a week feels like a month!

I would say that over the last WEEK not only has my life changed dramatically....Will moving here and the Wellspring team's ministry takes off...but time has slowed WAY DOWN! Will was picked up from the bus stop last week Sunday! I just can not believe it has been so short. I guess he came just in time to get a busy week and weekend, just short of exhaustion. It has been good. The team has been bonding and getting to know each other. It is fun to be sort of teacher-like and provide a place where we can create, evaluate, and have faith. God is showing me great things in how to be a leader too. We were involved with everyone's activity last week. The base is sort of scarce these days and so if we want ANYTHING to happen it is going to be US who does it. We had three times of worship leading at a YOUTH WEEKEND at the YWAM base in Skien, a love feast (with all prep), leading worship at two churches in which the response to us being there was---one: the first church said they had never had anything like Wellspring here before and--two: the second church didn't really respond except for three people from the first church coming to the second and responding again. hmm.

WELLSPRING at Bethel Church in Gjerpen, Norway


I would not say that I was disappointed because that is not my job to do the responding for people when we worship God. I would say that I wonder if Wellspring can do a bit of a better job communicating what worship is. I think we can make it easier for people who have NEVER known what it means to worship---to understand and participate in it. I guess I am glad we had this opportunity right away in our travels. I don't think this is going to be the only time I have this burden on my heart.

As far as personally...this week has been super encouraging. To have Will here is like breathing better. Why breath worse when you can breath better? I can imagine that this time will be a breakthrough in many areas for us as a couple and individuals. Something will happen when we put ourselves together in various places around Norway and Europe. God is about to use us dynamically...but first we have to give each other a taste of what Jesus is like in our lives. I am prepared to let him affect me...and I think he is under the realization that 'I AM TROUBLE' for him too. Those are nice words especially if the Holy Spirit is that TROUBLE that will bring FREEDOM! Than BRING IT ON GOD! Will said he thought his mother would love me when we all met someday...(I think she does already) but she'll say 'OH ERIKA WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH MY SON? THANK YOU!!' I hope so. There are just some things that a beautiful girl can do to a boy that his mother can not....she just waits in intercessory anticipation. I pray that God can use me to bring Will into a new freedom and strength as a leader and as a man of God. He is a delight to me....and I am honored to spend this time with him. So.....there you have it!


Will tries Norwegian brown cheese....in which I DO NOT LIKE!


WELLSPRING IS ALWAYS UP FOR A LAUGH!
Maria begins her very successful percussion career.

I guess you could say I have peace in my heart!

it's amazing and blue

I love my life right now. I have always been a fan of living, but if I could capture this time in a bottle and then revisit it every once in a while...I would. I don't know what I thought it would be like to have Will here. I maybe thought it would be good not to have to suffer my loneliness ALONE anymore. I perhaps considered my emotional instability to be resolved. I wondered if I would have a closer look at my future in an instant. But you know what I have so far? An overflowing fountain of bubbling joy. I think that is enough. I walk in the halls and I am just LIT UP! Helina, my roommate said to me that she was so glad to see I was joyful. As though other days I am not.....hmm. I think it's a new joy. I sleep like a baby at night. I go to bed on time! I awake to see the possibilities of the Holy Spirit. I think it has to be because of Will. But then I think I am giving him too much credit. He is a wonderful man of God.....but I think that God is much more credible. God has really healed my heart in the last weeks. I have been struggling with a judgement issue by holding unforgiveness in my heart. It started a month ago--and then I was walking through some practical steps of forgiveness and prayer. I felt just two weeks ago that I had connected with God in my heart over the issue and in forgiving this person for those things I can not change----there was freedom. I have seen a BREAKTHROUGH in the spiritual realm and even the communication realm here. It has always been hard to be here...but two weeks ago---it changed. I had several significant conversations and all of them....pretty significant (about me leaving) ended with peace in my heart. I was so careful to guard my heart and then realized that God had already let the overflow of peace flow out. AMEN! Of course that is the story before Will came. So now you might know how I can be walking on clouds. I wouldn't lie about stuff like that. I am a happy person but at times my emotions get me! oh they do. I have to tell them to STABALIZE IN THE NAME OF JESUS! It's good to be honest about how I feel---but not decide my identity because of it. I am constantly in a battle to put my emotions under the authority of Jesus. There is not enough time in this life to see all those thoughts in my head come to fruition. I get myself into dark messes where I am 'looking at my own navel'. So lift your head girl. Get under the authority of your friend Jesus...and LIVE!
Is this a message for you too? I wonder sometimes if we just don't know where to start with the thoughts so we don't ever start getting them under control. I guess my hope and message to you today if you are in this position....is to really ask the Holy Spirit to show you where the lies are....where the unforgiveness is....and what thoughts are not from God. And as a good friend of mine says, 'Have grace for yourself.' I suppose God has enough....but do we?

