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.

The Story of Paul- Li Cong- from the best learning center in Odense, Denmark

Summer has come to an end and fall has filled the Hans Christian Andersen Saturday market with pumpkins and sun flowers.

We are on our way to the cold side of Denmark. Rain and wind howl through the colorful trees. I need to catch a few pictures before the leaves are gone. Even the ivy on the old brick buildings has turned to red and gold. We still have some little pots of porch flowers on the cobblestone walks.

About two months ago we met a young man from southern China. He had been in Denmark for only two or three months. His Chinese name is

Li Cong but here in Denmark, he likes to be called "Paul."

Paul was taught some fine principles at an early age. His parents taught him to be respectful and kind. He comes from a city where people are friendly and love to talk. He felt very lonely here because he didn't speak Danish.

Paul's grandmother is a devout Budhist. She prays for hours daily and is a spiritual leader and guide of his family. The whole family lives in the beautiful city of Fuzhou.. a harbor city with manicured gardens, fountains, and temples. In a country where there is a high price to pay for more than one child in the family, Paul is an only child..a precious son. There are many new things that we have learned from Paul, and many new things that he has learned from us.

Paul learned about God from his Grandmother. I had the privilege of introducing Paul to Jesus Christ..for the first time. I started with the humble birth of the Savior. We felt the spirit of Christmas in the middle of August.

This is a map of Paul's home town. He misses his home, and sometimes finds life in Denmark to be full of stumbling blocks.

Paul's family taught him how to pray- sweet, sincere prayers. He has been struggling with high tuition fees and did not want to face his teacher on the first day of school. He prayed that his teacher wouldn't be there that day.

Surprisingly, he was not. Paul was thrilled. He thought his prayer had been answered. That night, when the Elders taught him (in our Outreach Center Basement) Paul thought maybe he would pray that his "tuition- seeking" teacher would (maybe) go to the hospital instead of being healthy enough to attend class. We suggested that his prayers should be directed toward solving his tuition problem, not getting rid of the teacher.

Paul has learned to love the teachings of Jesus Christ. He comes to the center almost every day with questions and a soft heart. His parents taught him long before he came here- not to drink or smoke.

He loves to play basketball. On Saturdays, he, the Elders, and all kinds of guys (from China, India, Africa, and Denmark) gather down by the harbor to play.

He has come to our house for "friendship Family Nights" with candle lit dinners and American Football in our backyard.

Here are Elder Francis (from Pleasant Grove-Utah),

Paul(from the Fuljan province of China),

Elder Valgren (from Denmark),

and JJ (from Greenland)--- after a night of American football.

Paul asked if he could introduce us to Chines food from his hometown...by cooking for us at the center. We went shopping with him at our local Asian Markets to pick up won ton wrappers, ground pork, green onions, dried, clear chinese seaweed flowers, sweet chunks of colored sugar, lots of ginger, and all kinds of unusual ingredients--including a "secret" spice" that he brought from China. We gathered in our Relief Society kitchen upstairs.

Our downstairs kitchen was way to small for this project.

Elder Wilberg, Paul, Elder Clayton, and JJ all learned from Paul, how to make real won ton soup, and icy cold seaweed flower soup dessert with liche nuts and peanuts. I made Chinese (American) Chicken salad topped with fried won ton strips. (I'll add the recipe later) This meal took many hours.

When our family night group gathered for dinner that night they tasted and smelled many new and unusual flavors from China. Thank you Paul, for bringing China to Odense.

A few weeks ago, Paul decided that he wanted to be baptized. We were out of town when the Elders called us with the good news. When they asked him who he wanted to baptize him--He said, "Sister Wilberg" would be his first choice.

It was a great compliment but Paul needed someone who had Priesthood authority to do this important work.

We have been studying about modern day prophets during the summer.

Paul has enjoyed hearing about them. When he was asked who he wanted to speak at his baptism, he replied " Thomas S. Monson" would be his first choice. But President Monson was not able to come.

Paul's favorite church song is "Follow the Prophet". We sang all nine verses at the center for Family Home Evening last month. He took home three copies of the song to share with his Chinese and Indian roommates. He said that he wants to sing it in the shower and on his bike on the way to school. (If you click on the lyrics you can sing it too..it will stay in your head all day.)

You might try clicking on the second page to find a new verse and chorus designed especially for Jonah... and sing "Swallow the prophet, Swallow the Prophet, Swallow the prophet, don't go astray.."

About three weeks ago, Paul was baptized. JJ (a member for six months, from Greenland) baptized him. This was JJ's first baptism as a Priesthood holder. His little sister (left) and his mother on the right, who had never been to any Mormon church, were visiting from Greenland. His mother proudly watched her son, all dressed in white, having Priesthood authority- baptize Paul and celebrate this great occasion.

Elders Valgreen, Clayton, Paul, JJ, and Elders Barnard, and Francis.. all gather for a traditional picture in the front hall in the Odense Church Building. They all have enjoyed teaching and learning from Paul during these past weeks.

Elder Clayton, one of Paul's best friends, spoke about "Baptism" during the meeting. JJ, and Elder's Barnard, Francis, and Clayton sang a children's song about baptism.

Elder Barnard spoke to Paul about the gift of the Holy Ghost.

After Paul was baptized, he also spoke. He told us how much he appreciated Jesus Christ and he gave thanks for the many things that he had learned in the past few months. We are so happy to have Paul as our friend and new member here at the center.

Thank you, Paul for giving us the opportunity to teach you. These Elders will never forget this event. We are looking forward to tomorrow, when you will receive the Priesthood for the first time.

Elder Barnard and Clayton ordered an English, Chinese Bible as a gift for Paul from America.

Sister Hatton, Sister Davis, Sister Carroll, the Elders and friends enjoyed the day with Paul.

JJ gave Paul a little keychain with the Name of Jesus engraved on it. He also gave him a card that records the meaning of the name "Paul."

"Paul" is an Israeli name that means- "small one, lively, happy, a positive person, a person who will light up your day...Paul is a name to be proud of."

This is a pretty good description of this good young man.

Elder Clayton and Elder Barnard were transferred from Odense only days before Paul was baptized. They were the Elders who spent the most time with him, preparing him for this important day. They were able to return for Paul's baptism. We all miss them. They gave us their all while they were here.

Paul, "Li Cong" has been an amazing student and friend during these past few months. I have had an opportunity to teach him, in English, many things, from the stories of Jesus, to Joseph Smith finding the golden plates in the Hill Cumorah. The two of us have begun an "Introduction to the Book of Mormon" class with two students who read together every night..

the two students are Paul and me. I think it is the smallest Institute class in the world. Thank you, Paul for bringing your soft, honest heart to the best learning center in Odense..in the basement of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.