Our Norrland Trip

Norrland was a trip to treasure.
We went for work and pleasure.
The sun at midnight,
Was broad as daylight.
While driving we watched for reindeer

Not a cloud in the sky. This is amazing for Sweden. The sunshine is so welcome.

A midnight photo shot out of our hotel room window. What a view!

Pelle and Anna Ingvarson family in Umeå. (Simon, 12; Lovisa, 6; Matilda, 9) We heard that Anna a Pelle just had their 40th birthdays last winter. Of course, Syster and Äldste Johnson aren't telling how old they are!

Wiktoria and Peter Heintz enjoy a little sunshine after church with us in Luleå. Swedes don't let their sunshine go unused.

It seemed like a dream to be at this spot on the planet at this very special time.

This photo was taken at midnight on Friday night. The sun did not set. It was starting to rise again.

We did the traditional activity of picking wildflowers on the summer solstice.

Beautiful Swedish church in Jokkmokk. Every community has its own unique church style.

We stopped at the Arctic Circle line for a photo or two.

We combined Mission assignments with pleasure and visiting of old friends and making new ones. After inspecting the Sundsvall sisters apartment, we drove to Örnskoldsvik to visit elders living in a former LDS chapel. They had lots of space. Then, on to Umeå where Zone leaders Jensen and Castillo were ready and prepared with a nice clean apartment. After a good night's rest in the Profil Hotel in Umeå, we drove to Jokmokk and crossed the Arctic Circle line. After finding the town nearly deserted because the population was out in nature for the sommersdagafton, we drove on the Gällivare to meet up with former Täby Ward members, Peter and Wiktoria Heintz. We enjoyed two nights of their wonderful hospitality and went to a mountain near the city to see the "midnight sun" at the summer solstice. It was spectacular! The next day we drove to Kiruna, stopped at the place of the Ice Hotel (no ice this time of year), and checked out a 400 year old church, a loppis and the huge open-pit mines. Now that the surface ore is almost depleted, the digging goes underground, causing the homes to sink. Some of the communities are being totally moved, homes and all to safer, stable ground.

Sunday was a wonderful church day in Luleå with the Heintz and checking the elders apartment. We found all well there, and were even treated to a special musical number by Elders Kroff (piano) and Hanes (violin). Young Woman Agnes was the chorister, and kept up with the beat. Äldste Johnson was asked to bear his testimony. (in Swedish, of course!)

Our next stop was with Anna (former foreign exchange student) and Pelle Ingvarsson for dinner in Umeå. Their three children were delightful. It was hard to leave them, but the distance was too far to wait another day to make it to Stockholm by Monday afternoon. We did spend one more night in a hotel near a bridge that looked like the Golden Gate. The drive was beautiful and spectacular with lakes, farms, trees and reindeer. It was almost too much to take in all at once.

We loved it all! And, there was hardly a cloud in the sky and the weather was warm. We escaped being bitten by the "migs," which made the experience even better. The little beasts were pretty thick. We'll never forget the special time in Norrland.