Juleferie day 3

I am sitting listening to the song "O For Grace" by Brady Toops and the words that stuck out to me are:

"When it's strong or when it falls through, Lord to know the answer is you."

A gentle reminder, an wonderful encouragement.

I pray your day is encouraged as well.
Blessings.

Juleferie day 1 (Christmas holiday)

I am SO blessed, I get to holiday in a Winter Wonderland. Today, I started my day with coffee and a great friend looking at the view you see in the photos. Then came a knock on the door and two cute kids (Hanne's niece and nephew) were asking us to come out and play. So out we went ready to sled down the hill by the house. I currently hold the record for the longest run, although Daniel came close to knocking me out of that position.

What a wonderful beginning to a lovely holiday time. Oh, an extra blessing of being here - I get to practice speaking Norwegian! Although the Trøndersk dialect is very difficult to understand (I cannot tell you how many dialects Norway has, but with each dialect they actually say different words, it is not just a different pronouncing of the same word. To say the least, I have to ask what the kids say often, the adults have mercy on me and speak Bokmål. Bokmål is the Oslo dialect and what they speak on tv new channels and is the dialect I am learning.)

Wherever this finds you today, I pray blessings upon you.
Jae

Last week in Hamar

The end is near...

Okay, maybe it isn't as dramatic as that, but my time in Hamar is coming rapidly to a close.  I will be sad to leave this "family" of mine, but now is the time to go back to Skien.  I look forward to seeing friends, talking to them in Norwegian and preparing for the DTS in January.  On the other hand, I do not look forward to packing.  

A friend of mine she said she enjoyed the pictures I put up, so I thought I would add some pictures and tell you more about my time while in Hamar. 

I live in a very Norwegian home, but they were kind to the American in their midst and we celebrated Thanksgiving. I cooked for 2 days, everything came out great except the pumpkin pie, to my dismay. We had a lovely time.  After dinner (middag @ 4:30pm) we went for a long wonderful walk, then came back to the house, ate pie and watched a movie. 

Norwegians celebrate Advent, it starts, I believe the first Sunday in December, but Christmas season starts December 1st, the first day you can have glog & pepperkaker (glogg is like a spiced cider drink with fruit and nut bits in it and pepperkaker are gingerbread cookies).  The four candles below are the advent candles, one is lit every Sunday while reciting a prayer.  The star above the candles is just an example of how Jenny & Ragnhild have made the house look nice and festive.  A side note: the color for Advent is purple - purple candles, cloths, etc..., but Christmas is decorated in red and I believe they change the colors Christmas eve.

We also had the town Christmas tree lighting.  It was really fun despite the cold.  At the end of the event all the people sang a Christmas song and went around the Christmas tree, so very delightful.  

I also, did something VERY Norwegian.  I went to Sweden! It was my first time to step foot in the country and I did it as a typical Norwegian would.  Yep, we went shopping.  The prices in Sweden are cheaper, especially for meat and since it is only 2 hour drive to the border, off we went.  There was an extra seat in the car and Eirik (the youth pastor) arranged for me to join.  So off I went with Eirik's mom, little brother and little sister.  It was so much fun.  We even had a little adventure - the car battery died.  The others in the car said they were very grateful that I was an outgoing American, I went around the parking lot for about 40 minutes looking for someone with jumper cables to help us back on the road.  Our angel's name was Ida.  We are back safe and sound and with bacon in the freezer!

Thanks for taking this journey with me in Hamar while I learned Norwegian.  Please pray that I continue to grow and improve in the language, especially as I go back to Skien.  Also, if you would please pray for my "family" in Hamar (Eirik, Karl Oscar, Jenny & Ragnhild), they are the youth leaders in one of the local churches and I am sure they would appreciate any extra prayer.  Thanks again.

Continuing on...

