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| I got to visit the Christus this last week in Vor Frue Kirke! Absolutely amazing, I got the chills just looking at it. |
Hello Friends and Family! I have a lot to talk about this
week, so I'm going to jump right in to it!
We had splits with the Assistants this week and I was
here in Ordrup with Ældste King. I really learned a lot from Ældste King and I
truly appreciate his leadership he's given to the mission. We stopped by a lot
of people on splits, but the highlight was our lesson with *Janet* [name changed for privacy]. We helped her
get packed up and ready to move, and afterwards we gave a lesson about studying
the scriptures. It went great and you can definitely see how much the church
has blessed her already. When we first met her she was truly struggling from a
lot of the problems going on in her life. But we saw how much she loved the
church that first Sunday, and we love to see how this Gospel is changing her.
We are going to miss her when she moves this Friday.
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| The statue was being constructed in 1820 and was finished in 1821. The artist was inspired to write these words above the Statue which says in Danish: "Denne er Min Søn Den Elskelig Hører Ham" which means in English, "This is My Beloved Son, Hear Him." Coincidence? I think not! |
We also had splits with Birkerød this past week and I was
with Ældste Enniss in Birkerød. He is a really sincere missionary. He really
wants to do his very best and love the people in his area. I was really
impressed with his attitude and desire. He also showed a lot of interest and
love to me which is such a great quality to have and one which I really
appreciate. We had a great time together in Birkerød.
We made a ton of appointments with people while we were
there and stopped by a lot of people. It was pretty funny, actually, because I
had to use Ældste Metcalfs bike and he is so much taller than I am so I had to
stand the entire time while cycling! I was pretty sore afterwards, to say the
least, but we were greatly blessed!
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| At Latest Leadership Council |
Probably the thing I'll remember most was our appointment
with *Doug* [name changed for privacy]
and his brother. They have investigated the church before but dropped the
missionaries because they didn't really see the need for a Book of Mormon or
organized church. We made an appointment with them the evening before and then
stopped by the next day. They are amazing. Just from reading the Bible they
basically believe everything that we do already. They truly are incredible
brothers and the love for people and their understanding and love for the
Gospel is absolutely incredible to see. Their father was a Muslim but while he
was in prison he had a dream about Jesus Christ which really confused him. So
in one night he read the entire New Testament and became converted to
Christianity. He spent the rest of his time in prison teaching his inmates
about Jesus Christ and converting them to the Gospel.
Their father sounds like the most incredible man. They
always really loved meeting with the missionaries because they love meeting
fellow Christians here in Denmark, but they felt last time that the
missionaries were trying to tell them that their faith was wrong and we were
right, which troubled them because they knew that their faith in Jesus Christ
was correct. We were able to explain to them that that wasn't the case, but we
were just trying to add on to the correct faith which they already had in
Christ and build up their faith, no tear it down. They were extremely pleased
from that answer and have decided to start reading in the Book of Mormon! I
really have high-hopes for them.
I was also able to see Ældste Enniss in action with some
members. We started a family mission plan with a lady in their ward and
afterwards went to eat at a member's home named John Thompson. We ate some
Rødgrød med Fløde and Ældste Enniss led in a great lesson about the Atonement.
Great lesson, great appointment!
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| Heart of Copenhagen! |
I then got back to my area with Ældste Merrill. To be
honest, I've been feeling a little down. I've not really been sad or anything,
but there hasn't been a lot going on in our area and we've been trying our best
in our current circumstances, but because of Ældste Merrill's knee it's been
hard to do a lot of our own finding. It's been especially hard because I feel
like I am becoming the best missionary I've ever been, but I haven't been able
to act to my full potential. Basically we can just stop by members, our current
investigators, and old potential investigators. So the next few days we didn't
even have any appointments. Sunday morning when I began my fast I decided to
fast for a new investigator that we could begin teaching...and the miracles
came. And from the most unlikely of sources as well. *Janet*.