I must say that another amazing thing exists in BLUE GRASS MUSIC. I thought I would update you on the last weekend...before Will came and before it got REALLY amazing. Look here at these wonderful photos of the cowboys of Norway.

I could not believe I was with men over 45 who were passionate about blue grass all Friday! They loved to talk about themselves too....about how great they are, how awesome their equipment was, their studios, their tours, their experiences in AMERICA....and all the blue grass musicians that they idol. To tell you the truth...I don't really care. I just came to play the music. I had never played before and that was something these people had a hard time swallowing. They of course have wrapped thier lives around this music so to meet someone who is only 1% passionate about it....and 99% humored by it was not their time to impress. Nope.....didn't care about it all. I just had a really fun time playing those fiddle licks. It was a real music gig. I got paid and everything. The money I got will help me pay my rent for the rest of my time in Norway. YEAH! God knows my needs. Of course....how will we get to Poland for the evangelism week? Don't know...but we shall see how God works it out.

Any gigs you want to hire me for? blue grass, classical, irish? I am open to learning!!!

The wait is over....but has begun again.

Will has come to Norway!

I am so calmly overwhelmed by it all. It really was just me picking him up from a bus stop...but really-----IS HE REALLY COMING? IT'S SO SURREAL! I stood at the pink hotel (in photo) for a half an hour with my heart in my toes and a prayer on my lips watching for the bus to come around the bend to enter the city center. Oh that strange peace was over me. Then...

the bus came!

I wished I could see into the window of the bus to catch his eye, but I just waited until the man I recognized (with the great looking scarf and H&M jacket) came out to step upon the ground that I know----and is completely strange to him. In two seconds, there he was. I realized how nervous I really was. We hugged and got his bags from the bus before they pulled away. So......now what?

It's just strange and wonderful. He lives at the base in jail cell number 15! I lived there for two years myself (and strongly disliked its feeling of a jail). He will get the experience of this first hand which is a crazy way of doing life together. I am so thankful for this time. I guess if I ever talk about Skien, the jail, Norway, my friends from here and the food again....he will understand. I do not take that lightly. There is so much I can not be light about. God is truly good and making these things come to pass. My nerves are calmed, but my heart stirs. What is God really going to teach us while we spend three months in Norway with a small team and a skeleton sized YWAM base? I have the inkling that my relationship with God is going to be great....I will need to hear His voice on every level!

Perhaps you were unaware of the fact that this is my last year here. I will be finishing my time in Skien come June! I am very desperate to finish well here and be released from the leadership to move forward with my life. I am so grateful for what I have learned while here in Norway and will never forget the times God taught me great wonders in His name. I look forward to see myself somewhere else and there is peace in my heart. I have to be thankful for the fact that my heart is not running from Norway. It might have been some months or a year ago. I enjoy it here now....finally. Then as I decided to go the decision was harder---but God has been making it clear to me since last June and through this year. I made my decision last week upon speaking with the base leader here. Maybe Will likes it so much that he wants to stay? Well then we have to fear the Lord about that----and it will work for me to be in the states and him to be here. However, I just don't see that happening.....but God is in control.

I look forward to hearing from Will what he thinks of the culture, the food, the people, the clothes, the ministry....blah blah blah. I will try not to be overbearing but let him fend for himself a bit. That is the only way to get a real CULTURE SHOCK. I would be mean to not let him experience that for himself. It's the only way I could hear God speak to me. Culture shock is a way to get foreigners close to Him. It works.

