It´s ridiculous! In the end of my last blog post I kind of promised regular updates on what was happening during my traveling and studies... Well all I have to say is that I am sorry for my lack of integrity when it comes to spreading false anticipation and excitement around upgraded blog posts and emotions (I´ll soon face the fact that this joke is getting old). Anyhow, the last couple of mysterious months of my life have been rather busy ones! Not that I´m insinuating an excuse for my inability to scribble down some facts on the internet along the way. My plead is simple and goes like this; don´t give up on people all though it is rather exceptional when they actually do manage to change for the better.

... "If I could have just one more wish, it would have been a tasty fish"

So long;)

“There is about Nine Million bicycles in Beijing..” The song lingers in my head as I picture a stream of Chinese faces flowing like a river of black and yellow, on a journey through the rush hours. People - so many of them! They are all around! Not only riding bikes in China but everywhere! Busy, going down a mainstream following todays´ thoughts and ideas...

Next Monday I´ll be going on a studytrip to London with my class from Gimlekollen School of Journalism. For those of you who don´t know - I am not studying Journalism, but something called Communication and World View. Don´t let the rather abstract title mislead you into thinking that I´m taking a course that is stuck in somekind of academic universe with no relevanse to the real world. No, let me tell you of the opposite. Communication And World View is all about people of today, - finding out what they believe in, where they find themselves in todays fragmented cosmos, and helping them realize that it is still possible to talk about "thruth" in a world inwoven in a web of relativism.

In todays´ West we live in a more multicultural and pluralistic society than years prior. Throughout time the world has become smaller, means for communication has grown massively, and information availability is overwhelming. Today it would seem ridiculous to speak about «truth». Even in school children no longer receive a Christian world view. The general society and culture of today do not provide a Christian world view for children. In fact, it’s quite contrary. They are taught a pluralistic world view, especially in terms of religion. Christianity is no longer taught as truth, but as one of many vague options. Once a classroom becomes multi-ethnic and multi-cultural, it's natural for children to conclude that their own beliefs are the ultimate truth. That's why religious relativism as opposed to the orthodox Christian belief of being «the way, the truth and the life» is no longer fashionable or embraced.

Communication and World View is a tool to help Christians find points of contact through a study of the popular culture - world views, thougths and ideas of today. The goal is to find ways of communication of the truth about the One Creator and the Lord Jesus Christ as the only way to the Father and his Kingdom.

Lastly, before I end this blog-session, I want to add that I am really excited about my study in London. The program is loaded with truth! For those interested I will be posting blogs throughout the week (hopefully I will find the time to do so).

Let us bring glory to our Father, Psalm 24.

My mom came to visit my sister and myself last weekend (we both live together in the city of Bergen). If you ever figure out how to visit my blogg mom, we just want you to know that we think you're the best! Probably another ice-age will outfreeze Norway form the map before you do.. But, we strongly believe in miracles. New slogan: Have faith in moms in progress!

Just came home from work. Was just thinking of how nice it would have been to come home to mom's kitchen, sit down and have a cup of tea. To all of you that have forgotten the significance of a mom's role played in life, i suggest you take a moment in appreciaton. Enough for now. chao!

So, I'll try this blog thing again. Created a blog already, but forgot my password. Wow! But there is no reason why I shouldn't have two, right? And if I remember my old password in my dreams I would surely operate on two levels.. That is what I call upgrading my emotions (Hehe, inside joke. I assure you that it is very funny - please feel free to laugh).

I'll begin by explaining my address: www.norwegianelk.blogspot.com You see, I have learned from experience that in some occations it's valuable to have an undercover name. I was actually given it by somebody else - another agent on a mission ship who was sent to me as a messenger (I served on the mission ship; The Doulos, for about a year. If your curiosity is picking your brain, their website is: www.mvdoulos.org). The message went something like this, freely quoted; "message for Norwegian Elk from Texan Rattlesnake. Texan Rattlesnake says hi, what cha' doin?"... I guess some more background information is required to help enlighten you further. Well, as I was serving as a missionary on the Doulos, I met a young man from Texas. Since mr "Texan rattlesnake" was my boss at that point, our relationship was purely professional (professional; a word that was misused by a member of the kitchen staff, but not yet disregared by people who really don't have any intentions of damaging the integrity of the word). We were both working in the galley. Mostly Texan Rattlesnake spent his time in the kitchen frying whatever in a big pan of oil, while Norwegian Elk was cleaning the dishes (he probably did more than frying food and I didn't just wash dishes, but it seems like a very biblical way of describing distibution of work; if you want more info on what goes on in a galley click on the links www.foodfights.com and www.howtobakeamexicanpie.net). I keep sidetracking, sorry! Back to storyline. We both kept stealing some glances at each other and... well, to cut the story short, over time a friendship was developed and emotions was upgraded (laughing again). The thing is that on a ship like the Doulos emotions are not welcomed before you have served for a year (when you've served a year you're granted social permission, i.e the right to develop a deeper relation towards one person of the opposite sex). That is the bottom line rule. I must say that I understand the neccessity of having such a rule on the ship, although it sounds prehistoric in the ears of people today. The Doulos holds 350 people from over 40 different nationalities, and the majority of them are young people fighting a daily battle against their hormons (that one was directed to the guys; qoute from an anonymous male "I think that I was born with hormons coming out of my ears"). Could you imagine what a chaotic and emotional vessel the Doulos would be if no boundaries was set? It would be a floating circus! Well, it is kind of a floating circus anyways, caused by the mix of cultures onboard. Example; you can risk to find a Mexican doing a Dutch dance, which would require him to wear big, yellow clogs.. "is so easy, jew took a step to da left and sometimes chust jumps a little"! But the Doulos and the people on board are much more than the dancing Mexicans (although the value of that kind of entertainment is in my opinion merely priceless. The people onboard are there because of a calling - a calling to spread the good news about the Kingdom and the way Himself - Jesus.

Well, it's getting late, I'll give you more updates on the bizzaro life of God's children, living life on planet Earth... Sorry that I got lost in the story. You didn't get much of an update on me, but I'll upgrade my emotions later. ( - Really, it is funny! I promise!!!)

Later, people.