The mission president has encouraged missionaries to do community service. Because the government here in Norway provides many services already, some thought this might be difficult to accomplish. However, here in Trondheim, the missionaries have been very successful in their efforts. For the past four years, they have visited a retirement home every Monday to sing. The activities coordinator reports that after we have been there, the residents are uplifted and positive. They enjoy us coming and we have gotten to know some of them really well. If they can read or sing, we give them hymnals to join with us. Several staff have asked about our church and why we are doing this; how we have learned Norwegian, etc. Some have asked for our church services and want to attend.
We recently began volunteering for Te og Tøy, a group that was organized by some Norwegians to collect, sort, and give out free clothes and toys for families (mostly refugees and immigrants), and they serve them tea, coffee and hot chocolate when they come. It is like a Bishop's Storehouse and the only limit is the number of sacks you can take out. We help sort and also help the night they give the clothes and items out. Many of the volunteers are immigrants themselves, who now want to help others. There are many Norwegians, as well. Some of the missionaries have made some contacts with other volunteers who want to know more about our church and have joined us for sport activities on Saturday.
Finally, we just started volunteering and helping with a retirement community center that serves lunch to some retirees in Charlotlund area. Many of these folk walk to the center (even in the snow or rain) for 2 km and most are older than 70. We help with the lunch and clean up. They have grown to love the missionaries and it is great for the missionaries to talk with them and learn the language Just this week, the coordinator asked us if we would attend the special lunch they will have the Friday before Easter and give a 15-20 minute presentation on "why we celebrate Easter and a little history about Easter." Would we? You bet! We plan to share with them one of the Church's Easter message videos in Norwegian and explain about the atonement and resurrection. What a blessing to be asked to teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ and His message of hope.
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Here is Odd Bjerge, and at 97, she is the life of the party. She always applauds and guilts everyone else if they don't.
L-R Elders M. Hansen, Stephenson (from Meridian), Pepe, Gonzalez, Sisters Barlow and Bone. |
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| A photo from September with an entirely different group of missionaries. |
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| Te og Tøy volunteers after staffing the give out night for customers. |
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| Retirees love the young elders, and these two from Mexico and Italy have given them lots to talk about. |
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| The coordinator for lunches. |
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The coordinator made an upside down almond cake with cream filling
for the retirees, but it happened to be Elder Gonzalez's birthday! |
