my mark on Denmark: Cherries and freedom and holy ground

Kære Y'all,

How's it goin'? Let me tell something to you right now...I'M SO STINKIN' HAPPY!!! We just got transfer calls five seconds ago, and I found out that I will be with my twin SISTER PEARSON for yet another transfer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 3rd times a charm! I could just die and go to heaven. And then I get to stay here in the magical land of HORSENS for the remainder of my mission!!! HURRAH. Well... this just became the cherry on top of a week that was a hot fudge sundae.

Let me tell ya about this fabulous week my friends...

Speaking of cherries on top. Its CHERRY SEASON. I love cherries. We ate fresh ones with our friend Elly while we taught her about good ol' Thomas Monson. Elly really is just the birds wings. and all that jazz. We decided that we needed to invite our dear one-legged friend to be baptized. So, we popped the question.... and SHE SAID YES! She's going to the font on the 1st of November!! #WOOT

So...HAPPY LATE FOURTH OF JULY!!! One of our investigators called us up on the morning of the fourth and said "I don't really know what to say... but Congratulations with this day!"

I hope that y'all had a splendid day full of hot dogs and fireworks.

We spent the day in Århus (Denmark's #2 biggest city) on exchanges with the Sisters up there. They rock. They made us red, white, and blue pancakes for breakfast. They even tasted American.

We officially celebrated July Fourth on July sixth. We threw a little BBQ at the church with our best friends Yvonne, Laurent, Ankhaa, the elders, and Daniel. Because why not celebrate America's birthday with 2 Africans, a Dane, and an Asian? (America is a melting pot anyways right?) We feasted on baked beans, hot dogs, potato salad, chips, and this here beautiful fruit pizza...

We jammed on guitars and also played some ping pong. It was a BLAST.

As missionaries we are to always be inviting others to come unto Christ, so Sister Pearson and I got to share a spiritual thought with the gang. But amongst all the hubbub of making the food for this shindig and planning a patriotic party, we forgot to plan for THE MOST IMPORTANT PART. So, when it was time to share the Spiritual thought... we had to pull something from up our sleeve.

Sister P started to talk about Freedom and Bravery, because well ya know- Land of the Free Home of the Brave... The tricky part was tying that into the gospel! I asked everyone if they'd ever had an experience where they had to stand up for what they believe in.

"When I was in high school I had long hair and everyone was telling me to cut it. But I liked my long hair. So I stood up for what I believed in and didn't cut it." Thanks Elder Oakey. Thanks for that.

"I was hanging out with my friends and we were trying to decide what kind of Pizza to buy. I stood up for what I believed and ordered bacon." Another golden answer..... way to go Dan.

Meanwhile Sister Pearson was racking her little brain for some scripture to tie into all this.... Naturally she thought of Moroni. Because Moroni loves freedom. So she flips open to the first scripture she finds and has me read it....

"And it came to pass that he rent his coat; and he took a piece thereof, and wrote upon it- In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children- and he fastened it upon the end of a pole."

We were dying because this might have been the WORST spiritual thought that we'd ever given. But you know what...it was a good humbling experience. "If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear." If you read between those lines it actually says "if ye are not prepared...ye looketh like an idiot."

On a more successful note.... we were able to go to two Zone Trainings this past week!

Sister Pearson and I had planned to plan our training, but we were just so busy that we didn't get around to it until the night before! Procrastination at its finest. But it all came together. And let me tell you, it wasn't us that planned our training.... It was most definitely the Lord.

We taught about the Key Indicators that us missionaries are supposed to focus on, and how they aren't just numbers.

Those numbers represent people.

Those people are our friends, they are our brothers and sisters.

We talked about our own families and asked everyone to think about theirs... Think of someone you love, someone you miss. What if you were walking home today and saw your younger brother coming down the street. Would you stop and talk to him?! DEFINITELY. What if you were sitting on the train and your Grandpa came and sat beside you. Would you talk with him?! ABSOLUTELY.

Well the people we meet walking down the street and sitting next to us on trains are our brothers and sisters too. Whether we can remember it or not, they are our family. And we love them.

The amazing Elder Hawkes sang 'If the Savior Stood Beside Me' for us, and the words of the song and the beautiful music brought a very special presence into the room.

We then did a role play where each companionship was to teach one of their investigators a lesson. As if the Savior was beside them.

That was the most reverent, spiritual role play that I've ever been a part of.

As Sister Pearson and I were watching these missionaries teach, we were filled with an immense love for them all, and we could truly feel the presence of the Savior.

What if we loved everyone we meet as we love our own brothers and sisters?

What if we taught every lesson and served every day of our missions as if the Savior really was beside us?

We closed with the words of the Savior himself, from D&C 100:

"Behold, and lo, I have much people in this place, in the regions round about; and an effectual door shall be opened in the regions round about in this eastern land.

Therefore, I, the Lord, have suffered you to come unto this place; for thus it was expedient in me for the salvation of souls.
Therefore, continue your journey and let your hearts rejoice; for behold, and lo, I am with you even unto the end.

After we were done with our training, the Zone Leaders decided to set goals for how many baptisms and reactivations the zone could have within the months of July and August.

We weren't putting numbers down though.... They were to be names. As names started to be shouted out, an amazing feeling flooded the room. At the end, the board was full of the names of people that everyone loves. The names of our brothers and sisters that we would help come unto Christ, so that they can have eternal life.

I've never felt so much love in my whole life. The Spirit was tangible. It was an amazing experiece.

I felt the same way as President Sederholm when he said that "This is one of the days that I can count on my 2 hands.... Today we have been on Holy ground."

But that's just it.... we can be on Holy ground ALL the time- If we walk beside the Savior.

He's promised to always be with us. Even unto the end.

So think about that this week....

If the Savior stood beside me, would I do the things I do?

Would I think of His commandments and try harder to be true?

Would I follow His example, would I live more righteously?

If I could see the Savior standing nigh, watching over me.

He is always near me, though I do not see Him there.

And because He loves me dearly I am in His watchful care.

So I'll be the kind of person that I know I'd like to be

If I could see the Savior standing nigh, watching over me.