Return to the Holidays- part 1- Thanksgiving in Denmark

It has been a while since we returned to Denmark from Sisters, Oregon and began a frenzy of Holiday festivities. I seem to always be behind one or two holidays and lots of birthdays. Please forgive me. My mind is always trying to catch up with itself.

I almost hate to say "goodbye" to my mother's posts. They are full of sweet memories that I don't want to replace with parties and fun. But that is exactly what she loved to do.. and if I could talk to her on the phone we would share all the details of these last few months together. I am sure that she has had a wonderful reunion during the last few months. I think that most of her friends and loved ones are on the other side of the veil. I wonder how the holidays are celebrated there. Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas to you, Mom. I hope that you can read this blog and enjoy the memories of our holidays in Denmark.

There are many "Festi-" holidays here that surprise us. Every celebration is called a "Festi". We have been to "Festinord" (a huge internationaly Young Adult Conference), "The blum-fest" (a big flower display in the center of town), St Hans Fest- the bonfire extravaganza, and this month they are celebrating a type of Halloween in in February called "Festelavn." More about that later... We know that it is a holiday when all of a sudden, when we least expect it--the stores are closed, the students depart, and we are left sitting alone in the center staring at each other without a soul to teach, or a thing to eat. Life is hard in Odense !

Now I am starting to wander. When we left for Oregon, Odense was full of fall colors.


At our October zone conference, we had a theme about letting our light "so shine before men that they may see our good works and glorify our Father in Heaven." Some of our Elders, including Elder Moulton , carved these spectacular pumpkins of the Savior kneeling in Gethsemane, Joseph Smith, President Hinkley, and our prophet today, President Monson. What a surprising, well done object lesson.

When we returned to Denmark we had a layover in Salt Lake City. We were surprised to discover that we were flying back to Denmark with 8 new missionaries and an LDS Airline attendant. We were well cared for. President and sister Olausen greeted us all in the Copenhagen airport. It was a grand homecoming. It is nice to be home.

( Sister Hatton and Sister Liljenquist busy baking)

The holiday plans had already begun when we returned to Odense. The Elders and Sisters on our side of Denmark were busy making plans to celebrate Thanksgiving. This day has no meaning to most of the Danes here. Some are not impressed at all with our pilgrim and Indian story, nor do they love the idea that America is often called the "promised land." But this American Holiday would not be forgotten by this handful of missionaries who baked four turkeys, candied yams, mashed potatoes and gravy, homemade rolls, and of course, my Mother's famous cranberry jello salad. I brought bread cubes stuffing mix and spices from America. A good friend brought me some jello. Most of the young Elders and Sisters had probably never baked a turkey or made homemade stuffing by themselves before. This was quite an accomplishment.

Elder Francis and Elder Ockey spent long hours planning an American Football game- The Turkey Bowl. They created these handpainted T shirts for all of us to wear.

On Thanksgiving day, about twenty five of us gathered in Horsens, Denmark-- two hours from Odense. It was a beautiful, rainy day. Even the Horsens Chapel was decorated with fall colors...all the seats are a coral red.

Elder Faylor and Elder LeFevre came well prepared for our Thanksgiving Feast.

While everyone in Denmark went to their everyday jobs, we prepared to spend a day remembering the "red white and blue." It was not a day of suits and ties- it was the best "P" day (a weekly preparation day) of the year.

These brave Elders went out in the mud and rain to play what they call here- American Football. Welcome to the "Turkey Bowl" !

Every one chose their favorite number to be painted on the back of their T shirts. JJ is wearing my T shirt. My number was 14.5... chosen because we have fourteen grandchildren and one on the way (Kathy's baby). Elder Wiring tosses the ball. What a game !

The rain continued. The game could have been called the "Mud Bowl." The competition was fierce.

When the game was over the Elders gathered for a team picture.

The Turkey Bowl goes to the red team. The black team went down in defeat. Muddy, and proud the Elders returned to our Thanksgiving Day feast.

Elder Brown and number 14.5 (JJ) bravely endured the loss and the mud. Lots of muddy memories and muddy shoes.

Thank you- Elder Francis (and Elder Okey) for preparing a very successful American Football bowl. Sister Reed, Hatton, Davidson, and Liljenquuist were some of the sisters who stayed at the Horsens Chapel to help prepare the feast and "deck the halls."

Many gathered in the hall to play a card game. Looks like Sister Younkin is winning.

