Thank you very much for your letter which I received. At present I’m on board the Thor but have shore leave this afternoon (Ascension Day). Today we have a huge choral gathering, with singers coming from both sides of the fjord, and they are going to meet in the drill hall at 3:00 this afternoon. Now I can tell you, dear parents and siblings, some wonderful news: I am very happy. And why? Because I have received Jesus as my friend and brother, and now He is my all in all. Before, I was restless and couldn’t find peace anywhere; but now, thanks to the God of heaven, I find peace everywhere. You will probably be wondering how I got such peace. Well, I’ve understood for a long time that there is no true joy outside of God. It so happened one Sunday afternoon that I met Hans Olausen, who joined the service the same day I did, and we went to the Methodist church. While we were sitting there, I asked if he wanted to come home and have supper afterwards, to which he agreed. Back at home, he spoke about how ill Adolf Olsen (the tinsmith’s son) is, and how he had spoken to him about God. I was deeply moved and in tears; we held one another’s hands, and he prayed for us both. I will never forget how I felt then, because naturally the devil came as usual. However, the prayer had done its work, because the following night, during the middle watch on board the monitor, inside a little gun turret, I prayed. Everything seemed so dark, but suddenly I was filled with such joy that I felt like my feet were hardly touching the deck when I walked. Only God can make us that happy. May He be praised everywhere!

Things are certainly not easy for us who are in daily contact with so many people, but God will help us to always remain steadfast. It felt so strange the first time I came off duty and went down to the mess. I intended to give thanks before eating, but I didn’t have the courage. Afterwards I was reproved for this. So the next time I folded my hands for the first time among the petty officers and gave thanks. Now it is past 2:00 p.m., and the singing starts at 3:00 p.m.. Pray for me that God will preserve me.

Please greet my siblings and entreat them to seek the Lord, for only then do we get something to live for and work toward.

Sincerely yours,

From the monitor Thor
Horten