Gratulerer med dagen

Today, May 17, is Norwegian Constitution Day. It is a day much like America's Fourth of July/Independence Day. And from everything we've studied, it is celebrated in a similar fashion. Parades, lots of food, wearing of the nations colors (red, white & blue), and fireworks. Kids are known to enjoy hot dogs and ice cream, while traditional Norwegian dishes are also served.

So, Gratulerer med dagen Norge! We look forward to joining the celebration in-person next year!

To learn a little more about Constitution Day, visit http://mylittlenorway.com/2008/08/norwegian-constitution-day-happy-birthday/.

Who Are You?

It's been happening a lot lately. I'm talking to someone I've not spoken to in a while. In person, on the phone, through email or social media. And they mention that they've been following the blog and catching up our upcoming journey.

Looking at the blog stats, I knew our readership had increased slightly, but it's always interesting to find out who is actually following along. So if you get a chance, we'd love to hear from you. Just leave a comment  to let us know you're here.

Next week is our big appointment week in Nashville. We'll have quite a few important meetings, and will be officially appointed with our company. This is yet another big step in our process, so please be praying for this time. It will also be great to spend a few days with others that are going through the process as well! There are several that we met in our first meetings last July, and we look forward to reconnecting after almost a year a

While in Tennessee, we'll take a little detour over to Memphis to celebrate William's 10th birthday. And we also plan to spend some time with family in Knoxville. We're looking forward to all of it!

Teacher Gifts

Almost finished with the gifts!
(And I cannot get these photos to rotate... ugh.)

Beach Bundle: beach towel, water bottle, flip flops,
& sunscreen

Just need to add some flowers

Mason jar filled with M& M's

School Days

Concentration!

The boys only have 7 more days of school. Technically, there are 10 more days but they will miss the last 3 because we'll be in Nashville for our appointment week.

Last night we started work on a gift for Daniels' teacher. I recently joined Pinterest, and found some really cute gift ideas on there.

William's teacher is getting a 'beach bundle': beach towel, flip flops, & water bottle, all tied with a cute ribbon that has a mini sunscreen bottle threaded through it.


Daniel's para-pro is getting a mason jar (we're talking about Pinterest, so something HAD to involve a mason jar, right?) filled with M&M's. It has a little poem attached about all the different colors and how she's his M&M - his Marvelous & Magnificent teacher :)

This is the photo we're using as
inspiration for Daniel's teacher gift.

The project we started last night is for Daniel's teacher. I haven't taken another picture since the painting was completed, but it turned out really cute. He did a great job with the painting, and I finished drawing on the 'ruler' just before I went to bed. We just need to put some flowers in it & we'll be good to go!

I'll try to get pictures of all the finished projects before they give them next Friday.



Closing a 14-Year Chapter

It was early 1998, just a few months until our wedding day. And I needed a job. A month or two earlier, Zack had begun a position at a local auto insurance company, and he said there were a few open positions there. I applied for a claims secretary position, and soon began my first real world job.

After about 5 years in various positions in Claims, I was offered a position as an accounting analyst. I thought it would be good to learn about a different area of the business, so I accepted it. For two [very long] years, I worked in Accounting. I learned a lot, including the fact that accounting was not for me!

The Accounting department was adjacent to Product Management. A couple of the AVPs from that department began approaching me, asking if I'd be interested in coming to work with them. A few months later, I started in the department, and realized I'd finally found my niche.

I have been working in product management for about 7 years now. I'm a numbers geek, and my Type A personality has served me well in this position. My obsession with numbers and order skills have carried over to home: our family budget is a formula-heavy workbook filled with pivot tables and projections. And I'm notorious for creating spreadsheets to determine major purchase decisions or to manage details of family trips. I've climbed the proverbial ladder and experienced success. I look back at my beginning as an entry-level secretary, I feel that I have accomplished much in the professional world.

But in less than 2 weeks, I'll say good-bye to this world. I've worked in auto insurance for over 14 years. In that time, I've only worked for two companies. I've been blessed with so many opportunities to learn, grow, and advance. By all accounts, I have it great. No reason to move on, outside from God saying so. And as you've read in previous posts, that's exactly what He did! I've learned that a good job is nice, and there is nothing wrong with enjoying the stuff of life. But all of it is temporary, and it's not where I want to store my treasure.

Today is my last day alone at my desk. Tomorrow, my replacement will be here. Being that my current company is a fairly new competitor in the market, our team is relatively small. I'm the only one that does what I do here, so transferring all the 'intell' is critical. I'll have eight days to train him. To show him everything I've learned and developed over the past almost 3 years at this company.

Next Thursday afternoon, I'll walk out. With my small box of belongings, I'll get in my car and drive home from my office job for the last time. Away from the regular hours, the routine of typical daily tasks, a very generous paycheck, and the only industry I've ever known.

