December 30, 2013

I had a really awesome Christmas. The Kleins were an awesome family to be over at for Christmas Eve, and they really made us feel like we were part of the family. We spoke Danish for the most part, but made sure that we would speak english if we had to. Their kids were lots of fun too, all teenagers so I felt like a normal teen again. It was super 'hyggeligt'.

I love the Danish culture. Denmark is such a beautiful place too. The buildings and architecture here are just awesome.

We also had a good post Christmas. We went to 'C's (one of our investigators) with her crazy dog, and cats, and self, and we had sushi, and played card games with her daughter and with the assistants and the sisters, it was lots of fun.

We got done with singing all of our Christmas greetings to people, and overall it was really successful. People really enjoyed it.... for the most part, and there were a lot of good things that came out of it.

So, now to Dads gift.
Dave: Teagan and I exchanged 'service to others' as our Christmas gift and he said that he would give me the details of his gift today. I have already given him the details of my service gift, but this is Teagan's blog, so I'll not share it here. Suffice to say that it was special to both of us.

The day we went to the hospital to sing for 'K' was a day of miracles one right after the other.

To start, 'K' looked much better from what she did before, and she really seemed to enjoy our song which is a miracle enough, but that was just the beginning. While we were singing, I opened up the circle to make sure that the whole room could hear since there were three other older women and a nurse in the room.

The women all really appreciated it, and the nurse even asked us to come and sing to her coworkers after explaining that it was only their first day in the hospital on Christmas, we figured we could bring some Christmas cheer. She told us to meet her back there in an hour, so we went down to the lobby to wait, and while we were down there two more things happened!

Sister Hale asked an older women in the lobby if we could sing her and her daughter a Christmas song, and she said that would be great. She sang with us, and broke into tears midway through the song. Come to find out at the end of the classic Danish hymnal, that this women’s husband had just died and that was why she was in the hospital. The sisters left her with a card with our church address and phone number on it, as they thanked us again before leaving the hospital.

Then while we were sitting down in the lobby area a man came and sat across from me. I opened up to him and wished him a merry Christmas time in Danish, and he responded in english and said, 'yes, but I'm kind of tired' I was really confused but insisted on talking with him, and then asked in Danish what his name was, and the response, again in english was 'I ask myself that quite often' at this point I'm thinking this guy is absolutely nuts, and can see that even though he speaks Danish, there is no way he is going to speak it with me, so I broke into english and started talking with him and asked if he would like to hear a Christmas song.

He began talking about how he had been a model, and professional skier and just before I could ask him more, he said enough about me, and let’s get to the song.

We sang, he smiled, we finished, he thanked us and left. The man never went into a room in the hospital, just came in talked, listened, and left. It was the weirdest thing, but another part worth mentioning in this story.

Then we finally were able to meet up with the nurse again. She took us through the catacombs of the hospital to a little break room where all of the nurses were at. They were all extremely happy to have such a warm Christmas greeting seeing as how they had to work on the day of.

The assistants talked with her, and gave her a card. She will be meeting with the sisters next week, and hopefully she'll bring some of her coworkers as I invited her to do.

The day was just a day of Christmas miracles, and it all came from just one idea that Elder Francis and I had. I mean, nobody would pass up that kind of service opportunity as a missionary anyway, but it was special to me to see the direct effect of the service we decided to do. The Lord really does put people in our path when we just try to act.

Oh, and also, we had a bomb explode in front of our apartment two days ago. It was just like a tampered with firework that someone set in the little garbage can out in front of our apartment. Elder Francis and I were walking back to our apartment from an appointment at the church to pick up some things, and as we turned the corner to go to our little cove where the door to our apartment is we heard someone yell something up to one of the apartments in Danish, and then a HUGE boom, followed by a cloud of smoke.

As we slowly walked forward to assess what had just happened, chunks of plastic and the metal lid were still up in the air before finally hitting the ground as we walked on. We are lucky that we weren't right next to it when it went off. Luckily nobody was hurt. It looks like it was just some vandalism, except I did see a car speed off afterwards, but like I said, more likely than not, it was vandalism.

We saw a few other garbage cans in the area that reached the same fate so yeah ... Litter is everywhere down there now.

We went up to the office right after that and they were all freaking out, because they had heard it too, but I think they just kind of figured it wasn't a seemingly immediate threat to anyone, so we are ok.

Just a crazy story, hope nobody freaks out over me sending this. I'm totally safe, and like I said before, no damage done except for a little eardrum pressure, and one less place to throw my trash away, as if Denmark doesn't have enough garbage cans already.. geez.

Awesome week, lots of good appointments, and plenty of interesting people. I will try and get these pictures sent home here soon, maybe I can just make a quick trip to the office to get them sent home so I don't get too backed up.

