Double Dipping

The weather held up today as no rain befell us, so the feeling of summer days continues.  It was so welcoming outside this morning that I decided to ride our new bike over to Kristin’s house (several miles away) to attend the weekly prayer meeting.  It was also out of “need” that I rode the bike, since Kory was being a good tourist guide today to his cousin Ingebjørg and they needed the car.  Lucky me.

I so love being outside in the sunshine.  It was nice to take the same route I’ve taken many times on the bus and in the car, but this time by bicycle, at a much slower pace.  It was over half an hour of pedaling and I was exhausted by the time I got to the meeting, but everyone was most impressed that I made it – especially since I told them the route I took.  I forgot there was a much shorter way between our houses and it would have been mostly downhill to Kristens.  I took that route on the way back home, which meant it was mostly uphill, so I walked a lot.  I so need the exercise since the Norwegian chocolate, bread and cheese are doing some real damage to my waistline.  I’m beyond being just a “cheatin’ vegan” here – I’m all out unhealthy.

The best part of the prayer meeting today was hearing yet again the number of answered prayers.  It was so nice to just thank God for things rather than asking Him over and over for things we want and need.  So we spent considerable time in prayer for the nation and this area in particular. (Photo above shows a typical Norwegian front porch - complete with the coffee cup and pot. Photo below shows the fall colors up in the mountains!)

Cousin Axel’s wife, Kari, was at the meeting and she prayed for a place called “Vallehuset” so I had to ask afterwards what that was.  Turns out it’s quite the story.  I had heard the story about the great Aalesund fire in 1904, and this Vallehuset house is the only house that didn’t burn.  It was owned by a strong Christian man that later said God told him to stay put – that if he left his house it would burn, but if he stayed, it wouldn’t.  He stayed, and everything around him burnt to the ground so the pictures taken afterwards tell the whole story – to see a house standing amidst all the rubble and devastation is something to behold and truly a huge miracle.

The house is quite famous in these parts as the entire city burnt down at that time.  Owners of the house in recent years have let it slip in its upkeep and it needed a lot of things done to it or it would just fall apart.  Some very rich local guy heard the house was for sale so he bought it and gave it to Philadelphia Church.  The guy wasn’t a Christian, but he understood it was a house important to those who believe in miracles – so he just gave it to them to use however they want.  When people heard it was going to be fixed up, many tradespeople and companies donated labor and materials to help with the restoration, which is going on right now.

The folks at Philadelphia Church haven’t decided exactly how to use the house, but it will be certainly open to the public with lots of pictures and stories of it’s history.  They also think they will have a café and a prayer room in there.  All the tour buses and cruise ships bring people by that house because it is so unique in its history, so it has tremendous possibilities in this town for reaching people with the gospel.  So that was worth a few prayers.

Kory took cousin Ingebjørg into the city today and they had lunch at a café run by Youth with a Mission.  I couldn’t believe Kory completely broke his diet today and had CHICKEN SALAD for lunch!  What was he thinking?  I pray no damage was done.  They spent the whole day sightseeing in the city, shopping a little and then went out to Alnes where the beautiful lighthouse it situated to enjoy a bit of the surf and sand while the sun was still shining, so they had a grand day.

Kaleb and I went for a little bike ride after he got home from school then he sat and did some of his math program, wanting me to join in and see if I could solve any of the questions.  My only hope was when there were multiple choice answers, as everything I contributed was just a guess.  Sometimes I was right, most times, not.  It’s so impressive though to see Kaleb solve these very complex story problems, even if sometimes they bring him to tears of frustration. 

Ingebjørg bought Kaleb a Norwegian game, which she taught him how to play tonight.  He was pleased that he won his first time around, as he’s a terrible loser.  She also brought him a large chocolate bar and some other candy.  It was so funny to see Kaleb’s reaction to that chocolate.  Instead of “Death by Chocolate” I think he could write a story about “Faith by Chocolate.”  He’s been saving his money to buy chocolate bars to take home to his friends in America and he used up 120 kroner recently to do just that (about $20).  I praised him for being so generous.  Shortly thereafter, he got 100 kroner from a relative we visited, and then found two 10 kroner coins in abandoned shopping carts at the mall as he walked through.   He felt God repaid his generosity.  He’d also previously purchased a large chocolate bar for himself and yesterday ate the second to the last square of it, saving his last bite for a special day.  Then Ingebjørg shows up with the exact same bar of chocolate that he’d been chomping on for weeks, and his eyes lit up in disbelief that he could be so lucky.  I told him God can bless him in all kinds of ways and if He chooses chocolate to do it then he’s doubly blessed.

The home fellowship group with Agape Church women was tonight so I had to leave our dessert time with Ingebjørg and Tante Kari (who came down for coffee and sweets), to attend the meeting.  It’s so strange that meetings start at 8:30 here when usually that’s the time they are over in America.  The thinking is that people can get their kids to bed and then leave the house – but it also means the meetings go very late.  It was my last chance to see the women in my group all together so we had a good time of prayer and discussion and I’m glad I went.  Nothing like starting and ending the day in concentrated prayer to God, for He is so faithful to hear our prayers – even if the answers aren’t what we expect.