Christmas time is here...

Happiness and cheer. Fun for all that children call their favorite time of year...

There's something about Christmas that breaks up the monotony of darkness and wetness that we have in Norway right now. The sun comes up at 9 a.m. only to start going down again at 3:30 p.m. Coupled with rain almost every day for the past four weeks, it makes for a pretty dreary day sometimes. So it is nice to have Christmas! Downtown, the streets are decorated to the max with lights and Christmas trees. I would go downtown every night if I had the chance just to look at the lights. Then you have the baked goods all around along with julegløgg (Norwegian cider). And then you have candles EVERYWHERE. What a nice treat in the middle of such gloomy days. I am even starting to pray for snow (don't tell in the others in the house though -- I've been begging them not to pray for snow because I don't want to shovel it!). It would really take the gloominess out of this weather, that's for sure. As long as it's not as much snow as last year, I'm OK.

Well, I will finish my Christmas shopping today and get gifts sent home. So excited!

Youth group went well on Friday night. We had fifteen kids and the youth pastor, Kenneth, that works at one of our churches in Estonia was with us (and Adam, our youth pastor was in Estonia working with Kenneth's youth group at the same time. Fun huh?) Kenneth's a Norwegian from Stavanger, working as a missionary in Estonia. He brought a couple of the kids from the youth group he attended in Stavanger -- one led worship and one gave his testimony. Kenneth shared a great message about serving God while you're young. It was good time, and I really believe the kids got a message that sunk deep into their hearts.

Well, I gotta go now. Blessings to you all,

Gretchen