It just dawned on me that I have never introduced myself here. I was born 75 years ago in Denmark, but when I was 5 my father was called back to his homeland, Iceland, to be the leader of literature evangelism. We were fortunate thus to avoid the throes of World War II.
After the war I traveled to Denmark, Sweden, and Norway together with three sisters. Two of these married brothers in Norway, and one is now my oldest son's mother-in-law, living in Norway. The third returned to Iceland and married my best childhood friend. I was so happy he got a good wife. . .
Later I spent a total of 7 years in the United States, where I found my German wife, and we had our first son. The next was born in Europe (Denmark) and the third one in Africa (Nigeria). It is now 56 years since I was first employed by the Seventh-day Adventist Church which took me to six different countries where we lived, with shorter assignments to other countries. Mostly pastoral, departmental director, and teaching. (Bible - in 3 different countries).
After almost 51 years of marriage my wife succumbed to breast cancer in Norway. One of those who spoke of her gratitude to Irmgard at her funeral was Linda Shelton. She said Irmgard had remained a true friend when almost all others had forsaken her. (Linda came on a short visit to Norway from her home in Springfield, Ill.)
My childhood friend died 11 years before that. Now his widow has become my wife, and we are really enjoying our senior years together - in Iceland. Together we have 9 grown children, 20 grandchildren, and 10 great-grandchildren. From time to time we visit my wife, Ida's, three sisters in Norway where I have two sons and three grandchildren.
We enjoy worshiping our Lord and Savior together - and singing. (Still members of a concert choir - which are so abundant in Iceland.) And I still preach and teach in Sabbath School. And we enjoy memories of rich and fruitful lives, and of having helped quite a number of people finding Christ.
Iceland was designated in 2007 as the best country in the world to live in, with Norway number two. Iceland is probably the only country where phone books list people alphabetically by first names. Mine is
Johann
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