How is my Norwegian coming along? Good question! The truth is I can tell you that I am learning, but I think the people to determine how much I have learned will be the people in Skien. I will be able to tell you what they say in less than two weeks. Until then I am trying to finish well. I am a bit nervous to hear what Skien has to say about my Norsk. I still have poor sentence structure (yes, I want to translate it directly from English). I still struggle understanding when people talk at normal pace (I still find it a bit too fast). Yet, I continue to learn.

Below are a few photos of the area I have taken, so you have a small sample of my surroundings. I find myself liking Hamar more and more (I am sure it is because the wonderful people I have met and continue to meet).

Pictures: The lake (biggest lake in Norway), the city center, sunset over the lake, me on Thanksgiving day.

Four weeks down & to celebrate - SNOW!

Go here to read the article and see a video (it is in Norwegian).
 http://h-a.no/Nyheter/Nyheter/tabid/72/articleView/true/moduleid/183501/Default.aspx

Winter has come, so why hasn't the understanding of the language come as well?  Yes, I must admit that I am not fluent yet.  Most of you will not be surprised, but I think I am disappointed a little.  You may have noticed I did not post last week.  A quick recap, at the end of week three I had got a horrible headache, felt sick and didn't study for 3 days (It's hard to say I did not study, as I live with Norwegians who speak Norwegian around me all the time, but I  was not very proactive about my learning.  Let's call it a bit of a breakdown.) 

So, last week - week four - I took it easier to avoid any such breakdowns again.  I think I took it too easy, because I feel like I am going backwards as it is harder, not easier, to understand when people talk Norwegian.  The truth is I hear Norwegian quite a LOT.  This is good, but so frustrating when I do not understand.  Let's just say, I am quiet at the dinner table and my roommates know they can still speak privately even if I am in the same room.  I pick up words and sometimes sentences, but complete thoughts are a blur to me. 

The good news is my two months are not over as I do not leave here until December 9th.  I knew it would take a couple of months, but secretly, I hoped I would be an amazingly fast learner and BAM! I would know Norwegian.  I suppose I need reminding from God that learning...IS A PROCESS.  Honestly, this is a good reminder, often when I am in a process of building character I want "instant" results, as well.  Character, language, so many things take time in life and should be pursued but not rushed.  Society, technology tells me different, they say that I should do things in a rush.  They say if I wait life will be boring or worse my life, what I want out of life will become obsolete.  Some things are worth the time and are actually better with time.  Things like: character, relationships, learning things (playing guitar, engineering, medicine, etc...and apparently language).  

Norwegian isn't the only thing I am learning during my time here, and I am sure this will continue to be the case.  I must remember growth...is a process!

Week Two of Learning Norwegian

Week two can be summed up with the word: Improvement. 

When I first arrived here speaking, having an actual conversations in Norwegian was not a reality, but now I can have small conversations.  Of course, the subject matter is limited, but at least now I am able to practice speaking.  The Norwegians here continue to have a LOT of patience, and they agree that I have improved.  The highlight of my week was when a friend from Skien called and we had a conversation for 45 minutes in Norwegian.  It was so nice and my friend was SO patient.  I still have trouble understanding people when they talk at normal talking speed, but I believe that will come with time.  It is also apparent that my vocabulary needs to increase.  I do read Calvin and Hobbes in Norwegian (here they are called Tommy og Tigern) as a learning tool.  I realize from reading, or trying to read, the comics and other books I have that I need to know more words. 

Last week I also had the opportunity to help someone who is trying to move.  I used the bus and after a few mistakes, misunderstandings and an hour long walk to the place I really needed to be I now understand the bus system.  It has been nice to help people and to have the ability to just be a blessing where needed.  Tonight I am off to help in the cafe and will get more practice conversing in Norwegian. 

Thanks to all who have been praying for me, I truly appreciate it and if you would, please continue to pray. 

