Moving up in the world-Transfer from Sønderborg1 to Sønderborg 2

I apologize that you all are getting this a day late. But you all probably guessed it! Sadly though I will be transferring. I know it is sad I only have been in Sønderborg for 1 transfer. But I will be moving to Sønderborg 2. hahaha =) Yep I am opening up a new area with Elder Kinch. He just came from Odense and has been out just as long as Elder Willardson. So this is my second younger missionary. Actually Elder Willardson was MTC companions with him. And Elder Willardson will be getting Elder Durrant! If any body can remember him, yep he was my MTC companion!! So that means that we all will be in the same apartment having a MTC riot! haha. Weird to think that I have 3 companions in the same apartment haha

Elder Kinch and Elder Durrant accidently missed their bus yesterday and we didn't have time to email. So that is why we are emailing a day late haha.

Might I just say how awesome this past week has been! Me and Elder Willardson have been so busy with trying to get the two new areas started. (We actually have been doing a lot of ''office work'' Setting up area boundaries, splitting investigators/people up, remaking what we call Bankbogs. It took us about 7 hours to complete. What a night mare ahah. We did do weekly planning in the middle of it but that was that haha.

But I would say though that the Culture night we had in Sønderborg was a huge success! Our mission leader, heard that we were at the Esbjerg Ship Races, and he gave us an idea to go to the culture night in Sønderborg last Friday. So we scheduled to have the Esbjerg Elders come down for companion exchanges. It was deeply needed. Oh! Before I forget, me and Elder Redd had an appointment with a man that me and Elder Willardson found in our old drop by list. We met with him and he is amazingly positive! Me and Elder Redd talked with him and he was in agreence with everything we had to say. It seemed more informational at first. Elder Redd bore his testimony of the Book of Mormon and the Spirit was really strong. We invited him to read and pray about the Book of Mormon and he said yes! The amazing part was that we made a return appointment with him and he was me and Elder Willardson's first new investigator! We are really excited for what is to come in our areas.

Right after that, we were at the Culture Night, I was with Elder Reimschussel. We were unsure on how we were able to contact or talk to people about the Church. We walked around to see if there was a good spot to contact. No options seemed present. It seemed like time was wasting more than it was being productive. We came across Elder Willardson and Elder Redd and Elder Redd encouraged us to try harder and see what we can do. So tried another idea of walking to an area. Me and Elder Reimschussel came across an open gap on the gågade/havn. Elder Reimschussel had an idea of just standing here and handing out Mormon.org cards. I looked around and a man who was doing the same thing, who had a tent set up/permission to be there, stare at us. I got a little scared and thought that it might not have been the best idea. We proceeded to the spot we thought about earlier. We got half way there and Elder Reimshussel's idea was just nagging at me. So I thought well the spot we are going to hasn't had much success. And what do we have to lose by at least trying the idea. So we turned around and tried giving out Mormon.org cards.

What happened was absolutely spectacular! We were giving out cards like they were candy! After we ran out, in 30-45 minutes, we figured ''We need more''! So we jetted home and got more! We were there for about 2-3 hours. We gave out probably at least 150-200 Mormon.org cards! I had many good conversations with people about the Church and answered many questions. By the end of the night we gave out more other cards gave out 6 copies of the Book of Mormon (All 4 elders combined) and one phone number. We figured that it was a huge success! We also met with a newly converts friend and had a good chat with her! It was just an amazing evening! We were completely exhausted by the end of the night.

Me and Elder Willardson are not sure what just happened this week. But this entire week is booked for the both of us! So many appointments scheduled! We are truly seeing the work of Salvation go forth here in Sønderborg! Me and Elder Kinch are excited to be with each other. We are getting along just fine and he seems to be an amazing missionary. We are really excited to work and teach with each other. We have many good things planned. We actually connect very well. He is 19 years old and was born and raised in West Haven! Practically right down the street haha. But a man who goes to Fremont... haha. I really can see that he has an eye fixed on the Lord's work going forth! Have a wonderful week! Love you all!!!
-Ældste Jantzen Richard Read

Bike mode better than car

This has been a very fast week. I am not even sure where the time has gone. We have had a good week. We were able to teach Andrea Pedersen Again this week. She shared with us her testimony/conversion story. She charishes it and keeps it close to her. She is doing great and she is so excited to go to the temple in October!

Me and Elder Willardson were able to finally get my bike to Sønderborg after Zone Training,this past Wednsday. We had problems during the past transfer. So we have been getting back into biking mode to save gas Money for the car. (plus the bike mode is a lot better than cars, I don't like cars =) Last Satuday we finally made contact with a woman, WHO the missionaries knocked into awhile ago. We biked out to where she lived and she told us with a smile that we were welcome to come back. Unfortunately she had guests at the time. Again she is really positive and I hope to be able to Work with her. She is catholic probably 26ish and open to talking with us. We've talked with some amazing people also this week. Many people that we have contacted on the streets have had some previous contact with the church. Me and Elder Willardson were able to find and give two more copies of the Book of Mormon out this past week to two younger and faithful people. OUr potential pool is slowly Building up. We are so happy that the Work is still hastening here in Sønderborg.

We have met with one of our less actives this past week and we will be doing service for him this NeXT week. We also were able to meet with Rabitta (19 year old woman, newly converted 2 years ago) She shared with us her Testimony and conversion story. She loves the Gospel and the Church and it was really nice to meet with her and feel of that strong spirit.