This week is busy with many things on our plate----a leader weekend with worship and lots of practical work plus two church events on Sunday. And adding a member to the team is not an easy task either. So....there is much to keep in prayer as I seek wisdom from God. How to be the leader of this team and what He is speaking to us about these events coming up. The first couple times we are together as a team will indicate how we are for the rest of the time. I want to hear what God has to say about it. That is where the life is!

Thanks for reading my blog. To all of you who were faithful to declare your faithfulness to a blog that sometimes is a bit boring. I hope that this helped you. I got an inspiration to share a lot today....enjoy and please comment to help me clear my thoughts. any advice??

check out the new WELLSPRING blog at .... wellspringskien.wordpress.com


so yes, the wait is over as it is said on the title of this blog. the wait for Will to come is over...but in my heart I am still waiting. I am waiting to finish my time here in Norway. I enjoy it as I go...but I am in fact in another special count down. These next three months are so special to me. I wish you were all here with me too!!!

blog thoughts

so you want a new post?

I will do it very soon. I tell you there is

SO MUCH TO SAY---God has been transforming hearts and changing my whole team!
SO MUCH TO SEE---roommate adventures, Wellspring on the road to Mandal
SO MUCH TO SING--Will is coming to Norway in three days, a new season for creativity
SO MUCH TO SELL--this could happen....when I play with a blue grass band from Sweden!
SO MUCH TO SAND--we will be doing some hard core construction work on building a third floor
SO MUCH TO SOW---seeds of fellowship, health, and good time with Jesus! to ALL!!!

do you want to know more? let me know by adding a comment. otherwise it is just my boyfriend William who reads this and it seems funny for me to keep this blog going on if he is the only one who cares. so.....do you??

it's a matter of things

how you look at it, matters.

when i am in the glass, drowning in the juice things seem different than when I am on the outside looking at the juices.

sometimes I feel like I am in the juice and its over my head.
i am usually there because I am an 'all or nothin' girl.
either in the juice or not. somehow through brutal punishment to myself.

i like to be drowning!

this clarity has come because i have an amazing relationship with William!

he is outside the glass.

that helps.

Fiddlin' Around kind of

I have returned to Skien! The weekend was a nice trip away. I really can't believe that I quick went to England and found my sister there for a few days. I have been curious now as I am back why I did not miss more of what was happening here. There was no time to miss much. The trip was quick...but I had some great times. We ate at a great family's home on Sunday after church. Later that day we went down to The Beacon and I prepared for joining an Irish Band called Murphy's Law for a few songs. Here is a sample where the fiddle guy wanted to play fiddle not mandolin so we switched. I am on the mandolin and had never played it before. No one cared because first of all they could not hear us and secondly they had been drinking since noon. I guess the music was my style but nothing else. Needless to say we left after the bagpipes and the short drum lesson I got. Good times!!



This week Maria is gone and so Helga and I are thinking about what we are doing in our team. We are of course getting excited about the future and weeks ahead. I believe it is going to be fun to step out there and do some bigger things in churches and youth groups. I feel it is very humiliating to just go and do it on our own power so....we are praying GOD HELP US!

It's only a little over a month until Will comes to Norway! There are great things in store!