Takk (Thank you in Norsk)

A music recommendation

I have a friend who has a blog and she has "New Music Monday" where she recommends a song or artist (Lyndee http://lyndeej.wordpress.com/, she has great recipes too, check her out).  Today, I was listening to a song and was struck by the lyrics, but could not find a video to post for you, so better yet (I hope this is better), I have a way for you to download it free and legally at http://noisetrade.com/cautioners.  The lyrics that caught my attention is from the song 'Treasure':

"Tell your past mistakes that you're through with them. Grace has spoken up made you clean again, just believe..."

 



 

I was going to post a couple of their videos as I recommend their songs, I really like their lyrics.  I have both of their cd's.  You can go here to hear their first album and see videos from it: http://www.youtube.com/user/CautionersMusic?feature=CAQQwRs%3D

 

 

Be blessed today and remember...tell your past mistakes that you're through with them. Grace has spoken up made you clean again, JUST BELIEVE!

Off to a Great Start!

The first week in Hamar or should I say...først uken i Hamar:

I have travelled to Hamar to live with four wonderful youth leaders that work with the Free Church (Frikirke). Since July, I had planned to move outside of the YWAM base for a month or two to learn Norwegian.  YWAM Skien is mostly Norwegians, but because of the international status the people at the base speak primarily English, thus it was recommended that I go away so I could learn, breath, and think Norwegian.  I arrived in Hamar on the first of October. 

This week I have heard more Norwegian than ever.  My housemates mainly speak Norwegian around the house, unless I cannot understand what they say and they are talking directly to me (this is often, sadly, as my vocabulary is not large enough, but usually they try to communicate first in Norwegian).  I have also continued my studies to increase my vocabulary, needless to say my mind is quite tired after a day.  Trying to think, talk, listen, read and communicate all in Norwegian has my brain spinning.  I have been frustrated, VERY frustrated, during this week and I hear that is a good sign (it does not feel so great though).  I am so grateful for the kindness, gentleness and patience of the Norwegians here, truly they are so kind. 

I have also had chances to help out at the cafe run by several churches in the city. (A group of churches came together and run a cafe 3 days a week for the local community, it is so wonderful to watch the body of Christ come together and serve the city in this way.)  I have also gone to a prayer meeting, helped with some practical things at the house and church, been to the weekly youth meeting, attended the Sunday service and met many great people. 

Please, when you think about me - pray.  Pray for breakthrough in understanding. Pray that I would bless and be a blessing to the church and people here.  Please pray that I would have patience with myself and the learning process.  Lastly, pray I would have fun!

The picture is the view from the kitchen window.  Often in the morning I sit by this window to eat breakfast, so lovely! 

Newcastle Olympic Video Update

Hi. Here is a video update of our time in Newcastle from the team I am on. You an follow all of of our YWAM Norway teams at ywamnorway.wordpress.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lnza5zv8NEY&sns=em

The Greatest Artist

I am at GoFest (http://ywamnorway.wordpress.com/2012/05/11/a-day-in-newcastle/), this is a summer festival and outreach we are doing as YWAM Norway. Normally, the GoFest starts out the YWAM year, but this year it is the launching platform for the outreach in Newcastle England during the Olympics. All that to say, I am currently in Stavern Norway at the GoFest.
This morning I was having some alone time with God. This picture was my view. I hope you can see the water. As I looks at the water I thought it looked small from the place where I sat. I then considered how large it would be if I got closer then I thought of all the details that go into making this view. All the details in the sea, the plants and animals in the sea are complex and so wonderful to look at. My reaction: God is an AMAZING artist, the best. His work was so beautiful and detailed. For those who know me well, you know detail isn't my strong point. Yet I was marveling at God's attention to detail and found myself being thankful for that part of His character. I, also, found myself appreciating my friends who are more detailed and wanted to compliment them on their resemblance to God So, if you are one of those friends reading this consider the fact that your attention to detail is something that you got (inherited) from your Father God. The same God that created/designed all the items in the picture. He is the Greatest Artist ever!

Indonesia Highlights

China: 

We got to go into China on our way to Indonesia, it was such a treat and only for a couple hours.  We ate lunch.  We picked a simple place and just pointed at pictures to tell them what we wanted (most of us ended up with good food, but some were a little disappointed at their pick), then we took our food and found a place to sit and eat.

