Talkmore

My cell phone has miraculously been unlocked so now it can work internationally. The cell phone chip was passed down to me from Andrew, and to him the missionary before that, it goes back many generations. Here’s the scoop on what has gone down with this little phone. I thought I had ruined my chance at having it unlocked due to the fact that I foolishly had punched a whole bunch of numbers in at random not realizing that I only had 5 chances to put the correct one in. I was just being silly and going punch number happy. Then I decided to get serious about unlocking it and ‘called’ in the technical people. They advised me to contact AT&T so I being wise, after being foolish, took their advice. I skyped the 800 number from AT&T and was thoroughly disappointed in myself. They were so nice and helpful. They tried their best to help me but alas they number they gave me could be of no use if the opportunity to put it in my phone was gone . . . I was pouty and grumpy after Skyping AT&T last night. I thought all was hopeless and lost and I could never use my cute little phone outside the states. Then my new friend Giovanni who had been helping me try to get it unlocked took it today and said, “I think I can fix it. I saw something about this on the internet.” So away he went with my phone and not even an hour later he comes back with my phone and say, “ It works fine now.” As calm and collected as could be, he wasn’t even shocked, he just tells me he knew it could be done and that it wasn’t even him it was the internet. Me on the other hand, I was ecstatic. I didn’t think it would work--ever, I was soo doubtful of it ever working. The man at AT&T told me it wouldn’t. I told me it wouldn’t. But Giovanni, he knew what to do, he never doubted! He knew where to go, what source to find the answers. So now I have my little phone with it’s little pictures of my adventures in America and I can call my friends here in Norway for a low price of minutes a kroner. Ahh, it’s nice to know I have cleaver friends who trust their source.
Makes me wonder if I trust my sources, because I too had seen something on the internet about letting the phone sit for awhile before trying again. But I wasn’t even willing to try. I had already given up hope. How many times have I read in the Bible about change and think that perhaps it won’t happen . . .

Photos of my new flat.

My Dining room
Originally uploaded by dreams with faith

Feast your eyes on the cutest flat you have ever seen! I took some pictures on Friday like I said I would. I hope you enjoy looking at them. Just click on the picture and it will take you to flickr where you can look at all the notes I put on the pictures to describe things. While on flickr you can make your own comments on the pictures with notes or just a comment. Please do, I would love to hear them!! Enjoy.
Love,
Sonya

Funny story from Skotselv.

Today was my first church service and Sabbath school experience. It was very eye opening. First of all was Sabbath School (SS), we sang some Norwegian songs which were very nice, then we broke into groups for the lesson study. One group was Norwegian, the other group was English, an Australian and myself the only native English speakers, yet we were in a group of about 25 or so. We are talking about love and how to love. Then we read about how perfect love cast out all fear and the discussion turned to what kind of fear are we talking about because the Bible says it is good that we should fear God. So my new friend Zoran was translating for his parents who spoke no English but Macedonian, and Zoran was saying something (I’ll be honest it was a bit hard to follow) and he was giving examples and said, one kind is we should run from the beer and the other kind we should all run towards the beer. “What in the world did I miss”, I thought, “perhaps it’s a cultural explination or I wasn’t paying attention or this is okay to say here?” A few people were also laughing which made me feel better because I thought it was funny. Then Zoran said something about a beer hug and I was really lost. But then I realized he wasn’t saying beer he was saying bear. OHH! It made so much more sense. Well then I giggled a bit more when I realized the faux pas and in his English. At first I think only Ryan (the Aussie) and I realized the confusion. Anyway it was super funny and I got a giggle out of it and I don’t think I’ll let him forget. After SS someone told me welcome to Skotselv English. Nice, I hope my English doesn’t soon suffer. If so I might have to go find a beer to scare it back into me :O)

Then there was Church. I enjoyed the sermon about forgiveness; it was brought to us by the Church Union secretary. He preached it in Norwegian. How might you wonder did I learn Norwegian so fast? Perhaps it was the Rosetta stone? NO! They don’t make it in Norwegian, apparently they don’t think anyone wants to learn Norwegian, phshshssss, that’s dumb. So I don’t speak it already, no I in fact I wore a very attractive headphone set on my head. It was a bit like a conscience whispering into my ear. It got to be so hard to watch the preacher because it was like watching a movie with the sound a bit off, and off gender. . . the English translation was good, a bit of direct translation. It soon got to be so loud, I was warm and tired and my head was being thrown off balance so I put one ear on and the other one off. Not to shabby. But I can’t wait to either understand Norwegian or have an English sermon.

The songs were good, and the people were great. We had potluck, hmmm I love potluck. In line I met a man who spoke Spanish so Caroline (from Honduras, and knows lots of people I do! More on that later) and I sat with him and talked Spanish. Crazy, I’m sitting at a table with a German and Honduran speaking Spanish in Norway. Who’d a thunk it.

