Trip to Stavern

I was awoken abrutly this morning by Mikal’s alarm clock. It was time to hit the nets and pots to see our catch for the night. Apparently, however, my morning mind did not find this to be an appealing idea and I grumbled for Mikal and the others to go on without me. They had fun pulling in another good catch and I had fun finishing my sleep. We spent the afternoon in a small town near the cabin called Stavern. In this town there was an old fort that was used in the days of Norway’s alliance with Napoleon. Here we walked along the beautiful waterfront that was accented by unique rocks. This bay formed a perfect area for a little sailing school where children could sign up for week long lessons in small boats. There was also a small museum that chronicled the maritime activity of the area. We then headed back to the cabin for a big seafood dinner. And don’t worry, I made it through the meal but I feel a bit whoozy now. After one last swim in the fjord we packed up our stuff and are ready to head out tomorrow morning.

Surfing and Fishing in the Fjord

This morning we got to see our first bit of Norwegian sun. After lunch, we headed down to the dock with the windsurfing board and wetsuits. The latter is not really a necessity as much as a convenience. I was surprised to find out that the water here is quite a bit warmer than back home in the Sound and the ocean. Peter took everyone and gave individual coaching in windsurfing technique while the others watched from the rocks. While awaiting our lessons we caught crabs under the dock, but they were a bit too small to eat. My turn with windsurfing was mildly successful, Peter taught me a few techniques that helped in getting started, and made it a better attempt than some of the mishaps we’ve had with our board. This board was also a bit smaller than ours, making it easier to manuever. The afternoon was gorgeous, and I spent much of it basking in the sun on the deck with a cool drink and watching the sun glisten on the fjord below. I was struck in this moment with the incredible way that God can bless me with just some heat and a nice background. Thank you Lord! Before dinner we decided to give fishing another try because we hadn’t caught anything the time before. We did not fish with poles, however, but with string on handle that had 5 hooks on it (see http://www.flickr.com/photos/90846584@N00/764317598/). The Norwegian gods of the ocean provided these foreign Vikings with a good catch, 11 fish, on just a short trip. After an authentic Scandinavian dish of tacos and burritos, with the confidence from our recent success, we decided to try another method of fishing. We took the boat out on the fjord and set up a crab pot and a fishing net that we will pull out tomorrow morning.

Cabin on the North Sea

After packing all of our gear from the festival we headed out of Lygøs with a rather late start. Our destination was a cabin 2 hours north near Oslo. Mikal drove their Subaru stationwagon because both Alexander and Lisbeth cannot get their licenses until they are 18. Mikal soon found out that the roads in Norway are very different than those in the States. Sharp turns, constant speed changes, and one lane for both ways made the trip interesting for both driver and passengers. But Mikal drove very carefully and we arrived at the cabin only slightly behind schedule. When we got there we met one of Peter’s cousins, Bjørn, his wife and son. After lunch we took a trip in the boat and went fishing. Before we knew it, it was time for another meal. This one was very familiar to a few hungry Americans: hot dogs, chicken, pork, and potatoes. We ate our fill and spent the rest of the evening relaxing in the living room where we found a convenience we had been missing for a few days: the internet. I got a chance to upload photos and blog, and Mikal got to reconnect with his home social network through his MySpace.

The Big Festival Day

Today, was the festival’s biggest day, with the largest bands, a few from the US, playing in the evening. In the afternoon Alexander brought us to an awesome swimming area where we jumped off cliffs and attempted to dodge the millions of jellyfish (the kinds that can actually sting you). It was also really fun meeting and hanging out with Lisbeth and Alexander’s friends from Vigrestad. Even though they spoke broken English, it was fun to get to know them. This day was not as rainy as yesterday, and the evening event was a Black gospel choir from Los Angeles (an interesting choice for a main event in my opinion). After this the entire field of people, about 6 or 7 thousand, participated in worship and communion. All three of us felt very honored and blessed to be able to fellowship like this with our Christian brothers and sisters in Norway. The topic of unity in the church, and the problems that dissention and disagreement can cause, has come up in many of our conversations here. I couldn’t help appreciating the importance of unity as I worshipped on that field in a language I did not understand.

Norway makes a few Washingtonians feel right at home

Rain has a unique power to bring people together in the midst of the misery that it causes. As the festival plowed on, the rain began to dump. The entire camp became a gaint mudhole. With smells that would put the Lynden fair to shame, the festival went on with music, speakers, and worship. Before the rain hit, however, Alexander took us to his Grandmother’s cabin that is out on an island in Lygøs. Both Zac and I were kicking ourselves all afternoon because we forgot our cameras and missed out on capturing some truly unique and amazing views. After a quick swim and a delicious lunch we headed back to the festival to meet an evening under hoods.

From Vigrestad to Kristiansand

After 16 hours of sleep we were ready for our trip to Norway’s biggest Christian music festival. We packed up there two vehicles and headed out from Vigrestad. It was a long scenic drive along the southern Norwegian coast and we got to see the many unique features of Norway including the massive fishing operations and very long tunnels. Mikal and Zac also took this time to comment on just about every vehicle that passed. But their excitement over these unique vehicles and their desire to race along these foreign speedways quickly evaporated as they learned of the strict enforcement over the roads. We got to the festival around 9:00 and spent the rest of the evening listening to concerts and attending a worship session that was half English and half Norwegian.

Norway or Bust

We arrived at the airport with 2 and a half hours until our flight. But after we got through the massive line for check in, we were looking at a possible reschedule of flight because we had less than a half an our to get through the security line and to our gate before it closed. Thankfully, the security line went fast and we got right on our plane. Zac, Mikal and I settled into our seats and took in the long plane ride with movies and games provided by the flights ‘International Entertainment System’. Before we knew it, we were landing in Amsterdam. The transfer here went smoothly but we were quickly on our plane to Stavanger, Norway. By now, our bodies were telling us it was time to find a bed, but as we landed our eyes told us otherwise. The drive from Stavanger to Vigrestad was exciting as we took in the beautiful landscape with a feeling of euphoric disbelief that we were finally in Norway. We got to Alexander’s house around 1:00 PM their time but he was not there but at the festival that we would soon be going to. My eyes were now starting to drop, however, I was determined to stay awake to try and keep a normal sleep schedule. Lisbeth took us out and gave us the tour of Vigrestad and we got to see all five buildings. Along with the grocery stores there was the church where she and Alexander attend and the school where they attended and Christina, their younger sister, now goes. When we got back we had a delicious dinner of meat cakes and potatoes. Soon after this we headed over to see some of our cousins that we haven’t seen for years and ended up at Fredrick and Turron’s house for pancakes or lempa as they call it. By this time my body had completely shut off and had become disconnected with my brain. I was so tired it became hard to comprehend and follow conversation and it didn’t help that it often broke into fast squabbles of Norwegian. I had never been awake for so many consecutive hours. Mikal, Zac and I retreated to the downstairs and I fell asleep in the middle of taking off my clothes.