FROZEN AT THE BUS STOP

Just for the record.  If we have to travel to church by bus all winter long, this Hustru will not be attending.  Amen.....  Well, maybe not.  I don't mind going by bus,  but if I have to stand more than 5 minutes in the cold,  I start freezing from my toes up and in 10 minutes, you can chip me off the sidewalk and use me to cool your Pepsi. And today was chilly and humid and we had to stand and wait for two different buses while the  water in the air dampened us like a cold sauna.  Is there such a thing as 120% humidity?   I won't even mention what the humidity does to my hair.  Cat fur comes to mind.

So, we invited the sweetest little lady to church with us today and we can't take her by car because the mission has this liability thing that does not allow us to drive anyone but missionaries anywhere.  The only alternative was Bus or Metro.  We picked the bus.  Buses are everywhere in Copenhagen and the stop is not far from our apartment, but it was late, so we missed our connecting bus and had to wait. Sunday the buses are not so frequent, so if one driver is 8 minutes late it multiplies your wait time down the line.  Bless.  So here we are at the bus stop with half-awake city folk, lots of smokers and Halloweeners (adult, costumed  and a day late ? ?)  drifting by.

We were late for church and sneaked in before the sacrament which Elder Buxton was supposed to bless, by the way. Feeling a bit bedraggled, I struggled to pay attention.  It was fast meeting, sometimes not the best meeting for non-members, but the branch came through.  Sweet, sweet testimonies and a great spirit.  Mia, our friend, surprised us with her beautiful voice.  She is pixie tiny and partially paralyzed, but can belt out a good Mormon hymn with the best of them.  Her spirit is so strong, and for all her problems, she is happy and positively jubilant when she sings.

She has been to church off and on for a few years, but likes the idea of attending a small branch and was perfectly comfortable.  We're hoping she will come often. The big problem is that she must travel by bus and has to change busses to get here, so it takes a real effort for her.  She loves the church, but has a Catholic heart. She does not attend the Catholic church at all, but has Hungarian Catholic roots with all that deep tradition.  Oh, by the way, she speaks Danish, English, German and some Hungarian.

We have eaten with Mia several times and she is just thrilled to cook for us.  How she pulls off fixing a meal is truly amazing to watch.  One arm is totally paralyzed.  One of Mia's specialties is Ægkage (egg cake).  She's quite a wizard with spices.  Really yummy.  She also bakes her own bread and is helping me next Saturday make some gluten-free bread.  With her generous soul, she would make such a good Mormon and we are praying that she will feel the spirit of the gospel in her life and realize the blessings of becoming a member of the church. 

Mia´s famous Ægkage

  

This is the view from Mia's one-room apartment which she shares with Benzai, her dog. This view is a fitting background for the classical music that floats and shimmers in the air in her apartment.  She loves the Mormon Tabernacle Choir AND her vocal specialty is Gregorian Chants.  Yeah.  She sings them.  The Danish love their theater, ballet and classical music.  It's a bit of a cultural shock sometimes for these down- home Mendonites.

Oh and by the way, Mia is a miracle with flowers.  Check out her balcony flower boxes.  Inside, her windows are filled with pots of paper- thin lilies, bright pink, ruffle- leafed amaryllis, and other lush, glossy plants with nary a dead leaf.  She does not like her picture taken, but maybe I can sneak her in later.