WE HAVE A NAME!!!!!

Well, after weeks of agonizing over what to call the new student group we are starting, we finally stumbled upon and decided upon (you have no idea how difficult that was!) the name.....

QUEST.

It is really exciting because things are moving forward for us here to really connect ourselves with the university and have a more defined vision for students to take hold of. We have finally become an official student group on campus and are listed on their website (very exciting, and amazingly simple here!) and after our first Student Night at the church last Sunday, we were able to launch the vision we have for this year and our group. We even got applause when we were finished! Crazy!

Check out the new website at: http://www.questnorway.blogspot.com

It is so strange what just having a name can do. We watched as students got excited about being able to identify with something tangible and already are beginning to call of the activities we have planned this semester "Quest" activities. Of course, we did have to explain to everyone why we chose the name and what it means (it isn't a Norwegian word, so some had not heard of it, though many had). But now people can explain to others if they ask what it means, and it's a great opportunity. We really wanted to go with the "Journey" idea and be consistent with the vision we had on the back of our fliers (see previous entry) and finally felt that what we are really on in this journey with God and each other, this path of discovery, is a Quest. It think it is also something that those who are really seeking can identify with as well. We even showed a clip from Lord of the Rings Sunday night where the Fellowship is formed (check it out- it's great scene!).

We were also able to spread a greater vision for our connection with SFC Europe and were mentioning the student conference coming up in Nuremberg, Germany over New Years. Many students are very interested in coming! So maybe we'll be bringing the first Scandinavians to attend and SFC event. Praise God! Feel free to check out the info about the ESC (European Student Conference) at the Students for Christ Europe link to the right under Links.

So please continue to pray with us for the future of Quest and for students to continue to catch the vision. This week we are giving out free waffles at both university campuses, Tuesday and Wednesday and promoting our group...so pray we make great connections and that our name gets out there.
We are also hoping to do more networking with other churches so we can have more resources and be an outlet for many mostly-Christian communities to reach out to those who are seeking at the university.

God is really opening doors and using the things he has spoken to us this past year to really define where we desire to go so we can really ask people to join us. It's all beginning to come together now...but we have much still to do! Thank you for your prayers!!!!

Here are some images from our koie (cabins you can rent cheaply through the university) trip last weekend (no electricity or running water)- had a blast!
Our group: Helen, Magnus, Fredrik, Peonn (from my Norwegian class), Jess, Brett, and I.
Many of these our courtesy of Jess...the crew that went- great group: Americans, Norwegians, and a Tai :). Notice the white stuff. Ridiculous.

because of cold, rainy, and SNOWY weather, we spent a lot of time in a wood stove-heated cabin playing cards

And S'mores will now take Norway by storm! Helena's first taste...

Kelly, me, Peonn, and Jess on our little hike in soggy marshland

hiking in the beautiful outdoors- loving it!!!

The boys- Magnus and Brett- gathering wood. Kinda' nice when it's already chopped for you!

Roughing it! Peonn's first experience washing dishes outdoors :)

Thoughts and Photos from the first weeks of classes...

Well, here is whirlwind tour of the first weeks of classes here in Trondheim. We started it off by inviting freshmen at their orientation activity where organizations promote their groups (see picture below of all new students in the courtyard of the engineering campus of NTNU, Gløshagen) for grilling down at the Marina that first weekend. Unfortunately, we learned a little too late that there was a huge scavenger hunt activity planned for freshmen that same day....live and learn....so we had a lot of left-over hotdogs, but still had fun with our team and a few older students who showed up! :)

The rest of the week proved to be much more successful! :) We had our good friends, Paul and Sunia Gibbs flown all the way over the big pond to help us with music outreaches on both campuses and in a cafe downtown. They were great (with the music and just to spend some good time in conversation with them) and the students seemed to really enjoy their music. Live music in cafe's and cafe's on the campuses is not common at all, so we definitely piqued people's curiosity. Many said they had been going to the school for 5 years or more and had never heard of them having live music. Praise God for opening the doors for us! Our goal was mainly to get who we are out there and to provide an environment to begin building relationships with students. It was also a great opportunity for people to invite their friends to.

We did have some divine appointments with people and now know that there may be future possibilities to do similar things like this again. It was tough to go up to people and talk with them, but overall people were very positive and though most were not Christians, they enjoyed the music and didn't seem too hostile when they found out who we were. However, we could definitely sense the aversion to the name of Christ and found it hard to read people many times. These things are always learning experiences and give us a greater insight into the cultural climate we find ourselves in. But I do think we broke some ground and the relationships we made will hopefully be long-lasting.

It was a busy week with the music outreaches (every day of the week), planning for the semester, Brett and I moving, me starting up Norwegian language class again, etc. but we know God was doing great things. We have much to share with you about our upcoming semester plans, but those will come next!

