The Rodot

On Sunday, December 9, 2012, all ( 15 ) the missionaries loaded into the 2 vans and motored to Tampere.  We left about 7:15 a.m. and arrived about 9:35 a.m.  Beautiful snowy drive.  The trees are covered and starting to be laden with the heavy snow.  The roads were quite good so no problems...only 1 bath room stop!   We arrived early enough at church to meet and greet.  We're always so amazed at how far some of the members travel to do a couple of sessions and then return home the same day.  Their church building is only a couple of years old and quite large.  Relief Society meets up stairs and I don't know what else.  There is even parking though.  The previous building burned down...the fire was started by some local youth.
After Sunday School Sisters Roto, Lehtimäki and Marijanen, and President Roto left and went home to finish the preparations for the arrival of the rest of us.  They said if we wanted hot potatoes they had to leave.
The Rotos live in Orivesi, about 30 kilometers away, so we left after the 3 hour block.  The final road to their home was snow packed.  It's not paved so very wet or dusty during other times of the year.

This get together was a Christmas party and a going away for the London and Suppersberger/Trippel couples.  We will really miss them.  The Londons are coming back to Finland in January as office missionaries in the Finland Mission office.  The Suppersberger/Trippels went home to Austria.  They are able to come for 3 months at a time because of medical issues and of course, have to wait for an opening in the 7 apartments here. 

Karla Williamson, Irina Kondratjeva
Lynne London, Maija Suppersberger

The food was amazing:  fresh pork, slow cooked for 10 hours with hickory wood, salmon, the herring, potatoes, and several salads...and bread, dark and light.  

Before we started eating though and sitting at the tables President Roto read the Christmas story out of his 1st edition Finnish bible...1642.  

Slava Kondratjev, Jon Carpenter, Jukka Lehtimäki, Wayne Williamson.
Erwin Trippel, Warren Thornock, Rick London, Antti Lampila,
Pekka Roto, Pekka Marjanen

 

 Irina Kondratjeva, Donna Kaye Carpenter, Sisko Stenfors, Anna Karina Roto

Sue Thornock, Maija Suppersberger, Karla Williamson, Lynne London, Ritva Marjanen,

 Helena Lehtimäki, Hilka Lampila

Temple

November 5, 2012


Last Monday, October 29, 2012,  there was a big party here in the asuntola (guest house).  Bidding good-bye to a wonderful and awesome group of 3 men and 3 woman who had finished up 3 years of full time service as the Helsinki Temple Presidency.   The Heikkolas, Vorimos and Rotos have been so much fun to work with and been great in their leadership.  We have learned a lot and been spiritually nourished by them. Here is a picture of the temple missionaries and the presidency.
The picture of the temple was taken last night, Sunday, with lots of fog around.   

St. Petersburg, Russia

As soon as the Temple closed for cleaning on September 1, we left by ship to St. Petersburg.  It was an overnight cruise on a ferry, named the Princess Maria.  We arrived Sunday morning at 9:30 and made it to church by 11:00 a.m. courtesy of Boris Leostrin, our tour guide.  Attending church was one of the highlights.  We enjoyed seeing many of our friends who have come to the temple often.   The chapel was beautiful and large, and is soon to become a stake center, as of Sept. 9th.  Elder Nielsen of the Quorum of the Twelve will be there to organize St. Petersburg's first stake.  The 2nd in Russia. 

St. Petersburg is the home to over 5 million people.  It is a bustling, busy city with lots of traffic and traffic jams.  There are palaces and churches everywhere.  Some are restored and are museums, others are schools, hospitals and other public buildings.  Often it is difficult to differentiate what the buildings are now and what they originally were intended to be. 

There are canals and rivers everywhere.  Peter the Great wanted St. Petersburg to be the Venice of the north. 

This is the site of the original harbor of St. Petersburg, as built by Peter the Great.

This is the Winter Palace located in central St. Petersburg.  Hundreds of rooms, and is currently home to the Hermitage Art Museum, one of the greatest in the world. 

Above is one of the great ornate hallways in the Winter Palace.  I wonder who walked these halls?

This is the formal marble staircase used for aristocrats and rich patrons to the emperor.   And of course we posed for a 'shoot' here! 

Peterhof Palace

Referred to as the 'Russian Versailles'

The Great Palace was built between 1709 and 1724.

The tsars and tsarinas that followed each wanted to make their own

mark so they added palaces or fountains.  There are 147 fountains on the grounds.

 

Standing by one of the lakes and many fountains.  All the grounds and gardens were

planned and designed by Peter the Great.   They were totally destroyed by the

Nazis during World War II.  They have all been restored to their original beauty.

