ODDS AND ENDS (MOSTLY ODDS) AKA THE BINKY TREE

We recently spent an afternoon with our friends, the Brookes.  Finally got to see what they do each day.  They are Family History Missionaries, our neighbors, and the best kind of people I know.  They spend each day taking photos in the archives in the Frederiksberg Rådhus (like a city building with an archive.)  Their work is called "record capturing" and there are couples doing this all over the world. These records go to Salt Lake via Germany and are then indexed to go into Family Search. 
This is where they work each day, all day.  They are working with big old, dusty, marvelous census records bound in books. You should see the handwriting!  She loads the pages and he runs the camera.  I am impressed!  We have a second couple doing this in Copenhagen and a couple in Iceland as well.

The Brookes are going home in August (we are so sad) and they need a replacement couple. Anybody?  I am so NOT joking. GIVE US A CALL!

City Building

Afterwards, their boss, Lars, took us up in the clock tower of the archive for a view and history lesson.  This is not open to the public.  You have to have "connections" to go up here.  Lucky us.

Us and Lars on top of the city building

Hidden garden right in the middle of Copenhagen

Then, we took a little boat trip in a huge garden hidden in the heart of the city behind the Rådhus.   You would never guess this was here.  The entrance was a little rose-covered archway off a noisy city street.  From the boat, we watched the stream meander and curl silently as we slid between over-grown banks of shrubs and flowering bushes;  then here and there the bank opened and flattened into acres of lawn with picnic tables and chatting, lunch-time paper-baggers. Then, as the boat drifted around another bend, the scene shifted and the silence closed in again.  Except for the bird chatter.  Very peaceful.  Relaxing.  Best of all, we didn't have to row.

This garden is so big, that one can get lost.  Strolling along after debarking, we stumbled onto something we have been looking for since last summer.  It is famous, and  a very popular attraction for people here in Copenhagen.  Drum Roll Please.......

THE BINKY TREE

What you see here folks, is just one little side branch.  This tree is LOADED with binkies.

Binky Heaven

Bless.  When your sweet little pumpkin has decided that she (or he) has outgrown the binky,  she attaches it to the tree and leaves with fond farewells.  And notes.  And tears.  Every toddler I've seen in Denmark has a binky and there is no pressure at all to be done.  When one is ready.............. this is where you come.  No stress here.  This is Denmark, after all.

We really do have assignments and activities in the mission besides being in the office each day,  and  sight-seeing on weekends.   Below is Sjælland Zone Conference.

I am on the far right in blue and Elder Buxton is........ well, not in the picture.  He missed the conference because of An Eventful Day.  We started out calling an ambulance in the early morning for Elder Johnson (from Bornholm) who was staying with us.  We later found that he had had a mini stroke in the night.  Scary for all of us.  Once we had him away in the ambulance, we scrambled to re-arrange our schedule because Sister Johnson was going to help with the meal at conference and get an elder to a doctor´s appointment and she ended up in the hospital all day with her husband. Where she needed to be. He had us all worried, but all we could do then is stay in contact with them by phone.

Unfortunately, the conference was about 40 km away, so Elder Buxton took me to conference so I could help with meal preparation,  then he drove back to Copenhagen to get some hot, catered food we had ordered.  While we were eating, he drove the Elder who was waiting at zone conference back to Copenhagen to the doctor and waited with him, then ran back to help clean up and drive people home.  Typical day in the life of the office couple, especially Elder Buxton who runs a taxi, delivery, moving and errand service on the side.  So it seems.  Elder Johnson is OK, thank goodness, and was able to make his way home on the ferry the next day with his wife and us as escorts.

I got to sit in on some of zone conference and especially enjoyed the instruction on repentance and the atonement by the president and his wife.  Masterful teachers.  You know those kind of teachers you so enjoy, they could read the phone book and still be inspiring?  That kind.  If you haven't done so you should read "Our Identity and Our Destiny" by Tad R. Callister,  an address  given during Education Week at BYU in 2012.  The President asked all the missionaries to read this to prepare for conference.  Wow!

We also get involved with dinners for new missionaries and departures.  This is a departure dinner at the Mission Home.  One of our very few days of what I would call warm weather so far this year.

Departure Dinner for the two couples to my right:  the Blackhams and the Turpins. We will miss these two wonderful couples who have served faithfully on Jylland.

And this week we welcomed three new couples:  The Forslunds, Shurtliffs and Yates.  The one thing constant in the mission field is change. We have learned to just take a deep breath and move on.

SPRING HAS SPRUNG

I have never seen spring come so fast in my life.  We had utterly leafless, budless, brown bushes and trees one week and by the next, full blown greenery.  I had literally examined branches  looking for buds by May, because I was more than a little worried.   Well.  Not to worry.  The buds popped out from wherever they were hiding, unfurled their leaves and ushered in a new season with a flourish. Endless rows of blossoming trees and parading tulips unveiled their colors and released lovely fragrances. And you should see the brilliant fields of rap seed (canola).  Literally hurts your eyes.
I  L O V E   S P R I N G!!