  

Beauty:

Indonesia was beautiful, such a diverse country.  The city was FULL of people, bursting with life.  We often said as a team the only time the city slept was from 2 am - 4 am.  On the other hand, the countryside was such raw simple beauty.  The rice fields were such a wonder to look at, so beautiful and all done by hand, I respect the hard work that went into it.  The ocean was, of course, gorgeous (but anyone who truly knows me, knows that is my favorite place to be is next to water).  We didn't spend tons of time at the waters edge, but the days we did were so nice.  

People:

The people we met were kind, loving and so nice.  As I wrote before, the Indonesian people, in general, are not normally outgoing in the beginning, but if you initiate conversation you will find treasures. The people are beautiful.  God does that, doesn't he, he makes beautiful people all over the world.  I think that is one of my favorite things about God and travelling, meeting beautiful people and since it is within a different culture, often you see a different side, a different beauty of God through those people. Below are just a few of the quality people (Abbi ,Ika, Sael and me) I met or else there would be many more photos.

  

Team:

Honestly, this is my favorite part of outreach - our team.  There is something to be said for unity among people.  This team chose to serve, be flexible, be teachable, love, not complain and be unified, through it all.  Because of this, I believe God did powerful things in Indonesia, things we may not even be aware of until we reach Heaven.  Even though they were scared and nervous, each students preached at least 2 sermons (30 -45 minutes long that they prepared).  They were willing to go outside their comfort zone.  This resulted in 5 men in prison accepting Jesus Christ in their hearts for the first time, college students choosing Jesus as their first priority, rather than the distractions of the world and many Christians in a Muslim country being encouraged to continue on.  My team was a gift from God.  I saw God move in and through each one.  I was privileged to love and invest and be part of this group.

How can things be similiar and so different?

Here in Indonesia it is a Muslim nation. I will admit I thought I would find a nation much like I imagine Iran to be, this is not the case. We have been staying in the city of Bandung, it is one of the bigger cities with approximately 4.5 million people in it. (It's like having almost all of Norway's population in Oslo). Here there are more malls than, I believe the States can boast about. There are shops and stands on every inch of the street, it seems. So I have noticed women in head coverings and such, but I notice materialism too. I find it a lot like the States (a primarily Christian nation), many people are just living for themselves with not much thought to what religion they are suppose to be or not be. I did not expect to see/think this. The villages are different, more Muslim, less materialism, it seems. Yet, the villages are mostly farming, therefore there isn't a lot of extra time. They farm all by hand, rice primarily.
I'm sure there are quite a lot of differences, but I think I am surprised about the similarities. As for the differences, I've noticed my heart of intercession increasing being here. I know that I do not understand the culture, especially their view on women, but I can pray. The song I find myself singing over this nation is "Freedom Reigns" by Jesus Culture - Freedom can reign in this place!

(below are pictures of a farming, it is breathtaking, especially when you realize it was created by hand.)

Update of Indonesia trip

This last week was full of great moments and we would like to share a few with you.

First, a little background. Our main activities have been to encourage the churches and Christians locally here. What this means practically is everyone has had the chance to preach a message, all the students got to do this twice. Fast forward to the prison meeting where Thomas got to preach his 2nd sermon...and preach he did. That day we saw God move and 5 men made decisions for Jesus.

Next sermon was given by Hanne at a youth meeting in a University. This night Hanne preached about it all being about God instead of being focussed on ourselves. She had an alter call, about 15 students came up for prayer, some crying as they were touched by God.

We ended our time well in Bandung and have safely arrived in our next destination: An orphanage in Bali, where we will live and work for the remaining of our outreach.

