Ludvig as a husband and a friend

by Lise Karlsen

We, who grew up in the back streets of Oslo with the vacant lots and the back-yard as alternative playgrounds, received the right of frequenting one of the county borough`s holiday camps. Those camps were mainly designed for the children of the poor - those persons couldn`t afford to take their children on a normal summer holiday. To me, it felt like a great release to visit a holiday camp every summer. Today, I can still hear the voice of one of our «aunties», warning us not to go into the forests where dangerous adders had their homes and not to walk alone on the roads where shady gipsy types were roaming about. Those strange persons were robbing naive town children like us, when passing by. At that time, I hadn`t the slightest idea that I would marry such a gipsy type.

My life together with Ludvig has never been boring. The all-important fact that Ludvig got completely changed after his stirring and profound experience of salvation, was an element which came to change and influence our family life rather radically. My husband as well as I and our children were born anew, moving from the darkness of the wordly life into His wonderful Light. Thus, a completely new world opened up in front of our very eyes. In the middle of a chaotic world, we truly received God`s unbelievable peace and harmony.

In the beginning, I found it rather impossible to share my husband`s keen interest as to the point of joining a Pentecostal church. Why was it - after all - so necessary to find a spiritual community considering the fact that we had both been saved, once and for all. But I was wrong, indeed! A couple of days after our stirring expe riences of salvation, we had to provide for our daily bread by selling gutters and metal furnishings - things which were being kept in the boot of our car.

At that time, Ludvig and I lived in the town of Tønsberg, and in the centre of that town was Betania - a Pentecostal church of medium size. We used to pass this church on our way to Nøtterøy; a little village some 20km south of Tønsberg. Looking for an appropiate congregation, we finally arrived at a little chapel where the name of «Betel» shone so brightly.

«I will stop here», Ludvig said. «Perhaps this is just the place which we are looking for. I will see if there are any persons present!» While he was away, I sat in the car pondering. Surely, people in that excellent little chapel would ask us about our social background, our experiences with other Pentecostal churches not to mention our level of education. And there were no other answers to those questions, than the correct ones. All of a sudden, I was overwhelmed by a feeling of shame and embarrassment. With our special back- ground we couldn`t possibly join any Christian community at all!

However, to my great relief, everything turned out very well.

Shortly afterwards, Ludvig and I were introduced to the principal of that congregation and so with many others of its members. And in the course of time, the congregation of Betel became our very, spiritual home - a place where we could get a better insight into the Word of God to the benefit of our own, spiritual development and growth as true believers. Many a time, however, I was rather worried about Ludvig seizing every opportunity to testify to his own experiences as a Christian. I felt rather akward and embarassed by the thought that my husband was such a talkative person! But afterwards - when the meeting had finished and persons were saluting Ludvig so cordially and cheerfully - I was rather proud of having such a zealous husband; a husband with a true and deep-felt wish in his heart to serve Jesus. Ludvig became my spiritual flame!

This very fact was first and foremost reflected in his job as a soulwinner. Wherever he went, Ludvig always had to testify to Jesus, his true and only Saviour. Constantly, he could be seen kneeling down for prayer, and all the time he was receiving divine revelations and visions. Being a true gipsy, he had - above all - a strong, spiritual care for his own people - a deep-felt commitment which started in the house of Aunt Tina at Dal. In her little kitchen, Ludvig found a good atmosphere for his very first house-meetings. Here, Ludvig prayed to God for many of his fellow-gipsies.

During this period I stayed very much alone at our house together with our children, and just couldn`t share my husband`s hilarious joy. In my opinion I carried most of our joint responsability regarding both the housework as well as the care for our children and my own job. All the same, God kept his promises to me, as Jesus constantly brought me presents in the mailbox - thus I was able to pay our monthly expenses such as our instalments, our rent and our electricity charges. Occasionally, too, it happened that somebody placed a box with food on our doorsteps.