Every missionary in Denmark has his/her picture taken in the yellow fields in May.  So............. On our way to Frederiksbergs Slot, we couldn't resist.

Our company arrived just in time for the display.  Anissa, Courtney with husband, Jackson, and McKenzie flew in early in the morning after a 16 hour lay-over in Reykjavik, Iceland  where they caught a 10-hour tour and saw a bit of the unique Iceland landscape:  ice, hot springs and waterfalls.   We warned them to sleep on the way over because we had to hit the ground running in order for them to see everything.  After a short stop at the apartment, we grabbed a train to Roskilde to the Domme Kirke where all the Queens of Denmark are buried.  The church is full of caskets from years back. Many families constructed a whole chapel and attached it to the main church to house their ancestors, and the caskets are magnificent.   Many crafted from marble; gilded and carved by famous artisans. Scores of them.  Have to see to believe.

Chapel of the Magi.  Wonderful frescoes and 2 sepulchres made by Dutch artists as small antique temples.  

The next day, we hopped on a canal boat for a water tour, then went to Frederiksberg Slot in Hillerød. The National Museum.  We toured all three floors, and the outside as well.  Courtney and Jackson had a selfie-stick and well, what can I say? They used it.  A lot.  Goofy.  But you can take some nice shots of yourself if you can keep from laughing out loud.

Frederiksberg Slot

The family attended church with us on Sunday and I think they enjoyed it.  All in Danish.  The kids met all the branch members (not a long process) and the mission President and his wife were there as well. Great spirit in all the meetings. I had to play the organ because our organist was in the USA to a grand-daughter's wedding.  Playing hymns from the Danish Hymnbook is an adventure on several levels:  the page numbers are different,  the key is often different, the titles don't translate so well and there are many unfamiliar Danish hymns which we don't have in our book.  Also, many of our hymns are not in theirs.  When I play the prelude music from the hymn book,  every page is a surprise...........  Oh and one more thing, you sing all the verses.  Yes.  Every.  One. One of their songs has ten verses.  I just told the R.S. president to wave her hand when we got to the last verse on that hymn, so I would know when to stop.  It's interesting how much you rely on the words when you play a hymn, and feel panic if you can't read them.

Lots of steps and cold Baltic

Stvyn's Klint

After church, we drove down the coast to Stvyn's Klint.  The dark clouds rolled in, but we hiked down to the Baltic and dipped hands in the water - too cold for toes.  The clouds made the lighting perfect for a picture of the bay.

Vor Frues Kirke - The original Kristus

By Monday, we had played hooky from the office long enough, and we had a holiday and transfers looming, so we turned our guests loose and they saw all kinds of touristy things on their own.  They were getting pretty confident with the buses.  We joined them later at Vor Frues Kirke to see the Kristus. And we got a bonus:  someone was practicing the huge old pipe organ on the upper floor for a concert.  Let me tell you, these old churches were made with acoustics in mind.  The music swelled and swirled and floated.  Furious runs ending with tiny golden notes hanging in the air.  Glorious.

The day wore us out, but they were all about trying some Danish food, so we ate frikadeller, a   popular, Danish  meatball.  Anissa's motto for the trip was "A pastry a day,"  so dessert was no problem.

Holgar Dansk, himself

On Tuesday, new missionary day, our brave company took a train north to Helsingør, booked the ferry to Sweden and back, and toured Kronbørg Castle.  By themselves!  Anissa remembered the statue and story of Holgar Dansk from her dad's old mission slides and finally found him in the dark maze-like rock tunnels under the castle.  Dimly lit and creepy tunnels.  But worth it.  She was thrilled!  Bought a miniature statue of the famous viking in the gift shop.

Vore Frslers Kirke

That night, we went to Tivoli (amusement park) and it was deserted.  Don't know why no one showed up, but we had fun and loved having no lines and no crowds in the souvenir shops.   Next morning, they (you'll notice I didn't say "we") climbed the tower on the outside of Vore Freslers Kirke.  This narrow stairway spirals up the outside of the church several hundred feet in the air and gets narrower, the higher you get.  You climb right to the top.  Courtney was petrified!!!  Crying petrified!!  Jackson has video proof.

The craziest way to spend money, ever.

But, she  got even when we went to the Fish Kiss Spa and Jackson squealed like a girl when the fish "kissed" his feet.   The manager of the spa was wise to put us in the basement or Jackson would have scared all the customers away.  He was in agony.  Courtney has video proof.  It's a stand-off.

We were able to do a session at the Copenhagen Temple one evening.  I love being in the temple with family.  Anissa and her girls love to be together, and I know exactly how they feel. We were sad to say goodbye after such a fun week, but end-of school for Anissa, and beginning of summer for the rest. Loved having them here!