish the night! Then he drove us home and the other Elders went on ''splits'' with us because sleepovers are not aloud haha! 

Christmas

So Christmas was awesome! We woke up dead tired from the night before and opened presents that we got from each other and from the packages our parents have sent us! Guddy got me a sweet shirt, a tie, and Alvin and the Chipmunks 1, 2, and 3 all in Danish, but dont worry mom, I wont watch them till after my mission. :) Then I loved the packages i got from you guys! The pilolowcase was hillarious and perfect, and the cereal was great too! I loved the picture book so much! That was way fun and thanks for all of that!!! Then we had weekly planning until our Christmas party at our members house where we skyped! It was so great to skype you guys! We had a great party too, which of course included eating, and evening pranking the man of the house..... ;) haha! 

Second Christmas Day

So Danes I guess are really, really smart. So they have two days to celebrate Christmas and i asked someone why, and they just said that because they wanted another free day off of work! Haha works for me. So this day was so perfect! I woke up, played socce with the Danes for an hour, and then went to finallly, play basketball. A member in our ward who played soccer with us, drove us to the church and played basketball with us. It was the whole district and our Chinese investigator, and the member who gave us a ride to the church. And all i can say is that i missed playing basketball! It was so fun! Then after that, the member that splayed with us asked if we had any eating appointments that night, and we were like, no, just a party in two hours, and he was like sweet, come over tonight! And he already had us over on Monday, so all i can say is #blessed! So then we asked our Chinese investigaor if he wanted to go on a church tour. He was saying how he has never been in a church in Denmark before. So the tour went better then expected! We showed him around and showed him pictures on the walls and of Jesus. We showed him the pic of Jesus being baptized and we talked about Baptism. We told him, in simplest terms because he never believed in a God before, coming from China, that it is a promise that you make with God and in returns he will help you with all you need. He really liked that concept and he asked, can anyone be baptized. Me and Guddy shouted at the same time, YES!! Haha Then we taught him on repentance and sacrement and he really liked thje convept of being forgiven of your sins and we had a great convo with him and he really opened up to us. Oh, and we even showed him the computers and a sister was doing family history and we told him about that and he was way excited about doing that too, so that is always a bonus! It was a great lesson and he is looing way positive! Then we got a ride home from him, he gave us Chinese Hamburgers that he made for us :), and then we changed, and he gave us a ride to our Christmas party at thi family's house in our ward! He is a stud investigator! The party was way fun with this lady in our wards whole family there. Firsst we played nija with the kids which was a great time, and then we ate! More ham! Yes! Then me and Guddy shared the story about Jesus' birth which went way good because she had some family members who were inactive, or not members! Then they drove us to our next eating appointment! haha we are so spoiled! Where we ate more ham with the guy who balled with us this morning! It was way fun, and we had a blast with their kids! Overall, Saturday, was a perfect day!

Sunday

So this is a kindof scary story.... So right before we leave to choir, we get a text from our ward mission leader who teaches guest class, the class in english right after sacrement, that he is in Odense and he needs us to teach it. So me and Guddy were not really worried about it, we just got on the computers and printed a lesson from Come Follow Me, shout out to Priest Quorm! We usually would only teach our Chinese friends who got baptized last year. So no stressing. Then while passing the sacrement, i look up and see that i just passed it to my mission President and his wife! They were visiting our ward and that meant they would come to our class! Oh man! So me and Guddy went to the bathroom and had thirty seconds to look throught the lesson and see what we would say and went up to the class. We taught on Hastening the Work, which was a great topic, and our lesson included asking a question to every person and pretty much bearing testimony on what they said. We thought that we would be lke 15 minutes short on time, and then our of now where, we talk about the Chinese people's Chinese roomate and President out of no where, said that we would have a fireside with all the Chinese people, haha, and his friend from back home who is Chinese too at his house in a couple of weeks, so that was great! The lesson i guess was good and President and Sister O'Bryant said that we did a good job, so wow! haha!

I loved the pics of Reid dog and Jace! They are truely ballers! That is crazy that Allsion and Haley are almost leaving!! They will tear it up for sure! So the Chinese guy didnt come to church but i think he will come this week, and the other lady didnt come either, but we will get her there! For New Years they party hard here, so on new years day we have to stay in til 6 at night and just deep clean the apartments. But the night beofre, we can be at a members house,Lars and Terresa, till 11 so that will be fun! I miss you guys and loved talking to you guys and I hope you have a great NEW YEARS 2016!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Dont party too hard without me!)