As to Ludvig, he experienced both revival and answers to his prayers. Very soon I discovered that he possessed the rare gift of finding rest with the Lord - a phenomenon which also - - in turn - came to affect me. By nature, Ludvig can be considered both as an impulsive and a fairly credulous person; thus he has - throughout his years - experienced a series of personal disappointments.

To begin with, Ludvig was travelling about together with his brothers and they were as thick as thieves. Kneeling in prayer for the sinners every day they shared everything, also our family life. Occasionally, Ludvig`s brothers stayed with my husband and me together with their respective families, and as I had my regular work every day I often felt rather tired. However, as I was rather familiar with the gipsies` way of living, I knew that their family ties were much stronger than those of a Norwegian family. So, I really had to change my own lifestyle, too.

As Ludvig had lost his driver`s license thanks to drink-driving, he used to go hitchhiking on his way to the meetings. Sometimes, he would also take the train. No matter what means of transport he used, however, he would always carry his Bible along as a token of his own, personal belief in Christ. Moreover, it also goes with the story that Ludvig didn`t miss any, single opportunity to testify to his own personal experiences as a Christian.

On his return home from such a trip of evangelical work, he told us about his encounter with a lady on the train. She was sitting just opposite to him in the compartment busily occupied with the task of reading «Mao`s little red», when they suddenly entered into a very interesting conversation about life-values in general and the Christian faith in particular. Many times, she pointed out to Ludvig, she had prayed for a meeting with a true Christian, and now her dreams had really come true! What a coincidence! Soon, in that very compartment, Ludvig went down in prayer for the lady and thereupon he started testifying to his own experiences as a Christian. Moreover, when she invited him to visit the town of Larvik in order to preach the gospel to the candidates for confirmation, he accepted her invitation. Shortly afterwards, Ludvig was observed testifying and praying for that group of young people.

Very soon, our home became the resort of various persons. Some came to seek our advice regarding a religious problem or a difficult family situation, others visited us just with the purpose of receiving intercessory prayers. Occasionally, we also shared our home with the children of certain pastors which - for some reason - experienced a hard time during periods. And those children were rather protected - thanks to a merciful God! Mention should also be made of Ludvig`s Sunday School, which was held in our home - in itself a little institution which soon came to include many of the classmates of Monika, Kai and Vera.

However, as Ludvig`s entire attention has always been devoted to the very miserable ones - to the true loosers in society - our house soon came to serve as a resort for this group of people. They had their regular ins and outs in our home. A rather striking feature with the self-sacrificing work of my husband has always been - and will always be - his inability to give moralizing speeches. Ludvig never stops emphasizing God`s great mercy towards man and the fact that He forgives all our sins - regardless of their very nature. My husband always points out man`s inclination to fail, and his own duty to treat them like Jesus would have done. Furthermore,
Lise at the grave of Kai. He was their only son.
he is also considered a rather generous person.

Once we were nearly broke, and our entire life threatened to collapse. Then a man visited us, requesting us to pray for him and his great debts. According to his own words he couldn`t afford to pay for his car insurance, and the authorities threatened to remove the number plates from the car. Thereby, he would be prevented in his daily efforts of providing for his family.

As we knelt down in prayer for this man, Ludvig was reminded by the Lord to hand him the sum of 140 dollars. Though my husband had got the money from his latest campaign, he ended up parting with it after first having discussed the very affair with his heavenly Father. Shortly afterwards, our uninvited guest left our home, with a much brighter expression in his face than before. And Ludvig and I were both left alone on our doorsteps, economically broken but yet with a blessed feeling of spiritual richness in our hearts. It goes with the story that none of us have ever been starving since that happening.

In company with my dear husband, I have really enjoyed my divinely-gifted life throughout these years - a present from the Lord as a real blessing and thanksgiving for our joint enterprises. Both Ludvig and I received God`s call to work among the underprivi leged in society. Yet, in my opinion this was carried through - by our Almighty Father - to ensure that we could both share our common life of sorrows and joys; sometimes a difficult and rather complicated life but always a safe excistence under His protecting and divine wings! Ludvig and I have - in the course of time - developed our own lifestyle, and even if neither of us are free from problems our joint enterprises have served as an useful instrument in our efforts to help ourselves.

