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Home for Christmas...

I realise I haven’t written since Kansas City. The good news is it isn’t coz I got stuck for days at an airport because of the snow chaos we’ve had in Europe the last week or so. I arrived last week Tuesday to a grey and rainy afternoon. The snow arrived the next day and has stayed since. It’s nice to have a white Christmas, especially when you can have a fire lit in the fireplace and plenty of blankets to keep warm.

It was lovely to see family again. The children have grown so much and wee Julie (my youngest niece) is beautiful. It’s great that she lives upstairs so I get to see her a lot. And I had a lovely evening baking vegan gingerbread cookies with friends.

I am so thankful for family and friends!

Adjusting and being back in Norway has had its ups and downs. Lots of jetlag (when it’s 2 am and you’re wide awake, I think you can define it as jetlag). It was slightly adjusted when I had an early morning dentist appointment, but I’m still getting to sleep really late. So much for the morning person doing 6 am starts back in KC. I am now a night owl. I imagine it’ll adjust itself once normality hits... whatever that will look like.

I am thankful to be able to sleep and not be rushing around and being so busy. Holiday is supposed to be restful.

Culture-shock. I guess it’s unavoidable really. When you uproot from one “home” and have to resettle somewhere else, there are adjustments to be done. But my question is: is it culture shock or reverse-culture shock I’m facing? I don’t really know where I feel most at home anymore, but I am feeling the culture shock whatever type it might be. Missing Kansas City and the knowing that I am part of something and have a “day-to-day” to go back to when Christmas is over. Miss having something I am “doing”... and find it hard not knowing what lies ahead. I have had some “brave” moment feeling full of faith and trust and even excitement. But also some “lower” moments in tears, worrying and feeling very alone and lost. It truly is a journey, and Jesus never said it would be easy. But it’s my journey with Him, and I keep reminding myself of how I’ve chosen this path and I’ve come this far, and I know He is faithful to continue to be my Shepherd and Guide and Friend, the One who is always with me wherever I go and end up. So when the waves of culture-shock hit me...I just let them flood over me, knowing that it’ll pass. It always does, and it will get easier with time.

I am thankful that I can be on a journey with Jesus, who is my Shepherd and Friend.

Christmas. Today is the day before Christmas. I’ve got my presents bought. Shopping was overwhelming this year. What do you get people who have most things? It’s so easy to feel the pressure of not having bought enough or something expensive enough. The truth is that it is the heart behind the gift that counts, and at the end of the day Christmas isn’t about the presents we receive or give, it’s about Jesus coming to earth.

I am thankful the preparations for Christmas are done and now it’s all about enjoying family and celebrating Jesus.

Start of January I’m off to the YWAM base for the national staff conference. I got a few emails this week about it, and suddenly it dawned on me that there’ll be lots of people I don’t know and a setting I’m no longer familiar with. It’s a bit daunting. Big gatherings overwhelm me. But I am also glad to be able to see some people I know and talk to them and the Lord about the way forward and hopefully get some more clarity on where this journey I’m on is going.

I am thankful the YWAM base has a prayer room 24/7 I can go (or “retreat”) to.

That’s it for now. It’s late and tomorrow is Christmas Eve (the day we celebrate on here in Norway).

I think it’s going to be a lovely Christmas.

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