Ældste Reed

Week #15 pictures

Ballerup Week #15

Glæde Jule!!!! Feliz Navidad! Merry Christmas alle sammen!!! It is just a great time of year! Oh, and if you wanted to know, this week has been a party with a little theme park, zone conference which included some pretty sweet movies, getting a Christmas tree after a crazy adventure, and doing service for days! (Oh and I am going to get fat with all of the eating appointments I have coming up, our ward loves us!!!)

Another Best P Day Ever!

So right after we emailed, we went to downtown København to go to Tivoli! So Tivoli is like a little theme park kind of like Silverwood but with less rides! So Ældste Buxton, a sweet senior missionary, that Ældste Gudmundson and I love, let us in with his tickets, and then we just had to pay for rides so that was so sweet! We went with the district (the best in the mission:) ) which is me, Guddy, Ældste Poff, Williams, the Zone Leaders Lester, Millward, and Søster Hadfield and Mann! It was a party! There was sweet Christmas lights everywhere and sweet shops and it was just hyggelig!! Oh, and we got to wear normal clothes so that was really weird too! And we had to take off our nametags for the rides so we didnt have our nametags on for like three hours and it felt really weird, not good haha!! There was way sweet rides, and on one, that like swings you around way high in the air, where you can see the whole downtown of København which is so beautiful, was so sweet! Funny story, so Guddy wasn't feeling good from all the rides and then after we went on this ride I asked him a question and he just shakes his head at me, and next thing I know, he is running to the bushes just throwing up! Haha he got quite a scene! Overall, Tivoli was way fun! Oh, and after Ældste Gudmundson and I almost got a 100 dollar ticket! But dont worry parents we didnt get it. So we were going back on the train and the first two stops the train does from København is not on our zone card, so if we get checked there then we get a 100 dollar fine if we dont check in our Travel Card. The train just got there and we had no money on the card so we were going to chance it because we were going to be late for an eating appointment. Then we saw these checkers get on the two sides of the train so we went to the middle and would just chance it. But at the last second we decided to go off, and thank goodness we did, because there was undercover checkers right by us, according to Ældste Williams and Poff. But all is good and we eventually made it to our eating appointment where we got fed Indian food :)

Splits with Æ Williams= Party

Haha so we didnt really party but we had two eating appointments that day so that was way fun! Oh and we played this game that when there is this rice pudding and a nut is placed in the bowl and whover gets it wins a present! It is a way common Danish tradition and it is way fun! Then after we went to the church in downtown København to help someone in our ward with family history work! It is crazy to help someone in Danish but we got it done! RIght after that we took a train and rode to another eating appointment :) which on the way i kind of sort of crashed on the curve and did a pretty sweet dive into grass, but dont worry, I am alive!! 

Zone Conference

So again, zzone conference was way fun! the first couple of hours we had talks by people and one that stuck out to me was a member from the stake presidency, that I will eat at his house on Christmas Eve which in Denmark is actually Christmas to them I dont get it but anyways, he talked about that wach day out here we need to attack it and that we will never get it back. And then he told us to be outgoing unlike the Danes haha! So that i can do! After that we ate a way good lunch, and we played that rice pudding game! Then we got back in and the Grinch was playing! We were all freaking out! Last year they played Frozen so we were expecting somehting good! Then like ten minutes into the movie, President comes in and starts yelling at us, jokingly, and it was way funny! He turned it off, and he just played the Grinch because it had to go with his little talk. Then after we attempted, yes, attempted to sing crazy Danish Christmas songs! Then Santa aka, the ap that just went home who lives on Børnholm, came and gave us our Christmas packages!! Then we watched a Disney movie called Inside and Out! It was way fun, oh and I almost forgot, the slideshow of every missionary as a kid was a hit! Everyone loved my curly fro as a kid, I asked pres if i could do that on the mission and he said no :( Oh well haha! 

