Trip 38 / Entry 21 / Carl and Linnea

Tuesday, May 20, 2014 Alesund, Norway

No doubt I have complained too much about the spiritual condition of Norway (and all of Europe for that matter). But to me, (it may just be cultural personality influenced by Jente’s Law, I don’t know) but often Christians appear to hold a passive, internalized and unimposing faith. There are many exceptions, of course, like my friend Gunnar and others I have met.

One favorable and surprising thing happened in Alesund. After I settled into my hotel. I decided to take a quick orientation walk at about eleven in the morning. I followed the map but soon discovered that I had gone the wrong way so I cut through an alley that should have been a short-cut to the water front. Out of the door of an apartment building came a robust looking young man with a big beard and one of those ”outdoorsy”  looks. He was with a little, “light as a feather” blonde and this made an odd match. They started to walk in the same direction as I but both me and they came to a construction site which made it clear we could go no farther so we turned together in the same direction leaving this blind alley behind.

The fellow, in a bold “English” accent asked if I was on holiday. I told him in rather vague terms that I worked here in Europe then asked where he was from and what he did. He was South African and a surfing instructor (in a wet suit, of course). The conversation turned back to me about what I did and as I explained I saw immediate recognition sweep over his face. He went on to say that they were only up for the day but living about an hour and a half away in Volda. This is the very same small village where I am staying and doing ministry.

I decided to ask if he was a “follower of Jesus” and he was more than a little enthusiastic to make his claim to the faith.

It was a positive moment, a lily blooming in the desert! We both felt the meeting to be a divine appointment. This seemed almost an utter impossibility that on a street in Alesund, I would meet a South African believer who just happens to live in the same village where I hang my hat. I hope that my story about the Saturday night university outreaches and the conversion of Charlene spark a fire in him to come and help.

While in my room above the church on Friday morning I received a phone call from Carl asking if I’d like to get together and arrangements were immediately made to meet at the student center, Rokken in the early afternoon. There over coffee we shared testimonies and our journeys. He had quite a tale of conversion. They offered to come hear me preach on Sunday evening. I suspect we will likely stay in touch.

Trip 38 / Entry 20 / Tore’ and Siv

Tore and Siv

Tuesday to Thursday, May 20-22, 2014 / Alesund, Norway

When my friend Peter Barnes of London read on Facebook that I was going to Alesund he began connecting me to his close friends who live there.  I am always a little leery of this sort of match-making as occasionally it didn’t work out so well. The old adage, “One man’s jewelry is another man’s junk,” has proven true more than once. I have had blind date ministry connections of this nature that just didn’t click. Yet, I trusted Peter to know, after all, he has a prophetic gift so he should have some discernment about this. Soon, I was texting back and forth to Siv the arrangements to meet. Tore would come and pick me up and take me out to

their house for supper on Tuesday evening. We knew a lot of people in common so this broke the ice as we discussed a number of common relationships. Siv was stirring chicken Alfredo with lasagna. Eivind, a very outgoing guest completely fluent in America idiom, carried the conversation while we waited on supper. He had just returned from YWAM in Orlando. Another arrived in the doorway, a tall reddish haired fellow that looked like an athlete but assured me, he

Their place

was not. He was the older son, Ole engaged to be married to a California girl next week. Hans, at about ten was engrossed in Lego land videos so he really didn’t quite lift his head up from the IPAD but was a cute guy. It was a real family atmosphere so I can see why their house fills up on Thursday nights for worship and prayer. Many of these who come are young people who have no church background. Some suffer from fractured homes and lives so Siv has become “Mom.”

I really enjoyed all of them. The next day they continued to extend love and hospitality. They drove in to Alesund from the other side of the island and took me for a photo shoot at a wonderful  Norwegian heritage community followed by supper and conversation at their house again. This time we had grilled chicken, slathered in pesto and wrapped in bacon.

Ole, Eivind and Siv

Tore is a success in his occupation. This meant that we talked business and mission, he having gone to Mongolia and China, places I have never been so I was interested about his experience.  This brought us to a conversation about ways in which to help missionaries through business enterprises.

