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!

The Ojalas

One of our favorite missionary couples is the Ojalas, Ritva and Matti.  They are Finnish and this was their 3rd Temple mission.  They were here for 6 or so months this time.  One other time was 3 months and I don't know about the 3rd.  Anyway, just really fine people and lots of fun.  Well, they left the end of March and there was a nice, big party thrown in their honor because they have been so many times (and are so awesome).  They live in Mikkeli.  The end of January the Londons, the Williamsons, and the Ojalas motored up there on a Sunday morning.  We spoke in their branch and then stayed over till Monday.  Beautiful area, all white with snow at that time and very beautiful.  Their church building was really nice too.  The Finnish chapels have all light colored wood inside.   Most all the chapels have ceiling to floor windows so it is nice and light in the chapel.  They are all so well constructed and well taken care of so they age really well. 
Anyway, back to the party for Matti and Ritva.  The Finnish women always do such nice dinners and everything looks so good and somethings are even spectacular.  Well, I thought the dessert they served was awesome.   Meringue cakes!  Yes, meringue cakes.  You use a lot of egg whites and make the meringue and then put it in the pan you want....bottom and up the sides.  Bake it very low for about 2 hours!  Depending how dry you make it is how long it will keep....several days is good.  (A make ahead dessert).   Take it out of the pan and fill it with pudding and then fruit and then ice cream on top with whipping cream.  You actually can do it like you want, but that is what the ones we had were like.
For the main course we had crepes.  The Vorimos, Pertti and Kirsti, have a crepe maker that does 6 at a time!.  So, President Vorimo started about 40 minutes before we started and had plenty of crepes for all by 6 p.m.   Everyone started out with 3 on their plate.  There was a meat topping and/or a vegetable topping and then lots of fruit or sweet toppings.  Yummy.   Then they assembled the dessert!
      A fun night for all!

.Matti, Ritva and their daughter Annina.

In front of the Haaga Ward on the Ojalas last Sunday as missionaries.
Roger & Janice Fuller, Slava Kondratjev, Warren Thornock, Sisko Stenfors, Wayne & Karla Williamson, Ritva & Matti Ojala, Jon & Donna Kay Carpenter, Rick & Lynne London.

Sunday doings

We have gone from winter to spring!  All the snow is gone in the fields out our window. I miss the skiers around the track but now there are walkers with their well behaved dogs and skaters with their ski polls.  People still wear coats, gloves, and scarves, but not the Americans.  We are hardy, or foolish.  In fact, today we awoke to the sounds of metal scraping asphalt.  The parking lot and road to the temple were being swept and vacummed  and power washed to get rid of all the little rocks that have been dumped on the roads and sidewalks for months.  Yeah.  Quite a process and  much needed. 

Yesterday, Sunday, April 22, 2012, we went to Tampere to stake conference.  It is about 2 hours away and 160  kilometers.   Conference was held in the Tampere Talo downtown, Annie was playing at night, and the seating was very nice.  President Haikkola was one of the speakers and our own Finnish temple missionary, Jukka Lehtimäki, translated for the visiting area authority 70,  Elder  Gassatti from Italy.  He gave his talk in English, which is not his native language and it was translated into Finnish.  A very interesting thing.  Pres. Haikkola talked about the temples and families and how being in a family is the best preparation for the hereafter.  AND, we need to decided to receive EVERYTHING  Heavenly Father has for us. 

Starting at the left:  The Londons, Haikkolas, Thornocks, Fullers,  Karla and Wayne and Sisko Stenfors.  Taken at the Tampere Talo.

We, all of us but the Haikkolas,  then motored to Orivesi to visit with Pekka and Anna-Karina Roto.  He is a counselor in the temple presidency. (They had spoken in the Saturday night meeting at the conference. Sorry we didn't hear their talks but they gave us 'in a nutshell' versions).  It was a delightful time in their very lovely, country, home.  On a lake, with a sauna,  a very old barn and a hundred year old house, remodled and updated.  Very nice.  We had a delicous lunch and then the men did the dishes while we received the tour of the home. 

 

On Sunday, April 15, 2012 we motored to Hyvinkää to attend the ward there and then go over to the home of the Byskovs!  We, the Fullers, Londons and the Williamsons,  had a very wonderful time with them.  The men were to give a little family home evening lesson about the Priesthood as Jon, the oldest son, turns 12 in June.  So we brought dinner, hamburgers to grill and all the trimmings and then some.  It was great to see an 11 year old down 3 hamburgers, and a 4 year old only have the bun and a few chips on his plate!  Amazing how kids are the same the world over no matter the language!  It was such a nice day with their family.  All their names are only 3 letters:   Uif, Anu, Ida, Jon, Jan, and young Noa.  Speaking of language,  the father is Danish and Anu, the mother, is Finnish.  So they speak both of the those languages in the home and Swedish because they start out in a Swedish school.  Ida, the 13 11/12 year old (now it's only 1 week until she turns 14), is going to go to English school but she already speaks very good English.  Little Noa and I had some moments of high 5's and smiles and laughs but no words that either of us understood.

 

There are so many fine people here in Finland.  And we are lucky enough to visit some of them in their homes and in their own areas.  Nice to get to know them in the Temple and very nice to go out and see them in their own towns and cities and be amazed at how regular so many of them come to the temple, even though they have to travel long distances.