sonblind

it’s been a week since landing in Norway and what a nourishing downshift of an introduction it’s been..

for my brethren and sisteren

the journey out to the way north started with a north western road trip with my best pal Pascal to attend a wedding and maybe see some whales and JVD in Anacortes Washington. it was a pleasant introduction to this year’s autumn season, because it still felt like summer back in Ashland and it was wet and cold up there in the northern parts, something i imagined i’d have to get acquainted with again. it was a short and sweet trip ornamented with some laughter, some sorrow, good music and a bit of nintendo at my family’s house. the time had swiftly come for us to say our goodbyes for now and for me to make my way east. we shared a brotherly embrace, prayed and made our separate ways.

shortly after i got on a plane with at least one person i knew would be joining me on this Norwegian leadership escapade, another fellow Oregonian. a brief moment later and shortly after a stopover in Iceland accompanied by, of course, a world famous Icelandic hotdog, we found ourselves in Norway. flying into Oslo i had to remind myself this wasn’t Porland, the land looked identical from the sky, except for being maybe at least 10 percent more beautiful. the airport was refreshingly much quieter than the usual airport experience, despite there being just as many people, and i was greeted by an unexpected and almost subconscious amount of peace. i supposed the rumors of Scandinavian peace and quiet proved themselves true before they were even a conscious thought. by this point we’d amassed a solid nine of us YWAMers, all of us a little tired, caffeinated and awestruck with the land welcoming us. we hopped on a train, then a van and were soon at the place we’d call home for the next two and a half months: Haraset. a small “campsite” (think summer camp) in a tiny farm village outside of Hamar. it’s quaint, quirky, old, with lots of updates and renovations, rustic, and a bit whimsical. overall it’s lovely, it’s a functioning farm and it’s surrounded by gorgeous hills, deciduous and coniferous trees and vibrantly green and diverse farm land. it’s a wonderful mix of familiar and foreign.

i also received the blessing of getting to call the one and only boys cabin my dwelling place for this season. it’s a small cabin with a wood stove shared by seven boys including myself. it’s the best and we really lucked out, i find it much better than the rooms in the main two buildings, even despite not having a bathroom or sink in the cabin. there are lots of buildings at Haraset, some yellow, some red and some brown. the big yellow one greeting you when you first drive in serves as our main building, it has an official industrial Norwegian kitchen, a dining room to seat 110 or so people, and a big living room with a piano, pedal organ and enough U-shaped brown faux leather couches to accommodate at least 30 people relaxing and reading. the upstairs and downstairs houses 53 YWAM girls and a basement equipped with maintenance supplies, food and laundry machines. the other buildings include the housing cabins, barn, farmhand housing and our chapel/classroom/prayer room. to say the least, it’s a cozy, peaceful, simple accommodation to provide rest, spiritual nourishment and equip a hundred young, strong-hearted missionaries to disciple and lead other young people in the Lord to spread the love and truth of Jesus as the one and only savior of the world.

as far as the spiritual goes, most everyone here regardless of background or culture seems to all agree that Jesus has something uniquely tender and peaceful appointed for our leadership track. blame it on the calm and quiet spirit of Norwegian soil, or the season change into a slower, simpler way of living, whichever way you spin it there’s still something unspoken for. most trackers here would agree that there’s a sort of depth and intimacy with the Lord in this season more easily accessible than in other times. a few people have reported being often moved to tears because of the Lord revealing parts of His heart to them or seeing the gospel in a new way. overall it just seems like this season is going to be a beautiful one filled with depth, contemplation and tenderness in the Lord. something much needed for all of us, not to mention the benefits of this maturing season for our students come January.

i’m looking forward to more walks with the Lord, reading the gospels, psalms and proverbs, cold plunges, trail running, drinking tea, reading Narnia by candlelight and embracing the dramatic seasonal shift in a land so charming, ancient and royal. it’s a true gift to be here and i couldn’t be here without you, dear friend, praying and supporting what God is doing here. so thank you for reading, thank you for supporting. more to come.

some practicals

we will be departing on Norwegian outreaches this Thursday (Oct 16) and i’ll be going to Arendal by train with a team of 9 or so, and the rest of our track will be headed to separate locations all around Norway, so please pray for the Lord to soften the hearts of the people we’ll be meeting to receive the love of Jesus. he is moving in Norway and preparing something in Europe no doubt, the harvest is ripe.

also, i am still raising funds for our Europe outreach in a couple weeks, and for our lecture phase and big worldwide outreaches out of Kona, i still need to raise another five thousand dollars for that whole endeavor, if you feel led to partner with me financially please visit the “support me” page on this site.

also if you want to learn more you can text me or call me on whatsapp, telegram or signal.

thank you for your prayers, your love and your care. if there is anyway i can pray for you, please reach out to me.

sincerely, sonblind

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
‭‭John‬ ‭15‬:‭4‬-‭5‬ ‭ESV‬‬