We're off to Italy!!!
Just want to ask that you be praying for us as we travel and that all would go smoothly. We've been planning this trip for almost a year so it's hard to believe we're actually leaving tomorrow! Unfortunately, Cortney's health hasn't been too good this week and she actually had a trip to the hospital on Tuesday because she fainted twice in the early morning and was feeling really sick. Thankfully, all the many tests taken came back okay, so we're hoping it was just a one-time combination of perhaps dehydration, stress, etc. She's still not feeling 100% so if you can pray that she would be well to fully enjoy our trip, that would be great! We will leave tomorrow on Brett's birthday, and land in Rome until the 15th, we then travel to Cinque Terre where we will be staying in the village of Corniglia until the 20th, and then renting a car and heading to Tuscany where we will stay until the 27th in the countryside. Can't wait! This trip is truly a blessing from God and we look forward to sharing with you about it when we return!
Have a great 2 weeks! Love and miss you!

Living in one of the most Beautiful Places on Earth

above: view looking towards the downtown area of Trondheim

all of these photos are from places within walking distance of where we live
Norway's national flower called hvitveis (white anemone)

one of the many traditional coffee houses that are set up along hiking trails through woods and fields

We are definitely feeling the Love....

Last month we were given quite the shock when we showed up for our weekly discipleship group that we lead. We came all prepared to study Matthew, but when we opened the door to Kelly's apartment, we were met with a big, roaring "SURPRISE!!!" We were shocked to see over 35-40 people crammed together to give us an appreciation/goodbye party. Thankfully it was more of the appreciation part and less of the goodbyes because we will still be in Trondheim until August (though many students are now leaving for the summer). But we still had to hold back tears as we looked around the room at so many wonderful friends and thanked them for all that they have meant to us these past nearly 3 years. We were also blessed above and beyond by a very generous gift of money to go towards our Italy trip that we head out on this Friday for 2 weeks. God never ceases to amaze us with the blessings he pours out on our lives. What a wonderful night! Thank you Kelly, Linn, and Magnus for doing such a great planning job and managing to keep it a secret! And thank you to all who came and made it such a memorable night. We truly feel loved and love all of you right back!

Our faces as we realized what was happening!And us re-enacting our "surprise faces" :)

Funny story: I, Cortney, after much deliberation, had decided to chop off my long hair at my first Norwegian hair-cut....and it just happened to be the day of this party. I didn't have time to do anything to it myself before coming to Kelly's and was already nervous just to see the 8 people who would be there, so imagine what was going through my head when I realized how many people I was now going to see! What a debut...yikes. Still getting used to the hair (what's left of it), but got to say I've now had more time to work with it than in these photos! :)

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Syttende Mai!!! (May 17th, Norway's Independence Day)
HURRA!!

This year we got to experience our third 17th of May celebration from a different vantage point- we got to be in it! Many Christians in Trondheim came together to march behind a sign that said: "Sammen for Jesus" or "Together for Jesus". It was a great change to join others who marched for different organizations and causes by walking and singing about who Jesus is in our lives. I think we were one of the larger trains so it was neat to be a part of. In the pictures above you'll see some of our good friends wearing their tradition Norwegian "bunad". Many people receive these when they are younger (or all desire to have one someday) and they are very expensive and worn proudly to events like this, as well as confirmations, weddings, etc. Different regions of Norway have different designs and colors, so it is really neat to see when everyone is wearing them!

One thing we like about the Norwegian parades that is different than many U.S. parades is that they don't consist of fancy floats or crazy antics, but rather simply celebrate People. You can stand and watch a few hours of people just walking by for different reasons, all decked out in their traditional outfits and cheer them on with a "Hurra!". It is quite special to experience (even if it can get a little long after a while!). Then, it's off for some pølser, or hotdogs, and is, or icecream. BBQ is also a common thing to do in the later afternoon with family and friends. Interesting traditions- so glad we get to experience what makes this culture truly Norwegian!

End of the Semester Happenings

The exam period is now in full swing, so we've been planning less events ahead of time, and being more spontaneous. This seems to work much better for stressed out students who imagine they will be studying non-stop for a month but soon realize that taking occasional breaks (and a bit of procrastination as well) is quite necessary! We had our final waffle give-away of the semester at the Dragvoll campus and were thrilled to have so many students show up to help out. Kelly, Brett, and I only had to show up with the stuff and then just stand back and pray while the students took charge making waffles and starting up conversations with students. What a great feeling to see our hearts' desire for more student ownership of Quest and leadership be realized.

Another desire being realized more often now is that of more sun and warmth! We've had some days now where we've joined throngs of Norwegian students in soaking in the rays. These pictures show one of the most typical places to do that, called Marinen, in Norwegian. It is right near the river going through the city and not far from the Gløshaugen campus. As we jokingly say, "the time of nakedness in Norway is upon us!" Sure doesn't fit so much with some of the other Norwegian cultural characteristics of trying not to be noticed! ;)

And, although this is not such a great picture below, Cortney was able to finally have some of the amazing ladies from Dragvoll over for a ladies night, complete with Norwegian dessert waffles and great conversation. These girls, (from second on the left), Siri Helene, Line, Ragnhild, and Ane have been key student involved with Quest this year. We met all of them in the fall as new students to the university and they have been incredible answers to so many prayers. Not only have we seen many of our hopes for Quest realized in their lives and the community they have helped create, but they have been a source of encouragement to us that has blessed us tremendously.

Fun Fact: Right now, Trondheim is experiencing long days of light! The official sunrise is at 3:17am and the sunset at 11:15pm, though it is virtually light all throughout the night. We've been trying to darken our windows to help with sleeping but it makes it easier to be out longer in the evenings which is fun!