Starting Over once Again

Well, this last year...where has it gone? Mabey the rumor time flys the older you get is true. Anyways its my last day here at Traders Point and even though I said I never wanted to go back there, this year has taught me many things. First off, teachers and workers here at TPCA are great! Its just like high school BUT we can do what ever we want =)
As my last day is coming to an end alot of the kids are saying that they wish I wouldnt leave and I now know why some teachers space them selves from the students. It is going to be hard leaving all the little young trouble making kids that I watch over every day. But I am headded off to a new start, again...Colorado, a camp in which I will be on a team leading week long outdoor trips, climbing, kayaking, rafting, and a whole lot more. What else could I ask for. Not only that but I get to have an oppourtunity to try and reach these high schoolers and share my faith in the best setting...IN THE WILD!!!

Well Ive got a couple days then a 20 hour car ride, and then my adventures start, please keep me in your prayers while I am heading out there alone, also pray that God will give me a new passion to learn more and more about him!

Thanks everyone!!

Homeward Bound

Leaving Nordtun didn’t really hit me at all until I had gone to Sorarnoy, gone to Germany and was finally on the plane from London to Chicago. Seven hours and 45 min. seemed unbearable. I was so excited to finally return somewhere where everyone speaks English, where signs are in English…I was excited to return back to America. My first experience in Chicago was not the best since we accidentally went to the wrong terminal, almost missing our flight to Indy. It was a huge relief running up to the gate and seeing that no one had even started boarding.
Flying, watching a huge lightning storm a couple miles out on the horizion, it was so beautiful, I was so ready to just land, get my bags and go home. Upon arriving at Indianapolis Intl. we found that 4 out of 5 bags were still in London…good welcome home surprise...
A week later I finally received my last bag, the man who brought the bags was nice but it was always a disappointment to find that he only had one bag at a time. Other than that little mishap, being home has been great. Seeing old faces, going to the skate park, climbing almost everyday, and I now have two jobs. I have been working on a farm everyday and on Tuesdays and Thursdays I work at the climbing gym putting up new climbs and working with the youth club a little bit.
I have an upcoming meeting with the mission’s board at my church talking about my trip and two others who have recently returned from Africa. I have talked to the youth pastor a little but unfortunately I haven’t really connected with the Church as well as I should have. I have had some trouble with keeping my quiet time. It has been really hard working all the time, hanging out with people who always want to see me…its been hard. Nate came into town for the 4th of July and spent the weekend here. It was a great time of laughing, climbing talking about “Old Times” and one afternoon we had the chance to talk to Mad. It was almost like the old crew was back together…One day we will all have the chance to see each other again. I hope sooner rather than later...
Now I am still waiting for the “OK” to return to Tibet from Karl and then I will apply for my visa. As of right now it looks like I will be here a little longer than September but I am still pumped to go back. I just hope that with the Olympics everything will die down. I am praying that when I send in my visa application that it will be done quickly so that I can return…
Please keep this process in your prayers and pray that God helps keep me strong in this time. Please pray that God will give me rest at night and health. I have been getting more and more tired but everything is still going great. Thanks for all of the support you all have given me.
God Bless

Closing in on a New Begining

Well we have finished all of our teaching, all of our outdoor trips, all our local and mini outreaches. We have gone to Tibet and some to Greenland, we have meet hundreds of people, learned new things everyday, found how to live closer with God and how to live close with those who love God as well. I have become a friends and family with a whole lot of strangers, I have found myself as a stranger as well. I am a different person now and through many teachings and times of self searching I am now begining to find out who I am.

We are wraping up now, we have one week of debriefing left, a time where we can reflect with others on all of the things in which we have soaked up this year...all the things that we have learned and had chances to put into practice. It is amazing to me how this nine months has gone by so incredibly quickly. Looking forward nine months seemed like such a long time to be away from home, family and friends but now looking back it just seems like yesterday when I arrived and took the 4 hour car ride here to Engavågen, it seems like yesterday when we took our first outdoor trip, had our first week of teaching, went on our first local outreach to Sørarnøy, a small island with many AMAZING people...seems like just yesterday traveling around for Christmas, going to China/Tibet, celebrating easter with good friends, it all seems so close yet in another way it seems like I have know all these people for so long. We all know how to cope with one another, we all know when someone needs space or someone need a hug or someone need to talk...returning home to what used to be familiar will be so strange. All those people I know back home have changed, have moved on in life...I have changed.

I could keep rambling on and on but let me see if I can finish telling about the final part of my time here. Last week we had our last outdoor trip. We drove (partialy drove and took 3 fairy's) down south to a small town where we went to a small camping place with a cabin, no doors or heating but a roof over our heads. We spent the evening at the local indoor pool practicing rescueing fliped kayak's, we practiced getting out of flipped boats and so on. The next day we took another fairy to an island surrounded by 1000's of other islands. We put on our wet suits and paddled for a couple hours to where we set up camp on a very small island. There was one house on the island, a small family who spend most of there time collecting a special type of bird down and they make blankets and sell for 40,000kr each (7961,92 US). The next day we paddled back to the cars and took once again another fairy to a beautiful island called Lovund. We had a super nice spot, a big field that was soft and flat, beach on one side and boulders all over on the other side. IT WAS BEAUTIFUL!!! The only downside of this trip was that we had to wake up at 430am so that we could catch the fairy to go home...with the sun now not going down, having light 24/7 it messes with your mind, but it is incredible...

Finally I just want to inform everybody that I have been talking a little bit with my contact in Tibet and the plan is to work for the summer, get a visa and return to Tibet in September. Pray that God will open the doors wide so that I wont have trouble getting a visa and pray also that the school in Tibet will become registered this year so that I can go back....