And I'll step into the next chapter. I'm scared. And nervous. And over-the-moon excited.

Don't hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or—worse!—stolen by burglars. Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it's safe from moth and rust and burglars. It's obvious, isn't it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being.

~Matthew 6:19-21

By Zack

I visited Daniel at his Field Day today.  It was raining, it was loud and he was totally out of control.  But he was having a good time!

I was asking him about one of his friends a few weeks ago and I asked him to describe his friend. Daniel's answer was, "well, his mom gives him a new shirt every day and he has a face."

Wow!

But God...

We weren't aware of the desperate need for Jesus in so many parts of the world.

but God... opened our eyes and our hearts. He showed us that people are simply not hearing the name of Jesus, that they are not being reached with the Gospel. (See Proverbs 24:11-12)

We were comfortable with our lives.
but God... made us uncomfortable.

We weren't the kind of people that leave everything behind and move half way across the world.
but God... showed us that He can use anyone for His purpose.

We once said we aren't smart enough for this.
but God... chose to call us anyway.

We once said we were too old to start on this journey.
but God... is showing us that the experiences and lessons we've learned in life will be important parts of how we minister in the future.

We once said we can't.
but God... said GO.**

We once were sinners, destined for two deaths: physical, and spiritual.
but God... sent His only Son, to live a sinless life on earth, to die a sinner's death, so that we can have eternal life and so we can have a relationship with Him! And what's more, Jesus conquered death, came back from the grave and is with the Father today.

We once were a mess. In fact, we still are.
but God... forgives and leads. He does not hold grudges. He lovingly disciplines. He does not give up on us


God is bigger than anything we can face. Bigger than any sin. Bigger than any obstacle. Way bigger than any excuse we can create for not going.

God is sovereign. God is in control. And He deserves all glory and praise for the journey our family is about embarking on.


**GO. Jesus gave this command to all Christians. For us, the GO means to Europe. If you are a Christian, I encourage you ask God to reveal to you where your GO is. It might be joining a local congregation. It might mean increased involvement in efforts within your home church. It might be involvement in sharing Jesus around your community (a nursing home or after-school program, an ESOL program at a church, or volunteering somewhere like your state's Baptist Children's Home). Maybe it's going on a local or U.S. mission trip. Maybe He wants you to join a team that's doing a short-term trip overseas. Maybe He wants you to sell all and GO. Pray and ask Him to use you.

If you are not a Christian, but would like to learn more or ask any questions, please email us at zjdove522@gmail.com.

"GO therefore and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.

And behold, I am with you always to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:19 -20

FAQ's

Here are the questions we've received so far. We'll continue to answer other questions as they come up, so if you think of any... ask away! Leave a comment, or email us HERE.



When or how did God call you to go overseas? How did He reveal where you should go?
It would be almost impossible to sum up our calling in a paragraph or two. God has used so many people, events, and circumstances to get us to where we are now. Instead, I encourage you to check out the page with links to our story: Sharing Our Story. If you are short on time, at least read I Can, I Will, Nothern & Western Europe, and Spilling the Beans. And after that, to learn a little more about why we're going to Norway, read We'll Go, But Where?

Are you still planning on blogging once you are there?
Yes! We are actually going to start a new blog very soon. The address will be http://notesfromnorge.blogspot.com/. (Feel free to visit it now, and we'll let everyone know when we switch over. There are two ways to 'follow' the new blog - click on the follow link on the right of the blog, or enter your email address on the right to get email updates.) The posts might be a little less frequent during training, as our schedule will be TIGHT, and we'll likely be falling asleep each night before ours heads hit the pillow. But we'll try to share as much as we can, when we can!

How are you getting by financially, is someone sponsoring you?
As we explored different organizations and talked to friends who work in similar roles now or have in the past, we learned alot about the financial set-up of each organization. In most cases, you must raise support. In other words, you ask people to give financially. Some of what you'd be seeking is one time gifts to help with the costs of getting to your country & getting set up. But the biggest part is getting people, groups, and/or churches to sign on to support you financially on a monthly basis, to cover your basic costs of living and your ministry funding. We knew that if God was in this calling, then He would provide the funding necessary. Saying yes to His call was a big step of faith, and the financial implications are certainly a faith journey as well.
We are fortunate, though, that the organization we will be a part of supports the financial needs of their staff. They will cover the cost of our housing, and we will receive a monthly salary. So we will not have to raise financial support for our living and housing expenses. For that, we are very grateful! Financially, it will definitely be a lifestyle change for us, but it is one we have been attempting to prepare for over the past 8 months or so. We have been working to live much more simply, selling most of our belongings, living in a space of about 400 square feet, cutting back on things like eating out and shopping, etc.

