The Miracle of the Icelandic Sweater

4/18/26

Hello, everybody! It’s time for another Richardson Missions update. Let’s see what this week has in store for us. Of course, we will start with Sunday. Here we go!

We went to church in Selfoss on Sunday and really enjoyed visiting with the saints there. Todd and I both spoke in sacrament meeting. The new friends we had made on Saturday, Rebecca & Steven Downs, were also in church there. During his talk Todd invited Rebecca to bear her testimony. She has great grandparents from Iceland it’s so great to hear how their faith, generations ago, is still running strong through their family tree. Throughout the meetings Rebecca and several of the Icelandic sisters found they are related through common ancestors. It was very fun to watch her excitement as they shared family history with her and made connections that will last long after they return home from their visit here. It was fun to be part of this.

In the picture below you will see Rebecca with Todd and Greta, who was translating from English to Icelandic. Greta and Rebecca happen to be cousins way back along that wonderful family tree.

After our meetings in Selfoss (where Todd also conducted temple recommend interviews and taught young mens!) we stopped for a short picnic at one of our favorite pullouts along the coast. When we are heading from meetings in Selfoss to meetings in Reykjavik we like to take a few minutes to enjoy a sandwich with a view!

There was a baptism Sunday afternoon in Reykjavik. A really wonderful married couple were baptized. To respect their privacy I’m not going to tell you anything about them or share a picture of them! Let’s just say it has been wonderful to watch them embrace the gospel and change their lives as they have come closer to God. It was joyous to watch them both make baptismal covenants together, be baptized and confirmed, and bear witness of what they know. I got to give a talk at their baptism and I was the pianist.

Elder Moyer (left) and Elder Geertsen have been teaching them and they each performed one of the baptisms. We’re excited to watch how this couple continues to grow in their faith in Christ and how they strengthen those around them as they do so.

The baptismal font in our little building will always hold a special place in my heart. In most church buildings the font is hidden away. Here, it is right in the middle of the building. You cannot miss seeing it and remembering the great love God has for us in providing us with the gate of baptism to begin our journey with Him.

I’m happy to report that the weather is improving! The temperatures are slowing climbing and most of the snow in the city has melted. That does not mean we will not get more! But for now it is starting to feel like spring. I got out for a walk one morning early in the week and enjoyed the views. The oystercatchers are back in town — a sure sign of spring!

All along my walk I was watching for the beginning of growth of the lupine. This spectacular flower blankets Iceland in the summer. Because we’ve had so much bad weather they are not as far along as they were last year at this time. I really had to hunt but I finally found them! Buried in last year’s remains those little green shoots are beginning to show. I’m looking forward to watching their progress over the next couple of months.

Todd and I have been talking about some of the people we know and care about who have stepped away from church activity. These little flower starts remind me that even when someone’s faith in Christ has gone dormant for a time there is always hope that it can be renewed. That wonderful gift of spring that brings us new life after a season of darkness keeps the miracle of repentance and the gift of our Savior’s atonement front and center in my mind. Elder Groberg said, “The basis of all righteous hope is the person of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In him all hope has its existence. Without him there is no hope. But because he was and is and ever will be, there is always hope—hope in all areas. He is hope.”

For several weeks we haven’t taken a P-day adventure. Between our work schedule, the weather, and Todd not feeling great we’ve been staying close to home (and church buildings). This week we got out for a full field trip and had a great time. Our first stop was at Saurbæjarkirkja, a beautiful church and cemetery built right on the edge of a cliff. The setting is idealic.

Todd took the drone up for a spin and I enjoyed walking the cemetery. I couldn’t find this cemetery on Find a Grave so I took pictures of all the headstones and I will try to find time to add this cemetery and it’s information to that database.

Here’s what I was doing:

And here’s what Todd was doing!

The sculpture below is a memorial commemorating a small ship wreck that occurred here in 1905 taking the lives of eleven people. You can read the whole story here. (Have your computer translate the page into English. 🙂 )

We took the long way home around Hvalfjörður, making a stop to visit Staupasteinn. It was a beautiful day.

The whooper swans are actively nesting during the spring and we saw them in several different places throughout the day.

As you know, not all days are spent entirely enjoying beautiful scenery. We spent the day Wednesday on a variety of projects. While Todd taught the elders in a companion study class I worked to prepare to play piano for both the branches sacrament meetings this upcoming Sunday. The challenge is to find four hymns I can play well enough that I’m not in a panic, and all four songs have to be in all three hymnbooks – English, Spanish, & Icelandic. It will be fun to have the opportunity to play more often. It will definitely get me practicing more! You’ll have to tune in to next week’s blog to see if I survive accompanying two sacrament meetings!

We also got to make a trip to Nova with our new missionary, Elder Parry. It’s part of the new missionary process to get their phone set up and their electronic ID established with the government. And, Nova is such a fun disco store! Why not spend a few minutes there? Elder Parry, left, Elder Moyer, right

A couple of weeks ago I told you about the mission wide class Todd and I are teaching on Thursday mornings. It’s turned into a big part of each week. For the first half of the week we are refining and reviewing our lesson material. I got a laugh out of our lesson prep session Wednesday afternoon. Can you count how many screens we are on? We were checking the presentation through zoom.

