8:15pm
Hey there,
just a quick update from the mountain side. We've been going, going, going since we've been here. trips to IKEA, Smart Club, working on our house, going to Betel church, town center, reuniting w/ old friends and meeting a ton more!
we went to the police station today and waited for about an hour and 45 minutes today to get our official transcripts-work permits in our passports. everything went swell, except Cortney, Brett and I had to be at the main NTNU-Gloshogon campus at 12 for our lang. class. we didn't get out of the police station until 11:45 and it's on the other side of town, on top of us trying to figure out the bus route!! haha we thought we'd be right in line of the bus that would bring us to the campus, but we were off by an hour!
so we had to run to the next stop(about 5 blocks) to get the next closest bus before we were left in the dust! haha it was hillarious. we then had to treck up a vertical(practically) hill for about 15 mins. to get to the campus! wooof!!!! what an adventure. we made it 30 mins. later than need be, only to find out our "official class" didn't begin until 1pm! haha we felt like dorks, but it was still fun.
i'm looking forward to our lang. class. the majority of the class is from Germany, with about 23 countries represented in all. we're the only 3 from the U.S. we've been split up into 5 or 6 groups and from there we go on excursions at night and on the weekends throughout the country. For 3 full weeks we're going to be eating, breathing, sleeping and learning Norwegian. Every day our classes are from 9am-3pm(15:00). With "field trips" in the evening. Next weekend, we're going camping! i'm so excited to meet people, learn norsk, and be able to finally understand people, somewhat.
everything has been going great. we had an awesome time of prayer last night overlooking the mountains and the sunsetting. it's truly an amazing view and God has been so good to us. we can't cease to give Him praise for all HE's done to get us where we're at. we've been contending for cortney who has been very sick. she was sick before the flight over, but her ears haven't unpopped from the landing in Amsterdam. it's been a set back for her bc she can't hear anything and is always saying,"WHAT?" so PLEASE be praying that God heals her hearing and restores her health!
I love the walks every morning. they've given us great times to get to know eachother as well as pray for the city as we go from one side to the other. our house is about a 45 min. walk to town center, so it's a ways, yet it's refreshing to walk a lot. although, i'm coming down w/ a horrible case of shin splints, so please pray they go away miraculously. it's hard to walk 'cause it feels like someone hit me in the shins w/ a bat, yet all we do here all day long is walk!
rebecca and chuck are flying out early tomorrow morning to go to Brussels for 12 days. i'm so excited for them. they're getting together w/ student for christ missionaries from all over europe. cort, brett and i wish we could go, but we have our norge classes. please pray that their flight goes well and that they have safe travels.
well..i'm tired from a long day, i pray that you find yourself doing well and that you'd drop me a note when ya get some time! i love you.
hadet,
kelly
for all of you who were wondering, lindsey, the peanut butter in that pic is stuff we brought from home. and the tp it was for napkins!
here are a few more pics of our home and the view.
wow, i thought my computer was being dumb, never mind. the comments made it to the right pics. enjoy. there will be more to come. i'm off to a store something like Sam's Club! peace out!
sorry my comments didn't make it to the right pic, but you get it!
our first meal in our new home in Norge.
I got to hold a baby from Ghana on our flight to Amsterdam
12:30AM Trondheim
That's for Rebs, and for ya'll so you know what time it is when i'm writing all of this jazz.
Day 1.5 in norway.
we all slept in, prayed together, found that our luggage is still lost, and then set out on an adventure into downtown Trondheim by foot, taking us about 45 minutes w/ a few stops here and there('cause we got lost, not to take pics of the scenery), so it'll probably take 30 mins. walking briskly(ewwwww!!!). it was an exciting event to say the least.
we made our way past the university-NTNU and then onto "Nierous Dooman" one of the largest churches in trondheim used for tours and events. there is a pilgrimage festival going on now celebrating all the travels of many people long ago who traveled far distances to come to this church in seek of God. it's sad to think that this place is scarcely used for worship anymore. but the cool part was that we saw guys jousting in the front, sweet dude!
after some sites to see, we found ourselves in the town's center w/ many exciting shops and cobblestone streets. we exchanged all US Dollars into Norwegian Kronars w/ an exchange rate of about 6.1(which is bad for us, but what ya gonna do). it's crazy to think that i have no need for the american dollar anymore...
we found some food and then onto the bus station to pick up some passes. made ourselves look like tourists w/ our maps, english, and attempted norsk. then rode the bus home, getting lost only once, only to find our street only a few feet ahead.
what a looooooong day. we had a bit of time to rest, watch a storm roll in w/ lightning and thunder and then out and about again!!!
IKEA!!!!! i think this was the longest time i've ever spent in a single store. we've had some success w/ purchases. it's so sad, but we're having to re-buy almost everything we've owned in the states. beds, lamps, bedside stands, mirrors, pots, pans, towels, decorations, pillows, the list goes on and on. it's great to get new stuff don't get me wrong, especially from IKEA,but still...it's so expensive here, even the cheap stuff is a lot!
we've been so blessed by our host family. they've provided so many things for us these past few days it's not even funny! they're SO AMAZING!!!
i'm feeling tired, yet energized, if that makes any sense. i'm glad to finally be here, but i'm excited to get settled in 'officially', get my luggage, unpack all my stuff and make this room my own. i'm not really looking forward to language classes quite yet, 'cause i'm still jet-legging and a bit overwealmed w/ all the transitional stuff, yet i'm loving it all as well!!
