På Amager (Ahhhh maahhhhh ahhhh r[but not like a hard r, like a really really soft r])

I’m kind of embarrassed that this email is going out after Josh Henstrom has sent his… but it’s okay. It’s not a race. It’s a journey. Anyways, I have a pretty good excuse - I’ve been on a train all day!

Amager

I’ve debated whether or not to start the email with the big news, or not, because many of you might stop reading… BUT DON’T! I have had an amazingly powerful week this week. In fact, my last week in Odense has been one of my favorite weeks in the mission. As you might of guess, I got transferred. This transfer was bitter sweet, but I’m excited for another change. I am on Amager (the island), which is a good 15 minute bike ride from Copenhagen’s massive city. It’s super exciting and I’m excited to have finally made it to the promised land (sjælland). Many missionaries have spoken of copenhagen as a desired, loved, and maybe even longed after place of gloriful contacting, investigators, and members. We will see. I am with Ældste Millet, he’s a super awesome guy, wants to be a mechanical engineer when he goes back to college, likes to play board games and video games, did a bunch of skiing and outdoors stuff too. I’m excited for our transfer together.

Tue

We will start with our investigator, Tue. He is the atheist I talked about a while ago. We had another meeting with him and this one went amazingly. We started off the lesson, going into the Restoration and all about it. After finishing an amazing lesson with him, he explained to us a feeling he was having. Roughly quoted, “I feel this happy feeling inside, that at times during us talking, I could just break down and cry because I feel so joyful.” It was extremely powerful to help him realize that that was the Spirit. I continue to be amazed at how much the Gospel can help people. He went from being anxious and sad, to having this joy that only Jesus Christ and his message can bring. After having experiences like this, I reaffirm my desire and reasoning for going out here. I truly know that the Lord has called me and has helped me help others, and I am deeply grateful for it.

Mikkel

Another amazing experience this week was our meeting with familien Baird. They are an American family that have a super amazing house. Just this old danish house/farm out on the country side. We got there and began to play this epic game of bow and arrow tag (like laser tag but with bows). They invited over the young adults and one of their friends from their area named Mikkel. Mikkel and I began talking and we became good friends super quick. We talked about missionary work and what I was doing here, we had some fun shooting other people with bows, and played some board games after. All of which lead to a spiritual thought that the family asked us to give. We shared a thought about the restoration, explaining the restoration in depth and then asking everyone what it meant to their own lives. The Spirit was extremely strong, I shared a little bit about the story of Tue and how much it has helped him, and after I beared my testimony and wrapped up, Mikkel pulled me aside and started asking me questions. His first response was “I know there is something more to this life, how can I find it?” We began to talk about how I found it, what my story was with the church, and he opened up and told me about his life. He said he’s recently been looking for guidance and for that “something more,” but he keeps on coming back to Christianity. He told me that if it can help Tue, then it can help him and everyone.

This experience showed me a bunch about my mission here in Denmark. I am here to find people like this, sincere, open to learn more. The Lord prepares his people. Finding these people is the most rewarding thing ever, but not just for me, but I know much it can change Mikkel’s life. He is an amazing person and I hope and pray that he will continue to search for the truth. It also showed me that members help finding people can make a HUGE difference. We could have fun with him, enjoy some good wholesome fun, and create a relationship that I think will last even beyond my mission. I am so grateful for the Bairds and their willingness to help the missionaries, and their willingness to share what they know to be true. All of this work doesn’t just help the people doing it either, the work can change lives.

Wrapping Up

I would love to write more about it, but I don’t want to keep my companion off the computer for too long because we only have one computer here. But I want to say how grateful I am to be on a mission. In complete honesty, I haven’t appreciated my mission for the past months, it’s been hard, depressing at times, discouraging, but I’m beginning to see the differences in people, the impact that I can have, the fun I can have. It’s been quite the experience and roller coaster, I’ve grown so much, and one thing has stayed a constant the entire way through: the Gospel. When things get tough, when I try to get out of it my own, it always comes back to relying more on the Lord and putting my faith that he will help everything work out in the end. It is not a blind faith, but a very well informed faith I would say. I have all the proof I need right in front of me, with blessings such as being able to catch our train even though there was really bad traffic, or even just the Book of Mormon itself is proof. But the faith that we have, what it inspires us to do, it changes people. It changes ourselves and those around us. I think my main point here is when you are looking at belief and faith, a lot of people here in Denmark say they don’t believe in anything. My challenge to you is that when someone comes up to you and asks you what you believe in, don’t say nothing, but know exactly what you believe in. Even if it’s not God or a religion, know that you believe in something, that you have your own standards and beliefs. I truly believe that faith grows when we try, when we think exactly over what our faith is. It is good to lean on others occasionally, it’s helpful, but right now ask yourself what you believe in. Crutches can be helpful, I know I have used them (even on my mission), having faith in someone else’s faith, but in the end we stand before God in the last day, by ourselves, with Christ as our advocate. 

I will tell you what I have figured out, and of course this can change and grow as we experience more. I know that God exists. There have been too many experiences, too many coincidences on my mission to deny that. He has shown me multiple times that he is watching out for me. I know without a doubt that Jesus Christ is our Savior. He suffered so that he can understand what we are going through. Many of times I have felt alone, going through a trial that I feel like no one can understand, but there is one who definitely can understand and who knows the pain and agony that we go through here on Earth. I know that I am in Denmark (or at least that’s what they’re telling us). But I know I’m here for a reason. I am here for a reason that is undeniably real, and although there is rejection, there is success in the smiles and love I can give to others. I know the Lord sent me here, maybe just to find Tue and Mikkel, but for the others, I can smile and hopefully it made there day. I know there is power in a smile. It has changed my day from black to white, and I know it can change others’. I know there are people in this world that need love and want to be listened to. I know that loving others is a hard thing, but I also know how much we grow and become a better person when we do so.

Challenge: Find what you truly believe in, write it out and work on it.

Word of the Week: Tro - faith, at tror - to believe, troende - believing

Scripture: Alma 33:23 - “And now, my brethren, I desire that ye shall plant this word in your hearts, and as it beginneth to swell even so nourish it by your faith. And behold, it will become a tree, springing up in you unto everlasting life. And then may God grant unto you that your burdens may be light, through the joy of his Son. And even all this can ye do if ye will. Amen.”

Pictures: Beautiful Copenhagen at the top of one of the tallest towers, Christiania (a place where they are above the law), Whiteboard contacting in the rain, a snake, splits with Daniel

I love and miss you all a bunch. I hope you are all doing great things wherever you are in the world. 

Med kærlig hilsen,

Ældste Salisbury