I also met Siv’s sister, Tove Kristin, with I became acquainted as she drove me back later that evening.

In all, I spent  about ten hours with the Havold family and have I an invitation to return if ever in the area. This was the highlight of my two days in Alesund and to be honest the trip would have been a complete waste without meeting the South African and the Havold’s. “Take no cloak or script… “ it pretty much works though I do have cloak and script if I need it.

Panorama / Alesund, Norway

Tuesday to Thursday, May 20-22, 2014

 

 

Trip 38 / Entry 19 / Volda, Norway

Sunday, May 18, 2014

 An amazing and hopeful story… 

 

 

 

 

I flew Norwegian from Oslo-Gardemoen to Alesund and then bused to Volda about three hours away. This meant that my day would be a long one. On the way I completely re-arranged a power point which took all of that time. I arrived and was met by my friend Gunnar. After talking through the content of the evening, I saw that the power point would not likely connect so I decided to preach and this proved to be the right decision. On the same evening there would be a baptism.

This is an all too rare event but in this part of Norway where most give no thought at all to spiritual matters or eternal things here comes Charlene. Out of the blue, she calls Gunnar and says, “I was reading the Bible I see that I need to be baptized. Will you baptize me.” Gunnar asked her how this came about since he did not know her. She told her story. A CLASSIC and THE WAY IT OUGHT TO BE… “I am from South Africa. I have no particular religious background but became sick of my life, ordered a Bible from the internet, heard somewhere that I should read John, read it and the other gospels and came to believe that Jesus died for me. I gave my life to him and then decided I needed to find someone to baptize me.” I had the privilege of doing this.

On Monday morning I made my way around to some of my significant contacts from last October. I was able to see them all and received a warm welcome.

Panorama / Voldsfjorden, Norway

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Trip 38 / Entry 18 / Oslo, Norway

Friday and Saturday, May 16-18, 2014

Friday Evening International Supper

 

My friend Roar of Oslo came to fetch me at Smyrna Bible Institute on Friday afternoon then took with him to Oslo. On the way there he informed me that there was going to be an international dinner at 7PM and I would be speaking. If you want spontaneity, Norway is the place. I am often surprised by meetings I am slightly unprepared for. He suggested twenty minutes with translation and my mind began to frantically race trying to sort what I might be able to effectively do in so short a time. I settled on giving my abbreviated testimony.

We arrived at his house a little after five. I laid down for a few minutes and then got dressed. Off we went to enjoy a meal provided by people of thirteen nationalities. I came to discover that the MC was a Mexican “Christian” but I very quickly noticed that he was abrupt and cold to me. He failed to make eye contact at all and when it was finally time for me to speak, I saw him pacing, looking at his watch and scowling. Roar translated me and at times got so tickled that he couldn’t go on. This has happened before  on other occasions so we should probably never be put together in this capacity. He laughs at my descriptions until he cries.

I ended soon enough with what I thought was an impacting message that all, regardless of religious conviction, could grasp and enjoy without offence.  After all, it was just my story.

I thought it went well and Roar was delighted.  The next morning while waiting outside to go to the city, the Mexican fellow who occupies a small apartment on the bottom floor, came out to do the same. I wanted to build a bridge so I asked where he was from. From the minute I asked the question, I knew I had made a mistake. He complained about my message and baited me for a fight. His wife eventually came out the door apologizing for him while they went off down the street with her returning to apologize as he yelled, “We don’t like American’s or whatever you are. Go back to where you come from!”

Well, he made Muslims and Jehovah’s Witnesses seem a lot more civil. I have never been this badly treated anywhere or at anytime. It almost came to fisticuffs.  I was so shocked I said, “I don’t think you know the Lord Jesus,” and I don’t believe he possibly could unless he is dominated by the works of the flesh (carnality). More honestly, I think he is a dangerous man. I expect to be accosted by a Muslim or drunk here and there by not by one professing to being a follower of Jesus. Either this man is demonic or insane. Personally, I think he was mad with jealousy that I was invited to speak without his knowledge or approval. It’s a territorial thing.

