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Nordmarkskapellet, outside



Nordmarkskapellet, inside



Brigitte and Edwin ringing the church bell



In front of Nordmarkskapellet

If anybody is still reading this, I'm home! When I woke up this morning I was really confused as to where I was!

I had a great weekend at Nordmarkskapellet. Friday night I drove up to the chapel with two friends, Børge and Sigrun. Driving access is very limited in the woods, but Børge has a permit since he's in charge of the chapel. The car was loaded down with our stuff plus waffle-makings for 300 people! The chapel has rooms for overnighting, so we stayed the weekend there. Saturday I spent the morning helping Sigrun make centerpieces for anniversary celebration, and then spent the afternoon x-country skiing in the magical Norwegian woods. Along the way I met my dear Dutch friend Brigitte and her husband Edwin, who were hiking in since Edwin doesn't know how to ski. We had a great time catching up sitting by the fireplace in the chapel. Sunday was the big 75th anniversary celebration. The service started at noon, and the former Prime Minister, Kjell Magne Bondevik, preached. At least 200 people skiied in Sunday morning for the celebration. After the service there were waffles with brown goat cheese and jam for everyone, and then a program and video of the chapel. During the program Børge interviewed Brigitte and I since we had come the farthest for the anniversary!

Happy Valentines' Day!

Over breakfast yesterday morning we remembered that it was V-Day, so Sissel lit two pink candles to set the mood :) It isn't really celebrated here, but in recent years stationary stores, post office, flower shops etc. have realized it is another way to make money, so are trying to make it into something. It was clear and sunny, which just makes everything better, and so I put on my 50 layers of clothing and my sunglasses and headed out to my favorite place in Oslo, Vigelandsparken. It is a huge statue park designed by a Norwegian named Gustav Vigeland. The statues all show human relationships and the aging process. I've been there so many times in the cumulative 9 months I've lived here, that all the statues seem like friends. I ate lunch on the stairs of the monolith, enjoying the sunshine.

I walked back to town and did some shopping. At a used clothing store I bought a sweet little girl's bunad (Norwegian costume) for $30. This is the best bargain I've seen in Oslo so far, where my hot coco at a cafe the other day cost $6! I'm hoping it will fit Anya for Norwegian independence day in May. I met Sissel in town for another $6 coco down by the water, overlooking the harbor and Akershus fortress.

I had dinner at the home of some Danish/German/Norwegian friends named Martin and Maria. I met them also when I was studying here, but saw them last 3 or 4 years ago in Portland when they were studying in California. Now they have a darling baby boy named William. We had a wonderful evening together talking about a million different subjects, but a lot about Norwegian politics and culture and the changes that I noticed have taken place over the last 10 years. Oslo now has a 25 percent foreign popluation. You can hear just about every possible language on a walk down the street. I even heard Swahili once! I bet the African immigrants hate the cold. They (Martin the scientist) also told me how baby William has a better chance of marrying one of the three Norwegian princess babies than winning the lottery due to the small population of Norway (4 mill)! I didn't leave until 10:30 pm, and was a bit apprehensive about walking back to Sissel's flat so late, but even at 11 pm on Thursday the streets were full of people, mostly going between bars and cafes. Oh, BTW, I found out why there is so much outdoor seating now - Sissel told me the after the indoor smoking ban was passed into law these places sprung up overnight!

Today I play tourist some more, and this evening will head to the beautiful Norwegian woods for some skiing and fellowship and the 75th anniversary of "Nordmarkskapellet" (the Chapel in the North Woods) on Sunday. The sun is shining again, so I'd better get out there!

BRRRRRR.....

I'm in Oslo! I had a good trip back to Dar and got to spend some time with a few friends that evening. I went to bed at 2:30 am after finishing packing and was up again at 5:30 am to go to the airport. Typical Tanzania, the taxi ran out of gas just short of the airport. Taxis usually run on empty, and occassionally the driver will ask for prepayment so he can get gas before taking you to your destination! Anyway, after waiting 20 minutes for him to come back with gas, I left $10 equivalent in the ash tray and flagged another taxi so I didn't miss my flight! And I managed to say goodbye to everyone w/o crying :)

I spent the night on some chairs in London-Heathrow which ended up being fine with my earplugs and eyemask, and then caught an early morning flight to Oslo. Today was cold, foggy and dark in Oslo. Everyone wears black, which is so different from colorful Tanzania. I am staying with my Norwegian friend Sissel in her cute little flat. We met in '97 when I was an exchange student here, and I haven't seen her in about 8 years. After settling in, I met an American friend Luther who I also haven't seen for about 8 years. We went out for coffee at a cute little cafe, then walked around a little while and then got dinner. Despite the cold, many people are outside downtown. The main shopping street is for peds only, and there is an outdoor ice skating ring in the middle of town. There are lots of sidewalk cafes with outdoor seating - they provide blankets for customers, and sometimes heat lamps too. After dark, many open galleries and cafes put little torches outside, making points of light down the dark streets. But I'm glad to be in Sissel's cozy flat now instead of outside!

African Camping Rocks!

Playing in the river.

Nashesha and Erik, zebras in the background.

Kari in front of smoking Ol Doniyo Lengai (means Mountain of God in the Maasai language).

My head is so full of all the amazing scenery, people, animals and crazy things I've seen this weekend! I went camping with Uncle Erik, Erik Mdogo, Nashesha, and two neighbor boys Hamisi and Dina. We had such an amazing time! On the drive out we saw elephants, zebra and giraffe. Nothing is cooler than an elephant crossing the road in front of you! :) We camped by a dry riverbed in view of the smoking volcano Ol Doinyo Lengai in a huge Ngorongoro-esque field full of wildebeest, zebra, impala and ostriches. There was a huge thunder/lightning/rainstorm that night, and water entered under Shesha's and my tent and we got absolutely soaked. Fortunately it wasn't cold, so we were able to sleep in a puddle!

