Ellen G. White in Europe 1885-1887

Chapter 12—Norwegian Adventists Welcome Mrs. White

Large public meetings in Christiania

Mrs. White's major assignment in Scandinavia now loomed before her—a little more than two busy weeks in Norway. Sweden had more Adventists at this time, but Norway could claim the only Adventist institution in the Northland, the publishing house in Christiania,^* as well as the largest single congregation—120 members in the headquarters church. EGWE 115.1

Observant of the features of the country, Mrs. White wrote of its characteristics and its hospitable people: EGWE 115.2

“It is hard to realize that in Christiania we are as far north as the southern point of Greenland and Alaska. The winters here are not severe. But the days at this season are very short. The sun rises as late as half past nine, and sets about three. EGWE 115.3

“In the summer, of course, the days are correspondingly long. At midsummer it is so light all night that one can see to read print. Children are often playing in the streets till midnight. At the North Cape the sun does not set from May 15 to July 29. EGWE 115.4

“Norway has about two million inhabitants; the people are remarkable for their independent, liberty-loving spirit.”—Historical Sketches of the Foreign Missions of the Seventh-day Adventists, 220. EGWE 115.5

It was noon, Friday, October 30, when the White party arrived at Christiania. Elder and Mrs. A. B. Oyen welcomed them at the station and took them to their suburban home at Akersvejen 2. The Oyens were Americans who had come to Norway in the summer of 1884 to help supervise the publishing work there. It was a great joy for both Ellen and Willie White to be able to talk freely in English again. “Although we were welcomed and treated with every attention by our Danish and Swedish brethren and sisters,” Mrs. White wrote at this juncture, “we felt all the time crippled because we could not converse together.... But we are again in America, as it were!”—Manuscript 27, 1885. EGWE 116.1

After what Willie described as “a good square meal,” the Whites were no doubt eager to hear of the progress on the new Norwegian publishing house. Matteson had purchased the building on Akersgaden six years earlier, but a portion of the building had to be torn down when a new street, ThorOlsensGade, was put through by the city. Matteson seized the opportunity to rebuild the publishing house and meeting hall with help from the General Conference. The construction had begun in May of 1885, but would not be completed until the next March. EGWE 116.2

Shortly after arriving in Christiania, perhaps that same afternoon, Mrs. White visited the new institution along with Elder Matteson. W. C. White, in recounting the incident, tells how as they entered the partially renovated building, she exclaimed: “This place seems familiar to me. I have seen this before.” Then, as they reached the pressroom, she said, “I have seen these presses before. This is one of the places shown me years ago where publications were being issued in countries outside the United States.” EGWE 116.3

Her reference here was to the vision of January 3, 1875, of a broadening work. At the time the vision was given, the church had only one publishing house, although they are contemplating a second one in California. But now, in 1885, Mrs. White was seeing again what had been so vividly shown to her by the angel of God. EGWE 116.4