Laundry.

I did my laundry last night. I learned there are two kinds of soap for clothes – one for whites and one for colour. Norwegians really like to sort things out. They sort all their trash – paper, glossy paper, glass, metal, compost and restfall (everything else). So of course they should sort their clothes. I however don’t want to so I just bought soap for colour (let me know if there’s a reason I should sort). Along with my soap that’s unscented I bought fabric softener. Don’t use it much in the states but we use it here because we are green and line dry our clothes. I washed them last night and they should be dry sometime today (if the sun comes out and warms things up). Down side to that is I have to iron more because my shirts will be a bit wrinkly and have a fold crease from the line (any tips on how to fix that without an iron?).

I will admit though it’s nice to be green but not as green as Africa.

Hi Hi

Thought you might enjoy a video.

Ikea (pronounced Ekia)

I’ve got a brand new Ikea duvet cover and pillow case that I found in the linen closet. I knew I was in the right section of the world when I went through customs x-ray security and the plastic tub for my purse was from Ikea :o) I plan on making a journey to the Ikea home base one day. Until then I’ll go to our local Ikea with Erin this week. Don’t you wish you were here with me!

Home Sweet Home

I’m home at last! My first real home. I arrived in Oslo yesterday and drove with Erin 2 hrs to Skotselv. Now I’m actually home for the first time in months. It was a bit hard to believe. Everything is beautiful and so cute, Scandinavian cute. From houses, barns, big fields, tons of trees, small roads. I love it. I think I’ll like it here just find. We drove into Skotselv and looked around at the school Quite nice. I met several people who’s names I’ve already forgotten due to lack of sleep for such a long time and due to the fact I have never heard these names before. (I’m glad my name is a universal name, thanks mom and dad) At the end of our tour I saw my little flat for the first time. So cute and homey. I wish I had taken some before and after photos. But I hope you like the after photos at least.

I rush so I can wait.

What a night/day/morning! I rushed to catch my Minnesota flight. Crammed my backpack under my seat, bumped my head sitting down and arrive in Minnesota to find out I have to go on a long journey. At least the directions to get to the other airport/terminal were given to me in English. . . four moving sidewalks, find ground transportation, Humphrey terminal, outside airport, check back in . . .so confusing. Luckily a nice lady who worked there and was on her way home walked me to the public transportation train ( a subway) that would take me to the other ‘terminal’. Then I had to walk to through a really long car garage dragging my carry on suitcase with me. I tried to hurry because I had no idea what time it was and I didn’t want to miss my flight to Iceland. I must have actually been walking quite slow because when I started through the garage I was in front of all the other passengers, then they all (5) passed me up! So I’m the last person in line at Iceland air to get my boarding pass through to Oslo. Six people ahead of me the computer crashes! I figure that’s okay because they plane won’t leave a whole group of passengers. Finally they give us just a gate pass and we check in and get our seat assignment at the gate. Arriving in time to stand off to the side text a few people before my phone died and get on the plane.
In Iceland I had to follow the crowd to go through European Customs. Apparently they wanted to x-ray all my stuff to make sure I was okay to enter Europe? Again I had no idea what time it was and if I was going to be late for my flight at a gate I had no idea where it was and no ticket yet to get on it. I tell the agent I was going to be there for a few months (no problems getting in Europe :0). I go find my gate (almost 7 something am local time) get a ticket and went to look for some food because I didn’t want to pay 6 DOLLARS for a veggie wrap ALMOST the size of a burrito. So I bought a can of mixed nuts and chocolate for breakfast. Thinking that perhaps there might be something to the duty free thing. I was wrong. There is no perk to it. I paid for pure gold, $10.61 for a medium can of mixed nut and a large bar of raisin/hazelnut chocolate! I walked to my gate in time to see everyone already in line and getting on the plane. No time to open my nuts. I get on and eat some nuts. Finally after all that rushing I arrive in Oslo. I rush to get out of the plane find the luggage belt and wait for it to arrive (had a bit of trouble with that because my luggage is new and I kept forgetting what it looked like). It arrived I haul it all on the cart and was off to find Erin and go home.

On a more pensive note.

I don’t feel crazy excited yet. I’ve flown so often this summer that I haven’t realized where I’m going or anything. What if I forgot something? Or Visa problems or passport problems. . . God is in control. He’s given me this job and opportunity to live over in Norway. He got me to the airport, He’ll pull me through. AMEN~

My lot in life.

