April 28, 2014

That's so cool Dad!  I'm so excited for you!  You both really left it up to the right person to make the decision, and I think it was the right decision also.  [NOTE: I told Teagan about a very personal experience Mindy and I had in making a coaching decision for next season – it is not public knowledge yet]  

Did you know Nick made the Utah team?  Nice rivalry you got to look forward to there.  He sent me an email this week to tell me about it.  Exciting season of hockey coming up!  I'm stoked to hear about it :) 

That's funny that y'all played some happy birthday for me by yourselves, but pretty precious haha ;) 

Elder Ogden is awesome!  We already got along great before our companionship, and now it's just growing.  I'm just sad that this one is a short transfer (only 5 weeks) and hope that we might get stuck together for another one. 

I really love it here in Viborg.  There are a lot more young and vibrant people here, so it will be nice to combine both of the areas.  

I didn't keep a really good layout of what happened this week, mainly just because it was so hectic with trying to close down the Skive apartment (which we still get to use YES)  and saying bye to everyone that Elder Taylor wanted to say bye to before he got shipped off to Odense. 

One really big thing this week though!  We held our English class finally, and handed out about 10 Mormons Bøger, and tons of pamphlets, and gave a short message to a few of them that were more interested about the Book of Mormon. 

We basically have 10 new investigators in Skive, and Elder Ogden and I are getting really excited for that. 

Yesterday we were carrying all of our bags down to the station, and we realized that we might need some help with climbing up the huge hill once we got into Viborg so we gave ‘B’ a call and she said she would love to come help!  (she has fed us before, really good food, nice older Danish lady) 

She arrived a little bit before us to the station, and refused to not take a bag to pull back to the car (I swear she is exactly like Grandma Pitcher haha) where we loaded up everything.  She drove all of our stuff up and we just walked up.  She is the sweetest thing, and I'm so happy because she's close by now! 

I'm a Little bit more scatter brained this week, just with transfers and all, but I really hope all goes well, and want you both to ´know that I love and miss you and I haven't gotten the package yet, I forgot to mention, but I'll probably get it along with the CAR that is coming from Copenhagen!  WE GET A CAR!!!

We really needed one in this area because it's basically the largest in Denmark now.  The entire left top half of the country basically, so hopefully you can expect some good back country Pictures here soon with the long rows of flowers :)  yay! 

Again, I love you both very much

Ældste Pitcher

April 21, 2014

Easter vacation is huge here in Denmark.

The post only runs a few times during the last week and a half or so, but it sounds like the office got my packages, so I should be getting them next zone activity :) The crock pot sounds like an awesome idea!  I'd love to get some recipes and I'll be sure to look for something in the coming week.  

And Dad, that's awesome that you got offered an opening there with BYU!  That sounds like an awesome opportunity.  My opinion would be that you take it, with the opportunity to teach more seasoned, hopefully less stubborn minds ;) but I know leaving would be hard as well.  

I thought you guys already knew this, but Elder Clawson was my MTC district leader (and yes he did play hockey, I got a picture with him in a Denmark hockey jersey in the MTC), and he was actually serving in the same district as Elder Taylor in Aalborg when they went to the Aalborg Pirates hockey game... I'm so jealous.  They got to go because one of the reactivated members played a big role in helping the team, she was some sort of rink manager or something ... anyway.  

Monday, we had an appointment with a Danish mother named ‘V’ who told us we were polygamists, to which we said no, and explained, to which she said, yes, I know you are polygamists, to which we said no again, and explained again, and she understood that time.  The appointment actually went pretty good, and mostly just because she had a lot of questions, and was willing to read from the Book of Mormon.  

Tuesday, we went to a members home.  Sonia is her name, and she made pretty good food and gave us pastries.  She is so nice, all the members are.  Then the Viborg Elders showed us a huge zip line in the park next to her house and we played on that for a bit.  

Wednesday, we have had only cold water in the apartment this whole week, but Wednesday was when the glacier run off started, and as much as we have tried, nobody knows who our land lord is. The people below us just moved, and nobody in the office knows... I emailed president about it this week though, so hopefully that will be changed soon, just kind of a bummer waking up to that each morning haha.  

We also found a mouse friend living underneath our fridge, and now we have a few traps set with peanut butter.  They do have Danish peanut butter but it doesn't taste NEARLY as good as the American stuff, and it shows because we don't have our little mouse friend yet.

Easter Vacation here is like a whole week ordeal here.  The sad thing is that when we ask people what 'Påske' or Easter means to them they have without fail said 'vacation'  :(  I guess that's why I'm here though, to help change that general idea of what Easter REALLY means.  

