Winter - Good By

This winter has been one after my taste, very little snow, almost nothing in fact - until now. The last week we have got enough snow for a whole winter. All the islands in the coastal areas have got much more of it than the mainland near by.The good thing is that it's all gone very soon because of the rain and 5-6 degrees Celcius.

To help myselfe to forget the winter I picked up a photo from last summer that I got from my sister a while ago. This is Osterøy and the place called Rivenes where we have a little boat and a boathouse for it. It recalls good memories and shape inside me expectations for the summer. Hopefully July and August will bring some nice days on the fjords and surely also moments of good fishing.

Looking out my back door

Prepairing for Bolivia again, I'm looking at some pictures from last year. While CCR many years back, in the song "Looking out my back door", was describing the relaxation found in locking the front door and looking out the back door at a fantasy world, this young lady is looking out her back door at a most real world.

Her room, which she probably shares with her sister, is a plastic rag hanging outside the wall, making a shelter for a bed and some stuff. Her mother, sister and three brothers were outside talking to us when she showed up in the "door".

They all lived in the house that beside this room, only contained one room and one bed. The kitchen was an open air kitchen, and the floor was the same inside as outside; genuine soil. I just wonder what the rain time is like with them. This is how thousands of bolivians live, and I'm glad I could visit a few of them, to see and become aware what the back door of this world is hiding.

Seeing light

How can you see clearly when the front windows are covered by nice labels?
Well, it's plastic and you can see through it, but everything you see will change from the ordinary colours and look different.

It seems to be more important to be seen than to see what's outside. This would not be accepted in Norway. We think that view is vital. So does the Bible!
The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! (Matt 6,22-23 )

It's important that we see, and that we see things from the perspectives given from Gods words. There is a wonderful statement in the Bible: "For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light". (Sal 36,10) By the way, I think this car is beautifull!

Easter Conference

As always, the Easter Conference (easter celebration) was inspiring days from wednesday to sunday. The prophetic and apostolic ministries served wonderfully in the power and wisdom of God. The Lord spoke to His people: Guidance for the time ahead, release of a new and fresh annointing, expectation to God and commitment to his word, important keys for understanding and for living a life that will change society, - all these are headwords to the conference. And the best thing of all; many people met Jesus and received him as Lord and Savior!

These days means a lot to me. I need time to let it all work in me, let it sink in. It's also direction for me personally. Some changes have to be made. Constant change is here to stay anyway, so it's easy when cooperating with the holy Spirit.

Easter Celebration is also fellowship with a lot of good friends. Our home fills up in the hours between the meetings. Concerning some, it's long time - no see. Others are frequently around. It's church. It's profetic. It's God among his people.

It's running

I have a son, Endre, born in 1990. That means his coming birthday in July enables him for the driver lisence. If you have the lisence, you need a car. And that's what I've got for him, a 98 Sonata with a broken engine. If you have a car with a broken engine, you need another engine. And that's exactly what I've got for it. This one is also broken, but not in the same place. So by removing the engine and fix it with parts from the other one, and replace it, - well it should work. Sounds good doesn't it?

In addition to that I value this idea: that it's good for a young man to know what's going on in the engine room. And it's also good for him to do something together with the old man. So we've spent hours together in the garage the last weeks, and today - you're right - it worked!!! Reward time!

To be honest; we did many faults, and we had to do many things over and over again. The timer belt has been removed so many times, that if you have a Sonata and you have to change the timer belt, we can do it for you in 52 minutes. That's not bad!!

Preparing for Bolivia.

Bolivia is one of three nations that's been included in Bergen Bibleschools trainingprogramme. Last year I had the privilege to follow five students on their missionary training. We had exciting weeks in Cochabamba, La Paz, Copocabama, The Sun Island in Lake Titicaca and on the jungle trip in Inkachaka. We had the opportunity to teach the 1st and 3rd class of bibleschoolstudents in CBB, visit churches, pray for the sick, evangelize and work with the children. I think climax was to take the gospel of the kingdom of Christ to a new place, Sacaba, where no churches existed. 63 people gave their life to Christ and by now the number has more than doubled.

On April the 26th we're going back to Bolivia. These days the students are practising on new dramas, testimonies and other ways to present the good news. For us it is an adventure, but we can't do anything on our own. Pray for us. We seek the faith and the guts to see extraordinary things by Gods power. First and foremost we go as servants and helpers in the work constantly going on and led by David Larsson from Sweeden. He has served as a missionary over there for more than ten years together with his wife Violeta.

A fresh dive in the word.

My three last readings through the Bible, has been english Bibles. That's bescause I like to read different translations, and also because I need to improve my second language. And I have just started over again in a new one. New American Standard Bible, is not a new translation, but to me it is. Compare to New Living Translation, it has more words I don't understand, but as I work through the pages, it's getting easier. By now, I find myself enjoying this translation.

The word of God is always alive. And the last weeks I really have experienced in a stronger way, the freshness of the Word. It's like having a bath in the morning, like sparkling fountain and a refreshing wind in the heat of the noon. Reading the word of God is sitting by the feet of Jesus, knowing his presence, feeling his nearness, beeing captivated in his lovingkindness.

I don't understand people who receive the word of God with faces like those who receive their death sentence. The Word of God has the authority to sustain me and everything else as well. It's good, and it does me good. And the deeper I go, the better. Have a daily dive. It will refresh you.

Today

We just came home, after a day in Nordhordland. I was asked to preach there this morning, and I spoke about the importance of seeing, fokusing and beeing transformed by the glory of God. We had a great time. We had dinner with one of the families, -delicious salmon. It's so good to spend time with good people.
This morning really did seem to bring a nice day with sunshine and a strong sense of spring. But wind from north brought a little bit of snow instead. Thats what this time of year is like. Anyway, the forecast is not bad for the coming days. Spring is just ahead. And so is the easter conference. Happy days are coming.