12-14-15

This week’s epistle comes from Denmark’s slowest computer!!! The wifi has been down in the church for a while now, so I'm using this awfully slow machine in a random library. Sorry if I don't reply to your personal emails. 

But last week I promised miracle stories and this week you're gonna get 'em!!

First I would like to tell you all about the ARMENIAN (yeah listen up Yerets Ethan Bradshaw) that we met last Monday. We had been emailing in this huge library in downtown Århus that day and as we were walking through the revolving doors something awesome happened! I went into the doors from my side and as I walked through there was a man that I could see through the glass that had come in on the other side. He was waving at me excitedly... As I exited the revolving doors into the sharp Århus winter air, I waited. He soon came out after us and hobbled quickly over to us. He was a short little man with a tweed suit and heavy winter jacket and hat. The first thing he asked was ''Mormons?''. We nodded and smiled :) He then told us in his broken English that he had hitchhiked his way from Armenia to Denmark over the past couple of weeks and was living here on the streets. He had met with missionaries before in Armenia and therefore knew quite a bit about us. 

His name is *N*. He didn't have any phone or address or any other way for us to contact him, so we gave him the time and place for our Sunday services and told him we would meet him at the bus stop just outside of the church. He held the little piece of paper with the church's address tightly to his chest and gave us a huge smile and a handshake. 

Sunday morning: we waited for him at the bus stop for 40 minutes in the harsh cold. He didn't show. So we went into sacrament meeting and as we were finishing the Sacrament Hymn, he walked in the back door!! Oh what a glorious little man he was. He loved church and was just so humble and kind to everyone. We are going to start teaching him again outside wherever we can find a warm spot, then his plan is to continue traveling around Denmark, so maybe we'll get him taught by other Elders as he goes. He wants to get baptized, but I think finding a home is the first step for him. 

We also picked up a new investigator named *K*. She was a long miracle story as well...but long story short, she lived in Arizona for a year with a Mormon family and is now back in Denmark. She's 20 years old and plays Handball (the Danish national sport) and will be teaching us how to play on Saturday!! She's great.

Some sad news: Elder Ericksen (one of the Elders I live with) had to go home this last week due to an emergency surgery, so it's been crazy in Århus for the last couple of days trying to get someone new here. But we now have Elder Bishopp with Elder McBride and we're just having a blast! 

We taught a man named *J* yesterday. We showed him the new Christmas video that the church has come out with. When it was done, I turned to him and he had tears in his eyes. Elder Vance and I both bore testimony to him about the reality of a Savior. There was a very special spirit in that room. Those are my favorite moments on my mission. I call them Spirit bubbles. You feel like you're in this little bubble that nothing else can get inside, completely separate from the world. 'Tis fantastic. 

That's all for now folks!! I love you all and hope you have a great week full of Christmas cheer!!

Ældste Jed Bradshaw

Castle in Skive

This place is called 'Den Gammle By' meaning the old city. 

Elder Vance and I working on transfer number 3 together!