girlwithamission's Xanga

The official goodbye!

Wed, 30 Aug 2006 19:23:19 GMT

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

New blog site!

Tue, 29 Aug 2006 18:58:55 GMT

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

Surrender

Wed, 02 Aug 2006 17:08:04 GMT

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

Wednesday, April 12, 2006

Wed, 12 Apr 2006 14:44:50 GMT

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

Tuesday, April 04, 2006

Tue, 04 Apr 2006 17:47:02 GMT

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.

Tuesday, April 04, 2006

Tue, 04 Apr 2006 17:18:07 GMT

Athens was AMAZING! I will have to post my group e-mail here... it is hectic here right now... Please pray for peace and time management in all the business!

Blessings!

Gretchen

Athens bound!

Wed, 08 Mar 2006 20:35:44 GMT

Yes, I'm going to Athens tomorrow through Monday for the Foursquare Europe conference!

Exciting! Much to do or else I would chat more!

Blessings,

Gretchen

Monday, March 06, 2006

Mon, 06 Mar 2006 20:22:54 GMT

Yet another Hoth Day and yet more shoveling...

Snow is getting old!

By the way... one of the kids in our youth group got saved this last week! Praise Jesus!

Hoth Days...

Thu, 02 Mar 2006 17:17:01 GMT

Have you ever seen the Star Wars movie "The Empire Strikes Back" and do you remember in the beginning where Luke, Leia, and Han Solo are on the ice planet Hoth?

Do you know where those scenes were filmed?

In Norway! Up north in Norway!

Today, it is snowing AGAIN for like the bazillionth time this winter, and it is strangely reminiscent of Hoth -- snow blowing around and hitting your eyes to where you can't walk and see.

I have decided to name these kinds of days "Hoth days."

And the snow continues...

Entry from my personal journal... "Torridal"

Sat, 18 Feb 2006 22:19:38 GMT

18.february 06- Torridal was just one of the most exciting events of this year so far. I LOVE singing with such a talented group of people. When I'm in a place where my talents are being used to the maximum, I am full of joy, peace, and steadfastness. Lord, bring more opportunities like this in this year. Lord, bring more contacts so that I can have more opportunities like this. How fun and exciting!

I want you to sing on the Torridal worship team!

Left to right- Adam, Solve, Lars (leader of Torridal youth group), Dorthe (Lars' sister), Ant Helga, me, Simon. I also have one of my favorite outfits on, and I was having a GOOD hair day! Thank God!

What can I say? It was just a great time -- old and new friends, singing for my Savior, talented musicians... life doesn't get any better than this!