English Drop-Off

On Friday of this week I gathered a small bag's worth of personal items and headed off to the airport. Christa and I plan to be together in Scunthorpe for the long winter weekend. I have really looked forward to being with her since she has visited me in Norway already 3 different occasions and I have not paid her the favor back. I have heard some stories about her roommates and the kids at the school and I think the only way I can truly understand this time for her was if I came and experienced it myself. I was looking forward to a little vacation, but I had no idea that my travel would take a turn for the bizzare. My Ryan Air flight (which means cheap ticket fee=no leaning back chairs, in-flight service, or guarentee to the destination you booked for) was bound for Stansted London airport on Thursday night. I guess you can imagine what happened? Stansted was closed because of snow on the runway!! It's so bizzare. Christa said that all the other flights were landing in Stansted and it was just mine that was redirected. The guy on the intercom said...'we are sorry to say that we will be not landing here but going to Birmingham'. It seemed okay for me in a way because I was just taking a train, but you should have seen some of those grown men!!!! It was like they just got told they would not get chocolate after dinner. I wonder sometimes at the age of maturity. I think maturity is truly in knowing and living like Jesus. I could definetly see that these people lacked peace. It was a bit troubling to see...but confirmed in me that I could handle it with the help of the Holy Sprit. It's so wonderful when I find myself in those situations to just say, 'Ok Holy Spirit, what are you going to do now?' I get my heart, eyes, and ears ready to receive the provision. Of course it came...without fear I asked a girl if I could borrow her phone. It seems when tragedy strikes (not too tragic) then people gather a bit of community. She said OF COURSE, understanding this horrible situation. Christa was thrown off a bit, but i guess they were driving to pick me up in another town altogether. We landed and I had the most peace I had ever had. Where do I go Holy Spirit? How will I get there? While many other people were running around with thier heads cut off. I had a thought though...what if all the airports closed because of the snow. Would an airpland that needed to land just fly around until it was out of gas??? I am glad I thought of that while I wandered the airport alone--not in the air.

Getting on a train seemed to be a challenge because I had NO idea where I was going. But never fear I grabbed a map and thought OK....where can I go that is close to Christa? I felt a gentleness come over me when I talked to the train ticket lady. She helped me, I paid. I ran to the train and the one I should ride DEPARTED! I gently ran back upstairs...she would remember me of course. I talked to the other lady and descirbed my situation and WOW she was so helpful. The ladies reminded me of two desk clerks at the Waldhotel in our Christmas in Germany. They were both searching the tickets for which one would be best, the blonde one got out a huge map and began flipping through it to see where I should go...THEY REALLY WANTED TO HELP ME. It was just about closing time so I would imagine they were annoyed, tired, finished....but they were so kind like they got a fresh wind of energy to see me through. 'You should call your sister and ask her where to come.' I did not have a phone either.....did I say that? Yeah, This incredible peace remained especially because I had no communication item with me. I told her that I was unable to....she said 'Come around that wall and in here you can use our phone.' WHAT!!! So much favor from the Holy Spirit. At this point I had not used a single dollar more than i would have. We worked out the details and the cost of the departed train was put back on my credit card and the one I should now take to Nottingham was much cheaper. HALLELUIAH. So all in all I got on the train, borrowed another phone, rode for and hour or so on the slowest train ever, and then found Christa! I felt like I was dropped from the sky into a random place and THEN I saw my sister. A very strange feeling, but welcome because it was a joyful reuniting as always.

I went to Christa's classroom and it was like I was Hannah Montana or something. They all crowded around me and asked a million questions. Christa had prepped them for my visit and I guess she did a very good job with making me sound FANTASTIC! I hardly spoke a word in the class and it was bringing this spinning energy just by me being there. Some boys were arguing who would come and ask me a question...Christa said it was funny to see her kids like that. We sang a song together for them and we got the biggest and loudest cheer ever. I thought about doing Hey Away Away....but there might have been a heartattack in the room from the excitement. I felt like if I gave effort to speak, smile, or even something surprising...it would put them over the edge with glee. So for a half an hour I was a movie star signing autographs in a 4th grade class in the ghetto school of Crosby Primary. Hey, there is nothing wrong with that!


The time of teaching is finishing for Christa and her other cohorts here. Many of the people in this 'mixed' community are leaving soon. They are a part of a teaching program which gets them substitute teaching jobs for 6 months. I think the most interesting part about it is how dominant thier lives can be to Christa. I mean Christa is a hard core believer and in this group, there is not much of that happening. I can feel it when I am here too...the presence of lies. I mean dont get me wrong of course these people are nice, but when I can see and hear the lies coming streaming out of thier mouths and in thier actions I am doubly convinced of the enemies joy. My heart breaks for those who are not necessarily 'bad' people but who are so far from understanding the heart of the heavely Father. I can feel the dominance of lies and darkness as it is more appropriate to talk about drinking and shallow things before letting a depth and truth come forward. It is interesting. Just merely experiencing that group made me an intercessor. I could enjoy them normally, but my heart broke for them too. But I wonder how someone can actually seem very happy...very content in lies---and making bad choices constantly? Is it temporary? Is God's grace even bigger than I imagined?



