October is here!

Hello everyone!


I kveld, jeg skriver fra Sandvika, utenfor Oslo!  (Tonight I'm writing from Sandvika, near Oslo!)  I am also using a Norwegian computer, so I apologize in advance for any spelling mistakes ;)


Yesterday, I took a very short plane ride from Bergen to Oslo to visit Solveig Bakk and her husband Alf.  Solveig is my great grandfather Otto Bakk's niece.  Even though we are distantly related, we ARE truly family and Solveig has been a wonderful tour guide and hostess!


I had been in Oslo (Norway's capital) very briefly a couple of weeks ago.  However, because Mary Elizabeth and I were heading directly to a church in Mysen, I didn't have a chance to really SEE Oslo.  Compared to Bergen, I had heard that Oslo is quite industrial and less cute, but I really enjoyed my time exploring.


Solveig brought me to several well known tourist destinations yesterday!  I visited:


     ~the Oslo opera house.  It's famous for its massive roof, which allows people to walk on it and see a beautiful 360 degree view of the city!
     ~the Oslo parliment building.  It has been 200 years since Norway has had its own constitution, and yesterday Norwegians celebrated the "Åpning av stortinget" or "the opening of parliment".  Many People gathered on the main street of Oslo near the parliment building, because King Harald was inside giving a speech!  Solveig and I stayed outside for almost an hour waiting for a glimpse of King Harald and his wife Sonja.  Our only entertainment was watching three royal guards faint.  Poor guys...  But, we were finally rewarded for our patience when the King and Queen came out to the street and drove back to their palace.  I saw royalty with my own eyes!! Pretty exciting for a girl who hasn't even seen the U.S. president!
     ~Oslo city hall.  This is where the Nobel Peace Prize award ceremony is held, so it's obviously HUGE and gorgeous.  It felt like an art museum because paintings hung on nearly every wall.
     ~The King and Queen's Palace and gardens.  Beautiful.
     ~Vigelandsparken.  This is a gigantic sculpture park in Oslo, filled with sculptures by Gustav Vigeland.  The sculptures are made of granite and bronze, and are simple and beautiful.  I am in awe of Vigeland- he completed over 200 sculptures in his lifetime.


Last night after all that walking, I was quite tired.  Norwegians know how to walk for long distances!  :D


Today, Solveig took me on another adventure: seeing the Bakk family farm!  It was such a surreal experience to actually SEE the farm where my great grandfather Otto grew up.  He had 5 brothers and 3 sisters, so you can imagine that space and land must have been hard to come by.  When Otto was 18, he and his older brother Alfred moved to the United States to get a fresh start.  I am so thankful I could visit the Bakk farm here!  It's a beautiful thing to get in touch with my roots and try to imagine what life was like 100 years ago.  I felt at home there, like I could have grown up on a Norwegian farm as well.


Tomorrow, I'm traveling by train to Hamar with my dear friend Ana to visit our mutual friend Lilla at a Youth With a Mission base.  Then on Monday, Ana, her YWAM team and I are flying to Finnmark.  Finnmark is the Northern most region of Norway.  I am STOKED to see this rugged and pristine part of the country.  We will be evangelizing and handing out Bibles while we are there.  Please pray for God to move and guide us, and for Divine appointments.  I am honored to serve God and learn from Ana's team.


Blessings to you all.
Klemmer fra Norge (hugs from Norway),
Anna