 

This is truly spectacular, a cascading fountain leading down from the palace

GOLD, everything in glittery gold.  From there the park spreads out to the left and

right along the coastline.  Even trick fountains!

Looking out from the grand fountains to the Gulf of Finland.

 

Looking back at the grand fountains and palace.

 

One of  hundreds of mosaics in the Church of the Saviour on the Spilt  Blood.

the Church of the Saviour on the Spilt Blood

We also visited the Museum of Leningrad Defence and the Siege.  A tribute to the million who
 died of starvation and the many townspeople and soldiers who defended their city, 1941-1945.

We had a wonderful time in St. Petersburg, Russia!   Wayne enjoyed practicing reading
the signs!! 

Sweden

The ship Vasa sank on it's maiden voyage, in the 

harbor, and

was raised 300 years later, intact. Of course it

had to be restored....but very impressive .

 

Going to Sweden was a great idea for a 3 day weekend.  Beautiful flowers, the Baltic, temple, cobblestone, hop on hop off, the royal palace, changing of the guard, marching band, walking, walking, Old Town, Gamla stan, (we could picture my Grandfather Johnson preaching there in 1910-1913),  narrow streets, the ship Vasa, seeing from the air the Finnish and Swedish archipelago, navigating the metro system--under and above ground, 7-11, Hard Rock, TGI Fridays, Burger King!

The Stockholm Temple 

flowers on the grounds.

Below was one of several fountains in several town

squares....can't you see early missionaries standing

there??

One of many quaint narrow streets in the Old Town.

Juhanus

Today finally came!!!  We have been looking for this day with much anticipation since we received our papers last July.  JUHANUS!!!  Mid summers!    Yesterday was the longest day of the year but today is Juhanus.  The Finns really love this day.  ALL the stores closed today at noon and stay closed Saturday.  Even the Temple closed at 2 p.m. today and is closed tomorrow.  The flag was put up tonight at 6 p.m. and is flown till tomorrow at 9 p.m.  Everyone goes outside and sits and plays in the SUN.  When the winter is so dark I guess it is easy to become 'sun worshipers'.  

At 10 p.m. on Juhanus the bonfires are lit!  There are so many lakes in Finland and probably every one of them has a raft that many sticks and trees have been put on and it is out on the lake, away from people and children.  Then, someone in a canoe starts the bonfire!!  YEAH   But it is awesome, as good as fire works on the 4th.  (I didn't hear any oooohhhhh's and aaaaahhhs though).

It has been a great day.

 The beginning

 Going strong

 Sunset

 

Out our window, our beautiful field

10:58 p.m.

Children

May and June found all of our children here in Finland!  We always wanted to bring the kids here to see the land of some of their ancestors.  Little did we know we would be serving a mission here when they visited.  Benjamin, Megan, Josh, Venna, Jonah, and Tucker arrived on Megan's birthday, May 15, and left May 24.  Tucker even celebrated his 2nd birthday here.  He didn't care, every day is party day when you're 2.  

We walked and walked,  through the forests that surround the temple, around and through castles, the zoo, islands, Helsinki, and Tallin, Estonia.  Great Times!

First day in Finland on the steps of 

Tuomiokirkko

Helsinki

  The marker commemorating Ezra T. Benson dedicating Finland for preaching

of the Gospel.   July 16, 1947

 The Wistbacka's

Their home was the 1st church in Finland.  Plans drawn up  by

A. Theodore Johnson.  Built in 1947 & 1948.  We gave them a copy of a photo album showing the building of the church.  They were very happy to know more of the history of their home.  They said that every year a few people stop in front of their house and take pictures.

Castle fun

 

 Dancin' the waves to Tallin

The first batch went home and a week later, June 1 - 12,  Caleb and Michelle came!!  We were so happy to see them and hug Caleb after his time in Afghanistan.  

 The island of Suomeenlinna

Caleb checking out the cannon

(is that how it's done in the Marines??)

 Hämeenlinna castle

Tallin, Estonia.   This is approx. the place where my Dad, D.T. Johnson, was chained to a table leg, back in 2001, because he didn't have money for his hot chocolate!  Grandma Doris Ann had it all and she was somewhere shopping!!  haha

We had such a good time with our kids.  The highlight was having them in the temple with us.  It doesn't get any better than that.

Spring Sunday

                                 Marjaniemi Beach, Baltic Sea,  a few K's from the Church

It was sunny, 60 degrees.  Down by the beach AFTER church.  We were over dressed for sauna or swimming.  We just took pictures!  There were people playing at the beach and taking a Sunday sauna. 

One lone house out on the island.

Wayne is the one without the wig, 

Karla is the one without the red tie!

 

Williamson, Fullers, Londons, Thornocks

Veli Williamson being saved  by Veli London!