Well I look forward to talking and shareing my stories and adventures with everyone when I return home...untill then

God Bless

Tåkeheimen Trip

One of our last outdoor trips was here, it was hiking up to a small cabin called Tåkeheimen which is located 200 meters under the top of the largest mountain top in the area. I was incredibly unmotivated to go on this trip...im not sure why, everyone else was so enthusiastic about it...on the first part of the hike I was talking with Sofia and she prayed with me about the hike and a couple other things. Throughout the journey to the top she would periodicly ask me "Nick hows your modivation..." and I found it getting better and better. Reaching the top, reaching this "Number 1 rated cabin to go to in Norway" the view was breathtaking, it was so incredible. We were above many mountians, above the fjords, right next to the Svartisen Glacier. I couldnt belive how great it was to be up there with good friends. We spent the rest of the day...resting since it was a pretty crazy hike, but the following day we had two segments of teaching. The first segment Lance gave us a homework assignment and that was to go out into the snow, have fun like little kids and set aside all worries. Set aside anything that your thinking about and just HAVE FUN. What an amazing day. We went body sleding, played king of the mountian, did so much and it was so great doing all of this with such incredible friends. Laughing, joking, shoving, sliding, sliping, falling...all things we did and all things in which we felt like little kids...what a great day!!!

That evening we had a time of worship and Lance continued his teaching about Gods love. After the powerful evening of teaching we just hung out inside the cabin. It is so strange because before we left for outreach, light outside would start 11 am and get dark around 1 pm. Sometimes we didnt even have that much light and now it gets light outside at 5 am and it gets dark around 1130 pm. The days are so much longer and now we dont want to go to bed, it seems like its only 9 pm when acctually it is 11 pm. Light really plays with my mind but it is so beautiful.

Thursday we hiked up almost to the top...Mother Nature wouldnt allow us to go anyfurther up because of the wind and dangerous snow drifts but almost to the top we had an incredible view. We split up into four groups and did our own worship and after twenty or thirty min. my team joined up with another group, and we started yelling at the other two groups that had joined..."We love Jesus, yes we do, we love Jesus how about you?" and after a couple min of yelling back and forth both sides started marching towards each other, snowball flying through the air, people wrestling, it was like a movie. I wish I could have recorded it. Luckly I can play it back in my mind but it was great. Following the epic worship battle, we started our decent back down to the cabin, however unlike the slow, hard hike up we just slid. Some slid on there backs, some on there bags and I got the idea to slid on my stomach...I was flying downhill passing most people. Finally coming to a halt I looked back up and people were scatterd all over the mountian side on a pretty steep slope sliding. All laughing and having fun some of us did it again...another great day.

Friday, May 2nd was my birthday. I woke up to everyone in the cabing singing happy birthday and a bowl of oatmeal ready for me. After breakfast we sat around the cabing for a while and then we left and started our journey back down the mountian. People kept asking me so, how is your birthday going. I have never had such a brilliant view on my birthday. I have done some fun things but I have never had that view before. Arriving back home we spent the remainder of the day hanging out, in the evening we went down the road to one of the staffs houses and we had brownies and ice cream. We were standing around and I was playing the guitar for a bit and then all of the sudden they started singing happy birthday for the fourth time. Then everybody wanted me to do a birthday speech...im not so good at speeches but I did my best...this is definantly a day that will be in my memories for the rest of my life.

That evening we watched "The Office" untill 130 am and now today I am a bit on the tired side but its okay...Now were planning for a party tonight for some guests we have here at the base, and also for my birthday so tonight should be a great night as well but on top of all this I have been talking with my parents and base leaders about future plans. Please continue to pray for me, and pray that God helps provide clear guidance. Thanks so much

God Bless

Mini Outreach and More

Lars, Line and I left for Sorarnoy again...this time just us, no leaders, and not only for a weekend but for a week. We were incredibly excited as always! We love going to Sorarnoy, the people are so friendly and hospitable, they care for you and want to do things for you...We arrived and Gjermund who on the previous Mini Outreach (in the fall) his side was hurting and it turned out that his appendix had exploded but he was okay, he just had to have it removed. Anyways he picked us up at the dock, it was great to see him again, it had been since before Christmas since we had seen him last. We drove a whole 5 min to his house and sat and had coffee and just caught back up on the past 3 months.
Through out the week we worked in the school teaching the kids in their English, German and Religion classes. I think the best class was when we had a chance to teach the kids about Tibetans and Tibetan Buddhism. For being a little younger age they paid attention very well and had incredible questions. The English and German classes were great as well. We also had several days where we helped Gjermund and his father out around the garage (they own a huge garage, they have cattle, horses, lots of land and lots of work to do...) we helped doing yard work, cutting down trees and piling it. Gjermund and I put up a fence...well we almost finished it but on our second day of working on it, it was cold and rainy so we decided to call it a day and just go home. We did landscaping work and much more...
Along with all the work (which was great!) we got to shoot Gjermunds gun, ride horses in which I found that if all else fails I will go be a rodeo rider...I was getting used to riding the horse, pushing my luck a little bit riding faster than I should have been but oh well. The horse started bucking and aparently the others thought I was "For sure going to fall" but I didnt, I held on and rode the horse to the middle of the ring. I felt like a cowboy, it was GREAT!!!

Leaving Sorarnoy, God just keep showing our team how much he cared for us and how much he wants to help us. God has provided many times and he has provided in a time of need again...He is such a GREAT God. Coming back to Nordtun we had a week of teaching about Missions, it was a really nice week to have because unanswerd questions that I had were answerd, It was great getting to talk to the couple, John and Ellen who have been Missionarys in India for 9 years. It was great getting to hear their stories and here about struggles that they went through. I think that it was really good timing for this week seeing as how I am planning on going to Tibet...