It is good to be with my sister again. It seems like we just have to get together in order to talk. I have been so occupied in the last weeks. But it is always easy to be with her-and she is always ready to share her life with me. She has decided to come back to Norway when mom and dad are coming in order to visit me and help me move home. What a blessing. In the next days here in England will be filled with shopping a bit in York, perhaps playing piano and singing in church tomorrow and eating at a lady's house. THEN....I was asked by a man who ate with us at the restaurant to come and be a part of his Irish Acoustic Band on Sunday night. He will find a fiddle for me and I can join!!!!!!! I don't know Irish fiddle but I have a feeling if I can join them that I will learn FIRST HAND! I am really thrilled. Monday...I will travel again back to Norway.

So many exciting and challenging things that the Holy Spirit is always in charge of. I am glad He is doing it and not me. I can experience His love and love others with its depth and that my friends is the best thing I could live my life for. Amen.

homecoming

My Skien team and I had a breakthrough involving forgiveness and tears which always paves a way to see where God is taking us. I am so glad. We changed our department name from being the WORSHIP TEAM to being the CREATIVE TEAM. Nothing against worship...but we felt sort of limited in our own perspectives and especially in the perspective of the mission calling. We can surely be creative everywhere and worship while doing it.

Homecoming

Erika & Anne Randi (DTS Roommates in 2006)

Last weekend we invited about 30 guests to come and reunite with us from years past. My good friend Anne Randi was amongst them. She had just had a surgery to put a metal rod in her back because of scoliosis. She looked very good....and seemed taller too. I cant imagine having that surgery either. yikes. There was also a volleyball tournement amongst us here at the reunion. I was on a vibrant team called 'Pretty Awesome'. We played well and got second place. I sprained my ankle in the first game. That is a pretty awesome thing to do. I was forced to relax, to sit back and not join in the worship band---and it was pretty awesome. Someone was praying for my ankle because the next day it was healed! Go God! The reunion was the beginning of new anticipations for me and my team. We will plan a tour to the west coast of Norway and my contact people in whom I am in charge of contacting were here in Skien. I got to talk face to face about us coming and it just started a burst of energy to spin in me. It's going to be wonderful to be with my team on the road and to be with WILLIAM!

A Christa Sista Celebration

We wore orange on Feb 5 for Christa's Birthday. I will fly to England on Thursday to see her for the weekend. I am so excited!

Wellspring on tour!




The new band in town. The group formerly known as 'The Turtles' gets a new name. We are now Wellspring. The concert was fun and went well. We are more encouraged as a team. Amen.


The trumpet was found! This boy lost his trumpet in Skien at our base two months ago. We didn't know whose it was of course and Maria started to play it. It was great to have the new instrument with us. THEN....we come to Seljord and the owner of the trumpet is there. He has been praying that it would come back to him. His aunt bought it for 20,000 Kr. God really showed His character to him personally when we OUT OF NO WHERE brought it back to him. It was nice to be the messenger. But now we are out of a trumpet. So....pray that we can have one now too.

new moves!

this week has been so busy! but it has been good. I guess when the week is incredibly stuffed with every type of activity it is no use trying to fit mine it too...but I have found a measure of success lately.

in one case I have already this week met with two classes for a half hour of exercise at the end of the day. I am leading some pilates moves and some isometric muscle training. Monday was a group of 15 girls and one boy. Then yesterday I was really shocked...the girls were in an ONLY girls meeting so I figured no one would want to have the class. To my surprise one DTS boy comes running into my office saying 'Pilates...where are we having it?' I smiled as I got my stuff ready for the class. Three DTS boys want me to lead them in muscle stretches and ab work. So funny! We worked on legs too and one guy came to me later and said, 'WOW, Erika I can feel it in my butt.' I'm telling you---YWAM Skien is about to have missionary buns of STEEL!

otherwise tonight I will lead a ballroom dance class
tomorrow is a base day where we gather and have ALL BASE activities
the weekend is saved for a YWAM Skien Reunion. It's a busy one.

but I think I get Monday off. ha.