One of our greatest sorrows in life took place in the year of 1983, by the death of our beloved son Kai. When he lost his life in a dramatic car-accident at Roa Gospel Center - only 17 years old - both Ludvig and I saw no hopes for the future. Today, it is rather well-known that Ludvig wanted to jump out from one of the windows at the hospital of Gjøvik; fortunately, however, he managed to calm down. Instead, he hurried to the local Baptist church, to preach the gospel there. Ludvig has impressed me so many times, over and over again! During that hard period I was constantly in mourning, but in the long run I managed to throw the entire respons- ability on my one and only Saviour - The Lord Jesus Christ.

A little later, both Ludvig and I experienced the deaths of our parents. At that point, our heavenly Father reminded us of his own Words in the Gospel of St.Luke: «For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also» (Luke 12, 34).

Receiving the doctors` information that something was wrong with his heart, Ludvig naturally got quite upset and worried.

In the following years, he had to limit his great capacity for work a good deal (if not his projects and his good, future prospects!), but his outstanding energy and burning fire for Jesus Christ is still alive! By means of an implanted «pace-maker», Ludvig has been kept a «strong-going» person, yet he has been ordered by his doctors to live a more quiet and regular life than before. To me, however, it seems like the opposite: My husband has evidently increased and extended his great working speed, not actually reduced it!

It`s rather a word of wisdom that my husband should live, whilst he can! Moreover, an outstanding, extremely gifted person like Ludvig
Lise and Ludvig plant a tree in a garden outside of Jerusalem
Karlsen would never be content to live the life of a mediocrity! On the contrary, through all his activities Ludvig has incessantly demonstrated a burning enthusiasm for his own call, also an overwhelming enthusiasm as to his own work and towards his own working-colleagues.

Mixed with a rare spontaneity and impulsivness and a series of unique artistic talents, his entire personality should be encouraged, not disregarded! According to the man himself, he is at his best when in motion! Yet, as his wife I have experienced his great spiritual fights before some meetings, often preceeded by his personal doubts concerning his own, divine mission. Again and again he asks himself: «Can I really make it?» But from the very moment of his entrance into the pulpit, Ludvig seems to have restored faith and his usual self-confidence. He knows, though, that he is dependent upon Jesus and the holy Spirit in all his doings to such an extent that he is absolutely unable to act on his own behalf!

Only occasionally, there are meetings during which Ludvig doesn`t pray for sinners. Thanks to the Lord, Ludvig has a special, divine gift of reaching ordinary men and women - and those people are especially attracted to his simple and very clear way of preaching the gospel. A frequently, overheard remark is this: «To think of your simple way of talking! Everyone understands it». And Ludvig`s own, personal comment on that issue would be: «Well, I simply can`t talk in more elaborate terms, as I never attended any Bible School or any college. All I have is an incomplete primary schooling and my insufficient ability to read. But Jesus can use everyone - no matter what level of education they might have. Even a person like me».

All my life, I have felt very attached to Ludvig - a feeling which has only grown more and more intense throughout the years. Ever since that day in Oslo when we first met at that open-air restaurant - today more than 30 years ago - I have learned to estimate him to en ever-increasing extent. Together, we have experienced both the worst and the best of life - without Jesus, and together with him. And in my opinion, our mutual dependency has just grown throughout the years. Because of Ludvig`s huge burden of work including his responsability as a principal in the congregation of Berøa, Oslo, and his many tasks as a member of various, Christian executive commitees, I have my own, very special wish for his 60th. birthday. That wish is that Ludvig, to an ever- increasing extent, may be given a fair opportunity to dispose of his own time and resources - not only to the benefit of himself and his wife - but also to the benefit of the many, many miserable persons in our country - often previous drunkards and dope-addicts - who has never had a real chance of meeting Jesus. Today - in 1994 - we have 200 employees, not to mention our big fund-raising campaigns where Ludvig is in charge. In this way, we hope to deal with the 400 needy who each requires a place at the Gospel Center.