This week’s review was on Healthy Thinking Patterns, the second lesson in the Emotional Resilience course. (It is excellent material. If you’d like to read about what we reviewed, click here.) These classes are simply an overview of the lesson material. We talked about how our thoughts affect our emotions and our actions. We learned about what triggers negative thinking. The most important part of the lesson is that through the power of the Holy Ghost we can change our negative thinking to positive thinking. We are really enjoying this assignment to work together as a couple and with the missionaries across the entire mission.

Each week in the mission wide zoom meeting we also get a report from the elders and sisters who had baptisms the past weekend. In the Denmark Copenhagen mission there were five baptisms reported on, three of which were here! Reporting below, L-R: Elder Parry, Elder Moyer, Elder Jensen, Elder Gutierrez, & Elder Pedroza.

Okay, we have to talk about knitting! Two years ago if you told me I would learn to knit, really enjoy it, and actually make myself something I am happy to wear, I wouldn’t have believed you. This week I finished my lopapeysa (Icelandic sweater). Honestly, I am stunned that it turned out so beautiful! While I was working on it I thought it was going to be way too small and that I would never wear it. Thankfully, I was wrong! It turned out beautiful and I am thrilled with the result. Unfortunately, it’s finally warming up and it will be too warm to wear it very much until next winter. But I will be ready to pull it on as soon as I have a cold day! I cannot believe I made this!

Side note here for some personal reflection. 32 years ago I was going to college for my bachelor’s degree and I took a break from school because we had our first daughter, Kathryn. (Her birthday is today! Happy birthday, sweetie!) I didn’t go back to school until we’d had four baby girls, moved to Alaska, and our youngest daughter was five years old. It was about a ten year break. When I did start my schooling again we were in Alaska and I finished my degree through independent study with BYU. All of my classes were done on my own with email help from teachers. I mailed in assignments and took tests at a testing center and had some access to information online. It was a lot of work and it took me three years, taking one class at a time, to finish my degree and graduate from BYU with a bachelor’s degree in 2007.

During this three year period I had to take a calculus class. I worked hard in this class. It was challenging and, trust me, there were many tears. Somehow I got through the assignments and the tests and I ended up getting an A in that class. Yes, I put in the effort, but that A belongs entirely to the Heavenly Father. Heavenly Father got an A in calculus! Thank goodness He knows how to do hard things so that He could inspire me, through the Holy Ghost, and help me with things I just couldn’t manage on my own.

This experience with knitting has been somewhat similar to my experience taking calculus through independent study. Yes, there are some key differences. I’ve had Helga by my side, willing to help and guide every step of the way. And I’ve had access to YouTube which is full of tutorial videos that helped me often. However, similar to calculus, I have felt the Holy Ghost guiding and teaching me throughout this process. There have been times when I could not make those knitting needles do what they were supposed to do. But then, suddenly, I could. One evening at a knitting circle early on in my learning, Helga wanted me to show her how I was stitching. I was nearly panicked because, even though I had practiced, I couldn’t do it. With a prayer in my heart I picked up those needles, looped the yarn around my left pinkie, and just started knitting. I cannot explain what happened, but suddenly the Spirit magnified my abilities. I knew then, and I know now, that Heavenly Father was blessing me beyond my capacity.

This lesson is one of the major take-aways for me from our entire mission. I have been asked to do things that I never thought I would have to do. I have been expected to learn new things (not only knitting!). I have been pushed far outside of my comfort zone and, knowing it was beyond my own capacity, have felt the Spirit take over and magnify my abilities.

Whether it’s calculus, knitting, or anything else, I know that our Heavenly Father can empower us to do what is needed. Is it necessary for me to know how to knit? I don’t think so! (But honestly, was calculus really necessary?!) I know that because I was doing all that I could and asking Heavenly Father to help me, He intervened. I didn’t make that gorgeous sweater alone. The Holy Ghost, made the sweater! (Heavenly Father does know how to knit, just in case you’re wondering.)

Thanks for listening to this side note. I just want to emphasize that I feel the power of God working in me. It is an incredible feeling! A handknit sweater is evidence of this and Heavenly Father will also empower you. I hope you see Him working in your life, making you more than you can be on your own.

And now, back to our regularly scheduled blog post. . .

Since my sweater is done and I love having a project to work on we promptly went out to get Icelandic wool for Todd’s sweater! Time to get started on his with hopes to have it finished before we go home. I’m going to use the same pattern for his but he choose black with a red accent. Next winter we will look pretty stylish back in Oregon with our “Handmade by Pamela” Icelandic sweaters!

We had to make a visit to Helga to show her how her teaching had paid off. She is such a sweet woman and I am grateful for her! She also had some pointers for me as I start on Todd’s sweater. His will definitely be better and have fewer mistakes!

We finished our week having a waffle dinner meeting with our zone leaders, Elder Bredthauer & Elder Geertsen. We had some planning to do and why not plan while eating waffles?! We love and appreciate these elders and enjoy working with them. They are working hard and doing good things for the people of Iceland.

Thanks for coming along with us this week. We love sharing our mission journey with you and we hope you know how grateful we are for your love, support, and prayers for us! I can’t wait to see what happens next week! Come back and find our. See you then. 🙂

Check out Todd’s social media pages for more pictures and videos. You can find him here:

https://www.facebook.com/todd.e.richardson.2025

https://www.youtube.com/@todde.richardson