How to Get Stuck in Norway
Did you know Norway is one of the safest countries on Earth? The police here don’t even carry guns on a regular basis- it’s that safe. When a violent crime actually happens, the whole country is shocked, and the story makes national news. It’s a strange place to find oneself 'trapped'. How did this happen, though?
Well, for a couple years, the dream growing in my heart has been to catalyze and lead in movements of awakening and revival, especially in Europe. In pursuit of this, just over a year ago, some friends and I went on what turned out to be a rather difficult investigative trip across Western Europe. That trip showed me just how real the challenges and limited my wisdom really were, and led me to apply for an SOPL- a School of Pioneering and Leadership- in Norway. And so the story begins, just over 8 months ago when I left Minnesota for Norway and SOPL.
Sometimes when God guides us, the steps seem unclear, the future uncertain, and we simply move forward the best way we understand, one step at a time. I was used to that. I was not prepared for God to hand me a road map and say, "This will happen, and this, and that, and these are the signs that you're going the right way. Also, expect this, too."
For real, God? I didn’t know you did that.
Following these many words of surprisingly clear guidance, I went through a very special Pioneering and Leadership school for three challenging months in YWAM Grimerud in eastern Norway. I learned a lot, but possibly the greatest thing that came out of that SOPL was the YWAM Austria team. One of the things God had been showing me was this image of the European continent with a point falling in the middle of it and waves going out from that point, much like an earthquake has an epicenter and shock waves. One day, I decided to see where that epicenter fell, and as it turns out, it fell right around the Austria area. I thought to myself, "Wow! There's a team starting YWAM in Austria." (Two of its members were my classmates in the SOPL). "...I wonder!"
The project was already interesting to me, a fact I had thus far kept secret. Then, one day in class one of the guys on the Austria team got a prophetic word about me. He shared it, and after class took me aside.
"I don't usually get such strong impressions from God like I got for you today," he said, "...I think you should pray about joining the Austria team."
"You didn't know this," I replied, "But I was already thinking about that." He was confirmation and didn't know it! A few weeks later, I was on the team.
In a step of faith I changed my plane ticket home and applied for a Norwegian visa that would allow me to stay in Norway longer and hopefully give me a few years of freedom to travel about the Schengen, a region that encompasses a large group of European countries- including Austria. Soon after that, our SOPL graduated, and I moved across Norway to the far southwest to join staff at YWAM Rogaland and build the Austria team.
Fast-forward through three AMAZING months working in Rogaland. My visa didn't come when expected, and I couldn't leave Norway until I had it, causing me to forfeit my plane ticket home at the end of February. There were some very scary and discouraging days in this waiting process. I heard stories of visas coming quickly and wondered why mine didn't. I heard a lot of stories of visas coming after 8 months, a year, or more....and it scared me. Would I get a chance to go back to Minnesota at all before it came time to move to Austria in Sept of 2014?
I often ask God what he still has me waiting here for. I’m working and keeping busy, but is there something more I'm supposed to be doing? Still, in the midst of this struggle, I have seen God do the most encouraging things. Friends and family in Minnesota are rallying around me, praying and standing with me as I fight to be able to come home. I feel close to people despite not having seen them for over 8 months. Some friends are even helping me raise financial support, so that I will hopefully be able to pay for this time I’ve spent stuck in what it turns out is the 2nd most expensive country on earth (fun fact). I’m only $1,800 away from my goal!
In addition, the struggles I had when I first came to Norway are also being overcome, such as cultural differences. Europeans make more sense to me every day, as my relationships here deepen and as I meet people from all over the continent and learn how they see the world. I think God has something more he’s keeping me here for and I don’t know what that is yet, but this seems to be a pretty good start.
That being said, I look forward to running into your arms when I do finally make it home! Consider this volume one of the story, with a great, big, awesome conclusion (one which includes becoming un-stuck, lol) coming soon! ;-)
