I spent two and a half years in Finland, from November of 1955 through June of 1958 in Finland as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the "Mormons"). My first winter was in Savonlinna, a beautiful little town set between two of the major lakes. It was the coldest winter since the Winter War," and we were getting around on bicycles! The next spring I moved to Vaasa, halfway up the Bothnian Bay on the west coast opposite Sweden. From there, my next stop was Helsinki, the capital city. We were assigned as twos, usually one who could speak the language well (enough) and another who was getting started.
So my next stop was Pori, a bit south of Vaasa, where I had the responsibility of being the senior companion. From there, my next assignment was to Lappeenranta, again well into the interior, almost to the Russian border. I was selected as superintendent of the young men's arm of the church youth program, and as such, needed to travel regularly around the country. To make that easier, I was assigned to Turku, a major harbor and university city on the southwest coast. From there, I could get to Helsinki by train in a short time for monthly or quarterly meetings, and had good train connections to anwhere in Finland.
My final few months were spent in Lahti, which was to be the site of an annual youth conference. There two of us with lead roles in conference arrangements were assigned as partners so we could carry out our responsibilities with a minimum of travel. My companion was Fred Adams, who initiated the now world-renowned Shakespearean Festival in Cedar City, Utah. Even then, as he was organizing, orchestrating, and choreographing the drama and speech festivals of that youth conference, he was planning for a future day when he could hold dramatic events in a university town that would draw crowds from all over the world, like the Passion Play in Oberamergau, Germany.
I traveled home through Europe with Fred, his sister, and one other person. On the way we checked out the sites of various dramatic festivals, saw all the major attractions in Germany, Switzerland, Italy, France, and England, where the capstone was a visit to Shakespeare's home, etc., etc. --The "Grand Tour," but with Fred's purpose guiding the itinerary. His dream came true, and I will never forget tagging along to see its beginnings.
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