Hilde Lundgaard Grimstad

Hilde Lundgaard Grimstad is Norwegian but is truly international at heart. As a teenager, she was already living in Australia as a Rotary exchange student for one year and made friends from all over the world. She became a Christian at the age of 21. Her life changed radically from that point onwards. World mission became her passion, and as a young believer she went on several mission trips. One of the highlights of these trips was that Hilde was among the first wave of Christians to share the Gospel in Albania after the fall of Communism. Another highlight was going to Ukraine to share the Gospel and give humanitarian aid to starving people.

She married at the age of 23, and she already gave birth to her first daughter at 25. Having a family never stopped Hilde and her husband from following their dreams and passion. Together with their four months old baby daughter, they went to India to attend a Discipleship Training School with Youth with a Mission. Hilde has always loved to study the Word of God, and after giving birth to their second daughter in 1996, she attended Bible school in what is now called Hillsong Oslo.

Hilde has demonstrated that there are many ways to be engaged in fulfilling the Great Commission. With two small children and a working husband, she did this through financially supporting missionaries and visiting their ministries to encourage them. She worked with projects and fundraisings for a Christian NGO: The Marita Foundation in Norway. Later, she was in charge of Humanitarian Aid and Development projects in North West Russia for her church, Oslo Christian Center, and she kept going on mission trips. She gave birth to her son in 2003, and their family was complete.

In 2005, her life took a new direction. She went back to university to get her Masterīs degree at the Norwegian School of Management in Oslo. She now holds a Master of Science in Business and Economics with Honors.

In 2008, Hilde and her family moved to the Philippines for the first time. Her husband was heading a Norwegian listed company based in Manila. During this period, Hilde recognized the many talented Philippine artists and their products. The bags and jewelry made of recycled material in particular got her attention. They were made by womenīs cooperatives in the slum areas and were providing crucial income for the survival of these families. She saw the opportunity of starting a new business while creating income opportunities for these women. Hildeīs shop concept littXtra.no was born. The family moved back to Norway in 2011, and Hilde established a web shop for littxtra.no, a gallery style store concept at their farm and a store in a shopping mall. She kept travelling back to the Philippines to purchase more products and to keep in touch with the mission network.

In 2015, the Philippines was once again calling on the Grimstad family. Another job opportunity had opened for Hildeīs husband in Manila. Hilde continued working with commercial projects, but very soon her focus shifted over to the teaching of the Word of God. She started the International Bible study group, Foundation Study, in 2016 and ever since her main focus has been teaching the Word of God. She also went to Myanmar to teach in Bible school and churches. The ladies in Foundation Study loved Hildeīs Bible study lessons and insisted that she compile them into a book; “Embraced, Empowered, Equipped” is the result.

Hilde is overwhelmed by the great feedback she has received on her book. Her dream is to have it translated into many languages to make her Bible study lessons accessible to believers who donīt have many Christian resources available in their own language. She will continue to travel and connect with missionaries, pastors and churches all over the world, and she might even write more books…