Mirakler =)

It has been a great week in Taastrup. We have had more opportunities to find people and been able to teach a couple times. I was also able to be with Elder Enniss in Holbæk for companion exchanges. I've learned a lot from him and he as given me some insights and has helped realize on what I can do better. He is a very caring missionary and it was great to be with him.

Me and Elder Christensen were able to teach Familien Hansen this past week. They are doing great! Gitte, the mother, has begun to read from the beginning of the Book of Mormon, she was already on 1 Nephi 8 (as of last Thursday). She had many questions and it was a huge blessing to have Bror Kjeldsen with us, because he was able to connect and answer there questions in a great matter. At the end we asked who would like to say the prayer. Danni, the son, replied ''I did it last time it is your (The parents, Robert & Gitte) turn this time!'' Robert replied no and Gitte thought that she just couldn't do it. Bror Kjeldsen simply replied ''You can do it!'' And for the first time she openly gave a short and wonderful prayer! My heart was just filled with so much joy. It was a blessing to have them first hear their kids do it, have the influence from them (having the knowledge ''If my kids can do it why not me'') and also to have a member give a helping hand in saying ''you can do it!'' They are making progress still and they are taking small and simple steps that are getting them closer and closer to the Savior. Elder Christensen even helped them acknowledge how much better their lives have been since we have started meeting with them. He also helped them realize that they need to pray about the Book of Mormon and what we teach everyday. Danni said ''You know I have actually never tried that before.... I am going to try it this week.'' They ended up coming to church and stayed for all three hours and they loved it!

We were also able to meet with Samantha Jakobsen. She's brazilian, has a Danish husband, and randomly she came to church one day, about a year ago. We finally were able to meet with her! We dropped by and she let us on in. We had a good chat with her. She is almost done with schooling, and that's what has been hard to meet with her. She has to take like 5 tests by the end of June 24th. The is still really busy studying. We shared a spiritual message with her. We first asked her on how she got in contact with the church and if she has noticed a difference in her life since she met with the missionaries. She has a wonderful story. We asked her on her thoughts about Baptism. She also expressed her concerns. She feels like if she became a Member, that she would need to have kids. And she doesn't think she will be a good mother. And she is just not ready to have kids. She expressed that she isn't even close to finishing the Book of Mormon.

It is just amazing that we were able to sit with her and feel of her spirit and her testimony. This is my 3rd time talking with her and I say it every time ''She should already be a member''. We followed up on our previous commitment (that Elder Ludlow gave) on watching General Conference and watching it with a question in mind and it would be answered. She told us that she originally watched it and didn't get an answer. Than 2 weeks later it suddenly hit her and she got her answer. We helped her realize that she doesn't need to read the entire Book of Mormon before she gets an answer. We told her if she is willing to keep reading and begin now to pray about it than she would get an answer faster than she can imagine. Just like her General Conference experience. It may not come in one day. It may not come for another 2 weeks. But when we show our faith than the Lord will answer us. She loved that and said that she was going to begin and try it! She asked us to come after the 24th of June after testing, so that she can focus on her finals.

Also last Friday. We had a CUV night, young single adults in English. We invited Danni and he was totally down for coming! He came and were able to play some games and eat dinner at Familien Andersen's. We had to leave a bit early so that we could get home on time. Danni stayed and apparently stayed til Midnight! I love our members! He had a wonderful time and it is great that he can build these member relationships with our investigators.

Well that's the update. We actually will also be finding out about transfers shortly ahaha. Wow that was short. I hope everyone has a wonderful week! Love you all!

-Ældste Jantzen Richard Read

The missionaries are always being watched =) (Just made exchanges and called them from across the station, it was so funny haha)