We were also able to meet with Familien Steen for my first time this week. And might I say how unbelievabley ridiculous the husband is to becoming a member of the Church. We got to know them and we testified of the Book of Mormon and getting answers through prayer. It seems that Anders has never asked if the Book of Mormon to be true. He believes it to be true because of the they joy and impressions he recieves from members of the church when they talk about the Book of Mormon. He also added ''It's clean! There is no wrong with it... each time I open it and read a few scriptures I can just feel that it is right''. We challenged them to actually use prayer to get that witness for themselves. They seem to be really busy right now with Work and stressful problems that are going on right now. We hope all goes well with them. One thing I noticed personally for me is that I found out that I have not been using the commitment pattern fully. I found that I was asking questions throughtout lessons/visits but I wasn's truly asking a direct invitation. (Such as ''Will you read this chapter this week?'') I am grateful that we are studying chapter 11 this month. It was nice to know that I have improvement to make in this chapter. It has been a bit of a humbeling week. Lesson learned everybody needs to give bold commitments! Only way one can repent is actually being asked to live it!

Other than that, that has been pretty much our week. We have continued spending time finding. We are slowly but surely finding more! We are excited for this NeXT week. Lots planned and a mission Conference in Copenhagen on Wedneday. (We get to stay in the Zone Leaders Apartment while they are in Copenhagen for a meeting tomorrow haaha) Have a wonderful week everybody! Just Keep Swimming!!!!

Med Kærlig Hilsen,

Ældste Jantzen Richard Read

I found the Denmark version of the MR. BEAN car!!!! haha Totally made my day =)

And because my bike lights and my bike rain guard got stolen last transfer I found another one on the road. This is officially becoming a red neck bike for missionaries =) haha I had to take practically a childs rusted rain guard and hammer it out to what I wanted haha. Hey it was free and I call that a Blessing haha =)

What happened to July? So thankful!

Well my mind has just been blown as July has just blown up and I passed another mile stone. haha. It's been a pretty interesting week. We have actually have many exciting Things happen this week. Again a lot of time finding so don't be too excited haha. Yes we got to see the Hulk! It was amazing! my life has been complete. haha. We have had many chances to talk with amazing people. Let's start the week off shall we?

We skyped in to District meeting. The Zone leaders wanted to cut back on cost and hassel to send us to District meeting by train everyweek. So we tried it out. And I couldn't help feel we were like the Bornholm out casts of South Jylland haaha. I have so much respect for the Elders serving on Bornholm. The sound system was junky and I heard about 40% of Distirct Meeting haha. The Zone Leaders were present to witness the catastrophe haha. We had a lot of technical diffictulties so the Zone Leaders said that we would just go back to normal and send ourselves to Esbjerg weekly haha. It was probably on my list of top 5 not so great district meetings haha. acutally it's number 1 haha.

On Friday we traveled out to Esbjerg (make up haha), and stayed the night, because the Bishop requested for more missionaries. On Saturday we had permission to do all day worth of contacting! There was a international ship racing that was going on. The last time it happened in Denmark was about 14years ago haha. We talked with a ton of people! We split up with members and went out contacting. I was with the mission leader of Esbjerg and it was an interesting expiernece..... we'll just leave it at that haha. lets just say that it was mainly me contacting ahah. Man it made me miss having a missionary companion. There truly is strength and help when two contact haha. I don't blame the man. He was a new convert and never contacted in his life. I give him props for coming out and doing it. He had a great time which was the best part. In all with 8 missionaries and tons of members we gave out 27 copies of the Book of Mormon. The sistters got some appointments. A few phone numbers and other requests. It was so much fun!!! and exhausting haha! We also got permission from President Sederholm and got home at 10 at night in Sønderborg haha.

Yesterday was a crazy day. We walked to church and it was barely drizzeling. After 5minutes of walking to the church Thunder and Lighting started picking up haah. It was a bit nerve racking but luckily we were in the church for the most part of it haa. Elder Willardson didn't grab a jacket or an umbrella and was soaked when we got to church. (Good thing the Stake president was there haha whoops haha) Than after church we walked back to our Apartment nad saw that there were some keys in a door. So we decided why not and knocked on a mans door. Totally could see it on his face he thought we were actually knocking. Asked if it was his car and he said no. and Said try asking the neighbor. So we knocked on another door ahah. He had the same facial expression but changed when we asked him. Than he came out and said that he didn't know the person WHO owned the car but possibly his son did. So he pulled out the keys from the door and walked back inside his home. I hope that the keys got to the owner haha.

We found out that there was a birthday in our branch of a new convert. So we dropped off some cookies and she loved them! She asked us about the process of going to the temple and the interviews. And we found out that we are going to have to make a class because her and another convert are going to the temple really soon!!!!!!!!! AHAHAAH we are so excited! So that was exciting news to find out!

Well It's probably a Little bit shorter today. But one thing that I have learned and am continuing to learn this week is Gratitude! We recently listed to President Monson's Gratitue 2010 Oct G:C. and President Uchtdorfs 2014 General confenrec on being Thankful ''in'' our circumstances. That's truly one thing I believe can change the World for the better we really can be thankful for anything that happens in our life. It is for our Growth and learning! The good and the bad times. The Lord really does shape us and molds us to the people he know that we can become! I hope everyone can take the moment and think of how thankful we can be in our circumstances that we have daily. It truly has helped me this past week! Good and Bad! I love you all and wish you a wonderful week!

Med Kærlig Hilsen,

Ældste Jantzen Richard Read

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/04/grateful-in-any-circumstances?lang=eng&query=thankful