Thursday, we had district meeting in Viborg, and then came back and invited one older woman named ‘H’ that we have been teaching to baptism, and she said she would if she found out it was true, and was able to see the blessings from it.  Hopefully she holds to her commitments!  

We also found the best pastry in Skive, which wasn't that hard since there are only two bakeries ;)  'Det Varme Brød' bakery wins out ... in English 'The Warm Bread'.  

Friday we went to a man named ‘B's house who is from the Congo, and speaks only French and Danish.  He only prays in French so I feel like I got a taste of what the rest of the Pitcher missionaries have typically gotten a taste of :)  He actually just recently lost his father and was happy to talk with us about the church as he has talked with missionaries before.  We'll see how that progresses.  

Saturday, we got stood up again for our English class. I think it might just have to do with the Easter vacation but we'll see.  It's such a bummer because we were so looking forward to that.  

We went knocking in the evening, and found one lady named ‘M’ who I'm excited to see.  A man came up with his family and complimented me on my bicycle, and tried to get his shy young son to speak English to me since he was learning it in school, it was a fun little moment, and even though they weren't really interested, it was a good chance to build a relationship.  

Sunday, Easter came and finally I was able to go outside with only my white shirt on!!  It's so nice outside now.  It had been very off and on and windy the last few days but now it is wonderful.  

The Viborg Elders set a baptismal date with their investigator Carl, just the funniest old man you ever did see, and he even asked me to speak at his baptism.. mostly because he doesn't know a ton of LDS people other than them in our branch, but also I guess I have talked with him, and taught him in guest class so that will be fun.  

The ‘K’s (an older couple in our branch) had us over for lunch, and we were full through dinner.  What a blessing to, because we have to buy groceries tomorrow since all of the stores are closed today for 2nd Easter... I swear they are just making this stuff up now.  

Love you both so much!  Have a great week!

Ældste Pitcher

HUGE NEWS!!! TRANSFER CALLS JUST CAME AND THAT PHOTO THAT I SENT WITH ELDER OGDEN, WELL YEAH, SO HE'S MY NEW COMPANION!!! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA YESSSSS!!!  I'M SO EXCITED!!  They are actually combining the Skive and Viborg areas and so I'm GOING TO VIBORG!! This is so Exciting!!

April 14, 2014

I guess I never knew that I was related to Martin Harris, one of the witnesses to the Book of Mormon, or maybe you just left that out, or more than likely, I just wasn't paying attention for the last 18 years ;) is it Papa's grandpa's brother? I think? It might be farther back than that, but What? Crazy. Anyway, that was just mind blowing.

Pretty much all of our work has been done, and if you go back as far as you can in one of my lines, there is King Arthur of the Round table.... hmmm. I'm skeptical haha, but it's definitely there if you go back far enough.

Anyway, very exciting to hear about everything going on at home, I'm really excited for Josh, and Quinn. They both seem ready to go, and will both make awesome missionaries.

On to my week. You already heard the big fun from Monday, Tuesday: our zone made a 400 Book of Mormons with testimonies challenge, and we have led the pack in Skive here the last week, out of the 14 that our zone gave out total, or something close to that,, we had 5 of them!

The work seems to always be going slow, but this is something we are starting to get better at it seems like.

We started a language class this day after having gotten in contact with 8 men from the Congo that wanted to learn English. They even wanted us to take a half hour to teach them a little about the Book of Mormon, and bring swahili books for them to translate from to English, and teach them how to pray, but they left us hanging this last week at what was supposed to be our second meeting, so we are hoping it was just due to the fact that everyone here takes a long vacation for Easter, and that they will actually show up next week.

Anywho. Thursday: Went to Randers for District meeting, got a delicious Kebab from Pepito's before coming back and working the rest of the day in Skive.

Friday: It has smelt like something has died outside for the last two weeks, today was especially bad because the wind started to grab hold of it, so it really hit you in the face.

We set up two appointments for the coming week, one with a woman who wants us to come help move a big tree away, and the other is a young mom, who is interested in what we do as missionaries! Yes! We finished out the evening with the ‘R's’, the couple in our ward that are just awesome. It was a classic visit, Saft (like juice, but comes concentrated), cookies, their small dog trying to jump on my leg under the table during the spiritual thought, and Brother ‘R’ expressing his opinions, which are always things that we agree with.

Saturday: We got burned at our language class like I said, then another appointment burned us, it rained the whole day, and then we had a nice lesson with a woman who told us she would read from the Book of Mormon and that we could come back after our Restoration lesson, so that was good. Her tiny dog didn't sit still the entire time, racing all over the room, it was hilarious, and really distracting, but lots of fun to play with.

