(not original copy)

May God’s grace and peace strengthen you—body, soul, and spirit! God is our strength—in quietness and confidence in Him shall be our strength.

I hear that you are physically weak—but God will strengthen your body; and that you feel weak in your soul—but God will strengthen your soul. The air at Voksenkollen12 alone cannot strengthen your soul or your limbs, but God’s power can. You don’t need to go to Geneva to find respite, for God is near to you in your heart and in your mouth. We no longer need to go to Jerusalem, or to Mount Gerizim either; nor do we need to bring Christ down from heaven or up from the abyss, for truly He is not far from any one of us. Don’t misunderstand me; your trip to Voksenkollen has undoubtedly shown you that you have neither traveled to nor from Christ.

Thank you very much for the 770 kroner you sent me. I hope you won’t be so hardhearted as to deprive me of the fruit that will be mine in the Lord by sending back the amount of interest that has accrued over these past few years. My interest has been more than paid by the profitable use to which you have put the money, as well as by the good heart you’ve had for your brother Ludvig. The Lord, whose eyes are like flames of fire, will show you mercy on that day, because you let the fruit of your hands benefit others. So then, allow me to return 210 kroner.

I was afraid you were angry with me since you didn’t write, but that wasn’t the case. I admit that I’m very hard and blunt, but God created me this way, and I feel that it is my task in Christ to forge ahead regardless—when it is needed—because in this I find a precious peace and victory. All those who possess something of God will understand that I mean them no harm. I only want to help them break free from the evil spirit or whatever they keep doing wrong. All the best, and write soon.

Greet everyone at home and rest securely in the Lord, because things are not going to fall apart just because you can’t be everywhere at the same time.

I’m back home this afternoon, because Pauline gave birth to a daughter yesterday—a big, healthy girl.

Greetings from Pauline and Kristian, as well as from your devoted brother,