This past weekend we had DIVE. A weekend youth camp for kids age 13-16 to come to Nordtun (our school) and just have fun, worship, learn about God, talk with us, play instruments, football (european)...many many many other things. It was a really fun weekend but now I am a little on the tierd side. Today we had a free day since we have been busy all weekend so Daniel, Madara and I decided we would go Snowboarding for one last time. It was such a beautiful day, sunny probably 60-70 degrees out, shirt off and just enjoying Gods wonderful nature. Only bummer was the fact that every step you took you sunk. Sometimes to your knee and other times down to my hip in the snow. It was a little frustrating but then I would just turn and look all around, sunny, snow on the ground, fjords and mountians all over the place. I started realizing how fortunante I am to be here with good friends doing what we love...enjoying Gods creation pushing the limit. The ride down wasnt the best since the snow was so wet it just stuck to our boards but it was still an incredible day.
I am really looking forward to going home, seeing friends and family but I am going to be sad when I have to leave here, leave my home here in Norway where there is such beauty in everything. I guess I have to see the beauty in eveything, everywhere...even in the flat lands of Indiana :)
Please continue to pray for me while I work on ways to get back to Tibet or look at other possibilities for a year or two. Please pray that God will help provide a way in which ever way I go. Also please remember all those who are in Tibet and China who are working with the Tibetian people, the disaster, and all of the riots.
Thank you so much...

Bridge Swinging

So Lars, the craziest german ever...a good friend here at Nordtun Skole had two of his friends from Germany come and visit. They came to Sorarnoy with us for local outreach and Line and I had the chance to get to know them decently. Martin and Leboo were there names, Leboo spoke okay english, Martin didnt speak so well however they were both very kind and a ridiculous amount of fun to hang out with.

Since the fall Lars and I had been talking about setting up a bridge swing at the bridge about 2 miles away from the base...we had talked about it alot. One night when we were hanging out we decided we would do it when we got back from local outreach, so when we got back the following day Lars, Martin and Leboo left early in the morning while I was still sleeping and set up the swing (I guess not that early but thats besides the point...) anyways after lunch a group of us went out to the bridge and checked it out. Leboo jumped off, then Martin and then my turn had come up...the longer I stood there looking down the more my stomach and head said..."NO DONT DO IT, YOU DONT LIKE FALLING!!!" but my adrenaline junkie side was saying..."YES, YES LETS DO IT..." so I put on my harness and...well you can see by the pictures...It was geat fun and hopefully we will go to another bridge and do it!!!

YEEHAW!!!

Life back at Base

Since coming back to base we have had a great week of teaching with a Norwegian guy named Henrick Stromberg. He taught on Worldviews and unfortunantly it is not really a topic that can be covered in 5 days so it was very difficult to get alot out of it but you just have to take out what you can get!!!

After the teaching we packed up again and went on a snowcaving trip. We drove a little less than an hour and on our journey through the mountians we drove through two tunnels. Both tunnels had ice on alot of the road through the tunnel and the first tunnel happend to be quite steep. The car in front of us slowed down as we entered the tunnel therefore we had to slow down so we started sliding on the ice. We stopped the car but we couldnt get going again so we piled out of the van almost falling down sliding on the pure ice below our feet. After 20 min of sliping, sliding and shoveling sand under the front tires we sat on the engine and slowly started uphill once again. We hit a dry spot on the road and all jumped back into the van. A little further uphill we got stuck on ice again and this time it was a little more fun, we started sliding backwards but couldnt stop until the trailer jack-knifed. Again we all piled out of the van and did the same thing as before however it wasnt working...after a while of failing Øystien (the base leader) came down with chains for the tires, instead of all getting back in the van we had to walk out of the tunnel. (about 3/4 mile uphill).

Getting to the parking lot we unloaded all our bags and cross country skiied to our spot where we dug our snowcaves. We split up into teams of 4 or 5 and dug for hours and hours. Basicly there was a almost vertical wall of snow that had been blown by the wind onto the side of a hill, we dug a tunnel straight into the wall for aobut 5 or 6 feet then dug out a rounded room where we slept on both sides of the walkway. In order to stay warm we made the entrance lower than where we were sleeping...it may not seem like it would be warm but it was quite warm! I stayed nice and warm all nights but the last and that was because I was damp and my sleeping bag was damp but it wasnt unbearable it was just definantly uncomfortable. We took two ski trips one of which was just getting used to ski's and the second was a 14 killometer trip to a small "Gamma" (small cabin that looks like a Tipi but is made out of wood and has soil so it looks very earthy)...it was a great trip but I definantly like being on a snowboard much more than on ski's.

After coming home from the trip I had to pack the following day to go to Sorarnoy, my local outreach that I went to all fall. It was so great to see all those who I had meet and started relationships with. The kids...sorry "youth" were very excited to see all of us, and I think it was the same for us as well. Friday evening we had an idea to do an easter egg hunt since we had missed easter but we used hot dogs instead. We put 20 hot dogs in plastic bags and scattered them all over the island and we split the group into two and gave each group a paper with clues as to where the hot dogs were. We gave the two groups an hour to find as many as they could and then they had to meet us up on a hill. When they arrived we had a fire roaring and we all talked and laughed while roasting the hot dogs. Following the feast we had we went to the gym hall and set up a projector and showed the youth pictures of Tibet. It was such an awsome weekend and next week we get to go for the whole week to help out in the school and do what ever we can to help out the community.

Please pray that we continue to build the relationships with the youth and familys on the island. Also pray that they will trust us and talk with us like they did before we left for the winter.
Please keep in mind the whole situation in Tibet as well...it is still not a good situation and if this keeps on going I will have trouble getting back to do the work God has called me to do...
Thanks

End of Christmas Break untill Now...Short Summary

Well, where to begin my story...After Christmas our Discipleship Training School team met up about an hour outside Oslo, in a small town called Stange. We had a "Workers Gathering'' in which we had meetings, sermons, worship and a good time preparing for our outreaches. After a week, the Greenland team left in the middle of the night and myself and seven others left in the middle of the next day. We took a train to Oslo airport and after multiple delays, six hours after the first departure time we boarded our plane destined for Helsinki, Finland. Arriving in Helsinki really late, our flight to Bejing had already left. The airport set us up with a reservation to the Ramada Hotel in downtown Helsinki and so our trip started off well. A very nice hotel, touring Helsinki the following day and at 8pm we headed back to the airport.