Life in Indonesia

Indonesia is a hot country filled with people. The people here are quite friendly, although as you go down the street people often have no expression until you smile, then you get a huge smile in return. Of course, there are many differences in this country from the States and Norway. First, it is Muslum nation so you hear the call to prayer four times a day. Second, they are the opposite of direct when it comes to communication. In fact, we have to ask 2-3 times if something is okay (like are these shorts to short?) before you will get an honest answer. Most of the food is fried (Fried chicken is a favorite, yes KFC is quite popular here). And of course, you have rice with every meal.

Here there is "religious freedom" in the sense that there are Buddhist temple, Hindu temples and Christian churches as well as many Mosques. Yet it is difficult to have a church building because you need to get the signatures/permission of the people in the neighborhood you want the church, but they are primarily Muslim, so often you won't get it. As a team, if we want to sing songs about Jesus we are asked to close the windows and doors as not to upset the neighbors. We have had a lot of opportunities to encourage local Christians here and in a country such as this it is encouragement is very needed.

Please pray for us as a team (Stefan, Hanne, Ingrid, Thomas, Asbjørn and Jae). We are a very good team but we have had some struggles. Your prayers are very appreciated.

Below are pictures of the city - mass traffic, motorbikes are the quickest way to travel even for a family, city life and the team.

Latvia Outreach part 2

Latvia, the continuation...

Day 4: All of us went out into the community to deliver food bags to those in need (we got lists of needy people from Social Service Office from the city).  We got to bless, encourage, pray for those we met.  It was really great and humbling to bless people in this way

Day 5: We broke into groups, some continued to hand out bags of food, some did a local children's program, some went to a local prison, some helped with give away clothing. I helped with the clothing.
Clothing giveaway.  We used a local community center and had all the clothes donated from Denmark, Sweden and Norway set up on different tables.  There were home items, clothes (for all sizes babies, kids, women and men), bedding, personal items.  We let 30-40 people in at a time for 15-20 minutes they could take all they needed and could carry out.  It was exhausting and crazy.  We ran out of bedding the fastest, people mostly wanting blankets (wool) and comforters and pillows.

Day 6: Clothing giveaway. God broke my heart for the needy.  We had so many clothes we were trying to hand it out to people to take.  I came across one man who looked dirty and disheveled.  He was picking through the kids section and I tried to encourage him in English to take as much as he wanted.  When I talked to him he got a scared look in his face and backed up and walked away.  I was surprised, but I also knew he didn't have much more time and was eager to see him get as much as he could.  I walked to where he was and tried to hand him a few things showing him it was okay to take, he did take an item or two.  After he left, I cried and prayed.  What could have happened that left a man skittish and afraid? It was a reminder of the woundedness of the world and it broke my heart.

Day 7: Celebration party.  On days 5 & 6 in the evenings we had a church service events.  Kings Kids performed skits and dances, a local pastor spoke one night, the next night Tjebbo, the outreach organizer, spoke.  Many people who had been given food or met along the way had come to know God in a personal way.  In fact, our translator from Day 4 had accepted Jesus into her heart (she was from the city, a translator through Social Services).  We invited all to celebrate what God had done throughout the week. God did so much.

Below is a local news report on the outreach (I am in the video briefly).  It is in Latvian, but if you watch it all you will get a good picture of what we gave away.  Hope you enjoy.

Thanks for all who prayed for our trip.  It was amazing! I also want to invite you to come next year, it is a great outreach to be part of - think about it.

Latvia outreach part 1

We, the DTS, are here in Latvia, working alongside a ministry from Sweden. They come every year to a different city in Latvia to bless the people and tell them of God's love.

Day 1: we got here a day early so we helped unload two semi trailers of donated food an clothing from Norway, Denmark and the Netherlands. 5 hours of very hard labor (the sore muscles to come).

Day 2: All 340 of the volunteers join together to get an overview of the program and bond together to become a team. Yes, 340 people can work together in unity, an amazing feat.

Day 3: we unload food and clothing and organize it so we can give it away the next days - it's called "sweat day". Below is a picture of the food bags. We made 1400 of these to hand out.

