4th of July in Aarhus

Today is the 4th of July, so our thoughts have been a bit at home for part of the day, remembering the wonderful freedoms we have known all our lives by living in the United States of America.  Elder Parker and I have done nothing much to celebrate, but we did have red, white, and blue at breakfast - danish pancakes filled with fresh strawberries and cream, while wearing our blue aprons!

It has been our hottest day so far in Denmark - near 80 degrees Fahrenheit with 76% humidity, so not quite like Provo, but it felt warm here!

We've had a variety of experiences the past few weeks - all the regular SUV and Ward things plus a Senior Missionary Conference in Copenhagen, our mission president, President Sederholm, returned home, and our new president, President O' Bryant, arrived, our district was re-aligned, new missionaries in Aarhus, plus July is the "vacation" month in Denmark so many ward members are coming and going as well!

Emil and Helen Held

Lin, Mike, Elder Sullivan - sports night

Valeria and Elder Parker

Catrine Andersen with her "graduation hat" - tradition here when graduate from gymnasium (high school) Catrine is one of our SUV Reps and we love her!

Elders Parker, Sullivan, Clawson, Catrine, Liv - Sculpture By the Sea activity

Elder Porter and Sister Orr

Elders Sullivan, Parker, and Elder Burton, our new District Leader

Blackhams

Turpins, E. Parker and E. Blackham

Johnsons, and S. Madsen taking pictures

Parkers June 2015

S. Ottley, Thornes

Sisters Mann and Landvatter, Catrine

We have had long, beautiful days in Denmark for several weeks now.  It starts getting light about 3:30 A.M. and does not get dark until after 11:00 P.M!  I guess this is the off-set of the fall and winter when it is dark by 4 P.M. and gets light much later in the morning.  We actually bought a pull-down blind for our bedroom window to block out the light so we could sleep at night.  We also have to shut doors to the kitchen, bathroom and living rooms so the light filtering in doesn't wake us up too early.

All-in-all, things are going well, and today also marks the 11th month of our mission, so Happy Fourth of July in America and Happy Mission in Aarhus, Denmark!