Happy Easter from Denmark - Elder Kolby Madsen

Written by Elder Kolby Madsen, serving in the Denmark Copenhagen Mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, speaking Danish.

(Note to reader: Clicking on highlighted words will link to additional information. Some names are omitted for privacy. Clicking on photos will enlarge them.)

Well, I hope you guys had fun. Sorry about the late email. We had to switch our week around a little, but hey, all is well.

Yes, it's a very large bear

This week we had kind of a slow week. Here's the thing about Danes and their holidays...they work 34 hours a week or less by law, and then they get these holidays that, around the world everyone maybe gets two or three days off, but they get a whole week. People just do nothing all week. They sit home and do nothing or go with family. It's great, except when you are a missionary and you try to make appointments and want to teach people. They say, "No, it's a holiday week." It’s funny. Then all we can do is knock doors, which is always a fun time, and people get mad because you are knocking on their door on a holiday week. You can’t please them all.

We had a great time with the Elders in Vyborg. We were on splits and they, luckily, had some good appointments set up. We got to be with them and see how it goes in their area. It was way fun. I met with their friend who is going to get baptized, and he is very prepared.  I was happy to learn more about him and his conversion. Plus, it’s nice to get to know someone before you interview them for baptism.

Curiosity got the best of me....

We got to talk to a couple of less active members as well. Everything went great. They were all very friendly, but just don't want to visit. They still believe in the message but can’t make it to church because they are getting old, they say. I can understand. It’s got to be hard in the older years to take five to six hours out of your day to get ready and travel by train to the city, then walk to the church, stay for three hours, and get yourself back home.

We had some really cool companionship studies this week as well. Elder Brindley’s aunt sent him a little countdown to Easter, and it included everything in the last week of Christ's life and His opstandelse (resurrection). We had a good spiritual time reading those.

Just reading those things has strengthened my testimony of Christ and given me more understanding about what he literally and spiritually did for us. As we read about the mockery and the spitting on Him, it made both of us cry. Then the pure love of Christ to forgive them, who tortured him and put him on the cross...He just forgave them. Then when He hangs there on the cross, the convict beside him, sentenced to death for his actions, gains a testimony of Him and can see His glory and His truth. As he asked what will happen to him, Christ lovingly and tenderly says, "You will join me in paradise." The faith to ask the Lord, and His loving answer, amazes me.

Planners from the 10 transfers of my mission. The one on
the far right is the one I'm currently using.

As I was here being frustrated that no one would make appointments with us, and as no one would talk to us, it was humbling to read about how loving Christ was when he could have been resentful. He showed the utmost love and compassion to those around him, even those doing awful things to him. Charity is my focus for this week; to see others how I think God and Christ do. I know that Christ suffered and died for us. He paid the price for every person who lives, has lived, and will ever live upon this earth. He did it so that we can return to our Father in Heaven and live as eternal families, in His presence of perfect love.



Love you all! Have a great week and work hard. Love you.

Ældste Madsen

Fifty Years Later....in Randers, Denmark (April 14, 2014)

I Got Stuck... (April 28, 2014)