Tonight I am heading off to choir practice with a choir I just joined last week. We meet every Thursday night usually and it is made up of mostly Norwegians and some internationals, however I am the only one who is in the process of learning Norwegian- everyone else seems to know it well! So it is a challenge, but so are all attempts at meeting new people. I just know that it will be a great opportunity to not only be able to get back into group singing, but also to build relationships with new people, and be forced to become better acquainted with the language and culture! But I won't say it isn't scary! :) Just need to ask God for courage and humility and plunge in! The fliers I made up to pass out to students- I'm trying to step out and attempt some creativity :)

The back of the fliers- really felt God put these words on my heart to describe our mission

Paul and Sunia performing at SIT cafe at the NTNU campus, Dragvoll

Again Thursday and Saturday night at Boco Choco cafe downtown

Brett and I with Sunia at Lade in Trondheim- I have missed her!This has got to be one of the most hilarious "jumping pictures" I've seen yet: Chuck, Brett, Magnus, and Paul

At least being in the rainy season yields some beautiful skies- downtown Trondheim

Preaching at Betel's Unbad youth meeting (meet every Friday night)

3 NEW UPDATES FROM THIS SUMMER! ...READ AND LOOK ON ...
(next stop: Beginning of semester here in Trondheim)

As I mentioned earlier, we spent 10 days in Brussels, Belgium in August for a yearly gathering of students and university missionaries for SFC's (Students for Christ) CSM (College of Student Ministry). This time is an opportunity to bring students from the different SFC groups in Europe to participate in relevant training for being leaders on their campuses. Students can select from several areas of focus taught by full-time missionaries, pastors, and teachers as well as select different electives. Brett and I were a part of the class for full-time leaders where we discussed with other missionaries (many originally from the U.S. and some native to Europe) about the challenges -theological, cultural, Biblically, etc. of doing university ministry in Europe, as well as formulated practical ways we can be effective in each of our unique country situations, and a even more clear vision for SFC as a whole, especially in the midst of changing and challenging times.

We had amazing times of discussion, prayer, laughter, tears, etc. and everyone left exhausted, but refreshed and with renewed hope for the future, even as many of us headed back to unknown and difficult circumstances. Our team from Norway left with an even greater sense of being a part of something much bigger and are in the process of creating ways to connect what we are doing in Trondheim even more with this larger community we are a part of. Though we were unable to bring any Norwegians with us this time, our prayer is that there would be some there next year- the first Scandinavians to ever attend an SFC event. Pray with us that God would ignite the vision for SFC Europe in the hearts of Norwegians here and that we would even get some students to attend the SFC European Student Conference being held in Germany over new years this year. Seeing the excitement and fire ignited in the students who attended CSM this year as they connected with students from all over Europe with a common purpose- to see students come to know Christ- has made us long for students here to experience the same.

What an amazing opportunity to unite with people from all over the world, learn from one another, love one another, and create life-long friendships. To truly represent the Body of Christ as displayed through the diversity of the nations...

Here are just a few images from our time in Brussels....

Vanessa and Sietse from the Netherlands who are going to pioneer an SFC group in their city

Cortney with new friends Rike and Jo- students from Germany and Scotland

Receiving prayer from other SFC missionaries for us and our ministry in Norway

Our tourist day in Brussels....enjoying real Belgian waffles covered in Belgian chocolate-Wow.

Our friends Dave and Kate- missionaries in Edinborough, Scotland

SFC missionaries in Belgium, Netherlands, Greece, and a student from Scotland; vision-casting; Cortney trying out the D'jimbae

The Norway Team! With our new addition for the year, Jess

Students from the U.K. surrounding their flag as we prayed around the flags of each country represented

July! :)
Brett's parents came and took us on an incredible tour of more of Norway! Check out the "Our Photo Albums " link to the left to see more (yea, there are LOTS more ....)Visited a real glacier- the water was really that green!

end of trip: home in Trondheim

downtown in Trondheim with Brett's dad

In Geiranger- fjord listed as a world heritage site. Stayed here 3 nights and it was BEAUTIFUL

Brett driving the boat we rented in the fjord

Fjord boat tour we went on- we kept warm and dry!

Feeling on top of the world...

picnic with the fam in Trondheim

Stop as we were driving on the trip- absolutely breathtaking

In Bergen, eating fresh salmon and shrimp from the fishmarket

overlooking Bergen

Relaxing in Flåm before our hike to a waterfall

Made it to the top! Brett and Paul

And for those who would like to see the whole trip (maybe just a few of you!) here is a slide show...

June! :)
Just a few images from the our trip home...The Heerwald family at Brett's cousin's wedding in MT

me and my gorgeous "little" sister, the bride!

evening on my older sister and brother-in-law's boat- Brett and nephew Ryan

Ever the cutie, my niece Lauren- just turned 4 last week!

The happy newlyweds: Danielle and Grant