Sheesh. I decided to leave for my flight in Nashville at 12 noon. Elisa and I loaded up my two big suitcases to check and my two carry on cases and we were off. Then we stop, on the freeway. Yup, STOP! For 30 to 40 min—dead stop. I was a bit worried so I called my pal Maria for wisdom and advice. She suggested I call the airlines. So I called another friend for the airlines number. . . finally I got a hold of a person who told me to call someone else . . . so I called eventually Icelandair who wasn’t even there on the weekend! But fear not Elisa and I prayed for patience and that God’s will be done. We sat back and put our feet up for a bit. God is good. I arrived at the airport with time to spare. My luggage was checked in okay too. No extra fee for two or weight!!! Everyone was so nice and helpful. I’ll fly NWA/Delta from Nashville any ol’day!

Travel

Travel. Ugg, I'm over it. Aug 2 took train. Aug 5 took long plane. Aug 12 took plane again + car to get home. Aug 15 will take care + plane + plane + plane + car to get to new home. I would just like to unpack knowing I won't have to pack for at least 2 months. I'm over it.

the cat

in case you were wondering Tinkerbell/Miss Kitty, our cat, is on the roof too now.

My summer in 582 words.

I’ve been away from camp for almost 2 weeks now. I have found myself on facebook more than ten minutes at a time—I have been on there continually all day. Doing what? I think I’ve been trying to prove that it really happened. Sorting through everyone’s pictures. Making fun comments, leaving messages full of inside jokes. For what? To try and hold on as long as I can to the magic that Wawona held for me. What was that magic? How do I explain it to others and how do I explain it to myself?
Perhaps the excitement lies in the fact that I had to fly there. It was a magical place I had never been before and to get there I had to go by – planes, trains and autos. So the location was new, it was surrounded by some of God’s greatest handy work – which I had never been blessed with seeing. All summer long I would sit in the campfire bowl and look up at Wawona Dome in wonder and awe. God is so good.

Is the magic in the age of our staff? It was kindly stated that we are comprised of staff who have been around the summer camp block a few times. We are the staff that has been “put out to pasture” as on of the older staff members put it. They say our average age was early 20’s. So perhaps we had just seen enough of good and bad staff drama to keep it all good.

Days off? Maybe it helped that on most people’s day off they were given the opportunity to run to the wilds of nature. They communed with God, friends and Yosemite’s rustic world. I found myself on all my days off, minus the one I was sick, trucking through a mountain pass, hiking up extreme trails or soaking in the overwhelming beauty of the mountains. It was time spend in nature and time spent with new friends.

“I’ve got some new friends I hardly know” is how one fellow staff member pu it. I couldn’t agree more. I hardly knew them on June 14but by Aug 2 I knew my life would be forever changed by their friendships. In fact I’m sure I’d miss them even if I’d never met them. I found myself memorized by their energy, their dedication, easygoing spirit and their ability to laugh. My new friends accepted me. We hung out, we were co-counselors, rest period river rats, co-hosts in the morning, words of encouragement, friends who challenged each other with the truth, listened to hearts opening up, shared view points. We were Indian Villagers, we were Jamba Jucie drinkers, 80’s lovers, Bonanza goers, theater actors, music makers. We were a family.

Is that where the magic of the summer lies? The fact that I became a family member to 60 other people and now sitting here on a plane I look back on my summer and see the magic of the location, staff age, days of pure nature, and my new family. I fear the future when perchance I can’t go back to the magic and it will be gone. So in fear I cling tightly to what my summer was and each memory that was made. I might not be able to completely understand my love of the time or completely express how magical it was but I do know I’d do it again and my heart longs for my Wawona family.

the ponderings from a nighttime awake

i spent the last night in my 24hr time period thinking. how i hate to over think things or dwell on an idea or concept or concern. but alas that is what happened to me last night. i'm not even sure where it started except for the fact that it lead me to realize my ipod has gone awol. i believe i left it on my seat in the plane. first seat, first row. sigh. gone. all those thoughts last night and i had to loose my ipod. i of course couldn't do anything about it at the time which somehow makes things all the worse. i remember it, want to fix it but must force myself to sleep on it (which is what i wanted to do anyway--sleep). then of course in the process of sleeping and not thinking about the ipod i think about packing for norway and then i get scared. packing for cold! how do i do that and not take 12 suitcases with me! impossible. how am i going to pay for extra suitcases? to much thinking for me. i think after 12 midnight i shouldn't be allowed to think it hurts my head and my heart to much. to be able to simply turn it off and give it to God to handle would be great. just surrender it all and sleep. it didn't come till 2am last night. i'm still working on complete surrender. one night at a time. one fear and concern--turn it off and give to God. i can't fix it tonight anyway. but again tonight i will surrender all to Jesus.

On the train to San Francisco

I find myself longing for the mountains. The solitude and wonder of the hidden places in Yosemite. I didn't realize internally I was leaving and not going to see these things again until I was firmly seated between Chelsea and Anthony in the truck and was watching old town pass slowly by. Gone, gone is my freedom from cell service, makeup, stores, the rush of the outside world and the pollution of night lights. I'm ready for this next chapter but I'm still sad to leave Wawona.