Moscaw to Volgograd

Eugenie was her usual efficient self in getting us to
the right train at the right platform at the right
station at the right time in Moscaw. This is no small
accomplishment since there are more than 10 main
stations and the one we had to go to was a member of a
trio all built on top opf each other... for me it was
just a maze of amazement.

My lasting impression of Moscaw is a sence of lively
optimism. Spring is well on the way from there on
south, and while we had to struggle to find stones
through sometimes more than a foot of packed snow on
the stations between Murmansk and the capital, most
sighns of snow has disappeared within hours of leaving
Moscaw.

The interior layout of the train was the same as the
previous one we took - they look the same all over
Russia Eugenie tells me - but the atmosphere was very
different. The pale blond northerners were now far in
the minority and our co-travelers' features reflected
the final destination of our train in Tadikistan. Much
less alcohol and more open interest in who we are and
what we are doing.

They did not heat the truck we were in during the
night, so we had by far the coldest night of our trip
sofar, and we were glad to be able to get of the train
and walk for hours in Volgograd yesterday.

This is where the turning point of WWII was in 1942.
When Germany was stopped and defeated here the rest of
the war was a story of the decline of the 3rd Reich.
But it came at an unimaginable price in human lives:
more than 3 million people lost their lives her in the
space of the 200 day battle of Stalingrad.

We visited the was memorial this morning where a mass
grave for more than 30 000 people was errected on the
mountain that formed the pivital point of the battle.

Thanks for all who sent scriptures and prayed with us.
We made the proclamations at the Volga river this
morning and I know the Lord is doing amazing things
here, and His plans to make this a place of His glory
is great!

Now to Sochi where we hope to find a ferry to Trabzon
leaving tomorrow night... nothing about this ferry is
certain, so please pray for us that all goes well
withour crossing over the Black Sea to Turkey!

Kirkenes Murmansk Moscow

Our Russian border crossing was uneventfull and we
came to Murmansk late Tuesday night. Passing through
the restricted zone where towns like Nickel was
visable in the cold otside our buswindows was a bit
eary.

For lack of better information we stayed at quite a
nice hotel in Murmansk that night where we could enjoy
our last baths and get everything ready for the long
train ride to Moscow.

Early Wednesday we were plowing through the shlushy
streets of Murmansk to find a money changer and buy
our train tickets. Both of these tasks were done much
faster than we expected and we were able to enjoy the
rest of the day eating pancakes and looking at
whatever Murmansk had to show us. Its a real
industrial city without much decoration but it is
friendly alive and very vibrant.

That evening we got onto the train and settled in our
little coner of a 3rd class train wagon that sleeps
54.

The 38 hours that followed allowed us much opportunity
to onserve our Russian companions passing the time in
whatever way they liked best: the men next to us drank
a lot, but slowly, so it never got out of hand, the
ladies accross, slept and read, ate a bit read again
and slept some more. I spent my time with Embroidery
while Eugenie played Sudoko. And outside the white
forrests and lakes of Siberia passed us by.

We arrived in Moscow yesterday morning, checked into
Galina's flat where hosted in all the typical Russian
houshold comforts. Then we set out to see the CITY.
Eugeinie took me to saee the University, a very
impressive building, and the beautiful Sparro Hills
full of walk ways and with the most impressive view of
Moscow. We took the tram back and saw Moscow in early
spring.

We met Carol Singleton for coffee and prayer in the
late afternoon and then we went to look for a stone on
the Red Square.

Go to Go!!!!

Oslo, Kirkenes, Mehamn, Kirkenes

The evening in Oslo with Sandy and Christine was a
blessing beyond measure. After a refreshing walk
throught the old city we were back at our Pension just
in time to meet these ladies from the local
intercession network. We spent hours sharing on this
and other prayer journies and the amazing things God
is doing in Norway and in the world.

The next morning we got away late, mostly because it
takes so much longer to get dressed in all these
layers of clothing we need fpr this cold. We scuttled
down the hill where the Norwgian King has his abode,
and got on the bus half a minute before its departure.
Checkin at the Oslo airport went smoothly although the
security cost me my little bottle of drinking water...
We slept most of the flight to Kirkenes, where we
spent most of the rest of the long day in the transit
zone for our 16:30 flight to Mehamn.

Stepping onto that little 20 seater propeller aircraft
as the deap nordic dusk lingered was exhilirating. And
half an hour's flight later we landed in Mehamn, with
its single airstrip and its little wooden Airport. We
expected to find Dan, the guy from the Youth Hostle
that I had been dealing with in the reservation
process there, but instead Widar, his boss came to us
with his airport workers clothes and told us to wait
for him while he finished his work, then heæll take us
to the Hostle.

At the YH we discouvered that we are the only guests.
He told us Dan had a bad flew and that he would take
us to Nortkinn himself the next day. He told us tha
there was a Swiss group who started the 30 Km walk to
Nordkin the day before. Due to the weather situation
he has an arrangement with the local nature reserve to
be able to check if his hicking or skiin guests are OK
using snowmobil, even though snowmobil is not allowed
there normally. This is how we joined a *rescue* party
and got to doe the journey overland by snowmobil the
next day.

Yesterday must be one of the most memorable days of my
life. High thck snow gear that can keep you alive in
40 minus, snowmobil riding, blue sy, large expanses of
white snow covered wilderness, beauty beyond
description...

We prayed and left the stones from Jerusalem. We
picked up a styone from Nordkin, we returned at lunch
time, spent the rest of the day in Mehamn and last
night we borded the very nice ferry that brought us
back to Kirkenes. After dard we stood on the deck and
saw the Northern Lights! It was like curtains of light
green fire works covering the whole sky! Then suffenly
little purple lightning-like lights shot through the
green - we could only gawk in Awe! It was awesome.

Now on Kirkenes, waiting for the bus to Russia!

God is awesome!

Dubai Istanbul Oslo

We arrived inoslo at midday today after a LONG and amazing journey. The onboard entertainment in the Emerates Flight made my experience of Dubai swim in tired immages of Ratatouli and the Jane Austen book club in the back of my mind. We saw all in the transit area during 8 hour stay over there before we flew to Istanbul. Arriving there after sunset, we could feel the wintry parts are much closer now. Our taxi from the airport got lost in the old city, due to the strange traffic there, and we gor an hour long tour of the old city - amazing place! We spent less than 12 hours in Istanbul but it is already right up there amoung my most favourite cities in the world. The 7 hours sleep was a bit too little to restore and we feel a bit fragile, so please pray for our health. We had a good flight to Oslo, and though its really cold and rainy here we will be able to rest well before we go to the north tomorrow.

We hope tofind the Norwegian intercessors shotly!

Here we go

It’s a beautiful afternoon here in Pretoria and its hard to think that we’ll be on the other side of the planet when the sun goes down tomorrow. There was much grace in the preparation for this journey and I feel more able to experience the moment than during the mad rush our previous trips were characterized by.

Tonight on the plane, tomorrow morning in Dubai, sleep in Istanbul, and fly to Oslo on Saturday. Some of the Norwegian believers from Oslo may meet us there on Saturday evening. On Sunday we fly to Mehamen – one of the northernmost towns of the European continent. On Monday we will charter a little boat to take us to the farthest most northern point of mainland Europe: Norkinn. There we will build the altar with the 40 little stones from Mnt Zion. And only then the Highway Prayer Journey is officially begun.

Thank you for your love and prayers!

Ps. I am trying to send emails to this blog from my phone. I have not had any success yet. So if you see funny posts like the “lets try this” of earlier today, forgive me and pray for more technological anointing!

Lets Try this

Blogging!