8/15/26
Two years ago we were packing and preparing to come to Iceland and begin our missionary service. Today we are (just about) packed and prepared to return home to our family at the completion of that service. Time flies when you’re having fun! Or when you are incredibly busy, serving, growing, learning, ministering, and being ministered to. It’s hard to put into words how joyful this week has been as we have reflected back on the past two years and what miracles and blessings we have received. On Tuesday the 18th we will be home and tired. 🙂
To begin this post I’ll share just a little bit of business. I will publish one more post mid-week next week, from Oregon. It will be my final post for our Iceland mission and it will give you reassurance that we are home safely, with our family, and beginning the returned missionary experience. After that post this blog will stay silent until our next mission comes around! We expect to serve another mission in a couple of years. At that time I will begin to blog again and share our mission journal with whomever would like to join us for our next journey. To make it simple for you to follow us, go to the home page of our blog here, scroll down to where is says “Subscribe” and enter your email address. When we are leaving on mission number two and I write the first post, you will get an email letting you know. If you are subscribed you will not miss a thing! You won’t have to search for us on Facebook and can just follow along at that time and where ever the Lord chooses to send us. We would love to have you join us again.
For now, here is a look at what we did on our final full week as senior missionaries in Iceland. The blessings abound!
On Sunday we attended the Selfoss branch for our final visit. Todd and I both spoke in sacrament meeting and we enjoyed visiting with the branch members. We love and appreciate these friends so much. They have been a tremendous support to us as we have served here.
Thelma
Todd with Sævar & his wife Elizabeth and their children
Jóhann & Þórstína & their grandchildren
The branch gave us an apron they had each signed along with a lovely photo book of Iceland by a Selfoss photographer. We appreciate these thoughtful gifts and the memories they hold.
Elder Nielsen, Elder Moyer, Thelma, me & Todd, Jóhann, Þórstína, Kiefer, Bragi, Áslaug, Bettina
At the end of each transfer the Denmark Copenhagen mission holds a mission wide farewell testimony meeting. The entire mission attends over zoom while the departing missionaries have a chance to share their testimonies. For two years we have attended these meetings and enjoyed hearing the thoughts and testimonies expressed by the missionaries as they conclude their service. This week Todd and I joined thirteen young missionaries who are also going home to share our testimonies with the mission. We’ve grown to love so many of these people! We haven’t worked in person with most of them, but through our opportunities to interact online we have developed friendships with so many of them. It was a pleasure to share our testimonies with them.
Four elders from Iceland also finished their missions this week. Hearing their testimonies was a great way to kick off their departing week celebrations. Below, L-R: Elder Benzley (going home) & Elder Gutierrez, Elder Geertsen (going home) & Elder Parry, Elder Nielsen (going home) & Elder Moyer (going home)
And, in case you forgot what we look like, we were sent this picture of us sharing our testimonies. 🙂
Yep, after Sunday comes Monday and there was some baking done for Institute. The absolute final batch of Iceland chocolate crinkles along with a pan of homemade rolls to have with horse chili. We’re just going to assume this was the one millionth batch of chocolate crinkles and call it a day!
In the midst of the baking Todd escaped for some sunshine and a scooter ride to our neighborhood waterfall, Kermóafoss.
We spent a lot of time this week packing. Even though the apartment is small, we have lived here for two years and we’ve collected all kinds of odds & ends! It’s been quite the project to sort through everything and figure out what actually needs to come home with us. And, to figure out how to fit all of it into our suitcases! We came here with clothes sealed in vacuum packed bags and we’re going home with (different) clothes in vacuum packed bags! Let’s just say lots of Icelandic wool sweaters are making their way to Oregon.
Throughout our mission I’ve built this collage wall. Each time we would take a picture I really loved we would print it out and stick it on the wall. This week they all came down (more than 150) and will come home with us to go in a photo album. It’s been a very fun project and will be an excellent photo album to look through in the future.
On Wednesday, August 12, 2026, western Iceland was in the path of totality for a solar eclipse. We’ve been planning for the eclipse for months and were so excited that we could just walk outside and watch it! The country was inundated with visitors coming to view a total eclipse from Iceland. The government had made a plan for road closures and other precautions to keep everyone safe. All twelve young elders were in Reykjavik for several days mid week (in preparation for the departing four elders to go home) so we made a plan as a group to spend the afternoon and evening together at the church.
The forecast was not promising, predicting rain and clouds for the big day. And, the forecast was correct. It was very gray and gloomy and there was no sign of the actual sun in the sky. We still gathered together for the afternoon and hoped for a break in the clouds as we waited for totality.
