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| Hey all, this is my official "farewell" to Xanga. It has been a good three years of preparation, joy, tears, and laughter.
Be sure to visit my new website at http://mywebpages.comcast.net/gepik and my new blogsite at http://gretchen1981.blogspot.com.
I am sad to go, but these do happen you know... be sure to visit both sites often and to comment on my new blog site. (You don't have to sign-up to comment!)
Blessings all and farwell,
Gretchen
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| Hey all, my new blog site is up and running. You can visit it at http://gretchen1981.blogspot.com/. You can add comments without having to sign-up, which is really nice. Just click on "anonymous" and put in our comments.
My website is almost finished! Hold tight, and I will give the link here soon.
God's blessings to you all!
Gretchen
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| Hey all! Sorry it has been forever and a day since I've updated here. I have been crazy busy and things have been going, going, going. The past five months have been filled with roomates and suddenly no roomates, a house full of Americans, and a house without, new offices, moving and moving and moving everyone and everything in the church, painting and more painting, cleaning, salvation, outreach, and administration. Next week is vacation for 2 weeks, and my family is coming to visit me! I can't wait. So, I wish that I could say more in detail about what is going on, but I would be typing here FOREVER.
God is really teaching me the importance of surrender -- in listening to His voice at every turn and doing things the way He has asked me to do for a long time -- things as simple as getting to bed on time to bigger things like being more bold about who I am in Jesus. And through it all, He has promised that He is bringing me to greater areas of ministry- which I have no clue of yet, but He does! So I just faithfully follow and keep going.
I am making a new website and actually turning over from Xanga to Blogspot. Yes, I know, I have been here for years, but I decided that it worked best with my new website and also there's the fact that people can comment on blogs without having to subscribe. I like that :)
Well, my friends, I would have to say that this is my official goodbye to Xanga for now. I will post the link to the blog when it is ready.
Blessings and much love to you all!
Gretchen
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| Well, here I am, and it is almost Easter... I am sitting at the computer desk looking out on a mildly clouded horizon, and the sun is still shining. The rain has passed, and the snow is slowly melting away. I am at peace for the moment, and I am ready to curl up with a good cup of tea and my Bible and read. Read about my Savior and His sacrifice for me...
I am so excited about the next few days. Tomorrow, Friday, Sunday, and Monday are national holidays here in Norway, so there's no work and nothing is open and the buses aren't running. God has given me the next few days as a gift -- to sit and enjoy Him, to do things around the house, be myself, and of course eat the Easter candy I bought for myself for Sunday! Since I am by myself for Easter this year, someone's got to buy the Easter candy for me! he he... It should be fun... I am looking forward to it.
As I sit home and celebrate Easter, have a wonderful time celebrating yours as well!
Blessings!
Gretchen
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| As promised... here is the e-mail update, I sent one week ago... Enjoy!
My dear friends and
family,
This will be a short
letter, as I strained a muscle in my arm while skiing for the first time on
Saturday. If I use my arm too much, I start to have pain, so I need to rest as
much as possible! Aside from the injury, I had a great time skiing, and I hope
to go again and not fall so many times next time!
Things have continually
been busy since I’ve last written. In addition to ENDLESS days of snow, two
weeks ago, I was invited to go to Athens, Greece along with John Henry, Lisbeth,
Adam, and Sarah for the annual Foursquare Europe conference. It was an
incredible time of renewing acquaintances made at last year’s conference and
teaching with Pastor Jack Hayford. The conference’s theme was based on
multiplying healthy churches and discipling the people within those churches.
Our region of Europe was responsible for the
ushering and sanctuary clean-up during and after each of the meetings. I was
placed in charge of obtaining volunteers and organizing them for our task, and
it seemed to go very well. Not only was I able to be more acquainted with those
in our region, but we were able to bless the Greek church in Athens (where we held the
conference). The Greek church had given as many volunteers as they could for
making food, meeting people at the airport, the worship team, etc. so they were
relieved to have our help. I received many good compliments as well. It was a
great experience to administrate something like that, as I never have before. 
Greece was absolutely amazing –
seeing the sites and ruins of the old city. Visiting Mars Hill (or Areopagus)
where the Apostle Paul made his speech to the Greek people thousands of years
ago on the monument they had built “To the unknown god.” From Mars Hill, you
see the Acropolis ruins which has the remainder of the Parthenon and
Temple of Diana. It is quite a majestic
site, towering over the entire city. No wonder the people of old thought they
could access the gods there. The food was spectacular and full of flavor and
wonderful colors. The people were extremely kind and generous (aside from the
taxi drivers who tried to get more money from me than they should have!) I
thoroughly enjoyed myself. Though we had only one day of sunshine, it was still
a lovely time.
A surprising bit of news
occurred from Athens -- John Henry was elected
as leader for all of Foursquare Europe! He, at first, did not want to take the
position and take on more than he already has. But the Lord really spoke to him
about taking this position and being a servant to Europe. So, for the next two
years, he will serve as leader and develop a process of selection for the
forthcoming candidates. I still will serve as his secretary, and it is likely
that I will become secretary for Foursquare Europe. I am not quite sure how
things will be different in the next few weeks or months, but I have peace that
whatever happens in my position will be what God has for me! I will still
faithfully live in Kristiansand and serve with the church
with the youth group and with the worship team. Some of my responsibilities in
the office will change, but it will all fit into what I am already doing, I am
sure of that!
The youth group is doing
well – we are training the kids to take on more leadership, and they are
responding well. They are excited to do so as well! It will be exciting to see
what will happen in the coming months with the youth group. The worship team at
the church is growing by leaps and bounds – and in fact, one girl that I trained
up in singing the alto parts, sang for the first time this last Sunday, and did
an incredible job. I was so proud of her!
Well, this letter is much
longer than I anticipated, and my arm is twinging a bit, so I best end this
letter.
Be blessed, and I will be
in touch!
Gretchen
Prayers:
1)
Pray for my arm to be
healed quickly!
2)
Pray for spiritual and
numerical growth with the youth group, and that they would respond well to us as
leaders and to the leadership that we give them
3)
Pray for continued guidance
with the office changes as John Henry’s new position takes
shape.
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