Many gathered in the kitchen to prepare the final touches for the big feast. It was a great gathering of some of the best members of the house of Israel.

Time to serve pitchers of gravy and sliced turkey. Thank you again, Elder Okey and Francis.

You can't serve a meal in Denmark without candles and colorful napkins in your cups. We created a huge Thanksgiving family table. All of us sat together to enjoy the harvest feast.

Elder Francis greeted the pilgrims and the Indians. The aluminum foil uncovered the warm turkey and trimmings. The old fashioned dinner began with prayer and Thanksgiving.

We are truely blessed here. It is a pleasure to be surrounded by all of these young, dedicated Elders and Sisters. They have given two years (18 months for the sisters) to ride all over Denmark on their bikes, through very cold, wet weather...to deliver a message that is not always well received. We were the only senior couple at this well organized event. The heroes here are the wonderful, organized, enthusiastic Elders and Sisters on this side of Denmark. Thank you, all for this event. Thank you for the great work that you do. We will not forget this day.

Thank you, Sister Liljenquist and Hatton for helping to prepare the meal and for keeping us on track setting the table and helping to serve the deliscious food.

Thank you Sister Younkin and Smith for your hard work and to all of the Sisters who stayed at the Chapel to "rattle the pots and pans" during the all American turkey bowl. It was fun working with you.

There was peace among the Pilgrims and Indians... and more than enough turkey and dressing to go around.

JJ became an Mormon Missionary and an American football player all in one day. Welcome to our feast, JJ.

I think that I have used the work "Great" way too many times in this post. It was a GREAT day.. shared with a bunch of great people....eating great food...made by these great people.

In no time we ate four turkeys, tubs of dressing, gallons of gravy, baskets of rolls, and some of us even ate the bones. (Nikolas and Elder Moulton).

Then, thanks to the Sisters, came the homemade American pies.

(Sister Younkin, Smith, Reed and Liljenquist- great pie makers)

Pumpkin pies, apple pies, berry pies appeared from all over Denmark. The Danes make tarts, and cakes but it is almost impossible to find pie tins and canned pumpkin here. This was a project of love. Thank you, again to all the sisters for being so determined about this traditional holiday experience. Thanks to you we had real American pies in rectangular "pie tins.

Can't you just taste this flaky pie. Maybe they will make you a pie...if you send some pie tins to Denmark.

These pies were so fancy that one of them contained a secret word. Click on the picture above and you will read a Danish name. Why do you think that word is there? Type the word into Google and you will find out why Sister Liljenquist put this word on her pie.

Great job, Sisters ! What a way to end our feast. (Do you see the secret pie word in this picture?)

Even Elder Ronnenberg (on the right), one of our only Danish Elders, finally relaxed and enjoyed this very American Thanksgiving Day. I think that after all of the strange dressing and cranberry jello, he was relieved to eat a piece of a good old fashioned American apple pie.

Many Elders found a place to relax after the dinner.

In the evening we enjoyed a guitar concert by our famous "Mormon Tabernacle Elders and Sisters Rock Band."

The crowd of Elders and Sisters were full of enthusiasm and anticipation. (and just plain full of our Thanksgiving Feast).

Elder Wiring and Faylor began the concert with some ballads with deep meaningful lyrics. Elder Ramsey played a great piano solo. (time to say "Great" again).

Sister Liljenquist joined the entertainers with her sweet voice. It would be the last time for Elder Peterson to hear her. He is the Elder on the left giving thumbs up to his cousin, Sister Liljenquist. Elder Peterson is now home from his mission. Thank you for spending Thanksgiving and part of your mission with us here in Odense. We miss you.

Elder Francis played some sad, moving songs. The crowd was moved by his performance.

Then Elder Peterson, one of our most trusted leaders, taught us how to be spies and murderers by playing a game of "Mafia."

I know that you can find the rules to this game on Google. It is often played at parties by

Young Single Adults in our church. They are not spies or murderers but sometimes it is fun

to become heroes in this dark world.

Everyone, one by one was eliminated in this dark underworld. I still don't know who murdered who. It was a Thanksgiving mystery. Elder Wilberg looks very guilty in this picture. But then again, so does JJ. Noone recorded the outcome...so we are still in the dark.

Life has been good to us here in Denmark this year. This month (February) we have been here for one full year. I am so grateful for our mission in Denmark. This was a great way to spend our first Thanksgiving Day outside of our homeland. Heavenly Father is watching over us all. What a fine group of Elders and Sisters we have here.

