Autumn in Aalborg

Basically, there has been a bunch of craziness and excitement and unusual experiences here in Danmark this week! 

On Wednesday we found out that Sister Bishop is being transferred. I am so sad! I'm going to miss her so much! But it's a good thing - she'll be in Copenhagen, and she'll hopefully be able to get some good rest and physical therapy so she won't be in so much pain! Sister Bishop is so tough. 

She has really set an example to me of enduring cheerfully - she is always smiling and happy, even though she has gone through so much. I basically have no excuse ever to slack off on my mission, because Sister Bishop never does! The transfer news came just in time because the next day... Sister Bishop's inner ear started to really hurt. We had an eating appointment that day that lasted really long and the whole time Sister Bishop was fighting what turned out to be a bad ear infection and a fever! 

Afterwards we went on member splits so she could go to the emergency room and I could go to the church to help the Young Women with a musical program they're preparing for (I had to play the piano  - it's been a while. Luckily they don't need me to play for the actual program, so the songs will actually sound pretty! Haha!)

The Young Woman activity was like heaven. Those young women are amazing. They were all so happy and excited to be there! I started getting a little teared up seeing how well they got along and how much of the Spirit they had because it reminded me of you and Sydney and Emily, and the ward in Hawaii. It was super weird knowing I'm only a year older than some of them. ;) One of the girls wrote one of the songs they're singing in the program, and it's really good! They're just a really talented, sweet group.

So, once Sister Bishop and I were reunited (The Middlemases took her to the hospital, they have been so helpful!) she told me about her ear. She had a bad infection and a perforation in her ear drum! 

But we kept on working and plowing through it all as usual, and by the time Saturday night rolled around, the infection had gotten worse instead of better. So late that night, we got permission to go with the Bishop and his wife to the emergency room again to get it checked out again. We didn't get home until 2 in the morning! How's that for the crazy missionary life? 

And on the way home we drove past... Jomfru Anne Gade in all her glory. Jomfru Anne Gade is a street that's famous for it's bars, strip clubs, and all-around partiness! It's the one time on my mission I'll ever be out of the apartment after 10:30, on a Saturday night no less. Woo! That was definitely a fiesta!

Anyways, we got home really late. And the next day we weren't allowed to leave the apartment so  Sister Bishop could rest! It was definitely the weirdest day I've had on my mission so far - we did nothhhhhing but sit around and watch church movies. I felt antsy all day! But it was a really good thing because Sister Bishop was able to rest, and her ear is doing a little better

Some other fun news - we invited two of our investigators (they're married) to be baptized on the 7th of December! They said yes to being baptized but they want to be baptized in the new year when all the Christmas craziness has calmed down. I'm so excited for them! I hope I'm still here when they get baptized.

On Friday we had language study and a lunch appointment with the Bishop's family. Their daughter Anne is 17 and the cutest girl ever! She does language study with us once a week and this week she taught us Danish Christmas songs and had us read her a Christmas story in Danish. It's really nice to have someone to help us with pronunciation and intonation! She is the best! 

We had make-your-own sandwiches for lunch... the Danish way. Which means there was butter, jam, chocolate, cheese, honey, tomatoes, and cucumbers! Don't worry, they weren't all combined on one. There are certain combinations that people put on open-faced sandwiches here, such as butter, jam, and cheese. 

I thought I was doing a good job of following the rules by putting butter, jam, cheese, and chocolate on mine. Uh... no. Turns out not even in Denmark is cheese and chocolate an acceptable combination! Anne and her mom were laughing sooooo hard at me. I was laughing too! It was actually pretty good together though, so maybe I'll just keep doing it. ;)

So that has been our crazy crazy week! And I'm looking forward to another crazy week! I told Dad this in my email to him but I'll just say it again. I'm really glad that all I have to focus on doing is what the Lord asks me to do: serve Him! I know He's going to help me and strengthen me, because He knows what the plan is. 

So even if I get my companion and I totally lost because I still don't know the area that well and we'll be biking instead of taking buses, and even if my Danish is still not that great, Heavenly Father will still be putting people in our path to talk to about the gospel! And we'll all be stronger and better off for it. 

I'm going to miss Sister Bishop so much but... you never know! We might be companions again in the future! And, bonus!! The ward she's going to be in is also Thomas Kofod's ward - as in the actor who plays Jesus in all the church films. I think she really wants to have Christmas dinner with him. ;)

The church is true! Prayers get answered and life is happy!

(But feel free to pray that I survive this week.) :)

And I forgot to say, the interview went really well on Saturday! The guy conducting the interview was Mormon, so it wasn't even scary. :)

I love you all so much! I pray for you every day!

Love,

Hannah

 PS pictures - it's fall! So I took a picture with a leaf! And more leaves! And also a selfie since it was selfie Saturday. ;) 

PPS - I forgot to post a link to the Copenhagen Denmark Mission website.  It has pictures from when new missionaries come to Danmark and at Zone Conference/trainings/etc.  And there's a picture of yours truly if you scroll down in to the October posts!  woohoo!  (there is a picture of me hugging Søster Bishop on the first day we met.  It is very awkward and unattractive.  I apologize!)