Yeah, so I have been incredibly busy the last month really. My best friend Kendra came to visit me one month ago for two weeks... I came back to the office fo 3 days, then Easter came, which is four legal holidays in Norway. Then I was back at the office for another week and it was off to Estonia for six days where we had a Bible Study Intensive led by Daniel Brown from the Coastlands church in Santa Cruz, CA. There were 20 leaders from Northwest Europe and Russia combined, and we had a fabulous time studying the Bible together and really getting to know each other. Also, the Sunday after our Bible Study intensive I was able to visit one of our churches in Estonia located in Pärnu (we were in the capital city of Tallinn... Pärnu is 2 hours south of Tallinn) and spend some time with its pastors, Sven and Karin Veedla along with Kenneth (as Sven says, he's the crazy Norwegian guy from Stavanger that came to Estonia and has been working with their youth group for three years now... so cool :) )
Sven and Kenneth gave me a tour of the city and the beach because Pärnu is the summer playground of Estonia, and they kept telling me about the outreaches they have done in the city, the portions of the city they are claming as theirs for Jesus, and all the different places they have big dreams for... The youth I met in the church are really on fire for Jesus... The whole trip really inspired me to give everything I have this coming year to the youth group. I had started to really get bogged down in the daily stresses of life and had somewhat of a lackluster approach in the past few months when it came to youth ministry. Sven and Kenneth's passion rubbed off on me, and now I am more excited than ever to see growth and changes in each one of our kids here in Norway. So much so that not more than 4 days after I came back to Norway, we had another "storsamling" (big meeting) of all the Foursquare youth in Norway, and God really did a lot in and through me while there.
For the storsamling, we focused on our relationship with God and our relationship with our parents. After the message on our relationship with our parents, I was able to pray for three of the girls and talk with one about their relationships with their parents. We prayed for healing and for them to get closer to God and to see their situations with new eyes. It was really incredible because even after the message was over, well into the night, kids kept coming up to all the leaders and asking for prayer. God really moved and really healed and really helped each and every person who received prayer to be touched. The energy of the kids and the intermingling of the different youth groups was so strong, that I felt like I was at good old Camp Cedar Crest again. Everything was fresh and new and exciting for me again. And I have really built a great relationship with all the youth, so much so, that they can tease me, and I can tease them back, and I can tell they love to see me and I have gained their trust. And God showed me that I have done a good job with the kids while I've been here in Norway, and there are many who are responding to God's call in their lives, and I have been a part of encouraging that call within their lives. In my life, I will always be called to do two things, no matter where I go -- youth and worship.
All of this gives me so much peace... peace that whatever happens and wherever I go in 2008, I can know that I have done a good job and fulfilled all God has for me here, so that I can move on to whatever is next. Who really knows where I will be, but I am open to what God has. In the midst of uncertainty, I feel His peace in my heart. I feel such an unspeakable joy that hasn't been in my life since I really don't know when. I look forward to my future with great anticipation knowing that to follow Jesus may mean I am on the move constantly and that I will need to leave behind the things I have established in Norway to follow Him. But that is the greatest joy and adventure of all -- to see that I have done what God has set me out to do, and now, I can move on with his peace and His joy. God will provide.
I greatly covet everyone's prayers right now for clarity as I step into the next season of life. I need God's direction and to hear His voice like never before!
Until next time,
Gretchen
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