Jul Træ

So it has been an adventure trying to get a Christmas tree! We heard stories of missioanries cutting down there own and lets just say that that was attempted but dont worry, we bought a sweet artificial tree for cheep and it is way sweet!! We wrapped our packages and it look way hyggeligt!! Oh, and on our search for a Christmas tree, we found this food store that one of our investigators recommended to us and it has American food!! #blessed

Service :)

So right after a great Saturday morning session of soccer, we changed and did service all day. So first we helped a family move bricks and wood in their backyard to a junkyard. I love this family! We are skyping from their house Christmas Day so it will be a great time! Then after, we did service for the guy in the stake Presidency who talked at zone conference and will have us over for the 24th. His house and property is sick! He has a huge old danish house with a huge pond and like a forest type ranch place! SO we helped him move broken trees and helped him fix a dirt road and then we were fed æbleskiver!! Theys are the doughy things we ate at the Barlows that one day! Way good stuff! We talked with their family for a little and I am way pumped to be with them on the 24th!!

So investigator wise, we are going to start meeting with the college student guy that we started teaching a month ago, but stopped because he didnt have time with college and work, but now he has a bunch of time, so we will try to watch meet the mormons with him this week. Then we eliminated all the worries of this one lady to come to church with us and she said that she would but she ended up burning us so that wasnt so fun! But we just got to be patient with her! So for the 24th, is when Danes open packages and dance around the jul træ so we will be at a members house the whole day. On the 25th we will eat with one of our investigators, the chinese guy, a Chinese hot pot! So that will be interesting and then we will go to another families house at 4 and i will be skyping at 6 PM Danish time so i thing that is 9 in the morning for you guys! The apartment is way good and i love it, it is way closer to our area so that is nice. ANd i fixed my bike, believe it or not! Haha anthony would say that, that is so funny! And it is way warm in Denmark! Weird huh? Vi Ses og jeg vil se alt dine smile ansigter på Jule!!!

Ældste Reed

Ballerup Week #14

Aye alle sammen! Hvad så!!! This week just breezed by so fast! Having a blast in downtown København, doing some street dancing, haha, doing service for days, and getting a new investigator who is way positive! 

Best P-Day Ever

Until today because we are kind of sort of going to a theme park, dont be jealous. So last P Day we went to downtown København by Ny Havn  and we just looked in the shops for a while. There are some pretty sweet shops there, but it doesnt beat the mall in Wenatchee... haha just kidding!!! Then after we met up with like 10 missionaries, our district and some others, we went ice skating! It was so fun!! There wasnt walls in this ice rink so it was impossible to stop haha but it was a good time. Oh and there was these kids that were messing with us, they were about 12. They ended up talking to us and were way stoked that we were americans and could speak Danish! Oh and then we told them to check out this sweet Chritmas video and gave them a pass along card so I am what gets better then doing a little missionary work on P Day!! After that we ate McDonalds (not the same as in America) and then waited to carrol with the CUV (young single adult ward). So we were just waiting on the beginning of the gå gade in København when this guy starts dancing to just random songs on a huge stereo. haha he was just moving his body doing weird dancing for money and people were actually laughing and paying him money. Then we were talking about joining him and then all of a sudden one of our zone leaders gets in and dances with him and some Spaniards! it was way funny! Then we all decided to get in and dance with him! It was this guy, like 8 missionaries, and two danes dancing on the street and i got it recorded. I will try to figure out how to send it home because it is way awesome! It was so much fun! Then after our little dancing sesh, we carroled with the CUV and we got a huge crowd which was sweet! Then after we ate hot chocolate and cookies with them. Oh, and when we were all walking back to the big train station, we walked back with this sister who is going home like really soon, and she is from Spokane, and the crazy thing is, is that she has a brother who played for Big Bend!!!! Small world! And that was my crazy fun p day!

Member Splits

So on Tuesday we had member splits where we go out with an older guy in our ward and visit less actives and see how they are doing and give them a Christmas message. I was kind of scared because that meant i would have to speak Danish with a fortyish year old guy for like an hour and a half, and they speak really really fast.... But i ended up going with a guy that we just had dinner with and he is so awesome! He always has us over! And so we started speaking Danish, but then we both switched to English haha! And we had way good conversations! We stopped by three people and none of the answered and after the last door, the guy said, Vi er heldig! Which means we are lucky in dansk and i just started to crack up! It was a real good time!

New Investigator :)

Aye! We got a new investigator!!!!! And he is way sweet! He was a referal and we met him at the library! I guess he knew a little about our church and then taught him on the Book of Mormon, and it was so nice to teach again and feel the spirit! It was a way good lesson and the guy wants to meet again! #blessed! We walked back to the train station with him and got to know him! He is our age and is just studying here! And he loves Football!! Me and Guddy were like what!!!! And he talked forever about that! We just became great friends with him and i am excited to teach him more later!!!!