Arriving in Bejing, I realized how much I had missed Asia. The traffic was crazy, people everywhere, GREAT FOOD and just the culture in general. We spent a few days in Bejing and then boarded a train to Xining, a smaller city of 2 million people twenty four hours away. We didn't know who would pick us up at the station but we had our team and we had a God who is bigger than any problem. After standing outside the station in the freezing cold we saw two foreigners walking our way. It turned out to be two ''M''s (in China we had to be extremely careful of what we said). Anyways, we went to their house and had the chance to meet quite a few missionaries. The fellowship was amazing, getting to see how close to God they were was great. After spending a couple days in Xining we took a 2 hour bus ride to a very small town called Rigamoo, our first interaction with Tibetians. All around us were men and woman who were wearing ''Chubas'' which are robe-like garments that are very traditional. Motorcycles everywhere, goats, yaks - it looked like a farm town. We continued our journey further away from everything, another 45 min ride and then we arrived at the School that Kalson Gerogg (a Norwegian guy with a huge heart for the Tibetian people) started. Kalson has been out there in Tibet by himself (only foreigner) for 13 years. We helped teach an english camp for three weeks. Life out there is amazing: no showers, no running water, no toilets, not much heat inside, etc. Since there are no trees, yak dung is the main source of heat. It actually doesn't smell as bad as you think it would.

After the english camp we had a chance to split up and go into the Tibetian homes and experience 3 days of family culture. The Tibetian people are incredibly hospitible. The have so little yet they give so much; they constantly give you food to eat and constantly fill up your tea bowl. They just stand and smile at you. It was one of the most eye-opening experiences I have had. I dont understand how such a beautiful people, such a loving people, such a caring people can be so blinded. They are lost, stuck in all they know which isTibetian Buhddism. On the surface it looks like a ''peaceful" religion but after hearing stories and talking to people, I realized it is such a dark religion. There is so much that not even the monks know, that not even many of the llamas know.

The only thing that I know for sure is that every day in Tibet I longed to stay more and more. Every day I became more and more attached to these people. I prayed to God for a sign if I was to stay in Tibet or not. I had the chance to visit some of Kalson's friends and on the way we visited the 2nd largest monastery. While in the monastery, I couldnt speak - I was in shock. I couldnt belive how these people could be prostrate over and over again. I couldnt belive how lost they were. I was walking and looked at this old Tibetian lady and she looked like there was nothing, nothing in her soul...she looked like she wanted something but she just didnt know what. After leaving the monastery, I felt that God had CLEARLY spoke to me to go back. Every time I look back on pictures of the kids and of the people, my heart longs to go back and share God's word with them. I have been making plans to go back in September and work long- term. I really appreciate all of the prayer and finacial support and I ask that you contiue to pray for me and the decisions that I will be making in the near future. I also ask that you pray for practical things such as money and Visa application approval.
Thanks you very much

After outreach came to an end I had to think about what I was going to do for my easter break...Lars and I ended up going to Anetta (a girl who did her DTS 3 years ago...and visited us in the fall) along with 5 others. The other five left on St. Patricks day and Lars and I had the chance to stay longer, what an amazing family! Her family was so great, giving us a place to crash and eat and stay warm...we even were there for her fathers 50th birthday party. That was fun...seeing as how Lars and I have been traveling for the past almost three months we had the same permenantly dirty clothes while everyone else had on nice dress clothes. That evening definantly had its akward moments but it was fun nevertheless. After staying for two and a half more days Lars and I took a train to Oslo to meet up with a fellow YWAMer named Don. After being on the train for almost 30 min, no one had come for us to pay so we got all excited because we were going to get a free ride, then after getting all excited the lady showed up but things just got better...she told us that her machine had gone on vacation early so we ended up having a free ride anyways.
Arriving in Oslo we had a great day with Don eating Kababs and free oranges from his hotel. We saw some famous parks, and went to an Art Museum...ha I never thought I would find myself in one of those. After a great day we finished it off by watching "Walk the Line" at Don's hotel. (If you havent watched it and your a Johnny Cash fan...you have to watch it!!) We took the midnight train to the Oslo airpot and crashed there for a couple hours and took the 845 am flight to Bodo. It was a wierd feeling flying into the Airport that I first met everyone at. From the airport Lars and I took a cab to the Fastboat/Bus Station, we stood outside because the station was closed. We had called and they told us that there was a 1230 bus so we trusted them but it seemed wierd since the station was closed but what else could we do since neither of us had a phone...
around 1145 Arslan (staff at the base) and a guy that we had stayed with before chirstmas showed up randomly looking for a friend and they told us that there wasnt a bus or boat untill staturday (it was only thursday!) so just another instance where God provided something that we needed. We had a great time staying with Bord and Marloo (The couple in Bodo), watching movies, relaxing and going snowboarding. Well Saturday came and after a two hour boat ride we finally made it back to base...it was INCREDIBLE being somewhere where there was familiarity...being able to unpack my bag was amazing as well...
The past two day a couple friends and I went back country skiing/snowboarding...the first day we didnt go all the way up the mountian and it got cloudy but the second day was a great day. It was sunny the whole day, we made it up the mountian in two and a half hours instead of four hours, and the top half of our run was for the most part on untouched powder, what an amazing feeling! I am addicted and I want to go again but right now my legs wont let me, two days of hard hiking in a row...ouch.
Anyways school started back up again last night and it is nice having teaching again. Time where we can sit down and get back to the basics and just learn. Time to not have to think so much but take in information and it is cool to see how much I have learned in the past 3 months. I am excited to get back to my everyday life at the base...
I am going to put my photos onto a flickr account since I can only put 4 or 5 on here so feel free to check out...
http://flickr.com/photos/12968653@N05/
Sorry it has been so long since I have updated but I will do better now that I am back at base...Please keep on praying for me

Ending and Beginning

I have been here in Latvia, a ex Soviet Union country...the feeling here is depressed but Madara and her family have no sign of depression. Some of the kindest people I have met. We have stayed in a small 2 bedroom apartment. Madara's mother sleeps on the couch in the living room and Ilza (one of Madara's sisters) let Nate and I sleep in her room while she shared a room with Anna (another sister) and Madara. Even though we are living in tight quarters there has been no complaints or arguments...like I said one of the nicest family's that I have meet.