 

Trip 38 / Entry 17 / Near Tonsberg, Norway

Saturday to Friday, May 10-16, 2014

Students at SBI 2014

 

Smyrna Bible Institute

I caught an Air France flight from Ljubljana to Paris and then KLM to Amsterdam and the to Sandefjord (Torp), Norway, finally arriving at 11 PM Saturday. I almost missed the flight from Amsterdam and was the last person to board after running the full length of Schiphol Airport. I was picked up by my friend, Morten Ostevik, the head administrator of Smyrna Bible Institute where I will teach 1st Corinthians to about twenty second year students for the week. I have come here every year and some times twice for the last four years and developed a good relationship with the leadership. I will preach on Sunday night in Oasen, the campus church.

Trip 38 / Entry 17 / Ljubljana, Slovenia

Friday, May 9, 2014

I went to pick-up my wash at the laundry some four blocks away from my hotel. I know that my wash in Slovenia will cost half what it will cost in Norway. I picked it up just before five in the evening and thought, “Ya, know, I’ve never been up that street?” The wide thoroughfare goes north toward the train station. This street, like most others is lined by small coffee bars. As I past by the first two they sat empty but next was a cafe with a number of people talking and having coffee or a beer. On purpose I sat down next to two tables each with three people. The one right beside me had a young Canadian who, when he he heard me order in English, asked where I was from. He was leaving that very day back to Canada after a semester of university. On the opposite side of his table were two Russian girls that understood some Slovene but almost no English. Somehow, my table and the other two began a casual three way conversation. At the other, in the corner, were three thirty year old young men. It seemed to me that they might be here the longest so best to invest in that table rather than the Canadian who would soon be on his way to the train.

I took out my ballpoint pen and on the back side of the drink menu I drew one of the young men. Once I finished it, I took it over and handed it to him . Immediate surprise and approval came over him as he showed it around the table. One of the fellows said, “Who are you? What do you do in Slovenia (uh, oh) and would you like a drink? Why don’t you join us here at our table?” Within minutes we are battling over evolution, comparative religion and moral law. I am winning. They are all three bright and university educated.  One claimed to be an atheist, and two others were born Catholic but not practicing.  They demonstrated a clear approval of my positions on a variety of theistic arguments. As I went toward sin, judgment, atonement grace and the person / purpose of Christ, I had them and their friendship. They all said, “No one here talks like this. We need this kind of serious conversation”

After two hours of this banter, I invited them to come with me to the hotel where I would buy them books in Slovene. They were primed and ready. At the hotel I gave them copies of Timothy Keller’s, “The Reason for God” and “God’s Undertaker, Has Science Buried Religion?”  (this is where fifty euro your money goes) at the same time I was able to introduce them to my friend Sergeja and have a photograph taken. I do hope we will meet again. Rarely have I seen anyone get this far with intellectuals in this length of time. I certainly never have. Is there a shift in the wind?

Panorama / Tour Primoz Trubar Home

Friday, May 9, 2014

The original Trubar frame home has been burned but this museum has been erected to honor him.

A bust of Trubar

Primoz Trubar, (Protestant Reformer 1508-1586) was the father of Slovenian language and national identity. Persecuted and exiled to Germany, he continued to develop and write in a standard dialect of the Slovenian peoples. Much of his work, including translating the Bible became the basis for the Slovene identity. We heard an excellent lecture by a Trubar scholar. Today, Trubar is still continued a heretic for his non-conformist, evangelical views. While the Slovene people honor him for his intellectual and cultural contributions they will not talk of his religious convictions. 2017 will mark special recognition of Trubar for his amazing body of work. Evangelicals are organizing now to impact the culture by clearly making mention of his Christian faith so that all will know what motivated him.

 

Panorama / Ljubljana Boat Cruise

Thursday, May 8, 2014

Finally, the weather cleared before noon and soon after lunch we were off to see the city from the river that flows through it’s center.

What did you expect from me?