One More Time...

I was up early this morning, finishing up another talk I gave on Christian radio today. I should have prepared it earlier in the week, but I’m easily distracted. The talk went pretty well I think, and I heard good things afterwards, so I’m thankful for that. Synnøve (see photo) is the best translator ever, but she swears it’s because I use easy words. I must confess, I think Norwegian when I prepare, so maybe she is right. I don’t use big words or any slang, so that helps. I want the message to be clearly understood. Kory was listening in the car as he was driving around and he said my voice sounds really great over the radio because I talk slow and steady (not like in real life). He didn’t hear the whole hour I was on, but he heard enough to be impressed. It’s rare I can impress him, so I’m even more thankful for that. I talked about soaking prayer and spending quiet time with God. Oh, how we all need more of that.




Kory had a meeting today with the top doctor and manager in charge of the care center where Tante Ruth now lives (we know him from Agape Church.) Kory had a few questions for him and he got the answers he was looking for. He found out the management there can take over the responsibility for handling Ruth’s money, so that was good to know. The care center takes 75% of all her income to pay for her living there, so it doesn’t leave much for her to use on other things, but there really isn’t much she needs. She just wants to be sure God gets his ten percent, and she’s happy. I guess if a person had a lot of income, they would decide not to go to a care center in Norway, but it’s a pretty good deal for those who don’t have much, like Tante Ruth.



I was out running errands today when Kory boiled up the fish he caught last night. The house still smells fishy. I guess I’m glad I missed that meal. He said it tasted OK. I guess if it were fresh from the sea, it might have tasted better. It’s not like he did anything wrong in cooking it. Boiled fish is boiled fish. He boiled up some rutabaga and potatoes to go with it. He is Norsk to the core.

We didn’t see Kaleb until dinner time as he went home after school with his friends. I picked him up in time to go out for dinner at some of our friend’s house, who also happen to be Kory’s third cousin and his wife. They are so fun to spend time with, I always look forward to an evening with them. And Anne-Grete is a fabulous cook, so the food is always extra special. (The expression “I look forward to” in Norwegian is “jeg gleder meg” – which literally translated is “I glad myself.” I always chuckle when I use that phrase because it sounds so funny – like, “I peed myself.”)



I completed my shopping for bedding today and began the process of packing things to take home. Oh, it’s so sad to think about leaving here. Everyone agrees the time has gone by just too quickly. I’m a little bummed that we didn’t have more time for hikes in the mountains or just relaxing a bit, but there is always next year to look forward to as we now plan to spend every April, May and June here in our very own home in Norway. It’s mind boggling to think we’ve been blessed so much that we actually have such a place. And our little 725 square foot condo is now worth way more than our 2,900 square foot house in America, so it’s a good investment to have as well. The condo right under us (which is not nearly as nice as ours) just went up for sale (the owner died.) There were over 50 people attending the open house. It sold for $76,000 more than they were asking. It shocked everyone who lives here. I think the harsh winter they had last year really put the spotlight on the convenience of living in a place attached to the mall. We only have old people for neighbors and most of them use walkers to get around. Of course for us, this place only impacts our bank account in a negative way, unless we sell it, and we don’t plan to do that anytime soon.



I designed a very hip flyer today to advertise our convenient “short term rental” at the mall. I was hoping to go around the neighborhood tomorrow and talk to different businesses, trying to get some kind of arrangement set up before we leave, but I can’t get my stupid printer to work. I hate technology. Maybe the condo will stay empty and just word of mouth will fill it. There is such a housing shortage right now a friend of mine told me she answered an ad for an apartment and the owners got over 40 applications. They had to go through an interview process before they were selected. She felt like she hit the jackpot. So with that kind of housing situation, it would be a shame to leave this place empty, but I also don’t want to have to deal with things breaking or needing attention and we have to fix it from America. Calling in any kind of repair person could easily cost a thousand dollars just for them to show up. Prices in Norway are pretty scary if Norwegian labor is involved, so that could eat up any money we’d receive in rent fairly quickly. Living in Norway is not for the faint of heart. Our pockets are not nearly as deep as they used to be, but God always provides.