{"id":3788,"date":"2025-09-16T14:55:56","date_gmt":"2025-09-16T14:55:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.annemettehowland.net\/?p=3788"},"modified":"2026-04-13T18:26:29","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T18:26:29","slug":"obedience-brings-blessings-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.annemettehowland.net\/?p=3788","title":{"rendered":"Chapter 150         Called to Denmark"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Saturday, June 29, 2013<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Johny has submitted his papers to go on a mission. Today, we were all gathered to watch him open the envelope and read aloud where he would be called.<br><br>He got called to serve in Denmark! Johny hugged me as I cried! He has worked so hard to learn Danish. We were both so excited! <br><br><strong>Wednesday, July 3, 2013<\/strong><br><br>Richard and I went on a vacation to Denmark. We were invited to stay with Mary&#8217;s parents. Even though it has only been a couple of weeks since I last saw her, it was so good to see her again and to finally meet her parents. <br><br><strong>Sunday, July 7, 2013<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It was 42 years ago today that Sander and I were taken to Canada. Since I didn&#8217;t know we were going to Canada to stay, I felt like I never got to say goodbye to where we had lived at the time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"634\" src=\"https:\/\/www.annemettehowland.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/cake-1024x634.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-18435 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.annemettehowland.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/cake-1024x634.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.annemettehowland.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/cake-300x186.png 300w, https:\/\/www.annemettehowland.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/cake-768x476.png 768w, https:\/\/www.annemettehowland.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/cake.png 1116w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p>Mary and her family made me a cake and asked me if there was something special that I wanted to do for my birthday. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>I asked them how far Glostrup was from where they lived. It was only a 15-minute drive. Then they asked, &#8220;Is that where you would like to go?&#8221; I said only if it wasn&#8217;t too far to drive. They said it was no problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"320\" height=\"240\" src=\"https:\/\/www.annemettehowland.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Glostrup-2-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-18436\" style=\"width:343px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.annemettehowland.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Glostrup-2-1.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.annemettehowland.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Glostrup-2-1-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"320\" height=\"240\" data-id=\"18437\" src=\"https:\/\/www.annemettehowland.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Glostrup1-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-18437\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.annemettehowland.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Glostrup1-1.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.annemettehowland.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Glostrup1-1-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>I still remember the address. It was so strange to be back and finally say goodbye. Especially since it happened to be on my birthday that we left. I felt like it had come full circle. I wondered how different my life would have been had we never been taken from here. <br><br>I was so grateful to Mary&#8217;s parents for taking me back so that I could finally close that chapter of my life. <br><br>While we were there, Richard rented a car. It was the first time we had done that. It was so nice to be able to drive where we wanted. It made it so much easier to visit relatives and friends. It was also the first time that Richard paid for everything. Otherwise, this trip would not have been possible. <br><br>We were in Denmark for 3 weeks. As always, it was so nice to be back and to visit with friends and family. <br><br><strong>Tuesday, November 5, 2013<\/strong><br><br>I helped Johny pack the rest of his things since he is going to the MTC tomorrow. It didn&#8217;t seem like that long ago that I did the same thing with Jared. I sure hope the next two years go by fast!<br><br><strong>Wednesday, November 6, 2013<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"626\" height=\"643\" src=\"https:\/\/www.annemettehowland.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Johny-1-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-18445 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.annemettehowland.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Johny-1-1.png 626w, https:\/\/www.annemettehowland.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Johny-1-1-292x300.png 292w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 626px) 100vw, 626px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p>Johny loved his car. He had bought it with his own money. Before he left on his mission, he did some things to it so it could be stored for the next two years. He had both me and his dad promise that no one would drive it while he was gone. <br><br>We promised him we would keep it safe. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text has-media-on-the-right is-stacked-on-mobile\" style=\"grid-template-columns:auto 37%\"><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p>Before we headed to the MTC, Jared and his family came to say goodbye to Johny. Bladen didn&#8217;t want his uncle to leave, so he lay on his suitcases. <br><br>I know we are all going to miss him! <\/p>\n<\/div><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"430\" height=\"641\" src=\"https:\/\/www.annemettehowland.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Johb.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-18444 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.annemettehowland.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Johb.png 430w, https:\/\/www.annemettehowland.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Johb-201x300.png 201w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 430px) 100vw, 430px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"320\" height=\"290\" src=\"https:\/\/www.annemettehowland.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/MTC.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-18476 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.annemettehowland.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/MTC.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.annemettehowland.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/MTC-300x272.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p>Taking Johny to the MTC was a lot different from when we had dropped off Jared. <br><br>This time, you just dropped off your missionary at the curb and said your goodbyes.  <br><br><br><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Johny was helping me with my phone because I couldn&#8217;t see where to push the button, because I was crying so hard. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text has-media-on-the-right is-stacked-on-mobile\"><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p>Johny&#8217;s childhood friend, Zach, was already at the MTC, waiting to help Johny bring in his suitcases. <\/p>\n<\/div><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"478\" height=\"591\" src=\"https:\/\/www.annemettehowland.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Johny-3.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-18447 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.annemettehowland.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Johny-3.png 478w, https:\/\/www.annemettehowland.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Johny-3-243x300.png 243w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 478px) 100vw, 478px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>When Zach was a child, I babysat him. When Johny and Zach were 5 years old, and my sister was living with us, K was 3. <br><br>Johny had told Zach that if he kissed K, he would give him a candy bar. So Zach kissed her and thought he was going to get the candy bar. Over the years, Zach reminded Johny that he still owed it to him. <br><br>When Johny met up with Zach, he finally gave him the candy bar he had promised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"380\" height=\"555\" src=\"https:\/\/www.annemettehowland.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Johny5.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-18448 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.annemettehowland.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Johny5.png 380w, https:\/\/www.annemettehowland.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Johny5-205x300.png 205w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 380px) 100vw, 380px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p>I had told some of my family and friends that Jonhy was coming to Denmark for his mission. <br><br>When Johny landed in Denmark with 10 other missionaries, he was surprised to see a welcome committee waiting just for him, with the Danish flag, to say &#8220;Welcome to Denmark!&#8221;  <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>I am so glad I have so many family and friends in Denmark. Hopefully, he will be able to visit with some of them while he is there. <br><br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br> <br><br><br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><br><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Saturday, June 29, 2013 Johny has submitted his papers to go on a mission. Today, we were all gathered to watch him open the envelope and read aloud where he would be called. He got called to serve in Denmark! Johny hugged me as I cried! He has worked so hard to learn Danish. We [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3788","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.annemettehowland.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3788","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.annemettehowland.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.annemettehowland.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.annemettehowland.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.annemettehowland.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3788"}],"version-history":[{"count":53,"href":"https:\/\/www.annemettehowland.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3788\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18529,"href":"https:\/\/www.annemettehowland.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3788\/revisions\/18529"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.annemettehowland.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3788"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.annemettehowland.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3788"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.annemettehowland.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3788"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}