Busy... Busy... Busy

It has been another one of those very busy week but numbers don't show it. We have had many appointments but majority of them were all cancelled. I would dare say it was a good week of finding more people and making more appointments for this up coming week.
I had the honor and priviledge to go on splits with Elder Durrant (on Tuesday) and Elder Hardy-Hansen & Elder Hawkes (on Wednesday). It was wonderful to get to know these Elders even more and to actually pick out things that could help me better. All of which I noticed showed a deep interest of working hard. On Wednesday, we spent some time finding in the morning and we actually contacted a man who is friends with Familie Hansen! He didn't show much interest in what we had to share, but he asked us if we all came from the USA. He told us that Robert and Gitte Hansen have told him much about us. We also had the opportunity to teach a middle aged woman named Gitte. She is interested about the church because her eight year old son is asking questions about the church. Missionaries have knocked on her door in the past and they gave her a Book of Mormon. She has told us that she reads from it all the time (little sections/ versus) and she even can see that it applies to life and she just loves it! We gave her Ether 12 last time and she reported back to us that she read it with her children! Elder Hardy-Hansen and Elder Hawkes gave us some good ideas on how we can help her progress even faster. It was also great because those 45 minutes went really fast and it was a really quick spiritual message with her.
On Friday we were able to meet Familie Hansen again. We invited the Bishop to come with us, but unfortunately he completely forgot. So we had to go in solo with the spirit. We were actually really baffeled on what to share with them. All that we had planned on was to talk and check with them on keeping the Word of Wisdom. They had a few more concerns on the Word of Wisdom. So we read it through with them. The miricale of the story is that Gitte told us that she has been smoking and drinking coffee since she was 12 years old. The reported to us that, when they started on Monday, they went from 15 cigarettes to 5 cigarettes a day! The 45 minutes came close to an end, we were closing up. But we had the impression to help them out even more and give them Priesthood blessings! We gave Gitte, Robert and Danni blessings. It was a very spiritual expierence for them. We could notice a difference with them when we went inside. They asked more friendly casual questions, instead of Why this? and why that? We went a little over time, but by the end Danni, the son, gave the closing prayer for the 1st time! He gave a wonderful prayer, very spiritual. He knew that he need to do it and he followed the promptings of the spirit. It helps out a ton, because we have been trying to get Gitte and Robert to pray out loud and they just have felt uncomfortable doing it. Now that Danni has done it, we feel that gives the parents more of an incentive to do it, because their kids are doing it! They all seem to take one small step at a time, but they are slowly working their way there. Unfortunately they weren't able to come to church this week but we have another appointment for next Thursday.
On Saturday was a very humbling day. Everyone seemed not to be home or they would not be there for appointments. It seemed like a day of finding for sure. We actually found out that we can save tons of time if we biked to Ishøj, Greve and Hundige (all take about 30 minutes from Taastrup, about the same if not faster than the bus routes) work the area with our bikes, than jump on the S-tog and use our bikes down in Solrød Strand and Jersie. It provided us with more working and finding time in the other areas, that seem like a huge chunk of time out of our days. We were able to find more people, find other people that have been hard to get contact, and make appointments for the up coming week!

Well I hope everyone can see and feel of the Hastening of the Work around them! I truly can see it everyday! The Harvest is here, let's get Reaping! Have a wonderful week everyone! Love you all!

-Ældste Jantzen Richard Read

http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/topic/missionary-program

 

GLÆD MORS DAG

It has been a wonderful week! We have had the opportunity to teach 2 member presents and 6 other lessons this past week! About 3 of our scheduled appointments either cancelled or weren't home. It was really just fun to stay busy over the week. We have also had some time to continue and find people. This area is truly blessed! I am so grateful to be serving here in Taastrup.
To start off the week we had an appointment with a man, on Monday, that we knocked into the week before. We taught him a little and accepted a Book of Mormon. Before we left he said he was going to Bornholm this weekend, to visit his girlfriend, and would start reading it. He even made another appointment with us for tomorrow! After our appointment with him we did some service for some members in the ward. They asked if we were going to do yard work in church clothes. We told them that we just came from an appointment, and that was why we were still in our church clothes. They asked questions about who this person was, we changed clothes, did some service, than at the end the mother prayed for us and the man that we taught that morning. It is just exciting to see us finding people and the members getting excited too and want to take part the best that they can!
We had an appointment with Familien Hansen this past week. We taught in a way that I have never taught before. They had concerns of why we don't drink coffee or alcohol. So we went into a different perspective. We taught the 10 commandments and went into how they came about. We talked about that we didn't see that they came with Adam and Eve. That our Heavnly Father updates with us. We read the 10 commandments in the Bible. The mother asked wait it didn't say that we are supposed to love our neighbor. That's one of the commandments, your missing one. The daughter spoke up and said no mom, that's in the New Testament when Christ said it the Gospel of Matthew. We stopped them right there and them recognize that pattern. We told them that is the same with the Word of Wisdom. Our Heavnly Father continues to update with us over time. And that is the same thing he did with the Prophet Joseph Smith and the Revelation about the Word of Wisdom. We read the promise with them, and the thing that sold the mother the way the most is that we promised that they will be able to feel the Spirit more in their lives when they live the Word of Wisdom. She has the desire for the Spirit more in her and their families life. They set a date for, today actually, to keep the Word of Wisdom and report to us again when we visit again this following week. And the best part about it.....

