449. Conference in Hallingdal 1931

Time flies when you are in good company. Even though we spent three days together this time, it passed very quickly. Situated between the eastern and western part of the country, it seems like Nesbyen is ideally suited for conferences. The large community hall probably seats almost three hundred people when it is full. In addition there is a kitchen, a large dining hall, and a foyer.

It was blessed to see many friends from Molde, Måløy, Bergen, and Hardangerfjord. There was a really good turnout of these friends. There were also people from Sarpsborg, Fredrikstad, Drøbak, Oslo, Horten, and Sandefjord. Brother Sigurd Bratlie and six Danish friends came all the way from Copenhagen. They rejoiced over the brotherhood and the meetings. They also admired God’s magnificent scenery up there between the mountains. At the foot of one of these enormous mountains is a little house where brother Ole M. Roen has been bedridden for sixteen years. He is bandaged and lies on his back. The Danish friends came along to visit him. We sang and played the organ in the lounge. I saw tears flow while we were singing. God spoke powerfully, both through this sick brother and through the beautiful scenery as well as through His good Spirit. One of the sisters sang a song written in German by O. M. Roen. While Ole is in bed, he keeps himself occupied with languages and arithmetic. May God bless him.

It was good to hear all the testimonies. What brother Aslaksen writes in his song number 182, verse 4 in Ways of the Lord proves true: “We through the cross have our membership; with one mind we have fellowship. In Christ’s sufferings we oneness share; this is glory beyond compare.”

The Word of the cross fuses us into one. This is the uniting power of oneness. Jesus overcame all the host of the enemy on the cross. Here we, too, overcome. When we keep the flesh crucified by faith, the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace will unite us. There are hundreds who can testify to this here in Norway, and we long, hope, and believe that there will be thousands. Every conference is a step in that direction, and no one is able to stop the rushing waters of the Spirit. Light is sown for the upright, and it is not possible to put out this light. The more trials we go through, the more crushed olives there will be for the lamp.

After the three days together, everyone went home. However, the Danish friends stayed on in Oslo for a couple of days longer. After this they traveled home to Copenhagen on the “Kong Håkon.” Brother Otto Baltzersen, who is a pilot in Drøbak, was out in a boat and greeted the friends as the steamship passed Drøbak. Several friends from Drøbak were in the pilot boat. There was no time for anything but to wave; but the Danish friends threw out a Message in a bottle. It contained the following:

“Loving greetings from the friends in Copenhagen who have visited the friends in Norway.

“We would like to thank you for all your love, patience, forbearance, and everything we have enjoyed, both the earthly and the spiritual.

“Special thanks to those who were not physically able to be there but who were present in the spirit, and to all those who have been standing along the coast waving, and to you, brother Otto Baltzersen, who came out in the boat.

“Your devoted brother S. Bratlie, J. Gerhardt, Kristine Gerhardt, Ellida Kjeldsen (Col. 3:1-13), Anna Bæklund, Maren Bach, Sofie Kobbeltvedt.

“Finally, we greet all of you with the following mannacorn: Zech. 12:6.”

In Horten many friends turned up on the pier. I asked the Danish friends if they were happy with the trip. All of them smiled and answered with a resounding “Yes.” We waved as long as we could see them, and they waved at us until they disappeared in the distance. However, they are not really gone. Brother Bratlie went with them to Copenhagen where he has a great field of work in spite of his young age.

Hearty thanks to all of you who came to the conference. I believe that this gathering will also be remembered with the many other gatherings where light is received, where fellowship with the saints increases, and where faith to keep going in the race is strengthened.