Where is Home?!

Living a Missionary Life is challenging but great…

Summer will soon end! For those of you who haven’t experience a Norwegian Summer, this is how I will describe it. First the SUN is out - almost the whole day, it sets at about 10 in the evening or even later and shows up again at about 2 in the morning, and this is here in the South where we live and in the North where the midnight sun is - you hardly see it sets. When the sun is out we notice how it makes such a big difference to people. It gives more energy, it puts smile on their faces, and you see a lot of people outside. I sometimes wonder, where were they all those past months? :) Well, its also a time to get more colour as many will say - but for both of us, we have it ;) what a funny thing to think about. In Asia, some would love to be as white as they can be but here, the darker the better.

Okay, enough about this, let’s go to something more interesting. Home?! Well, since its summer the base we call “home” has to be rent out for several weeks for summer camps, and we as a staff can choose a camp that we wanted to work with. We usually go to the Philippines after the first camp but this time we consider to stay for our visa sake. So for weeks, this is how our “home” looks like:

From the YWAM base to a Camping Car to a Friend’s house and back to the base (not to our own place but to the dorm and then back to our own place again.) The amazing thing beyond all this challenges is the faithfulness and surprises of our Heavenly Father. Yes, there are some emotional moments when packing and unpacking but more than that is the joy that God is sustaining us along the way.

“and Jesus said to him, foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but

the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”

MATTHEW 8:20

Quick Update over the last months:

April - we both applied for a new visa. While waiting, we continue with what we are doing as kitchen in charge while the BSN (Bible School for the Nations) is running.

May - Benjie got his visa result and it was approved until July15, 2015 :) Christina started working part time in Dyreparken/AbraHavn, because it was required with the visa she applied. The BSN lecture phase ended.

June - Christina’s visa was denied but by the grace of God, it was settled after 2 weeks and she got it approved until October 31 of this year. Benjie also joined the Mission Adventures Training. He taught

about Lifestyle of a Worshipper. The MA Team went to Romania for outreach after the training but Benjie went back to the base. June 20th - our base program ended. Its Norwegian Summer Break for everyone. 

Benjie helped in 3 camps in June and July.

• Skjærgårdstreff 50+ (a camp for people 50 and above) with about 70 participants.
• Family Camp 2, the second family camp with about 150 participants both adult and children. Imagine that?! :)
• Intouch Camp, a camp for those whose been a part or have been involved with YWAM with 120 participants. This time its more adults than kids.

Benjie has been part of the kitchen team together with the other staff from our base and other volunteers, feeding the participants every meal and cleaning before and after the camp. This is the regular thing the base is doing every year, and its a big help for the basic needs of our base. Its

also a blessing for us as a staff to get to know more people and to serve.

Christina on the other side, continue to work in AbraHavn. She was obliged to work 80% as the Immigration required. In August, she will only work sometime in the weekends since she will pursue a study: Master of Global Studies. I got accepted in Misjonshøgskolen (School of Mission and Theology) for August. The good thing about this is I don’t have to be in the school all the time so I can still be in YWAM while doing my study. I am excited to do Global Studies with all its exciting topics such as: Encounters of Religions and Cultures, The Christian Church in its Global Context and

Culture and Communication. The program is for 2 years. Please pray that I will be able to have

sufficient money to show the Immigration that I can support myself while I am studying and living here in Norway. If only I can tell the Immigration how we live by faith here in Norway over

the years… but I don’t think they will accept that explanation, anyway the truth is, God is bigger than all our needs :) The application for my student visa will be in the end of September.

Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. Whatever you do, work heartily, as

for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.

Colossians 3:22-24

Our Little Bentin’s Update:

We chose not to know if its a boy or a girl during the ultrasound. We are both very traditional. We thought, our parents didn’t knew that its us coming when they were expecting a child so we did the same, a child is a big blessing anyway :)

Its very overwhelming for both of us during the ultrasound, and yes, there were tears. Imagine

how we used to see an ovarian cyst in the past but now it is a baby - a life living inside my womb.

What an amazing Creator! The doctor said that everything looks great with my pregnancy. Work

is not a hindrance, in fact its an encouragement to continue what we normally do. There are some changes both physically and emotionally too but in due time, it’ll all be worth it. We can only Thank God for this blessing!

Autumn 2014…

We arrived here in Norway 2 years ago as a couple, rough landing as maybe some of you remembered but looking back, we can only see how God really has sustained us with His undeniable Grace and Love and that keeps us moving to what He wants us to do. Our heart for Norway is to see Norwegians standing out. We want to see them living a life of passion and obedience for God, breaking all the traditions but following and living only for the truth. We want to encourage you (our readers and partners in mission) to stand with us as we pursue our hearts here in Norway. We believe that a Transformation will happen in this nation soon. Pray that Norway will go back to its Biblical Foundation.

• In August 6-10, we will be in Stavern (Eastern part of Norway) for the yearly event GoFest. As YWAM Norway, this will also be the kick off for this coming Autumn and then back to our own bases to start again. It will be a great time to have fellowship with other YWAMers and YWAM friends. We pray for good weather too since we are camping. We have decided to be in a tent during this event :)
• DTS in Skjærgårdsheimen will start in September and both of us will still be part of the Kitchen Ministry.
• Our Bible Study Den Nye Veien (The New Way) in Frikirken (the church we are helping) among the former M will resume in September.

 

•  Benjie will continue learning Norwegian in KIA starting September 2. This will be once a week and also a great place to meet new people.
• Benjie desires to join giving out Bibles in all households in the North of Norway this coming October.

The Bible to All Households in Finnmark: No book has influenced nations, cultures, families and people more than the bible. This is why it is our goal to give a Bible to every household in Finnmark October 1-19, 2014. Our vision is to touch the whole of Norway with the Word of God by 2017, which marks the 500 year anniversary of the reformation. That was when the Word of God came to many of the homes of Europe for the first time and laid the foundation for centuries of Christian values.

More info here: www.bibelentilalle.org

• Christina will have a very calm (hoping) Autumn, more on reading/studying at home and helping in some practical things at the base like what she’s been doing from before.

Prayer Points:

1. Please pray for Christina’s visa application on September 30. She will need the visa fee plus the amount required by the immigration. Please pray for God’s wisdom on how to raise money in this area.
2. Our baby is due in November. Please pray for safe delivery for Christina and our baby.
3. Benjie’s considering to join the Bible to All in October, we have no idea how much fund he needs as of now but you can pray first that more people will be able to be a part of it and also more funds to come to be able to buy Bibles for all the households in Finnmark.
4. And since we will be a family of 3, we would like to invite you to be a part of what we are doing here in Norway by prayers and/or support. Should you desire to be a part of supporting us or surprising us with one time gift, please don’t hesitate to let us know.

Tin@6months

Thank you so much for believing and standing with us. We pray for more of God’s never ending stories of His faithfulness in your lives as well. Please let us know if there is anything we can pray for you too.