WEEK 56; August 17, 2015: A Danish joke, Charity, & Aviaaja - remember the young lady from Greenland?? Go back and read letters from first weeks in Denmark.

Danish Joke: 'Far, får får får?' 'Får får ikke får, får får lam.'

(translation) Dad, do sheep get sheep? "Sheep don't get sheep, sheep get lambs."

This joke is funny because the word for 'to get' and 'sheep' is the same. 

And now the joke isn't funny anymore because I had to explain it. :)

Oh my word, I have been TERRIBLE at managing my email time the last 3 weeks. Sorry!  But this week was a busy one! We had two zone trainings and splits, and this next week we're getting ready for a mission conference. ALSO, as you all know, it's my birthday. And Sister Reed’s birthday is tomorrow so this week is just going to be a party. :)

Our zone trainings this time around were about being more submissive to Heavenly Father's will. In our culture the word submissiveness sounds really negative and weak, but it's actually a Christ-like attribute. Christ was perfect because he did the will of the Father in all things. Submissiveness to God means that we give up what we want for what Heavenly Father wants. We do this because we love him and trust that what he wants is actually better for us anyways. Because it is. He knows everything, so it's smart to listen to him.

We also talked a lot about charity. President O'Bryant has observed that the missionaries who are happiest in the mission are the ones who love the Danish people. It's not the ones who have gotten the highest numbers, seen the most baptisms, or speak the language the best. It's the ones who really catch the vision of what this whole work is all about-reaching out in love to the people around us to bring them back to God.

These scriptures have become my new favorites this week, Moroni 7:45-47, especially verse 47.

45 And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

 46 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail—

 47 But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.

 

We went and did baptisms in the temple with Aviaaja on Saturday. She will have been a member for a whole year next month! She is so excited to go through the temple and get her endowment. It's so fun for both of us to live close to her again! We got lunch afterwards and had an amazing talk about how God prepares us through our lives for the things coming in our future. It really is humbling to look back and see how our past experiences get us ready for things coming up. Everything is a learning experience!

I love you all so much, thanks for your great examples and for everything you do for me! Have a great week!