Our short 5 days here has flown by as we have wandered the city, seeing a lot of very beautiful architecture. We spent our first big day going to a city about an hour away. We meet one of Mad's good friends Rodolf (we called him Ro). He took us through this old hospital that was being built by the Soviets when they controlled Latvia. The Soviets never finished the hospital so now it is just another abandoned building. We also went into an old watertower that is going to be torn down within the next couple of months.

The most fun time I have had here in Latvia was our New Years Eve. We went across town to Madara's friends house. There were about 10 of us, all of Mad's friends were so kind to us, not knowing a ton of English, speaking to us, hanging out with us and not just going off talking to there friends. We walked to the local park right before midnight and all had a great time watching the fireworks going off in every direction. Spending New Years with family across the globe, knowing that I was in 2008 and my family was in 2007 was a very interesting feeling. Well we walked back and spent the rest of the morning playing fun games (some of the guys worked at the local YMCA and were big climbers so they knew a lot of team building games and fun climber type games) which Nate and I enjoyed alot....

Yesterday was great to, we meet up with Maritzs (a guy from New Years Eve) and he took us through an old Soviet Bunker. It was really cool wandering underground, in the complete dark with my headlamp batteries dying. We wandered the underground maze for probably 30 mins and when we reached the surface again I was very happy that I was not living here during any wars.

I could ramble on and on but to sum this Christmas break up...IT WAS AMAZING, strange being away from family and friends but I could not have asked for anything else. I am headed back to Norway this evening to have several days of meetings, getting ready for Tibet and then on the 7th or 8th I am headed off to Tibet. Please continue to pray for not only me, but the team I will be going with along with the team going to Greenland. I will do my best to keep you updated but I am not sure how much computer access I will have.

HAPPY NEW YEARS!!!

Travels Begin

Nathan and I left Engavagen, left our home for the next 3 months unsure of anything except for the fact that there will be alot of traveling. We headed to Bodo and stayed with a couple. From the time that Dan picked us up untill we left it was very awkward. The couple was incredibly kind and took us to the airport in the morning. Flying to Oslo, we hopped on a train and took it into the city. Nathan and I stored our bags in the bus station and walked around Oslo for about 6 hours. It was really cold, 8 below but we stayed positive just thinking that in a couple weeks were going to be in 20 below weather, anyways we walked all around the city, went to some shopping centers, walked the streets, back alleys and walked to the Kings Palace. A huge building, had me questioning why one man need such a large building to live in. Later that evening we took a bus to the other Oslo airport about 2 hrs away.

Finally arriving in Liverpool around 1130pm, about time...we walked out to the entrance of the airport to find that Nathans friend was not outside waiting, we werent sure where he was. Nathan called Joy (A girl he had meet last time he was there) and she said that she was at work and last she had heard is that Will (Nate's good friend) was on his way. We waited for about 20 min and then Will walked in quickly looking around glancing right over us and then realizing it was us he apologized for being late. Finally arriving at Will, Kurzon and Lukes appartment was reliving.

The following day was one that I will not quickly forget...Will, Kurzon, Nate and I drove to Wales, about 2 hours away. If you have ever read or heard Welsh it is a very, very strange language!!! Anyways we went to a small town, inside walls from what used to be a very nice, quite old castle. Walking around Wales was an incredible day but I was ready to return home and just take it easy. Returning back to Will's apartment we walked to a local Curry Joint and had the most amazing chicken curry. We walked to "The White Room" which is a coffee shop where Joy works...we had a good time just hanging out and eating and basiclly just getting to know each other...

Thursday evening was our big evening. Nathan, Joy, Will and I were the main cooks along with a couple who helped at the end. We cooked from 11 am untill 8 pm and had the most amazing christmas feast consisting of Gamman (a lot like ham), veggies and much much more. About 20 some people came and after dinner an evening of relaxing, letting food settle, poker and much more unfolded coming to an end around 3 in the morning. Friday was our tour day going into the city, seeing both the Anglican and Catholic Cathedrals. If you have a chance deffinantly check both of the cathedrals out!!!

Well I am here in Denmark now and the feeling of Christmas is in the air however I cant bring myself to think its actually Chistmas. In Scandinavia (Norway, Denmark and Sweeden) they celebrate Christmas on the 24th and no matter what you cant pursuade them other wise. We have found that it is no use to argue. Well we are about to have our Christmas dinner (A DAY EARLY) but soon I will be on the move again. Continue to pray for me and for the team I am on going to Tibet. Pray also for the rest of my travels, I am leaving for Latvia on Friday going to see Madara and her family with Nathan once again.
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!!!!

Dwindeling Numbers

As we reach out closer and closer to Christmas, more and more people leave the base everyday. So far all but two staff are gone and only about half the students remain. Many have returned home for the holidays however Nathan and I will travel quite a bit. We are going to fly from Oslo to Liverpool on Monday. On the following friday we will go to Denmark to visit Line's Family along with several of the students from the base with not many others places to go. Finally we will arrive in Latvia to visit another student...through New Years and then back to Oslo for a couple days of meetings and reunions before we all split up again and head off to outreach. It is sad walking around the usually non stop talking, yelling, laughing...a place where normally you are not able to have time to yourself is completly quiet. The loss of sunlight (you cant see the sun anylonger, just a little bit of light from 11am-130pm) has a huge effect on us, lucky for my team and I we will have plently sun in Tibet as we will be on average 16,000ft up. We will be at the base of the Himalayas, so I am not even able to imagine the beauty in wich we will gaze at everyday.
As the excitment grows each and every day so does a good amount of nervousness...traveling to a place where Christianity is illegal and where buddism has a dark, cold grasp arond the whole area we will have our share of struggles im sure. I have trouble imagining the amount of Spiritual Warfare that is and has been going on but the one thing that gives me the most hope is the fact that God is bigger than all of this and he is on our side.
So with all this in mind I leave you all untill I am able to get on a computer again...Adios, Hade Bra, Good bye...
Have a Merry Christmas