On Saturday *Janet* was waiting for us to come by and
help move a washer, but on her way home her watch broke and she needed to go
get it repaired which made her late for our appointment. But while she was
waiting at the bus stop in front of the watch place, she met a Filipino woman,
around 24 years old, and started talking to her. *Janet* has been so happy for
all the help that we've been giving her that almost instantly she started
talking about missionaries and the church with this Filipino woman, and the Filipino
woman ended up asking if she could come to church with her the next day, and *Janet*
said of course! So, sure enough, *Janet* comes walking in to church with her
new friend, walking very proudly because of her great missionary work!.
The Filipino woman is a very strong believer in
Christianity, but since she's moved to Denmark about 9 months ago she has felt
lost, abandoned, and that she hasn't been fulfilling her duty to God. It's also
always been her dream to be a missionary. Five days before her coming to church
with us, she came across a movie on YouTube. It's titled, "The Other Side
of Heaven." I think we all know that movie. But she absolutely loved it
and it was the first time she ever had any experience with our church. After
that she really started thinking over religion and started searching for a
church to go to. Friday evening, she got down and just prayed that God would
give her some guidance in her life, because with all of her friend and family
problems she just felt lost. The very next day she met *Janet* at the bus stop.
She actually didn't have any clothes to bring to church,
so *Janet* gave her some dresses that she could have to come to church in the
future. She loved Sacrament Meeting. She described it as if there was someone
who had a hand on her shoulder the entire meeting, and there was just peace in
her heart. After Sacrament Meeting we went and taught a class to her in English
with the sister missionaries for Sunday School about the Restoration, because
the person her generally teaches English Sunday School was gone. It was
probably the most amazing Restoration lesson I've taught in my entire mission. She
is so sincere in her search for God and what's right. She began by telling us
that she desired to come closer to God, and we assured her she was in the right
place.
We taught the Restoration up until the Great Apostasy,
and right after that, she asked us the question, "Well, what do you all
think about dispensations? I mean, Adam had a dispensation, and so did Moses
and Abraham, so what does your church think about dispensations, especially in
the time that we live in?" We hadn't even used the word
"dispensation" in our lesson yet, but she already knew herself what
they were. We then shared the story about Joseph Smith, explained to her that
we now live in the Dispensation of the Fullness of Times and then testified
that we knew that these things were true. I think that was the only time that I
got emotional as I shared my testimony about Jesus Christ, Joseph Smith being
called as a prophet, and this being God's church.
She then asked, "What's the Book of Mormon, and how
is it different from the Bible?" Apparently she learned just a little bit
about the Book of Mormon from the movie. We explained where the Book of Mormon
comes from, how it is used with the Bible, and how it's ultimate purpose is to
invite people to come unto Christ and verify the truthfulness of the work. She
then asked, "How can I get a copy of that book?" We assured her that
we could get her a copy.
And as if it couldn't get any better, she asked,
"What does your church think about baptism?" Seriously?! It was as if
she was inspired every time to ask the exact right questions at the precise
time we wanting to talk about those topics. Unfortunately, we ran out of time
and the other class was trying to get in so we didn't get to talk too much
about baptism, but I feel like if we had 5 more minutes, she would have accepted
a baptismal date. But we have a time to meet with her tomorrow and talk more
about the church.
There is something special about her, and I'm not sure
what it is. But all yesterday I was really emotional in church as I thought of
all of the little miracles that happened in her life to prepare her for the big
miracle of meeting us. I am especially grateful as I think about us teaching *Janet*.
There was some driving force that gave me the patience and the love needed to
continue teaching *Janet* even when it seemed we were making very little
progress. And I truly do love her. And now, not only *Janet's* life has been
changed as she has returned to the church but now we've met [this Filipino sister]. And I already
have such a love and strong connection to her which I cannot describe. Thank
God that he has put me here in Gladsaxe, and not only that, but that he has
made it a trial and a struggle so that when these blessings have come that my
joy has been filled to overflowing. Thanks be to God that I'm a missionary.
I love receiving your emails and letters. I can't express
how much I appreciate all the sacrifices you all have made to send me out here.
I don't even want to think where I would be in my life without me mission. So,
thank you, and remember that I love all of you! Can't wait to hear more from
you next week!
MKH,
-Ældste Wawro
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