I hope all is well, and it looks like you guys had a lot of fun on Christmas, even if you weren't doing what you typically do.

I love you guys so much!
Elder Pitcher

Christmas Day 2013 ... skype from Teagan!!

We really loved our chance to Skype with Teagan (Elder Pitcher) today!
We are so grateful that he is doing what he's doing and having the great experiences he's having.
Stay focused Teagan ... we love you!

Momma gets the chance to visit with her favorite missionary.	Dad gets to put his arm around his boy.
Sister Rogers, Sister Hale, Elder Pitcher and Elder Whitlock sing "Silent Night" in Danish. It was awesome!

December 23, 2013

I love you guys. Read through both of your emails, and looked through all of the photos, and all in all just cried in the middle of an emptied out, beauty and the beast style library because everyone is going celebrating the first day of jul.

I loved hearing the update and want you both to know how proud I am of you. You get to tell me a lot how proud you are of me (cause I'm awesome I know) but I feel like it is very underated telling your parents how proud of them you are. Maybe just not done enough, or maybe I just haven't said it enough, but I am very proud of the both of you.

This week has been a lot of Christmas Caroling for members’ friends, and a happy time of remembering the true meaning behind the holiday. Looks like ya'll had a pretty classic Danish Christmas feast too!

I am so excited to start celebrating today! The whole town is just shut down.

Lille jul aften tonight, then jule aften, then Christmas!

We have a big old Christmas tree, and I'm going to have to email pics to you later in the week again sorry. I hate this library.

I bought O.J. for the morning of, and I can't wait to speak to you guys on Christmas.

So Elder Francis and I will be using up the 8 o’clock block which means about noon for ya'll back there. I hope it all turns out as I'm sure it will.

Found out that the president lets people go ice skating sometimes, I might jump on that.....

I taught primary this last week. The kids understood me for the most part even if I didn't always catch what they said. Recently I feel like kids, and communicating with them has been a huge way to help me get on good terms with members and just everyone. The preschool experience, and having so many wonderful nieces and nephew have been such a good thing for me.

The theme park was freaking awesome. Can't wait to get ya'll the pics. There was one ride that goes like 5 Gs, and I could see snot just pooring out of my face as this thing spun us in huge circles. You could feel the fat on your sides moving to your front. It was pretty gnarly. Then there was another one that just drops you. Beautiful view of Copenhagen from the top too. The lights were something else.

I've been contacting people more on the street lately. Nobody is receptive from the street, but sometimes I'll hand out a card and a book, and that is enough for me to want to keep trying. We went down into a stoner ridden guitar shop last night to sing for some old geezer rocker guys, and it was a little frightening to have the sisters there with us. Just hoping they wouldn't put themselves in that kind of situation without Elders there.

Anyway, I still love it here, and I love the people very much here too. Look forward to seeing your beautiful faces!
Elder Pitcher

December 16, 2013

Dave: I had mentioned to Teagan that I was following serveral blogs of other missionaries in Denmark including his zone leader Elder Wible and a Sister Rogers.

You're going to love this. Sister Rogers just transferred into my district. Maybe she'll mention me. I don't know. I get along really well with the sisters though, and I've heard she's awesome so I'm looking forward to having her in the district. Just funny that you mentioned that.

Elder Wible is transferring out of our area, so he won't be our zone leader anymore.

I've been better with the journal. The emails have kind of been my journal too, so hopefully you are keeping all of those as well.

Dave: I told Teagan that I did not want him to buy me a Christmas present this year, but would prefer that he perform an act of service and keep me in mind as he did so ... I would do the same for him.

The service thing has been going good. I tried to help an older man in his walker get down from an ATM pedestal that he was having a go with, but it is frustrating because the people here are very stubborn. I asked, 'unskyld, har du brug for nogen hjælpe?' he sternly said 'nej' and continued to struggle off of this thing as we walked on.

Like you, the idea has been residing more with me after you sent the last email. It has shown in a few smaller things, like cutting Elder Wrights hair, even though mine was the only other head I've ever done before (I did awesome by the way, I think that hair cutting runs in the family) and also bringing my companion some medications and his water when he was feeling sick the other day, but like I said these are just the small things.

There is a woman by the name of 'K' that is sick in the hospital right now. She has a friend in the ward named 'M' who is the Danish version of Grandma I swear. 'M' has asked us to go with her to visit 'K' and share with her the discussions.

We go at about a rate of 5mph on our bikes with 'M' leading the charge through the blistering cold, so slow that we are almost tipping over. She's just such a strong old lady. The first time we went we didn't really know just how bad it was going to be. 'K' is very ill, and it is likely that she might not make it more than a few more months.

