At the last minute, we were thrilled to find out that a trip we thought had been cancelled was still on, so we jumped online and bought tickets to Norway.  Pretty fun, eh?  “Hey, kids, we’re going to Norway this weekend!”  Pete (who’d left for a little time in the states) and Erin (who’d been on a short trip to Germany) were both going to come join us at a base called Grimerud.  Our Swedish friend drove us to the airport, and we asked him loads of questions about this country that we knew hardly anything about.  We asked him because Norway is right next to Sweden.  He said:

• It was like Sweden, but more beautiful
• It was on the coast with lots of fjords
• they could understand each other’s languages

Needless to say, that is not a ton of information, and we were in for a huge surprise.  I’m actually writing this from the train that is taking us to the airport for our departure, so I’m looking back over an incredible week.  I will save the best part (what the Lord did during this week) for another blog and just tell you about this nation. 

I’ll just say this, I’m glad Norwegians aren’t Americans, although many Americans are Norwegian.  See, Americans are sort of known for thinking that they’re better than everyone else, but Norway could actually make a case for it.  Fortunately, that’s not their attitude.  Unless you can count the long dark tunnel our train took us through, I have not yet seen a landscape (city or country) that is less than lovely, and many that are stunningly gorgeous.  It’s early spring, but there are not so many flowers as slender trees with new leaves, rolling fields, blue lakes, and hills.  And, as the natives have told us, this is just the eastern side; the west is much more beautiful. 

Most of the countryside is made up of perfectly proportioned and manicured small farms. Our train ride lasted three hours, and I didn’t see a sloppy yard or broken down fence, or even a farm house with faded paint.  You really have to see it to believe it.  Not only is illiteracy basically unheard of, just about everyone speaks English well.  When I asked a friend if there was any poverty, he mentioned that there are some pensioners who struggle due to high rent, and some addicts who are homeless, because their state welfare doesn’t provide enough both for their addiction and rent.   I gaped out the window at what he had mentioned was one of the poorest districts in Norway, struggling to comprehend the concept of a nation with no poverty. 

The day before we left, we had to take Ariel to the emergency room to check for an ear infection after business hours.  The whole process took about fifteen minutes, and the bill was FREE.  There was no one else there, and the doctor herself grabbed us from the waiting room, conducted the examination (briefly), spoke to us in English, and sent us on.  The receptionist informed us that anyone under 12 was totally free.  I know, I know, you’re wondering if this is heaven.  But the downside was that while she did diagnose Ariel with an ear infection (she supposed, she couldn’t see all the way into the ear), she simply responded with the same prescription the moms on base had given me, a nasal spray, drops of oil in the ear, and pain killers.  She was adamant that they would not prescribe antibiotics until several days of natural treatment and severe pain.  So…most Americans would not feel too heavenly about that.  We’re used to getting antibiotics the moment the cold becomes an ear infection.  Probably their way is better, but it takes some fortitude.  When I asked her if there was a danger of Ariel’s ear drum bursting on the flight, she shrugged and said, “It’s always a chance.”  The Lord’s peace kept me.  Ariel had been really sick an hour before, crying with pain, and we had prayed over her.  Seeing a picture of the Lord touching her ear, I still felt we should visit the doctor to make sure we should fly.  By the time we were at the doctor, Ariel had no pain, and was chatting up a storm with her new Norwegian friend in the white coat. 

Our friends at the base were trying to convince us to come back, informing us that in addition to a free birth, the government would give us $6,000 for having a baby (as long as I was not working).  Diaper money?  Things are different in the richest country in the western world…or according to the Norwegians, the highest income per capita in the world.  I have to check that stat, but they’re definitely up there. 

So…if you’re not bored yet, here’s a little explanation as to why they are so rich.  Even historians and sociologists agree, it is because of the Bible.  In the 1850’s a young farmer was set on flame for God, and was convinced that everyone should preach the gospel and so set out on foot and skis to tell the whole country so.  At the time, only clergy of the state church were allowed to preach, and so this upstart ushered in revival.  The whole country was affected, and the church was filled with true believers.  Over the next hundred years, there were many movements of God, with periodic revivals.  At this point, 98% of the nationals are members of the state church, and our friends tell us that most of the clergy are actually believers (unlike many European countries).  The top leadership of the church, though, is of course political, so that is not true all the way up to the top.  One statistic I read said that only 2-3% of Norwegians actually regularly attend church, making it one of the least “religious” countries in Europe.  So while it is currently becoming quite secular, the heritage of godliness and devotion is so complete and widespread, affecting every tradition and basically producing the foundations of the current culture, Norway is incredibly blessed.  The next generation is like the rest of the world, though.  Empty and looking for something real.  Which brings us to the point of the trip!  And the next blog!