Practical Worship

Every Tuesday and Thursday we have worship...most of the time consitsting of someone on the guitar, piano and myself on the djembe. It is alot of fun to be involved with playing in the worship band but some mornings I feel like not playing and just sitting and praying and spending time not doing anything however Tuesday morning Anika (one of the worship leaders) had a idea to go outside and have fun, play, have a snowball fight but most importantly just enjoy Gods creation. So thats exactly what most of us did...
It was an incredible amount of fun and then afterwards we sat around a fire and talked about what or how we see God in the nature and how we can/are praising him. As we are coming to the end of our first half, everyone starting to pack and soon to all go our seperate ways for a couple weeks and then of to Tibet...
Tuesday evening the main families of the base cooked all of us a really nice christmas dinner. We had this pork rib stuff, potatoes, and basiclly a typical norwegian christmas dinner...it was amazing!!! (The craziest part of the evening was getting everyone together for a photo but it finally happend). After dinner we all meet upstairs and just hung out and had fun...we watched a good 20min slide show and it was great looking back at how clean cut and nice people looked and how short peoples hair was and on and on...It was a really good laugh...
Im starting to become tired so im off to bed
Hade Bra (as they would say in Norwegian..."Have it Good")

In the dark

So its been a while...where to start...

Well we took a trip to Ternaby Sweeden for a half week of Ski and Snowboarding fun. It was a 6 hour trip consisting of 2 short ferry rides, one hour ferry ride and 3 1/2 hours of driving. It was amazing how in Engavagen we dont have much snow but inland there is a good 9-10 inches. Arriving in Ternaby we were all completly pumped up to go out on the slopes which were only 10 meters from (30 ft). Nathan, Lillian, Madara, Lars all decided to hike up the slope since the lifts were closed and do some "in the dark" snowboarding. It was a ridiculous amount of fun...falling, sliding, slipping and all in all bad snowboarding. The following day was amazing, I headed straight up the mountian with my super skills. I had a great day learining, trying tricks when I should just be trying to ride. Falling and falling and falling seemed to be the way that I learned best. All though I was incredebly sore I just kept going. I was making alot of progress, untill the last run of the day, I was about half way down and I wreked pretty badly hitting my head, not knowing where I was, not remembering how to get back to the cabin, Lars my good german friend came to me and helped me walk back. I went and just sat down and relaxed the rest of the night...

Tuesday was and incredible day, the sun was out and it was cold with a little bit of fresh snow on the already coverd ground. The morning, Nathan and I hit the slope and there was not anyone else there...INCREDIBLE!!! I started to become a little on the tired side and my headace started to come back so I sat in the lodge with Lance and Line and had a cup of hot chocolate (sjokolade paa Norsk) after we decided to see if we could get a free refill and guess what...we got one.

After lunch we were warming up again and Madara ran into me and broke part of my binding so I spent the rest of the day in the cabin with Courtenay. It was probably for the better.

Wednesday we had the option to pay a cheap price and go for a final day. I borrowed Bens board (he is just a little bit taller than me so his board fit me)...the first half of the day was sketchy because of the snow machines creating fog everywhere. You couldnt see anything, you couldnt see the hills untill you were going over the lip. After lunch I almost was ready to not go back out but the main slope was almost empty, there was one ski team there practicing but not many others. It turns out that the last couple hours were the best time of the week. I didnt fall once and the snow was nice and soft. I was riding fast and carving hard...it was amazing...

Returning to the base was nice...always nice coming home but then to leave again Friday was hard however we were headed once agian to Sorarnoy. I feel like I have another home there so it is always really nice to go there...the youth group was great we had a Chirstmas Party, made gingerbread cookies and decorated a christmas tree. And 2 of the kids stayed for a overnighter, had popcorn and watched "Narnia."The rest of the weekend was nice just relaxing and hanging out with the family. Line and I stayed untill sunday, we had an amazing christmas lunch on sunday with Gjermunds parents (the guy Lars and I stay with). Leaving was hard knowing that we are not going back for 3 1/2 months but I just keep reminding myself I am going back in the spring.

Coming back to the base sunday night, the Americans were cooking a Thanksgiving Dinner...around 50 people were here to eat. It was definantly not like my moms cooking but for being here in Norway we did a really good job. We had turkey, corn cassorole, mashed potatoes, rolls, potato salad...and pumkin pie!!!! It was a really fun night. We have two more weeks of teaching then I am headed with Nathan to Liverpool, Denmark for Christmas then to Latvia for New Years. It will be interesting spending Christmas with out my family but I have family here now... From Latvia we go back to Oslo (Norway) for 3 days of meeting then off to Tibet. Busy busy busy but It will be alot of fun!!!

Fun Inside and Out

Getting back from Sorarnoy, we had around 6 inches of snow. More than I am used to seeing. It was amazing! Nathan, Lars and I decided to go midnight sleding...it was more fun than I have had in a long time. The Northern lights came out and we layed on the snow and just looked at the stars. It was like a millions little pieces of glitter. There was a distinct difference between the stars and planets, the stars twinkled and the planets were constant. The following day, Sunday we hiked all the way up the mountian to the other side and found a perfect spot to sled. Weaving in between trees, jumping over humps in the hill. It was a "heaps" of fun as Nathan (my Australina roomate) would say.

Sitting at the base Nathan, Lars, Madara and I discovered a band called "Flight of the Conchords" They are two guys from New Zealand...they are like stand up comidians who sing and just make halarious songs. If you are looking for a great laugh look them up on youtube. Last week Graham Powell came and talked to us about Spiritual Warfare. It was incredebly deep. After every day of teaching my mind was wrecked, I just didnt want to think anymore...Wednesday night Lars and I meet up with Graham and he prayed for us. I told Graham about my past and he prayed that I would sense Gods forgiveness, along with me to recive the strength to forgive myself. It was an amazing night and I definantly felt Gods presence.

This week we have a Norwegian guy named Hovard talking to us about the Holy Spirit. So far it has been a really interesting week. It is really neet seeing as how I have had alot of questions about spiritual gifts, especially speaking in toungs and it has seemed that when I have questions about a subject, God seems to bring a teacher that is really familiar with what I am questioning and most of the time he has the answer.