Time to leave this holiday and move on to the next. Before you know it, it will be Easter and I will still be hanging live candles on our Odense Christmas tree. See you in the next post- Christmas in Denmark.

Twas a dark and Stormy night and the moon was shining bright...

Twas a dark and stormy night...and the moon was shining bright
And somebody said, "Jack, my boy, tell me a story--and this is the story he told.

I think it all started when someone jumped into the icy Odense harbor

and swam through the dark waters of the sea.

Some called him a "Sea Man". Someday he was going to be the captain of a great ship.

Then he started lurking in the shadows near our house. He even helped us cook unusual foods at the center. Maybe there was something in the food.

His dark shadow could be found everywhere. He had great power and influence.

Even the horses loved him. I know that he fed them strange food.

Last Tuesday night we planned a nice, quiet Family Home Evening at the Odense Young Adult Center. I made ordinary food but when I began to serve it...it became:

1. Spider potatoes,

2. bloody vampire bat wings,

3. goblin drumstick bones,

4. mummy dogs,

5. and swamp salad

Instead of singing normal hymns, we all joined together to sing "My Darling Frankenstein" to the tune of "Oh My Darling Clemintine."

When we uncovered our favorite Rice Krispie Treats, a ghost was dancing on the top.

Some tasted the ghost and found it to be sweet and delicious.

We sang another spooky song called "Have you seen the Ghost of John?"

There was a chill in the air. (Click on the song so that you can sing it with us)

Loise was in charge of the Family Night lesson. She began to tell us about an ancient celebration called "Halloween." Some one was watching her .. was it the ice man from the harbor? It was a dark and stormy night. Mark just kept smiling.

Then I was going to give a spiritual thought, but it turned into a dark tale of a skeleton woman that got so cold and hungry that she ate herself and tried to eat her husband.

I felt the breath of someone dark .. breathing on my neck. (pause here)

I turned and saw..."The Grim Reaper !" He was dressed all in black, with a dark veil over his head. His robe looked suspisciously like black bed sheets. They were tied at the waist with a sailor's knot. (How interesting)

Our Family Home Evening took a turn for the worse when he began to tell a scary tale in a strange new language- Greenlandic Danish. We were chilled to the bone when a giant professional wrestling monster jumped through the kitchen door.

In a frenzy, we all ran to the pumpkin room in our center. (Most Outreach centers do not have a pumpkin room). We didn't know what to do.

Many grabbed knives and began to stab each juicy pumpkin.

For hours they scooped out seeds and chiseled faces in the pumpkins.

It was a gruesome sight...on this dark and stormy night. (And of course, the moon was shining bright).

Elder Francis couldn't stop carving. Every little cut had to be deep and sharp. Over and over again he stabbed the pumpkin. Paul just sat there trembling.

Allen could hear a wolf howling through the woods as he cut deep into the flesh of his pumpkin head.

Asker tried to warn us about the dangers of using sharp knives on Halloween but we just kept cutting.

Hours went by and the group was getting restless.

They were starving. They found a tub of apples floating in sea water.

Was the grim reaper trying to drown our hungry guests?

He challenged them to grab an apple before it was too late. They could only use their teeth. No hands were allowed. (He must be trying to drowned them).

Time stood still, as they frantically grabbed apples from the chilly waters. (I think that I have used the word "Frantically" too many times)...but they were very hungry.

The grim reaper was hungry too. Who could survive this terrible tale?

Mighty Asker saved the night and the grim reaper went down in defeat.

The dreadful night was almost over. The Grim Reaper tempted Elder Francis to eat one last apple. I still think there was something about the food.

The grim reaper looked on, as Rene lit the pumpkin faces. We ended the night judging each pumpkin. One was the most scary, one was the most cheerful, one was the most creative, one was the most Danish, one was the most well lit, and another was the most "Martha Stewart." (although few people know who Martha Stewart is here).

After that, all was well at the center. Asker, our hero saved the day. . or did he?

We don't know where the grim reaper went that night- Maybe back to the deep, dark harbor. But after the lights were turned out, and we were ready to go home, the pumpkin heads began to glow brighter, and brighter, and some say that some of us are still using sharp knives and eating crisp, juicy apples dipped in sea water.

It was a dark and stormy night, and the moon was shining bright,

and somebody said, "Jack, my boy, tell me a story" and THAT WAS THE STORY HE TOLD.