This is Mom/Grandma and I am going to try this on my own. I am home now and Holly is on her way today to Utah. It sure is lonesome around here. We were very sad when our time in Kongsberg was over. Our stay there in the Hostel and visiting with Marit, Gine and Eryling had truly been the highlight of our trip. We truly felt the Spirit there with our wonderful new family who treated us so royally. We love and miss them.
But, it was time to move on to the last leg of our trip.
Sunday morning we arose and got dressed in our Sunday clothes and packed our bags. We found we could catch a bus, just a ways from the hostel, that would take us to Drammen, where the church was located. Tami had a little map where the chapel was located. The advise was to show the bus driver the map and see if they could drop us off close to the church. The bus driver had never heard of the church and the map didn't seem to help her. A couple of people on the bus was trying to help her figure out where it was, but they really didn't know either. Tami was told by the Bishop there that it was located a ways out of town and not right in the city center. Just a way out of the city, as we were driving along, Tami spoted a spire without a cross and she said she bet that was the church, but by that time, the bus driver and these couple of other people thought they knew where the church was so she drives into the city and stops and they told us that they thought it was just around the next corner. We thought we heard something about Catholic. So off we get and here we are in this strange city with hardly a soul around. We knew that our church wasn't just around the next corner and it was quite a ways back to where Tami had seen the spire. It was like, "What do we do now?" Holly was ready to try to pull our luggage clear back to the church, but we realized that would be impossible. I said, "Let's say a little prayer for help." So we stood there on the sidewalk with our luggage surrounding us and said a prayer. Tami went to check out for sure that our church wasn't around the the next block corner. It wasn't there, of course, but while gone, she saw someone on the sidewalk and asked if they could help. He comfirmed from the map that it was back out of town where Tami had thought. He suggested that if we wanted to get to church on time that we should probably take a Taxi. He showed her where to go to catch one. Tami ran back and told us and down the sidewalk we ran like a herd of turtles dragging our luggage behind us. The Lord answered our prayer. Fortunately, there was a taxi there and we piled in, again having to hold part of our bags on our lap, and away we went. It was at least three or four miles back. We saw the spire and told him there it was. He even packed our bags up a flight of stairs that led into the church. We arrived just about five minutes or so before the meetings started. We parked all our luggage in the entrance hall where the coats etc. were hanging. We were greeted by a couple of missionary Elder's--one from Pleasant Grove and the other from Bounteful. We were so impressed with all the young men we saw in the halls dressed in suits and white shirts. All the deacons wore suits.
We had Relief Society first and Sacrament meeting last. So we went into Relief Society. The people were friendly and welcomed us. One sister came and sat by Holly and another young woman was by Tami so they began translating for them and sharing some English scriptures. Someone went and made an English copy of the Conference talk that the lesson was on so we could follow along. During Sunday School class, another sister came and sat by me and was translating. I just had trouble hearing well, even with hearing aids, but it was so kind of them to do that.
Then came Sacrament meeting. Everything was in Norwegian, but we felt the Spirit. The lady that was helping me was the organ player. It came time for my song and I spoke a few words to them before I sang and expressed our thanks for the warm welcome and the privilege of being with them. I told them about how we had met Mathew Isacsen by chance in the old church in Kongsberg where he was practicing the piano and how he had given us a private little concert and how much we appreciated that. (He come into the meeting and happened to sit in the same row as us. We were hoping to be able to speak to him afterward, but he disappeared quickly and we were sad that he didn't come and speak to us.) Anyway, back to the singing. The Lord really blessed Tami and me and it went well. Afterwards so many people came to me and Tami and thanked us. Several said it brought tears to their eyes. Several people said that was one of their favorite songs. The Elder from Bountiful went on and on about how much he enjoyed it and hearing it sung in English. It was an honor for me to be able to sing for the Saints in Norway. I will hold that memory dear.
I need to quit for now, but will continue the saga of our Sunday journey tomorrow.