Evangelism

Alot has happend since last time I wrote. Friday night the 26th, my two roomates (Nate and Danel) and three girls, (Anna, Courtenay, and Madara) and I decided to challenge ourselves and sit in this tiny prayer room from 11pm untill 9am. This adventure started out just as sitting and talking about anything and everything. Around 130am we started praying and we prayed basiclly untill we left at 845. It was an amazing night, I really feel that the six of us bonded and we did something no one else has...it was definantly an experience. I have learned however that me in a tiny prayer room with 5 cups of coffie is not the best idea that I have ever had.
This past week 2 guys, one from the southern part of Norway...Ekkie and the other, Brad a guy from Ohio...GO MID WEST!!! Came to our school to talk about Evangelism. They came from the SOE, School of Evangelism. Ekkie was 21 fresh from the SOE and Brad was staff at the SOE. They talked and had many amazing stories about Evangelism and it was good timing seeing as the following week we were going on mini outreach. Line, Lars and me (the original Sorarnoy team) went back to Sorarnoy except instead of just being here for a weekend we got to stay from Friday untill the following Saturday. Anyways the teaching was really good and I felt that I could easily stay focused the whole week. The two amazing teachers had a great way of teaching, telling stories and since they were closer to our age it was just an amazing week.
Sofia (One of the staff that normally comes to sorarnoy with us) came to Sorarnoy with us for our local outreach but then left Saturday morning, everyother Friday we have this kids club. This past Friday we played alot of little games, mindgames and relay races. Towards the end one team recieved a recipie for brownies and the other team didnt. Both teams baked brownies and suprisingly the team without a recipie turned out pretty good. We did our devo with the kids on how the bible is like the recipie for our life. Sometimes we may have the nessicary ingrediants but without guidelines (our bible) our life can end up being very messed up...it was a good devo and afterwards we split up into smaller groups and within the smaller groups the kids felt more comfertable to ask questions and I feel that we made alot of progress.
Sunday was a day of rest for the team. The only thing we did was in the afternoon went to the end of the island and walked through an old german base that was occupied in WW 2. It was very creepy as we were walking through the dark tunnels and rooms. Most of the base has been closed off for saftey reasons, but the craziest part was being able to move and rotate this massive cannon that probably weighed around 10 tons. After being slightly nervous all afternoon in a german base we had dinner and then remembered that we were sopposed to go to a Prayer and Worship meeting at the pentacostal church on the other side of the island. We showed up a couple min late but everyone was very excited to meet us and all in all it was a good evening.
Monday, Lars and I woke up around 7 am and had breakfast with Gjermund (the guy whos house Lars and I sleep at) and then left at 8 to meet up with Harold (the father of the family that kind of hosts us...) and we helped him finish up the siding on a house that he is building. It was alot of fun being outside with a two good friends and doing construction. It reminded me of when I was in my building trades class however it was ALOT colder here. After lunch Lars, Line and I watched over the littlest kid Signejohanna. Tuesday was another day off...we sat around and had a good time just hanging out, doing small tasks around the house to help out while Synnove (the mother) was out of town. Tuesday evening Morten and Joy (a couple from the pentacostal church we attended Sunday evening) invited us over for dinner. Joy is from the Phillipiens so the food was AMAZING. If you have heard any rumors of Europeans bashing Americans...well Morten proved that theory, I had a lesson that night to keep my mouth shut. I prayed alot that evening for God to give me strength to not say anything....other than that the evening was very nice. Wednesday the three of us, Lars Line and myself had the oppourtunity to go to the school and teach. Lars taught an hour of German and Line and I taught an hour of English, the class was cool, a whole four kids. In the evening Lars and I hiked up this hill and set up a slackline (a hobbie that I am returning to after a long time) and watched the sun set with a fire and had an amazing time haniging out.
Wednesday night I started feeling sick to my stomach and Thursday I stayed at Gjermunds house and slept while Lars and Line went to the school again. I was not happy that I couldnt go to the school but I knew that we would have a full day at the school on Friday. I had a good day sleeping, reding my bible and just relaxing...letting my mind empty itself.
Thursday night was not the most fun night, Line Lars and I all stayed at Gjermunds house and Gjermunds stomach (side) had been bothering him all week. It had been feeling better Wednesday and then Thursday evening he started to be in alot of pain. We gathered around him and prayed for him for a while and he said that he was feeling a little better but not much. Around 430 am I heard him wake Line up saying that he was going to the hospital in Bodo since there is not a doctor on the island. Lars drove him to the harbor and a Doctor Boat arrived and took him accross the ocean to Bodo. Line stayed with him thinking that she would be able to take a ferry accross at 10am so she could make it back for the last hour of our teaching the kids but there isnt any ferrys on Fridays so it turned into Lars and I teaching. The day was good, we had three English classes and only 5 or 6 kids in each class so it was an easy day. The last class was the most fun, we had the 8-10th grade. We spent the class talking about America and trying to name all the states. Supprisingly 30 some of the states were named without looking at the map and without my help...not that I would have been much more of a help but anyways it was a fun day.
Our last night at Sorarnoy, we took four boys from 8-10th grade out camping in the bunker that we had explored the past Sunday. We meet up at the soccer field at the school at 5 pm and with several mistakes (forgetting items) we finally arrived and hiked up the hill. We started a fire in the very top of the bunker and I relized that we had forgotten a big part of our dinner. Ellias and I drove back to get the sausage and with the snow and ice on the ground it was a fun trip sliding and spinning...nothing like my car back home though. We spent the night sitting by the fire, talking just hanging out getting to know the kids more and I could see that the four boys were opening up alot...
Today (Saturday) we took the fast boat to Bodo to go see Gjemund in the hospital and spent the day seeing the city and spending time with our good friend. As we were walking towards the bus stop to buy our tickets home we ran into a fellow teamate Rita who was part of a group sent to Bodo. We had a little time to catch up but not much...its okay we will rejoin tommorow back home in Engavagen. It has been a great trip and I am anxious to go back on Friday

Light in the Darkness

Hey everyone...

