Thanksgiving and snow in Norway

The day of transfers. Elder Welch arrived to Tromsø from his service in Oslo. He is from Omaha, Nebraska and has four months left in Norway. We served hamburgers and fries to them for dinner. L- r: Elder Welch, Elder Holst, Elder Humphrey, Linda Bennett.
On Nov. 24th a dinner was held for Americans in Tromsø. This photo was taken at the dinner with me, Elders Welch and Holst. Sister Humphrey had a good time because she could speak English all night long without feeling guilty that she couldn't speak Norwegian well. We all enjoyed meeting new people and eating turkey with all the fixings.
Elder Welch showing off his hat that he uses in the cold, snowy weather we have here in Norway.
In the entry way to the hall where the Thanksgiving dinner was held is a stuffed polar bear. We are standing by it with Elder Welch.
This picture was taken from our window at 2:15 pm yesterday, November 26, 2007. That is the moon in the sky. It shows that it is dark enough at that time of day to see the moon shinning brightly. Instead of going higher in the sky it just moved horizonally across the sky and was gone by 8pm. Notice the eight to ten inches of snow that we have. We received more before the night was over. One thing about Tromsø, if you don't like the weather just wait five minutes and it will change. Keven Eubank, eat your heart out.

People in Tromsø

Sister Humphrey volunteers once a week to serve with the Red Cross for three hours at a center for immigrant ladies and their children. They come together to socialize and learn skills that will help them in Norway. Sister Humphrey sits in on the tutoring sessions in the language to help those who speak English. She also works with the children, keeping them occupied with activities that are interesting and instructive. These are two of the adult ladies, one from Somolia and the other from Iran.
Some of the children. Sister Humphrey taught them how to make paper turkeys before Thanksgiving by tracing their hand on a piece of paper, cutting it out and decorating it. This is what they are doing and showing here.
More of the children at the Red Cross program.
We held an open house at our apartment for Linda Bennett, a member of our church who lives two doors away, on her birthday. From l-r: Linda Bennett, Supacorn Phukpo (a member who is originally from Thialand), Elder Olson, and Åse Svendsen, a college student from Kristiansand, in Southern Norway, who is also a member. This photo is taken just two days before Elder Olson is transferred from Tromsø. He was moved to Kristiansand.
This is also at the open house. All are friends of Linda's who are not members of our church. From l-r: Børe With, Linda Bennett, Astrid Tomstad, Sigrid Tomstad (standing), Julie Terning, Dagfinn Terning.

More views of Norway

One of the last views of the sun this year. Looking from Tromsø towards the mainland around Nov. 15th. The last day the sun was seen above the horizon was Nov. 20th. We still receive about four hours of dusk-dawn each day, but that also is decreasing. (Photo by Elder Holst).
Another view of the sunset at about 1:30 pm around the 16th of Nov.
This view is from downtown Tromsø. (Photo by Elder Holst).
The moon seen over the fjord. Taken from Tromsø.
Elder Olson and Elder Holst changing the tires on the car we drive, a VW Polo. We changed the tires to studded snow tires on all four wheels just four days before we received a big snow storm. You really need the studded tires on all four wheels here as the roads don't get plowed down to the pavement and they become very icy. It is amazing how well we get around in this little car. It is great on gas mileage, which is great because gas is $2.38 a liter now (about $9.50 a gallon). So don't complain about your prices in America.
Some wierd statues in Tromsø. They are right in front of a large theater. Our car was being repaired just across the street. (Photo by Elder Holst).

Northern Lights November 2007

All of these photo's are of the Northern Lights seen here in Tromsø. All of these photo's were taken by Elder Jacques Holst, who is more tech. savey than we are. He has the same kind of digital camera as we do and tries to show us how to use it but we forget faster than he can explain it. The Northern lights are active and you can see curtains of them one minute and the next minute they are very faint. Most of them we see here are the green color you see here, but once in a while we get to see other colors. The only trouble is, most nights we have had so far have been cloudy. So we have only seen the N. L. five different nights. We have missed one or two times they were visible because they didn't start until after we were in bed.

November in Norway

Sister Humphrey with baby of a member who lives about two hour drive from Tromsø, Kåre Pedersen. She really enjoyed holding the baby. This photo and the next three on this post are taken by Elder Jacques Holst, who is from Randers, Denmark.
The day we went to visit Kåre Pedersen we also visited other members who lived far from Tromsø. This little cabin is sitting on an island along the coast as we were driving to some of these members. This is looking out towards the Alantic Ocean on our way to the town of Gryllefjord.
This is looking towards the town of Gryllefjord. The lights you see on the coast are the town. This town is about three and a half hours from Tromsø. The member who lives here said she didn't want anything to do with the church. But it was beautiful ride out to see her.

This is Sister Humphrey eating a Kebab (K-bob), a pita bread filled with everything, including the best meat we have eaten in Norway.
Elder Ben Olson, Ante (I don't know his last name) who is one of the Elders investigators, Elder Jacques Holst and me at a teaching appointment. Ante is a Lap-
lander who lives i Tromsø.

Elders Olsen, Gandy, Tessum, and Holst with Sister Humphrey in our apartment for a district meeting. Elders Gandy and Tessum are serving in Alta, a town north of Tromsø.
We took a day trip out to see some members that live a long way from Tromsø. This is near the small town of Gryllefjord, which is on the coast to the North Sea.
Also near Gryllefjord looking out to the North Sea. Very beautiful but cold on this day.
At our branch Halloween party. Elder Humphrey with the only costume he could find, a Santa hat and stocking, telling the green witch, Sister Humphrey, that she could not have any candy.
A beautiful sunset taken November 2, 2007 in Tromsø at around 2:30 in the afternoon. Before the month is over we will be almost all darkness. Now the sun comes up at 9:50 am and sets at 1:40 pm. We are losing almost 15 minutes of light each day.

From downtown Tromsø, looking west towards the mainland (which is on the otherside of the water seen in the picture).
A Sunday afternoon meal at our apartment. From l-r: Elder Ben Olson, Åge Aspevik, a member and the first councelor in the Branch Presidency, me feeding my face, and Linda Bennett, with her back to the camera.
Sister Humphrey, Åshild Ulriksen, Elder Ben Olsen, Elder Jacques Holst outside Åshild's home on a snowy day.
Elder Jacques Holst with snow ball in mid air, Sister Humphrey and Elder Ben Olsen.

Time for more pictures from Norway

Downtown Tromsø.
Elder Michael Isaakson giving me a hair cut in our kitchen, living room. Our apartment is two rooms (a kitchen-living room combo and a bedroom) plus an entry hall, plus a bathroom-laundry room.
Three members, Lill Kristoffersen, Åse Svendsen, and Linda Bennett in our apartment having cake and ice cream celebrating Elder Ben Olsen's birthday.
This is the Tromsø library in the downtown area.
The Hurtigroute boat. It goes from Bergen, Norway up the coast to Kirkeness, which is on the boarder with Russia. The trip takes a week up and a week back. This is about 30 km. outside of Tromsø and the boat is heading to Tromsø.