Happy Holidays!

This past month has flown by. The Students and staff are thinking christmas thoughts and looking forward to Christmas break. Oh christmas tree how lovely are your branches!! A few of the students and staff will be going out and cutting down a christmas tree. Since most of the people staying at the base are North Americans we are demanding more decor to celebrate this Christmas season than in previous years.
 
Officially the last day of planned events is the 18th. There will be a splendid party with Glugg (spice drink), ice cream, peppercaker, and other delightful Norwegian Christmas food!  There will be celebrating and one last night of farewells, for some of the students we will not see until the end of march.  Greenland Prepare yourself. (This is where I will be going)   Hehehe.

To catch up, I have a most exciting week on Mini-outreach to share with you! :)
My team of three left from Nordtun to start on a two hour drive and ferry south to a village called Nesna. When we arrived-in the dark of course for Norway only got like a half an hour of sunlight during that week...yea(sarcasm).

Our contact person met us at the FriKirken-Free Church- and let us in to our home for the week. It was comfortable, with a kitchen, living room area, and the sanctuary. Home sweet Home!
The rest of the week was filled with school visits, speaking English,  giving devotions to the college age students and having a youth meeting with the christians to encourage them that they are loved and not alone in this world.  (That was the best part of the week I think.)  I was even more encouraged than them, I think.
 
For a couple days we went and ministered in a Homeless shelter caffe/second hand store....:)

A Christian teacher from the school invited us to eat with her family on Saturday. Pizza and Norwegian Christmas desert!! Sooo good.

If you were to pray for one thing about this mini-outreach it would be for the Free Church. Sunday morning there was a crowd of about ten people. We asked if we could say anything about what we were doing in Nesna that week and he replied if they had time. Thank goodness they did for at the end of the service one of my team mates and I stepped up to speak. I gave a short devotion-translated of course- of Nesna being like a white field ready to Harvest-reading out of Matthew 9. I enjoyed talking and I could see that they were encouraged as well. Pray that the church will grow in number as well as togther spiritually.
 
We left the same day and took the ferry and car on a beautiful ride back to Nordtun. If I were to learn something about my mini-outreach is that God is an amazing provider.

Through the week our team had a fixed amount of money that we had to budget for food, ministry and travel. I saw first hand how I rely on God to provide the food my team ate everyday, and the friendships we made.  God worked through it all and showed us His Love.
 
I got to go to a barn this past Saturday with five horses and Ellen invited us over for dinner both these things my team prayed about and we saw this amazing answer.

We will be going back to Nesna in the spring, after main out-reach (Greenland), so we will be able to pick up and plan more on to what we left off.  In the mean time be praying for this village who needs the hope that Christ puts into the lives of those who trust in Him.

As of now I am planning with four other students a breakaway overnight at the base. The theme is going to be Dive-Diving deeper into God's living water. Pray that the scheduling will go smoothly and that this will be a great expirience that I will be able to use in the future.

Thank you for all your love and support while I am away. God has taught me so many different aspects of Himself while I have been in this beautiful place.
 
Oh yes, ... it also snowed another foot today. Merry Christmas! :)

I Love each and evey single one of you! Keep in God's presence. He Loves you and wants you. He is all I am.
Phil. 1.20
Shalisha
 
 
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I am having such fun!!! The end of this week everyone went to Bodø to do street evangelism. Everyone slept in the sanctuary of the mission church just down the rode from the Glass House which is the mall in Bodø. It was such fun talking to different people.  A person was saved this week so it makes it all worth it.  We all prayed for the people we met. I enjoyed it so very much.
 
It is amazing how God provided the food for us. There is a lady who goes around and collects food from the bakerys that they would normally have to throw out, but they give it to her.  YUM YUM! we ate really expensive sandwiches and pastries. lol
 
Today I went horseback riding! I talked with a girl from 7-elevan and she invited me to go riding.  Now my clothes smell delightfully of horse. Hmmm, wonderful.  I thank God that He takes care of me. glory and honor and praise be to Him! I am to go ride again next saturday. I am very excited. I think this will be a good ministry opportunity as well.

This next week we have a mini-outreach to Nesna and will not be back until next Sunday. It is going to be such fun! It's just me and two other students. Dont worry.  There is a guy there to protect me. He is a part of the Norwegian army if that makes you feel any better- pluss he is a really nice guy.  I will be there spreading the Love of Jesus to students and adults a like. :)