It's Almost April in Odense

Can you believe it's almost April? Ahhhh time is flying! I'm so excited for General Conference and the Women's Conference. I think it's so fun that everyone can go together - I wish I could be there to go to conference with you! :)

This week was a lot of finding and a lot of fun times! We had 3 appointments set with new investigators, and... we got burned for all of them. Bummer! But that's okay, we did a lot of contacting in the park and knocking on doors! 

It's really fun to do with family history... and also sometimes kind of awkward. The Word for Family history is slægtsforskning - which translates to ancestry research. Unfortunately if we don't pronounce the L enough it sounds like we're saying sexforskning - which is a very different kind of research if ya know what I'm sayin'. No Wonder people think we're a weird cult! ;) Luckily if someone misunderstands us they usually say something and then we can re-explain so they know what we're talking about. And then they're more than happy to listen to us! 

We had a cool "coincidence" happen - in district meeting this week the elders brought up a couple named S and V. They had gotten a call from Sister Hansen, a senior missionary in mission office, asking the missionaries to check up on this couple because S is the son of someone Elder Hansen knew when he served his first mission here. But no one really knew how to get in contact with them! It turns out we had their number on our phone under the name B (we think S goes by both names) and when we called it, S said he and V wanted to meet! They set an appointment for Saturday, but then weren't able to make it, but! We know who they are and how to
get ahold of them so something good can happen there! :)

We work with a recent convert named H, who is the sweetest girl ever! I think I've told you about her before - she met the missionaries while living in England and got baptized there last August, then moved here for school! We had a really great lesson with her on Wednesday. We're doing personal Progress with her so we did one of the Projects and talked about the Plan of Salvation. It was really fun to do personal Progress Again! I forgot how much I love that program!! And yesterday we helped Helen substitute for a primary class. The kids didn't talk very much but they were all really sweet! :)

I would just like to say I am so grateful for piano lessons and being the primary pianist before I left! Knowing how to play the piano has been super helpful here, and yesterday I got to play the piano for the primary and it was super fun. Since I was the primary pianist before, I knew all the songs and I guess they have a hard time finding people to play the piano in the primary sooooo I got to do it! Plus this Sunday I'll be accompanying for a musical number in church, and President and Sister Sederholm will be there, soooo pray for me so I can play well! ;)

It's kind of a slow moment in the missionary work right now as far as investigators go - but it's really good for me because it's building my faith. We're doing a lot of finding, and sometimes it seems like absolutely no one wants to hear about the church - or they're interested in Family history, but not much else. 

But just because we can't see the gospel changing lives doesn't mean Christ isn't reaching people through us! And it's through the small, simple things - like being able to play piano, or vacuuming the house of an older member who just got knee surgery and can't do it herself, or having great conversations with people at their doors. 

Because even if they aren't ready now to hear about the gospel, we represent Jesus Christ and people will remember how we treat them. Sometimes I get worried that I'm not doing enough as a missionary, but then I remember that all I have to do is follow the rules and do what Christ would do - and once I remember that, it's not that hard to do the Lord's will!

Søster Barrett and Søster McVey

I love Sister McVey and this area! We're having lots of fun together and we both want to do the Lord's will. Last night we were walking home from church (our ward meets from 2 to 5) and walked past this lady who was weeding her garden. Sister McVey asked if she needed help, and she said no but that she knows someone from our church! And then she and her husband talked with us for 10 or 15 minutes about what we do as missionaries. They were SO sweet!

This Wednesday we're going to the zoo (we get to Wear pants! woohoo!!!) and I'm way excited! Apparently Odense's zoo is the best in Northern Europe. :)

I love you and I hope you have a great Monday! Keep up the good Work!  And I keep forgetting to tell you - I've seen a couple of those hat helmets that you saw in that video about Denmark! They're so cute!!

Have a good week! :)