Christmas Haven

Beyond the gift of life that we all acknowledge to have received from God, I think there are so three more gifts that are important. These are; the gift of people be it in family or friends, the gift of the meaning of Christmas and the gift of self. This Christmas has been one of the most exciting moments of my life in Norway and a landmark may be for ever. Beyond that a Christmas like never before. May be you are curious of what happened or the experience. I spent the Christmas in Fogn with the Volds invited by a good friend Finn. There is so much to tell about it but I should start by painting a picture of Fogn.

First Fogn is a small Island north of Stavanger with a population of about three hundred and twenty, may be twenty one, two, three or four… people. If you have heard of the times that Kings never excited in Israel and everyone knew what to do then Fogn is such a place. Or if you have ever read a book titled “Siku Njema” (Good day) and learnt of the dream of Kongowea Mswahili (the main character). The dream of a world of peace, natural harmonic existence such that no one has to lock doors to houses or cars, no need of police or even leaders then go to Fogn!! It also reminded me of my Kenyan village where we know everybody or rather almost everybody, we great them, we share with them and we welcome everybody. The true spirit of community and neighbourhood!!

With such a background then you can be sure I was in a haven of Christmas. Being in the Volds home was a great gift to begin with. Being with a family is one of the things that really fill my energy tank. I had this great feeling of being at home through out my stay and I never lost the gift of being myself. The playing around with the two girls Ester Alida and Inger Katrina, dinning with the family, going for walks together and relaxing like I do back home was a great gift. And this is the gift of people.

It all started with the journey to Fogn with the boat once more, no fears this time, and an evening in a social gathering in one of the family’s friend who host a similar party every year for the last 10 years. Later together with Finn we attended a youth meeting till early morning. The Christmas eve (24th Dec) which is the peak of Christmas celebration in Norway start with eating one of the most typical Norwegian ‘uji’ called ‘ris grøt’ which is made from rice and milk before the service. The Christmas service is very important in this land and the churches are usually full. Amazingly it was the first time since I started attending Norwegian services did we sing a song that there was some clapping hands and some sort of dancing. You can be sure I had missed this so much so I did it with all enthusiasm.

I can’t miss out on telling you about the Christmas dinner which is a special meal in Norway. Several times before I had been asked severally by friends what I will be eating for Christmas, it was ‘ribe’. These are pork ribs oven heated for about 2 hours or so. It was a great shift from my normal ‘mbuzi choma’ or ‘kuku karanga’ (roasted goat meat or fried chicken) back home. I received so many Christmas gifts than I ever anticipated this is a beautiful thing, don’t you think so? Then the dancing around the Christmas tree singing Christmas songs! I hadn’t imagined how fun it could be until it happened. We had many moments to focus on the true gift of Christmas and that is the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Without this I think Christmas would be another fun having event but not with the Volds. The moments to have talks with each other and reflect on different issues to do with our faith were beautiful moments. The several Christmas services added beauty to it.

The history of the island goes back to 500AD. Several historic sites as war centres and graves that old exist well preserved. The beauty of nature exciting so naturally was breath taking as we took the walk on the 26th before coming back to the city. As I left Fogn for Stavanger, I had a deep feeling of loss that I was living the family I had so become a part of though in few days, yet a feeling of gain because I had made good friends. I loved it that I lived out to have the gifts that I think are also important too: the true meaning of Christmas, the gift of people and the gift of self. It was fulfilling and refreshing. I look forward to living everyday with these gifts and the ultimate truth; Christmas is not an event but rather a life with Christ in our hearts!!!! What is better than that?

Ice Skating

On the 'vintersolverv' (this is 22nd of Dec when the sun starts coming back from the south and it starts getting lighter gradually on the north) at 11am our friend Tom picked us to go and try skating. This was my first time to try that and as everything new, I was afraid. But I decided that the worst that could happen to me would only be falling on the ice which won’t be a big deal as such. By the end of it I had made about 9 rounds on the field with several falls on the ice. Tom would lift me up every time I fell. Amazing there was some kids who new how to do the thing quite well. I made some friends. One of the young girls may be about 7yrs came over and held one of my hands as the other was on the wall and she became my couch for a round. Sooner after she had left some two more kids may be about 9 and 10 years old called Martha from USA and Caroline from Denmark came over and gave me a good lesson on skating, how to keep my skates straight and balancing my hands. Well it was good fun and I was so excited to try it out.