They came to church yesterday! Ghitte (Mother), Robert (Father), Danni (their son), and there other son (who I have never met before) Dennis. They unfortunately had to leave because their son was visiting for the weekend, so they spent the rest of the day with him for Mothers Day! We reminded them at church and sent them a text message last night about keeping the Word of Wisdom. Ghitte responded that it probably was going to be difficult but that they would keep the faith, read and pray. They have started today, will be sending them reminder text messages over the next week for encouragement and will be teaching them again on Friday! At the end of the sacrament, the young woman got up and left the room, everyone was still sitting for some reason. The mother, in Familien Hansen asked what was going on, I just said ''I don't know, we are waiting for something haha'' The young woman came back in with a whole bunch of Roses and passed them out. The mother got one and was very happy.We are excited to see what they have and will expiernce this next week with keeping the Word of Wisdom!
We did some service for this part member family, and their extended family this past Saturday. A member reported pack to us that we litterally dug up like 5 tons of dirt in the yard. We were able to talk with many people about who we were as missionaries, why we are here and help open the doors for them to ask questions about the church. We also had our investigator in the part member family, open up to us. He talked with us and we got to know him better than any other time that I have met him.
We had an appointment with the African couple, from Camaroon. The husband got confused and thought I said 5:00 and was waiting for us until we showed up at the scheduled time at 6:00. He had to go to work that night at 6:30. His wife was sleeping in the other room. So we were only able to have a 20 minute lesson with him. It put Chapter 10 in Preach My Gospel to the test. We really had to adjust our lesson plan really fast. Luckily we were able to get some one on one time with the husband, Primues. We found out that he had not beed reading or he has not already prayed about the Book of Mormon and the Propet Joseph Smith. So we read Moroni's promise with him and a little more from Moroni Chapter 10. He says that he believes everything we say. (because we don't oppose the Bible and it feels like the Word of God). Me and Elder Christensen are a little concerned with not being converted to the Gospel or having the testimony of the Book of Mormon. So we were able to commit him to read and pray about the Book of Mormon. He agreed joyfully and closed with a prayer with us there, this man really does have a strong connection with our Father in Heaven! We are excited and hope that, when he finds out his work schedule, that we will be able to meet with this family twice a week and help them prepare for the future. They were not able to come to church yesterday but they want to meet again this next week.
I will say that it so much fun to talk with them family! Happy Mothers Day Mom!!! I was so sad when you and Paisley had to leave. Miss you both and the rest of the family soooooooooooooooo much! A special shout out to all the mothers in the World! Thank you for all that you do! What a blessing to have mothers in our lives where we can learn and grow. Especailly in the Gospel of Jesus Christ! What a wonderful privilege to continue to find awesome mom's and dad's on my mission. I love you all that I have gotten to know in these really short 10 months. Thanks for all you do!

From our wonderful Prophet to you mothers

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1973/10/behold-thy-mother?cid=HPTH050814200&lang=eng#watch=video

-Ældste Jantzen Richard Read

To Elder Alan Western. I think you might enjoy what I found!

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10 months.......... I hate time..........(that's my new line =)

Can anyone descibe to me how my 10 month mark just came and went like it was nothing? hahah

I can not even begin to descibe on how much has happened this past week! Me and Elder Christensen have spent the past week finding people. We have actually tried working in areas that we think missionaries haven't been for awhile. I don't know what has changed, maybe it's just having Elder Christensen here, but because of all our finding efforts we have right now nine lessons planned for the up coming week! It is just amazing! I have never seen so many people open to hearing more, while knocking and contacting on the streets! Three of the nine appointments were made while knocking on their door steps!
One of the thee, on last Saturday, was a woman named Eva. We knocked on her door and found out she comes from Hungary, catholic background. Her husband is Greek, with an orthodox background. And her son is actually religious and open to hearing about other religions!! We made an appointment with her and her family for this Saturday. At the door she even told us to try asking her two neighbors. It's just been a remarkable week! And that is only a tiny bit of all the potentials that we have found.
Our investigators who come from Camaroon, came to church yesterday. They very much enjoyed it. The Plan of Salvation was taught in guest class. We were a little worried because it felt like it was just taught. Especially in only in 30 minutes. At the end of the lesson, our mission leader asked them if they had any questions. They both responded no and that it was all familier to them. Also, we showed them the way to church, and the husband was asking us all these missionary questions. He was wondering if he could be a missionary, or if he could go to Camaroon and be a missionary, or if he could start the church in Camaroon. They were all surprising questions. We are hoping to be meeting with them this next weekend.
Me and Elder Christensen are doing great! We actually have a lot in common. It's really weird.... Like we both want to be Mechanical Engineers. We both use the same lines. Like ''oh my gosh'' or ''Good Gravy'' haha. We are getting along with each other just fine. I am doing much better and I am so happy to be here. The work here is truly picking up!
Well that sums op the week practically. We have actually been really excited to skype next week on Sunday. We both have no idea where the past five months have gone at all! Blows our minds!!! So excited to see the family again and talk with them. Well hope you all have a wonderful week! Keep it rolling on in the Work of Salvation!!

-Ældste Jantzen Richard Read

AND THE BEST PART IS THAT IT CAN BE FOR ETERNITY =)