God is sooo good. i love this community and the heart we have. He's so strategic in His plans. this is for sure where He wants me. I would NOT have been able to make it here w/out His provision and His call. thank you my Jesus! PTL!
well...i best be on my way to bed, i love you all.
let me know how you're doing!
kelly
Hvordan har du det?
How are you doing?
Hi all, I'm proud to say that i'm writing from my new room in Trondheim, Norway. I've got an amazing view of the town as well as the Trondheimfjord. I can't believe I'm really here.
The plane rides went very smoothly. haha funny/great story:
so...cortney, brett, rebbecca, chuck and i were all sitting in a close area on our plane ride to amsterdam. before we took off, a woman w/ 3 children came on late and didn't want to seperate from here kids. so they asked me kindly if i'd like to move seats. i said sure, and so they proceeded to lead me to the front of the plane into the business/1st class. there awaited a plush overstuffed plane seat. i was definetly out of my element. all around me people were eating wine and cheese. haha i laughed out loud, literally!! HAHAHA
get this...our seats reclined! i had my own personal tv/movie screen and got enough leg room for an elephant. i guess the Lord really wanted me to know that i was suppose to go to Norway! haha i feel so overlly blessed i can't even begin to explain.
our house is for real a plush palace. this is not what i thought the life of a missionary had in store. granted, it's our 1st hours here, there will be many trials to come our way, but this is the complete blessing of our Father!
the only problem now is....chuck, rebbecca and I lost all of our luggage. so i'll be living in the clothes that i left in as well as a few pairs that i packed in my carry on. so PLEASE PLEASE pray that we get our 8 bags of luggage in ASAP!! we think that because our connecting flight from duluth to amsterdam was so quick they just got lost in the hussle of all the things. so hopefully, we'll get them tomorrow.
We were picked up by Ole, our landlord. His wife, Annetta, and their son, Samuel, are awesome! They're the cutest couple. They were so generous and welcoming to us. it's been great getting to know them thus far. they fixed up the upper level of their house(our place) w/ heated floors in the bathroom even! dang! thank you jesus! i have to remind all of you and myself that this is one of the most elite countries in the world. so...to them this is normal, to me, this is like crazy!! but either way, i'm thankful for the Lord's amazing faithfulness to provide for our team.
we've already been to the local grocery store nearest us. so...the norge experience has begun. and i'm really loving this 'team' thing. i love all my roommates-cort, brett, chuck and rebbecca!
i'm excited to see what God has in store for us this week alone. It's been so great depending on Him for the past hours of my life. Literally as we began this journey, I've felt Him so close. I'm excited to see what's to come!!
beyond a really long day/2 days, i'm so thankful for actually being here. i feel as though i can take a huge load off and breath for once. i give all the praise to my God who has been the only way I could've made it through these past few months. PTL!!!
well..i should go, i'm a scrub and i'm a wee bit hungry. we're gonna eat cheese and bread, YES!!!
love you all,
keldog
I feel so blessed to be a part of this day!
Dan and Elisa's Great Day!
The stunning bride herself. You're SO GORGEOUS BEC!
bec, carrol and i goin' crazy
Here is the beautiful wedding party from Becca and Jeff's Wedding!
so...i know it's been a very very very long time since i've updated this. i'm sorry to all who check it frequently....aka...noone!!! hahaha
but if you're ever so bored and find yourself looking at this page, HI!!! yes i've been super busy and on top of that i don't have internet.
so...what have i been up to??
the latest in a nutshell. I'm living on my friend's futon only for 2 more weeks bc I'm then on a plane to Trondheim, Norway for 2 years! I'm getting perty pumped and it's for sure not sinking in YET!!
I've been in 3 weddings since the end of April. My dear loves Elisa, Becca and Lace! I love you all and am praying that you're staying sane whereever you may be!
I've also been raising financial and prayer support for the past 2 months. it's been altogether nothing that i'd ever EVER imagine myself doing, but it's so God's leading and timing. This time in my life has been the most stretching and by far the hardest, but it's also sooooo good. I can't even praise my God enough for how good and faithful He is.
so...i spent 2 weeks in Springfield, Missouri for missionary training. Simply put, getting prepared for the field. the ups and downs, the good and bad, the do's and don'ts of being a missionary. It was so amazing meeting everyone with a call of God to reach all the nations of this earth. I feel very blessed to be a part of this and so excited to see where God brings all of the friends i met there.
i've got so many amazing stories of how God has been providing for me, not w/out the pain and hardship of losing something prior, but, HE'S SOOOO GOOD!!!! truly there is pain in the offering, but I will ALWAYS PRAISE!!!
i'm trying to sit back and soak up my life in the states, for it will soon be much different and all that i cling to will be gone. what was once so familiar will no longer be there. and i'm praying and asking for prayer for myself as well as for cortney & brett and the haaviks, that we wouldn't be easily offended. that we'd learn to serve and love oneanother, especially during the hard times of transition. I pray that we'd grow even closer as a team and that God would protect us from any schemes of the enemy. Thank you for your prayers.
so in the meantime, i'm still chugging along, raising my monthly budget and praying that God will do a miracle. our plane leaves july 25th and I only have about 25% of my budget raised! He WILL come through! I trust in the Lord and will not lean on my own strength. For He is good and His love endures, even while support raising! HEHE
i love you all.
i hope to update w/ pics soon of my life the past few months. also w/ updates on Norway!
peace out my friends,
Keldog