How long will you be in Norway?
The best answer we can give is as long as God and the organization allow us to be there. We are signing on in a career capacity, meaning that we don't plan to move back home anytime soon. It could be that after a few years, the organization decides that our impact might be greater in a different country. Or it could be that we stay in Norway for 30 years. At this point, we don't know. We will stay there as long as God wants us there!

Will the boys be going with you?
I think the first time I was asked this one, I was in shock. But then I began realizing that some people didn't understand that this is not a short-term mission trip. So the answer is absolutely, the boys are going with us. They are our children, and they are a part of this. I think we've made it pretty clear that this was no overnight decision. There were numerous conversations and countless prayers. Once we were far enough along and had a clear understanding of God's calling on our family, we began involving the boys in the decisions and discussions, each in an age-appropriate manner.

What will the boys do while you're in training?
Our organization does fantastic things for the children of their families. They will be kept up-to-date on their academics. They will also be going through their own training classes. They'll be learning about subjects like living in another country, learning a new language, sharing Jesus, culture shock, etc. We are so thankful for the way that they'll be cared for, trained, and prepared.

How do William & Daniel feel about everything?
I'd like to get William to do a blog post sometime. I think it would be good for him, and it might be a great way to share with his friends as well. But for now, I'll say that he's really excited, most of the time. For the last 2 or 3 years William has been telling us that he wants to be a Christian worker overseas when he grows up. So he's thrilled that he doesn't have to wait until he's an adult! Of course, as the time draws closer, the reality of leaving his friends and family is starting to hit. So there is a wide range of emotions right now. But overall, he is excited. He has started trying to learn a little language, and his pronunciations tend to be spot-on.
Daniel is excited as well. But really, we wonder if he thinks this is just some make-believe thing we talk about. After all, we've been discussing this big change for most of the time he's been with us (he came home in July 2010, we started pursuing our calling in October/November of that year). The main thing we focus on  with Daniel is that regardless of where we move over the next 9 months (Virginia, Georgia, Vancouver, Norway), and no matter how much is changing around us, we will be together. It's been less than 2 years since he began learning what a family is, and it's something we continue to reinforce with him. The fact that we've already moved once and we're all still together has been a good lesson for him before the bigger changes start happening. We want him to know that family doesn't change even when other big changes are taking place. He told me last week that he's been telling his friends at school that he's moving, and that they are all very sad.
We are thankful that both of our sons are very adaptable and flexible. We've already seen how quickly they can adjust to a new situation, and how easily they pick up a new language. Their transition and security are among our top concerns and prayers right now, but we know God is our provision and protector.

Do you know anyone in Norway?
We have dear friends that live in Oslo. They are involved with a young, thriving church congregation. We can't wait to arrive and reconnect with them, and get to know the church family there. We also have connections with about a dozen different church planters and pastors, mainly in Oslo but also in other parts of the country.

What will you be doing there?
It's hard to say exactly what we'll be doing. We know we'll be working with Norwegian church planters and pastors, assisting them with their efforts, seeking to provide by encouraging and equipping, basically just doing whatever is needed. It could be that Zack will have the opportunity to preach and teach. We might get the chance to use our musical talents. I am praying that there will be opportunities for me to minister to young wives and moms. There is a large university in Oslo that might provide some opportunities for sharing the Gospel. And a big part of our ministry will be simply through daily living and hospitality. There are also many lessons to be learned about ministry in Norwegian society/culture that can then be shared with pastors back in the states. There will be other opportunities that will likely present themselves as we get there and get settled. Our ultimate goal is to make God more famous in Norway. What exactly that will look like will develop as we get to know the people and culture.

Will you have to learn a new language?
The language in Norway is Norwegian. Children begin school around the age of 6, and English is taught from the start. So really, most Norwegians under the age of 50 or so can carry on a fluent English conversation. We can certainly navigate through day-to-day life without a strong proficiency in the Norwegian language. But if we want to really get to know the people and have authentic, meaningful relationships, we need to be able to speak their language. We have begun some preliminary language study, but the bulk of our learning will come once we are in country.

What's Next?

Our next big milestone in the process is our appointment with the organization we will be working for. This will take place in Nashville, Tennessee on the evening of May 23. This is the culmination of everything that has been happening over the past 18 months, and we look forward to a very special evening.

We are grateful to all of our parents for their willingness to take time out of their schedules to drive up and attend. We would love to have other family and friends there as well, but we know a weeknight in another state is not easy to swing. But if you have some extra vacation time or if you live closer to Nashville, and you are interested in attending the service, please send us an email HERE and we'll be glad to share the details with you. We look forward to a special evening with family and friends, an evening of affirmation and of praise for what God has done and is doing in our lives and the lives of others who are on a similar journey.