hefley

I’m sitting at my sister’s place in Bergen, Norway, this morning. The house is quiet as everyone are still asleep. Only I am up; jetlagged, and all too used to short nights I guess. None the less, I’m absolutely loving this morning. Out the living room window I’ve got the wonderful view of Bergen city and the mountains surrounding it. American friends; I don’t even know how to describe it to you. You just have to come experience it with me sometime I guess. =) Although, maybe you wouldn’t find it as special as I do. For me this is one of the most refreshing and relaxing things there is. I’m back to what I’m used to, what I grew up with.

We’ve been here two nights already. We landed on time Thursday morning, with only two out of seven suitcases missing. Not to bad, eh? =) By now suitcase number 6 and 7 have showed up, and Daniel took the one containing his clothes and water testing equipment and headed towards Kosovo last night. He will spend a week there setting up and preparing for our interns to arrive in June. We have four university students coming to work with us this summer, helping the people of Tushile get safe water. We are very excited and anxious to see what will happen in peoples lives as a result of them working together with these four believers all summer long as they try to improve their water quality. We will start the process of getting their wells repaired this summer. A little group of villagers that are ready to start paying their portion of the cost, so we will work on getting their wells covered, fitted with a pump, and have the ground around the well covered and prepared so the rain won’t wash more contamination into the water. The work is costly for everyone involved, but well worth it. The villagers in Tushile are mostly unemployed and live on a little bit of money from the government, thus the 10% of the cost that we require them to pay is quite a challenge for them. Though, doing it any other way wouldn’t be beneficial either, as we need them to take full ownership in the process of getting their water situation straighten out. Otherwise the same as often happens around the world will happen here as well; “rich white guys” come in and do the work, and the people are happy as long as everything is working, but as soon as something breaks the whole thing gets shut down because the locals don’t know how to deal with it and don’t feel that the responsibility is theirs. We really want to avoid this scenario, so the villagers are required to invest in their own water improvement both financially and by actually doing the work. We will work alongside them, train them in the technologies used, and will raise the last 90% of the cost to get what is needed for their water to become safe. Raising the money is not one of our favorite parts of the project to say the least…how do raise that much money? At times we’ve fretted about the major responsibility now lying on our shoulders. After all there are 800 people in Kosovo looking to us for what is needed. We don’t want to disappoint these dear people who really don’t have anywhere else to turn. So the sense of responsibility is real, but we’ve also many times been immensely encouraged to see how God has put money together for this through people we don’t even know. There are days when all of a sudden a check arrive in the mail, addressed from a person who have read about our work on the internet, or who know someone who know us…Over and over we’ve been reminded that this is not our doing, this is God’s doing. He is the One who want these people helped and reached. We just get to be a little part of that, and it truly is an honor to be entrusted with a whole group of people in need. Isn’t it exciting?!! I’m smiling, sitting here thinking of what cool things God lets us be part of!! It truly is FUN!!

If you want to be a part of changing the lives of these 800 villagers who’s come out of the oppression of communism and survived genocide (though losing many family members in the process) let me know and we’ll work with you to find a way you can help. We need as big of a team with us in this process as we could possibly get! There is a place for everyone willing to do something to change someone else’s life, this life and next, for the better!

Thank you for following us on this journey!

PS! Please leave us a comment, or email us. We would love to hear from the ones who read our updates.

I finally took the time to learn how to blog! Yeah! So from now on, you’ll be able to read more of the crazy antics going on in this family of ours! =) Yes, I know I’m  supposed to be a missionary, and while I do try to be involved in ministry as much as possible, the truth is; my days are mostly spent with our 3 little “monkeys”…So what I experience will be what I write, thus mostly about the craziness of trying to raise these little ones.

English speakers; please bare with me as I won’t ask my dear husband to double check all my writing.

Norwegians; I wish I had time to write in my mother tongue as well, but for now I’m going to have to stick to English as most of you do a great job with your second language, and well, few of our friends around the world know Norwegian…

SO HERE WE GO!!!

Just the other day I got an email from my MOPS group (Mothers Of PreSchoolers), stating that they wanted us members to send in our tips for traveling with children! Seriously, it made me crack up! If anyone has tried the “joys” of traveling with children it would be us! Well, yes I totally know that a lot of my readers would be highly qualified to write the list of tips themselves. Traveling with children is a must when you have cross cultural marriages, mission trips etc. I guess I really should be a pro by now, but I highly doubt there is actually such a thing as a pro at traveling with children. There are always something that changes from one trip to the next…one more baby…5 more suitcases…3 carseats this time…lost luggage, no more diapers…you name it! Anyways, I did compile a list of tips, so I thought I’d share my lessons learned with you too in this very first blog of mine. =) Actually, the fun thing would probably be to share the stories of HOW I learned these lessons…I guess you’ll just have to ask me about it next time we talk!

Before you can go certain places you need a visa and waiting for it in the heat when it's supposed to be naptime makes for one exhausted little fella...