Sunday: ‘B’, one of my favorite members here in Skive (makes delicious classic Danish food) gave me a mini shoe horn that I mentioned in passing I was looking for somewhere, so she went and bought me one. It was awesome!

Then we went out knocking after church, and we knocked into this one guy named ‘M’ who had a 4 year old son named ‘C’ who initially answered the door and immediatly started insulting our Danish haha. He thought we were from Germany. It was the funniest thing, he just kept saying 'Far, de der taler forkert sprog!' (‘Dad, they are speaking the wrong language’) and would start laughing to himself again. ‘M’ on the other hand, was very impressed with our Danish, and that we would be willing to serve like we do. He was very impressed, and took a book. He was my favorite part of the week, and it was only a 10 minute door conversation. We are going to go by next week as well, so fingers crossed that we can start teaching a family!

That's pretty much it for the week though, I love you guys, and hope all continues to go well for you! Crazy to think that in another month it will have been a year since I got my call :O

Love You!
Ældste Pitcher

April 7, 2014

I'll just start off right into it and go off in tangents as necessary.

Mandag: We talked with Betty the female priest from the Folke Kirke, I think we already talked about that but it went well, and we are going back.

Then I found the jacket. We actually went to the initial store on the gågade that I saw it first at, but they didn't have it anymore. Then, we went to another men's clothing store and found the same beautiful jacket, this time in black. I was so excited, not that I wouldn't have loved the other blue one, but black just fits me better.

Tirsdag: We went to Struer to work, and the first two people that we went to stop by didn't have pants on when they came to the door. I guess that is just a common thing in Struer, because it happened once more before we left. Luckily they had something else on.... but not that lucky.

The day went well other than that though and we handed out a Book of Mormon to a young mother, just recently moved in to that home, and said we could stop by another time!

We also answered people's questions about our church at a family history fireside that was open to everyone this day, and we taught the Word of Wisdom. They weren't very interested, but they still love the family history lab so hopefully they will continue to have their hearts softened as they come do their family work.

Onsdag: Went up to Randers where our District leader (Ældste Madsen, Æ. Francis' companion in Copenhagen just before me) and his companion (Æ. Brindley) were waiting to go on splits with us before Zone training.

I went out with Æ. Brindley in the first half of the day and we stopped by a lady, and talked with her about family history work and the gospel, previous missionaries they have had on visit, and because I was the senior companion I got the confidence boost of realizing I was leading the whole hour long conversation. It feels so good to be able to understand and express myself.

In the evening I went with Æ. Madsen, and we went out to knock doors. We knocked into some Jehovah's witness missionaries and had a nice little visit with them. They kept trying to give us pamphlets even after they told us they didn't want us trying to convert them, but whatever.

We still bore testimony of what we knew while respecting their views even though nobody got converted. Plus they gave us cookies so they have to be nice right?

Here is where it the evening gets fun.. We pull up to the apartment and Æ. Madsen tells me about a way that we can hop up onto the balcony in the back and scare Æ. Taylor and Æ. Brindley, he said 'lets do it' and I said 'sounds like fun'.

I don't want you to freak out, the climb was really easy, and I didn't fall, but when we finally got Æ. Taylor to come to the door, he opened it and quickly told us to be quiet because they were in the other room with President Sederholm planning. The blood must have left my face. I thought he was going to chew us out, but it didn't come as a surprise the next day when he laughed in our interview, just after his interview with Æ. Madsen, and told me 'you Elders should have just come in to the living room, I was counting on a group planning session with you'.

Just a fun little missionary story :) President is Fantastic. I just know that he is going to be serving in high leadership positions of the church one day.

Tørsdag: Zone training in Aarhus. Wonderful city, wonderful zone training. I received my 'missionary moment' this training because my birthday is in April, and there were some very nice things said about me, many of which had to do with my sense of humor, which made me pretty happy. Fun is never a bad thing. In fact, Pres. Sederholm even said 'as I'm sure many of you have seen, one great thing about Elder Pitcher is his sense of humor, he's just funny' it was something to that affect, and it made me all giddy to see everyone share a chuckle over that haha.

Fredag: We also had a nuts guy on the street that we contacted try and take us to a church not realizing that we knew full well where our own church was, then he called his dad trying to have him look up the address on google so we finally just said forget it and took off making sure he didn't follow us home.

Lørdag: Viborg Elders came and we started general conference which poured over into Søndag, and that was pretty much it for the week.

We went to some limestone mines this morning, but that will come through in the pictures. This was a good one haha.

Love you both so much!
Ældste Pitcher