We are here 7 days, the rest is to be continued...

A week in Skjærgårdsheimen

A week by the sea.  I had some time off of in my very busy schedule and wanted to get away.  Britt, a friend of mine, suggested I stay at Skjærgårdsheimen, the YWAM base in south Norway near Kristiansand.  The idea was brilliant - a gift from God. (Thank you Britt for the excellent suggestion.)


It all began Monday - a three hour train ride south.  I sat by a man with whom I talked with the whole trip there, he initiated most of the conversation.  I wasn't feeling so great, but didn't want to appear rude, so I continued to converse and besides it was nice to chat.  But about 10 minutes before our arrival to our destination, the "not so feeling well" feeling increased and to my dismay - I threw up! Yes, on the train in one of those little bags, so embarrassing. For the next day or so, my stomach would react every time I ate, bad and unwelcome stomach bug.  


So here I am a little ill, trying to rest and relax.  I've discovered that I have a challenging time relaxing, I always think I"m being irresponsible if I do non productive things like read, watch movies, sleep in, etc.... It's sad, so my goal this week was to learn how to rest - truly rest.  I think I did okay.  I've prayed a lot this trip about if I was being irresponsible or not.  It's been a battle to relax.  Why are we so silly?


I've been counting blessings while here, like: I had a stomach bug, but I wasn't "down and out".  The base here is beautiful and full of blessings: The view, the showers (very powerful and private), napkins (all I want and need), personal bathroom, there are no schools running here and it is very quiet, Nutella not just on the weekends, and can I mention once again - the view! (it truly is beautiful here).  In fact, here are some pictures that I took.  Some I edited, but most I did not.  

I head back tomorrow, a 7 hour train ride, I purposely kept a book for this day.  I am grateful for my time here and what I've learned about resting, about me.  I pray that the next time I get a break I will find it easier to rest.

Goodbye again

Yesterday, I found out a friend from Denver died of cancer - it hurts.  At firs,t I was just stunned thinking it was surreal, a dream, but reality is we suffered a loss.  I think I realize how far away I am from my closest friends in a time like this.  It's true I want to mourn, cry alongside of them.  I worked with Cary for nearly 8 years and although I wasn't in his closest circle, I knew him, appreciated him and valued him.  He was a man with a beautiful heart.  Today is just a day of tears.  I'm not sad he's with Jesus, I'd be more jealous if I thought about it.  I'm sad that I'm not with friends who are hurting and I'm sad I have to say goodbye to one more quality person in my life.  Saying goodbye just isn't fun.  I'll be grateful when goodbyes cease and I get to say hello to all who got to heaven before me.  Until then...hugs are nice.

PRAHA!

Prague...is the most beautiful city I've ever been to.  I was blessed to be able to go there with 5 others on a short 2 week outreach.  We got to work alongside teen challenge as they encourage and develop gypsy kids at an after school program.  We got to teach English, this was an adventure for us all, as well as go to a couple different English clubs to encourage the teens with testimonies, games and conversations.  There was also time for prayer & evangelism in the city center and worship with local IHOP team.  It was a busy time, but so blessed.  


My favorite memory: My team, how we bonded together even though we hadn't really had time to do that prior to our leaving.  It was such a blessing to go with people you realized were quality, something discovered during our two weeks there.


My favorite ministry time: Prayer walks.  Saturating the city with prayer, many times it felt very significant.  When I got home I was speaking to a student named Emily who had been in Prague a couple months earlier.  She said Prague was like a bridge from Western Europe to Eastern Europe.  It is as if this is the place where the two meet.  The city also seemed very empty of hope and joy - in need of prayer and a touch from God.  Even though I can't tell you what happened when we prayed, it made a difference, I believe that.  I believe when you talk to God about the people he loves and ask him to move in their lives it is significant.  


There are many great people and organizations in Prague wanting to make a difference and love on the unloved - be the hands and feet of God.  Please pray for them and the city they are in.  Thanks.