Trying to keep the little one entertained on a LOOOONG flight to Asia

While we wait to board a real airplane

TRAVELING WITH CHILDREN ON AN AIRPLANE:
•    Always pack at least 2 sets of spare clothes for the children and 1 set for yourself in your carry on. It is not fun walking around airport with poop stains on your pants because your child got “travel diarrhea” and you didn’t bring a spare set of clothes.
•    In your carry on at least double the amount of diapers your child would normally need for the length of time you’ll be traveling. The flight might get delayed, or your child might get “travel diarrhea”…
•    Always bring all the food needed and then some (in case of delays) for any “lap child” you bring with you. Only the children that have their own seat that you’ve paid for (paid full price ticket, not just airport tax) will be served food during the flights anymore.
•    And yes, bring lots of healthy snacks and food for the rest of the family too. If you have layovers, get stuck on the runway for hours before take off etc you will be prepared! =) Snacks will also help calm down the kids if they get restless and bored. Don’t put the snacks in containers, but instead use sandwich sized zip lock bags that has the little zipper on them. Even the little kids can figure those out, AND if they loose them all the snacks won’t spill out the way they will if they have their snacks in open containers.
•    Give the children something to chew on for take off and landing. The chewing will help prevent earaches as you go up and down in elevation. For bigger kids chewing gum is good, younger kids; raisins. Nurse babies or give them a bottle at take off and landing.
•    Try to stay away from the sodas and juices they offer on the airplanes. You all need to drink a lot of water!
•    Bring one gallon sized zip lock bag full of small, fun toys that the kids haven’t played with before, or in a while. That will keep them occupied and minimize whining and crying that will get the other passengers frustrated. It’s very smart to go out of the way and buy some new toys for the kids…anything to keep them from getting the other passengers to yell at you or your kids. Believe me; some people have a very low tolerance level! =)
•    If you have a portable DVD player for your older children; BRING IT! And consider buying some new and fresh movies for them too! That will keep them occupied and out of trouble for a while. =) Some airplanes offer DVD players in the seatbacks, but the selection of movies might not be what you would like for your child to see…
•    Always bring any special blankets, bottles, pacifiers etc that will help the children go to sleep on the airplane. Even if they don’t allow you to bring more than 3 oz of liquids on the airplane in any given bottle, bring an empty one and fill it once you are on the plane. If you need water buy some once you’ve passed security in the airport, for milk ask the flight attendant once you’ve boarded. They always have some on hand for coffee drinkers etc.
•    Strollers: bring one that you are not afraid to have ruined. Airport personnel do not treat them nicely no matter how much you ask them to. If your child is big enough to sit in an umbrella stroller, get one of those. Actually, even if your child normally don’t use a stroller anymore it might be wise to bring one. Traveling can be quite exhausting for both you and the child, and some of the airports have you walking for what seems like miles before you get to your connecting flight. So don’t get in the position where you have to carry both your carry-on luggage AND your child! Also make sure you check in your stroller as a “gate checked” item. That way you can push your child or your carry on items in the stroller all the way to the airplane/gate, and they are supposed to deliver it to you at the door of the airplane/gate once you arrive at the next destination as well. This doesn’t always happen as they sometimes mess up and send it to baggage claim, but for the most part they get it right and it is super helpful!
•    When you have layovers; get your children running!! Get them to move as much as you can so that they don’t get to antsy on the next flight.
•    Take the children potty before you enter the airplane if you can. That way they won’t need to go right when you have to have your seat belts buckled for take off.
•    Some people say to give your child Benedryl/anti-histamines to make them sleepy during the flight. Well, don’t try it first time while you’re ON the airplane. I did and my son went bouncing off the walls!! It sure did not have the desired effect on him! =)
•    Make sure you remember to think about car seats; Are you brining your own? In so case does the airline permit car seats extra, besides your other allowed check in luggage or do they have to count as one of your regular “bags”? Or will you bring your children’s seats on the airplane for the kids to sit in? You know your child best and knows whether that would be helpful or not. E.g. does your child tend to fall asleep easily in his/her own car seat? Do take into consideration that bringing your car seats into the airplane makes for A LOT of carry on luggage to haul in and out of airplane plus around airport on your layovers. Another option is if you can have it arranged so you can borrow or rent seats at your destination? Remember that you need your seats already as you LEAVE the airport…
•    If you happen to be traveling a crossed the Atlantic with a child under 22 lbs/10 kg (I believe that is the weight limit) you should call ahead and reserve a “bassinet”. Then you get to be seated right behind the dividing wall where they will mount a “bassinet”. Your child can sleep in there at all times other than take off and landing and especially turbulent situations. That makes it so you don’t have to hold your child the whole flight, and worry that your child will wake up with every move you make! As an extra bonus you also get more floor space when you are seated there, which makes for a great play area for older kids and sometimes they even allow you to make a “bed” on the floor for the older children from blankets and pillows they provide.