Norway and the Netherlands

At the top of Floibanen Funicular with Bergen and the fjords below

I have so many thoughts on our 12 days in Norway and Amsterdam. I am glad we took a ton of pictures because each part of the trip was different from the rest and I want to remember it all. This blog is my souvenir.

We explored Bergen, a small city/college town with modern aspirations and medieval cobble stone streets; Flam, the world's most picturesque rural country with it's abundance of physical beauty and purity; and Amsterdam, a busy city of trains and canals and bikes, it's notorious "coffeehouses" and red light district and surprisingly, also faithful people of prayer.

This trip, more than other International trips Kip and I have taken together, was difficult and challenging and surprising and rewarding -- all at once. But at this moment, as I put together my thoughts on every detail of our journey, I am overwhelmingly thankful to have been able to go.

It seemed like a “bad” time to make a big trip, but so much of what we experienced and discovered seemed perfectly relevant to where we are. God knows what we need and delights in blessings us. I am so thankful.