Craziness-Small world

Okay so this is way crazy! So we are eating with this family and they ask me were i come from, and i say washington, and they are like, do you know Wenatchee? And i was like, Of Course!!!! You know, they are just our rivals in sports no big deal... haha! But I guess they met with a guy who taught this man the gospel a while ago last year in wenatchee. Then they told me that he was a Bishop. I got to thinking, Mary told me that her Bishop served in Denmark, and then I was like wait..... That has got to be my sister's Bishop!!! And then they were like how many bishop's in Wenatchee served in Denmark!! So i am going to ask her about them! Small world!!! Oh and on the spiritual side of things, I taught them the Christmas story which went way good!!! 

Service for Dayyyyysssss

So this member told us like a month ago that on the 11th and 12th that they would need our help the whole day both days and we were thinking, no way, we will get it done fast! But when we got there.... nope! It took like two whole days to help them move all there stuff, from their parents house which they were staying in, to their house which was next door, and can i tell you, my arms are so so dead!!!! haha! still right now but it was a way good time! We got to know the man of thwe house way good and had funny missionary stories by him and he is a way big star wars fan! He has like a replica Darth Vader mask and a storm trooper suit haha oh man! He doesnt mess around!!! I didnt really know him too well, but now he is way sweet!!! And they fed us both days so its all good! Oh, and we did get a referal from it so thats always a good thing. There is going to be a pic of me and Gudedy by like these kids dressed up as knights and that is because on the way to his house on Saturday, we like walked through this park where like a role play of the Hunger Games was going on! Not going to lie it was pretty sweet! SO that is where that came from! Oh and i got way good grammer practice from helping them move stuff! Like derind, oh derover and all that good stuff when they told me where to put all of there things. 

Soccer- My True Love

So we finally played soccer again!!! About time. We did have basketball planned but that changed to soccer like last minute! It was way cold not going to lie but so much fun! My team was stacked with my boy the Icelandic guy, and this guy from the CUV that i talked with before, and know we are tight. It was way nice to lace up the boots again! Oh, and one of our investigators came! He drove us home, and we were going to give him a hand shake, but he went in for the hug!!! I was like sweet! We got to get him dunked! Soccer always brings good things haha :)

MOm dont worry, Jeg har været en god drenge så julemand vil give mig gave! I have been a good boy so Santa will give me gifts! Tell grandma and grandpa tusind tak, a thousand thanks, for the money and tell them i love them from me please! And for skype we get a little over a hour and it will be at night i believe for us on the 25th, but they will tell us this week so i will let you know next week! I love you guys so much, thanks for all the prayers!!! You guys are the best!! Med meget kærlighed,

Ældste Reed

Ballerup week #13

Christmas Season! Best time of the year! Danes really know how to celebrate their Christmas for sure! I am so excited for the upcoming weeks! And had to say Vi Ses to the great Ballerup hopuse :(

Last P Day

So last p day we did some shopping, finally got my watch and now my heart is in Denmark according to my Bishop haha, and took a much needed nap. But dont worry, these next p days we are going to København and ice skating and going to a theme park called Tivoli which will be so sweet! Then that night we went to our father in the ward, far Lars, and ate Filipino food with them, shout out to Katelynn!!! It was chicken, rice (of course), and these weird clams but it was way good! Then we had FHE with their family and it was so fun! We are going there for Christmas eve, which is like the real Christmas day for Danes, i have no idea but yea haha, and we will be with their family. We have been invited by so many people in our ward for Christmas its great!! Then after we had an hour left til 9 so we were going to do some train contacting and so I tried to talk to this one guy from Africa, but then he said he didn't like my questions because i asked where he is from and how long he has been here in Denmark, and he was like, man! I dont like your questions! Haha it was real scary!!

Service

Service is just way fun! So this week we went with a member from our ward all the way to Amager, which is a little island thingy just off of København, and helped his dad move in. There house already smelled so bad like smoke so that was not so fun at all! But one cool thing i saw, was that this man is a member and i could definitely see this light in his eyes that his family didn't have, and I know for sure that this gospel can bring light into people and happiness and peace! 

