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!