In the morning, after we line dried all our stuff, we headed out for another campsite, by a shallow river in a beautiful gorge. After we unpacked we hiked along the river until we reached an amazing waterfall that we could walk through. On the other side was a passage where the rocks overhead didn't quite touch and smaller waterfalls came down. It was one of the coolest places I've ever been, and we played there for hours. Sunday we hiked/scrambled along the river again, all the way to its source which was a huge rock wall where water shot out of about 50 places. The scenery was unbelievable, I wish you all could have seen it because I know pictures won't do it justice! Tomorrow I take the bus to Dar and I fly out the next morning. I will try to blog from Norway...

PM resigns

It seems there is always a lot of big stuff going on here. Last Thursday my friend Daniel's father died. Yesterday my friend Paul was hit by a car (he's ok). Today the Prime Minister resigned after being caught in a scandal. He is the first PM to ever resign, so it is a big deal, and good for the country to see that corruption doesn't always pay. Here's a link to an article if you are interested: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7232141.stm You can also google Tanzania+Lowassa.

Aunt Bernice and I had a nice lunch today at an Ethiopian restaurant with Boyz 2 Men playing in the background and a parrot yelling who knows what in the corner. Bernice has to travel for work (World Vision) today, so she can't go camping with us, so I was glad to have some time to spend with her before she leaves this afternoon.


The first time I have seen Mt. Menu with snow! From Erik's yard.

Bernice's parents (they went home earlier this week). Babu is doing ok.

On Vacation

Now I'm really on vacation at my aunt and uncle's house in Arusha, sleeping in, reading, plenty of internet time and I even took an afternoon nap! Yesterday I went to observe a session of the UN Rwanda War Tribunal. It has been going on for about 10 years and I always wanted to go see it while I lived here, but was always in Arusha over various holidays, and so it was not in session. I sat in on a session in which the nanny of a political figure was interviewed. It was really tedious as they would ask a simple question like "where were you when you heard that the president was killed?" She was questioned in english, and then it was interpreted into french (for some of the judges) and into whatever language she was speaking. She was 16 at the time of the genocide, and probably had no education, so a number of times she said she didn't understand the question, and lawyer would have to start all over. Although it was very interesting in general, one hour to observe was plenty!

Friday we are going camping, Monday I take the bus back to Dar, and Tuesday I fly to Norway for a few days before coming home. The Norway trip is proving more expensive and logistically difficult than I had initially hoped, but I'm sure it will be great. God willing, and provided I don't freeze to death in Oslo, I'll be flying home on the 18th!

Maasae Girls' School

Erik Mdogo driving four on "a bicycle built for two". I could only manage to pedal with three!

Nashesha in front of the chapel of the Maasae Girls' School.

On Saturday Nashesha and I went to spend the night with missionary friends from Bellevue, Marv and Jean. They are teachers at the Maasae Girls' School, a boarding school for girls from the traditionally nomadic Maasai tribe. When the school began (10 yrs ago or so), there were only 24 Maasai girls in secondary school in the whole country! It was a fun adventure for Nashesha and I to do together. In the morning we worshipped together with the girls in their outdoor chapel, the roof of which is shaped like a Maasai shield. The pastor is a Maasai who graduated from the school and has now returned as chaplain.

On the way back we stopped for lunch at the "Snake Park", sort of a hotel/restaurant/zoo in one. It was feeding time for the snakes so we got to watch various snakes eating live chicks whole!! We returned to Arusha late Sunday evening, and spent the rest of the day dancing, riding bikes, and watching part of Charlotte's Web on Shesha's DVD player that we plugged in outside.

Pictures!

My beautiful cousin, Nashesha

Michelle (Misha) with her Kizanaki group, working on grammar

Moses and Moses

Stanley sporting his new t-shirt, thank you Liz

Victor (in new shirt), Kari, Paul, Jacob

One of Jacob's 17 siblings!

Me with Jacob's sister Rahabu

Me with Victor's sisters Neema, Esta and Elisifa

God speaks your language

I'm glad to see the Arusha post up since the computer said it failed to load. Anyway...lots of traveling the last few days! The morning after arriving in Arusha I flew to Mwanza on the southern tip of Lake Victoria, and then took a 4-hr bus ride to Musoma, on the eastern side of the lake. It was fun to go somewhere new, since so far I've been in "familiar territory". The highlight was driving for a while along the edge of the Serengetti. In Musoma I stayed two nights at a beautiful Catholic guest house right on the edge of Lake Victoria. I spent Thursday sitting in on a Wycliffe Bible Translators/SIL workshop. The Musoma cluster is working on Bible translation in 9 local languages simultaneously. One of the translators (Michelle) is a gal from Olympia, WA who knows Greg and the Caldwells because her sister was a Ballard Young Life leader!

The workshop was specifically for 4 of the language groups. They have just begun with these languages, starting with creating an alphabet since none of these languages were previously written. Now they are working on creating a dictionary and figuring out the grammar. They are working in small groups, with 4-5 speakers of the language (often pastors or evangelists), with one Wycliffe member. Bible translation will start later this year, or early next year. It is fascinating work on the whole, but it was hard for me to stay awake listening to people discuss grammar ALL DAY! :) Now I'm heading back to Arusha, so another half day of travel...I will be glad to stay there for the week!