She has been very lucid for most of the time due to the morphine, and on our last visit 'M' even asked us if we thought it was worth it to keep teaching her now that she wasn't able to be awake for what was being said. I told her whatever we had to say in this life, would be to her benefit, and that even if she isn't receiving it now, she would have that opportunity in the next.

Elder Francis and I then thought of something at the same time, and we are now going back for Christmas as well. We are very excited. We're hoping she pulls through for that long. I'll be sure to keep up with the service idea, and report back to you on how the visit with 'K' goes.

love
Elder Pitcher

December 9, 2013

I really want to see Frozen, or is it Frost? It looks good from the billboards.

I received my packages, and I love the Christmas party idea. Sounds way fun.

Dad, I love the Christmas gift idea and I will be sure to follow up with that.

I'm waiting to open most of my gifts until Christmas, but accidentally peaked at the list on the top of the package, and really had need of that first bag of Takis, and a haircut, so I took out just those two things, but for the most part it is a surprise so I'm excited.

I'm sending just a few things home, and hope that you like what I send home for you Ma.

I love the family photos as I'm sure I already mentioned. I will be trying to get more pics out to you, and it isn't the email, it's the computer that is having the problem so hopefully I can work it out.

I will definitely be able to skype from the Bernaskos house so be ready for that probably Christmas morning/noonish since we are about 8 hours ahead of you guys, and we will be doing it at around dinner time.

I will probably be having one of the most decked out Christmas weeks here too. The Danes hold nothing back on their Christmas week. They are all already getting super into the season, and it is so fun to see. It makes me wish you all could be here for one Christmas.

This last week has been a little slow, because of the weather mostly. We had to go in early one day because the wind was so bad, and it's been hard on bikes because the ground is slushy. Not really snow fall yet, but a lot of rain, and sleet. Kind of lame. That day though we stayed inside and made a couple hundred sugar cookies to take to people with a Christmas message so it wasn't a complete waste of time.

Cool to hear about Dylan! That is so exciting for him and it looks like he is enjoying himself there now. (Dylan is a friend of Teag's and the son of Oly, Teag's hockey coach. He is playing in the NHL for the Florida Panthers and scored his first NHL goal this past week)

I was reading my scriptures in Danish this week and then realized that I had just read an entire chapter without having to 'slå op' the dictionary and just about cried.

Had a good lesson last night too with 'FA' again from FC København. We challenged him to talk a bit about the church during the holiday when he goes back to visit family in Nigeria.

He offered us tea..... That was an awkward no. I guess it isn't uncommon though for people here, even in the church to do something like that, which is too bad.

Anyway, just wanted to let you both know that I love you, and that I love my mission still. I'm only kind of going crazy sometimes.
Elder Pitcher

December 2, 2013

I went to the cemetery where Hans Christen Anderson was buried, it is right next to our apartment, but for some reason I can't load the pictures of it. I didn't have time to go look for his site.

I loved getting all of the pictures and stories from the family thanksgiving!! It looked awesome, and I'm so excited to hear about all of the new life coming into the family. Crazy to think there will be so many little ones I've never seen before that will be there before I am.

My Thanksgiving was a good one. I ended up making homemade corn dogs and little smokies with 'T', Amy's uncle, and not paying any attention to the NFL game that was on behind me haha. Really though, I did my best.

We got to go to the Frederiksberg slot which is this Mansion built for King Frederick IV; we got a free tour, because one of the tour guides is a member, and offered. We got to learn a lot of cool stuff and take some awesome pics which again are having a hard time being sent....

I would love to tell you all of the stories, but I'm running out of a lot of time.

This last week has been really hard. People haven't been holding onto their appointments, and things like that, but I think we've kind of made up for it with some of the service things, and member visits we did.

We helped one lady move from a 4th floor apartment (top floor) to a 6th floor apartment (top floor again) My back is still in a little bit of turmoil, but it gave us something to do to help someone, and it felt good when we were finally finished.

We are looking forward to this next week though, and have a lot of follow up appointments with those same people planned, så hele lukke!

I just want you guys to know that I am doing fine, and that I'm still loving the work. It's crazy how quickly everything is going by now, and I can't believe how long I've already been in the land. It makes me a bit sad that I don't know the language as well as I would like sometimes, but I am getting better, and the ward mission leader, along with a few others, have complimented me on my accent, so that is kind of cool. I just wish I understood a little bit more; which is interesting because I've heard that in most cases it is the understanding that comes first.

Anyway, all with time, and Christ just as the favorite scripture says :)

I love you both lots, and I'll work on the pics, I promise.

Love ya bunches

Elder Pitcher