The Trondheim Chapel

The Trondheim Chapel was the first building erected by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Norway and was dedicated in about 1963.  The architecture is stunning.  In 1998, the pulpit area was rebuilt for some reason and a lighter wood was used.  See the photos below.

 

Before the renovations in 1998

The new hospital emergency building next door with this fun Lego statue.
The caption reads, "Helt på Håret" [Completely on the Hair] by Hans Martin Øien 2017

The couple missionaries we serve with are some of the best.

These pictures were taken at the FestiNord gala dinner and dance in late July.

Back Left: Merrill & Betsy Jensen, Patrice &  President Wayne Tew, Paul & Marsha Castle, Perry & Francis Jensen
Front Left: Kirt & Lorrie Naylor, Keith & Sue Cook, Kathie & Randy Bergquist (not pictured Marvin & Lynette Miller)

It's a date!

Frøya the island birthplace of the Apostle John Widtsoe

This was taken from the fort in Trondheim.

We had the opportunity to spend a couple of days with Elder and Sister Bergquist, who are serving in Oslo, and used to live in Boise.  Sister Bergquist's cousin was the sculpture for the statue commissioned to be placed on Frøya where an early Church apostle was born.  The statue was erected just last year, so she wanted to see it while they were in Norway.  Elder Widtsoe was a scientist and president of the University of Utah and Utah State before being called to the Quorum of  the Twelve Apostles.

The island didn't have deer until recently when trees began growing there with all the modern traffic bringing the change.  We found it rugged and beautiful where fishermen still worked the waters that are the actual ocean (as opposed to fjords where most towns are, like Trondheim).

This is the house that Elder Widtsoe's mother was raised in.
This is the grandson of the current owner, and he gave us a tour of the island.

On the way back, we traveled over the other side of
island and ran into these wandering goats.

Lorrie had interviewed one for the record.

Then they wandered over to this bridge, and lo and behold . . .

. . . Soon you had the three billy goats gruff; we were just waiting to see the troll under the bridge pop up!

Again, she found blue berries this time and we had to pick a few.
The biting gnats at were too much for Kirt.

The open ocean and the rugged island.

DON'T LOOK BACK UNTIL YOU'VE EARNED IT! Elder Kellen Cribbs

The saying in the title is from Elder Cribbs has deep meaning on multiple levels.  As we were hiking up the trail to Våttakammen summit near Trondheim, I would be tempted to get a picture of the view of the city peaking through some of the trees.  Elder Cribbs would say, "Don't look back at the view until you've earned it" by climbing to the top.  Sometimes in life, we linger in our "past," when we really should be moving forward.  When we get to the top of our challenge, as we look back, we realized all it took to get there and we appreciate the process and the challenge even more. 

On this day we had wonderful weather, great company, and enjoyable adventures.

 

No hike would be complete without Lorrie
finding wild berries (this time raspberries) . . 

and documenting it (before eating them)

Elder Rogers decided to mark his PBJ with
a Sharpee to make sure we didn't get them mixed up

Photo bombed!

We have been to HELL and back.

There is a small town near the airport here in Trondheim called "Hell."  The word "hell" in Norwegian means "to pour".  The name Hell stems from the Old Norse word hellir, which means “overhang” or “cliff cave”. It has a more used homonym in modern Norwegian that means “luck”. The Old Norse word Hel is the same as today's English Hell, and as a proper noun, Hel was the ruler of Hel. In modern Norwegian the word for hell is helvete – Wikipedia  Read more about Hell here.

Notice that there is even a phone booth to make that last desperate call home.

However, we like to visit with the arriving and departing missionaries to get their passports stamped (as we have done) in the local post office; making it official that we have been to Hell.

Elders Rogers, Naylor, Cribbs, Welch

Sister Wheelwright's companion that day was Sister Naylor

Elder Stephenson (from Meridian) and Elder Cribbs

Elders Brooks and Baldwin

We have known Elder Baldwin when he was
in Kristiansund before he arrived here in Trondheim

And another challenge at the Hell Train Station is to defy gravity!

Elder Cribbs

Elder Brooks

Elder Welch

Elder Baldwin

It has been awhile . . .

Yes, it has been awhile since we updated our blog.  Sorry.  We truly have been busy and just doing the work.  We love our mission and have now been out 5 months.  Hard to believe how time is going by so quickly.  We enjoy meeting new people all the time as we travel around Norway or just spend time here in Trondheim.

Transfers always bring change and we are sad when missionaries move away who we have come to know and love, because we might not see them again in the mission field.  But all the missionaries we serve with in Trondheim have been so great and supportive.  So, we enjoy getting to know others.

Sister Madsen moved to Haugesund

Elders Cribbs, Welch, Rogers and Brooks.  The new district.

Sister Kinder (left) arrived in Norway after Visa waiting six weeks in California