Ive just recently return home from a caving trip and my local outreach. Before all this fun a man born and raised in California came to speak to us about hearing Gods voice. This was an awsome week for me, this is a topic in which I have had a lot of questions about. Marc talked to us mostly in story form so it was very easy to stay focused. All in all it was a great week.

The following weekend was nice...the base was empty, many of the staff were out on a trip and it was nice having some quiet at the base. Hanging around in the living room, by the fire stove just enjoying life, talking, worshiping and just not doing anything to hard.

On Monday we left and drove about 5 hrs inland to this apparently european known caving area. I have not ever been a big caver and with a couple past experiences, I have found out that I am a little on the claustrophobic side. This was an awsome experience for me, pushing myself and doing things that stretch me out of my normal routine. None the less it was alot of fun, I can definantly say that I would not ever go caving for sport but every now and then it might be a little fun. Monday night we camped out on this beautiful mountainside and tuesday and wednesday night we stayed in a cabin...there was a sauna right outside the guys cabing so any sore mucles we had werent sore anymore...=)

We came back to Engavagen on thursday and friday morning I left again for my every other weekend local outreach. It was a nice relaxing weekend. The family we normaly stay with, we told the parents to take a weekend and go to Bodo and take a weekend off, we would watch there kids so it was alot of fun just hanging out around the house and taking it easy.

It would be nice to hear from more of you back home and see what you think. It is always nice to log on and see that I have had new posts so...

This coming week our base leader is talking to us about "relationships" so this should be an interesting week. Today for practical work, my roomate Nathan and I did alot of construction type work so it was very cool. I felt like I was back in school doing my building trades class...lots of memories.

Well I hope to hear from you all

Gods Nature

This past week a mate born in Australia came to speak to us. He has been living in southern norway for the past 10 years now. Darryl Krausse spoke to us about Gods Character and Nature. It seemed that this past week was more of a debate for us here at the base than it was a weeks worth of teaching. Alot of questions were brought to the surface and since Darryl didnt have all the answers we often found ourselfs talking with one another about what we thought.

This week of teaching fell into place very well with our local outreach. Every other weekend me and a two students and two staff travel about 3 hours north to a small island called Sorarnoy. The island is about 3 km by 1 km. Theres about 250 people that live on the island. One of the familys allows us to come and stay with them... to tell you the truth, I have only been there 2 times but they seem like family to me. Anyways, we arrive on Friday around 4:30pm and spend time with the family, at 7:30 we go to the 3 classroom school down the road and meet up with kids from the age of 13-16 and play games (this past Friday we played capture the flag in the woods on a big hill. It was dark so it was a ton of fun) After we all have a good time, we sit down and have a little devotional time with the teens. We had our talk this week in the "Saloon" It is a little building the family we stay with has built, it looks like an old west building with cowboy items...ect. We turned of all the lights and talked to them about how God is a light in the dark and I lit a candle.

One of our big prayers for the weekend was that God would move in the kids hearts and reveal himself to them. One of the kids, Ellias (dont count me on the spelling) a little bit bigger, not really into the whole running around deal, he kind of feels like an outsider, we prayed that he would have fun and enjoy himself and hear Gods voice.

It turns out that 3 of the kids started questioning who God was and wanting to know how to have a relationship with him. Keep them in your prayers as they are searching and Ellias was another who started to question. It was amazing, Ellias didnt talk to anyone the first week and this week he talked to Lars (a fellow YWAMer) and me alot. He had fun running and playing capture the flag.

Keep all these kids in your prayers and ask God to really show himself. This was an amazing weekend and I am looking forward to going back and talking to all the teens again. God answed alot of our prayers, good weather, he even provided Northern Lights when we were playing capture the flag. We all stayed safe, like I said it was an amazing weekend.

The Bible and MPW

For our second week of teaching, a Norwegian guy named Lars Olay came and taught about the history of the Bible. This week was a little harder to stay focused than with Gawdatt because of the type of teaching. I felt like I was back in school...I guess I am back in school. It was quite a bit more interesting towards the end of the week.

MPW...mountain peak worship was the focus of our outdoor trip this past week. We took an hour long boat ride to an island called Bolga then hiked around to our base camp. It was so beautiful. There were massive boulders everywhere. It was so amazing getting to climb on rock that didnt fall apart...it was great. We stashed all our gear and hiked up to this huge split in the mountain then hiked through it to the other side of the island. Before we reached the other side, I was smart and droped my knife into a crack in the rock and it took 3 of us to find it. I was not to happy about almost loosing my only knife but with Gods help we found it. We walked along the rocky coast all the way back to our camp, it was definantly an enjoyable day. The next day we hiked up the main mountain on Bolga. The view was pretty sweet, it was so windy up on top that you could lean forward pretty far and the wind would hold you up. We spent time on top worshiping, singing songs and praying for the surrounding communites. The 3rd night on Bolga was a solo night where we all recivied a tarp and some rope and we were sent of to go to different parts of the island and spend the night by ourselfs. This was so that we could just have some time to reflect and pray and not be distracted by the outside world. It was a really cool night other than the fact that me and all my stuff got soaked...oh well it was an experience. Thursday we took another boat to a smaller island called Melaoy (dont take my word for the spelling on this one) and hiked up about half way to this beautiful cabin sitting on a fresh water lake. We then hiked up to the tallest mountain on that island. My two roomates and me have started a tradition of every mountain peak we reach we stand on the cairne and get a photo. MyThe view was incredible, from the top I could see Engavagen (the town the YWAM base is in), the boat harbor, I could see Soranoy (my local outreach point, every other weekend me and a group of 4 others go to this small island and work with 5-16 year old kids and teach english in the school and just build relationships with them) anyways back on track, we hiked back to the cabin and had a nice warm, dry night just worshiping and having a ton of fun. Sleeping there was nice but I decided to sleep on the porch on the picnic table and again had a briliant moment when I rolled of. Again it was another experience, this one I hope to not repeat.

It is weird to call Nordtun home but in a way it is really cool. All I know is that its good to be able to say...its good to be home.