The elders had a ball playing on the wii, playing cards, & ping pong and we kept running outside in hopes of a break in the weather.
About a half an hour before totality we all went outside with our eclipse glasses (which were useless in the clouds, but looked great!) for a photo shoot. The clouds were heavy but the rain had stopped for a while.
L-R: Elder Pedroza, Elder Chynoweth, Elder Parry, Elder Monzon, Elder Bredthauer, Elder Benzley, Elder Gutierrez, Elder Denney, Elder Jensen, Elder Nielsen, Elder Geertsen, Elder Moyer
Looking for the eclipse!
While we couldn’t see the sun and the moon we did feel the effects of the eclipse. Just before totality it quickly got dark. It was exciting and crazy to feel the light fade so fast. It stayed very dark for over a minute and then just as quickly became light again. Todd made a great video of this experience. In less than a minute you can see the three minutes that went from light to dark to light. It was pretty amazing to experience.
Following the eclipse we had a breakfast for dinner buffet with French toast casserole, scrambled eggs, breakfast potatoes, & juice. It was delicious and, this was the final time this group of twelve elders would be together. It was quite the celebration and farewell party!
Early the next morning, (4:30, to be exact) we met our departing missionaries at the church to load up for a drive to the airport. Here they are during their final stop at the church parking lot! Elder Benzley, Elder Geertsen, Elder Nielsen, & Elder Moyer.
It’s a forty minute drive to the airport and then we joined thousands and thousands of people in the lines at the airport. Fortunately, they all got through the check in process and made their flight on time. But it did make Todd and I decide we are going to the airport very early next week when it’s time for us to leave. Those lines were creeping along! The elders flew to Denmark to meet with President Davidson and attend the temple. Then on Friday they each flew home to their families in the states.
One of our favorite parts of our mission has been working with the young elders. These four have been with us almost the entire time we have served in Iceland and we have grown to love them. We’re excited to see what comes next for them!
On Friday we took advantage of the gorgeous weather to drive the Golden Circle one final time. We absolutely love this loop outside of town. It has some of our favorite places in Iceland. It was so nice to see them again, thank Heavenly Father for this beautiful place we’ve gotten to serve, and enjoy one last visit to these special places.
Kerið Crater —
Brúarfoss —
Blesi at Geysir —
At Geysir we hiked up to an overlook to enjoy the views across the country side. On our way up we met the Beck family from Highland, Utah. Whenever someone says, “Hello, Elder & Sister” we know they are active members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints! The youngest daughter in this family (in the blue jacket at the front) finished her mission to Norway in December. Their family had come to visit Iceland after visiting Norway the week before. It was very fun to talk to them and tell them a little bit about our mission experience. It is so nice to be recognized as missionaries when we are out enjoying the beauty of Iceland!
The view from the top —
Gullfoss —
The wind at Gullfoss!
Faxafoss —
When we had been in Iceland for just ten days, at the start of our mission, we drove the Golden Circle for the first time. After the visit this week we counted our drives around the circle and found we have done it thirteen times in two years! It is impossible to get tired of this kind of beauty and of witnessing the majesty of the world God has created for us to enjoy. We try to pick a favorite waterfall and we just can’t do it! Each of these are favorites for different reasons. So we bid a fond farewell to the Golden Circle!
This week has ended with more packing, sorting, cleaning, and organizing. It’s a challenge to fit all the things we want to take home into our suitcases and keep them under the weight limit! I’ve put together notes for our replacement couple about some things around the apartment that work differently here than in the US, as well as lists of things of interest around town. I hope they will find them useful. Todd and I are both speaking in Reykjavik 1st and 2nd branches tomorrow so we have been preparing our thoughts to share one final time in Iceland. We also made time to enjoy some of our favorite foods in Iceland — parmesan potatoes and snúðurs. 🙂
In just three days we will be in Oregon. It is incredible to imagine! I will attempt to get our final post up Tuesday evening, but it might be Wednesday, we will see. We are headed home to our family, which now consists of twenty people! And we are so excited to be with them! But for these last few days we will enjoy our mission, our friends in Iceland, the saints who are working hard to strengthen the kingdom of God here, and the missionaries who are sacrificing to share the gospel to all around them.
Thank you for being here with us. God is good and He has given us good friends in you. We’ll see you soon, from home.
Check out Todd’s social media pages for more photos and videos. You can find him here:
Leave a Reply