New District

So with all the transfers and such, we got a new district! So Guddy, the best trainer in the world, is still district leader, and then there is me of course, the old ballerup house elders, Poff and Williams, two sisters and then our Zone Leaders, who are ballers!!! We pretty much have the best district in the whole mission haha! For our weekly district meetings we played this way fun get to know you games, and then focused on the life of Jesus Christ because that is what our mission is focusing on this month. SO i, yes me, gave the Jesus birth story which wasn't too hard, shout out to the Bible! Then we talked about Christ more and Guddy shared this talk on that when Jeffery R. Holland was a missionary in England he knocked all day, in the morning, afternoon, and night, during Christmas and no one let him in. It turned out to be his favorite Christmas because he really got to think on what the true meaning of Christmas was and he was serving his Lord! And that makes me so excited for this Christmas that I get to serve our Savior and tell others the true meaning of Christmas! After that spiritual goodness, we had lunch were we played basketball, ball is still life, and ping pong! It was way fun and our district is just the best! 

Vi Ses Ballerup House

Goodbyes are always the hardest.... this thing has meant so much to me and it was so hard to leave it.... :( haha so we officially have left the great and famous Ballerup house! But two days before we heard we were moving, the assistants called us and said that the sisters, there is a musical choir of  8 missionaries that is going around Denmark for three weeks, will be staying there and to make sure it is clean..... OH NO! I have never cleaned more in my life! Haha but i can bear witness at that house is clean! Mom you did a good job with me haha! You would be so proud! I am pretty sure that that house is the cleanest it has ever been after 20 years of Elders living in it! haha! Then of course Ældster Williams, Poff, Gudmundson, and my last night there had to be a party!! We might have stayed up mlater than 10 30, shhhhhh, but we were technically cleaning so it was okay, and he ate food and just partied! We discovered a fryer in the house so we fried this cheese ball thing and oh man!! If we all die of a heart attack and clogged arteries, you know why!Then we ttalked in the dark with candles lit and it was way epic! THen i finally went to bed at 11 30 like a smart person, and right when i fell asleep i got attacked by ELders William and Guddy with shaving cream and a spray bottle! haha Overall it was a great last night at the Ballerup house!

Herlev Appartment!!!

So we cant live in the house so we have to live somewhere, and its in Herlev! SO actually me and Guddy get the sisters old apartment which i heard was super nice so i was pumped! When we get there, the first thing that Guddy and I said was, It smells like sisters!!!! But dont worry, it took three days and we got it smelling like Axe so we are okay! And we are working on making the apartment more chill and Eldery (if thats even a word) so its in the process, but hey! It has forever hot water, which the others elders new apartment does not have so that is always a plus!

Missionary Work

So like i have said the work is really starting to pick up and we had a whole bunch of appointments set up for this week and i was way excited! But every single investigator burned us.... not fun but i had to learn something from that and that is patience!!! I just have to be patient with them! We were going to watch meet the Mormons with this sweet investigator but then we got burned so that lead to my favorite thing in the world which is knocking haha!! Yay! So we had this eating appointment in this rich neighborhood in Målov so we had an hour and a half to knock. It felt like i was knocking in Dune lakes, and the people had no interest but thats ight! This week we have some pretty sweet appointments lined up so i am way excited for that!

Jul Fest

Our ward is literary the best ever! So on Saturday we had a Christmas party which was so so soo much fun! SO the missionary choir that is going around performed for our ward and it was way good! Ældste Gudmundson's cousin is in this mission and he can play the bagpipes and he played for our ward and it was so sick!!!! After that great music we went into the gym and while the food was getting ready I played tag and catch with the kids in my ward which was way fun! Then we ate with the ward and then Santa Claus came!! Actually in dansk he is called the jul mand, chrsistmas man, and he came!! Santa Claus aka bishop, haha was way funny! SO a Danish tradition is that everyone holds hands around the Christmas tree and sings! It was way fun but i didnt know the Danish songs but it was alright!! It was just a way good time with the ward!

I am doing great! I really am! The only probs i have ever had with my comp is our stupid arguments over food ánd dishes and we get over them in like ten minutes so its way sweet! Danish is definitely coming for sure! I am beginning to understand people when they talk to me and yesterday in church i had a conversation alone with an old danish man and i understood everything! It was way sweet! Oh and since me and Guddy are started to feel fat, we take our dinners ate 8 if we dont have appointments with members and go for runs! So that is way fun too! And it is great to hear how everything is going at home! That is sick zach is balling it up, and nick is still dating that girl ;) haha! and we have 100 missionaries on Denmark i believe and 4 zones in Denmark, we were just combined for zone training! It is way sweet here and it is so pretty with all the Christmas lights and everything and i cant wait to Skype you guys in a couple weeks!! Din yndlingst missionær,

Ældste Reed