Above how it was at the begining and below finally at the end!

What I want to share with you is some reflections I had as I went round the field several times and falling severally. It is obvious that I was afraid and I had some fears about the whole thing. And Tom asked me at the start, ‘are you afraid Sammy?’ I said back to him ‘let see when I try it out’. The first time on the ice was very scarily and I almost felt that I can’t make it, but I thought ‘mmh am just afraid because I have never tried this before’ and beyond that the host of kids watching around made me think that I just can’t flick out! And so I did it close to the wall for support. By the end of the first round I was not afraid any more!! In the next several rounds that I did I became stronger and better in trying every time I did it. This was a big lesson for me on over coming fear by trying the things am afraid of. Well am still very much afraid of swimming and this comes with adjacent complications too especially the public shower thing. Am still considering whether am going to try it out on the 27th when we go swimming with Finn Ivar.

Jule Måneden

I have always wished that I could write like whispers my writing hero. Whispers was a humour writer on the Sunday Nation a few years a go in Kenya who left to be with his maker. But beyond that I don’t make to do it every week. But..eeh… I finished my paper and reports and also did a Norwegian language test, that sounds like reason enough… may be not very convincing. The winter has also caught up with me may be. It is dark when I wake up and a few hours after lunch so it becomes again. The temparature is just above zero when it is not below. And on a typical day just dress as you can see. Suits are only used in parties.


All the same, many things have been happening in this ‘Jule Måneden’. Jule is Christmas and the later just means ‘the month’. If I had ever seen Jule celebrated it is this year and by the way when you read ‘Jule’ read it as ‘Yule’. Actually it takes a lot of planning. I have a friend who told me that she started planning for Christmas in June. The way to do is to do lots of shopping, planning where to be during Christmas, parties before Christmas, Christian concerts and Carol services. If you walked in any store in Norway you will find ‘Jule…’ everything. I mean Julebrus (Christmas juice/drinks), julekake (Christmas cake) and many more. You may wonder why am making a big deal out of this. But back home we think about Christmas not much before it appears, and no much of ‘Christmas everything’. And we also celebrate Christmas on 25th unlike on 24th (Christmas Eve), with eating a goat or several chicken.

The Christmas cake house and the calender. This was made with our team leader in his house and will be eaten after Christmas.
There is an extensive ‘Jule Calendar’ having various activities from 1st the 24th of the month. All this is called the Advent period. I am sure my mother is more familiar with this than I am. I actually just remembered her favourite sermon during Christmas time, and it is amazing every time I listen to it. Now that am going to miss it this year let me tell you just a bit of it. It goes like; ‘Tukiririkana guchiarwo gwa gakenge Yesu, reke gachiarwo ngoro ini’ (as we remember the birth of the baby Jesus, let Christ be born in our hearts). It has many other words and it is usually in my mother tongue as you have learnt already. Back to the calendar days’; there is a day to go out singing to your neighbours and this is 13th, to light the ‘jule tre’ (Christmas tree), making a Christmas cake house (‘jule hus’) and many other things for everyday.


On 7th of 'Jule Måneden’ the Student group in University of Stavanger organised a prayer evening. It was a time to thank God together as the student group for the year, for those sitting for exams, for the festive season, and also for the student ministry in the coming year. I loved participating in the planning and being part of the evening. As part of celebrating Christmas the group organised what is called ‘Julebørd’. I have already told you that everything this month has a ‘jule’ aspect in it. This is would literary mean ‘Christmas table’ and surely it was, because it was a Christmas party. Coupled with indigenous Norwegian foods which at first tasted exotic to me was a lot of singing Christmas songs. Well, I had just joined the praise and worship team in church just a month before leaving home, though my close friends thought it was the wrong ministry for me because of the long time it takes to put my voice to harmony with others, I am surely having good practise with lots of singing this Christmas. Watch this space!!!

Above students singing in the prayer meeting and below, Vidar (left) and Sigurd (right) in the Julebørd.

Over this ‘Jule’ my team mate and I will be spending and celebrating it with the family of one of our friends in an Island called Fogn. This is about 30 to 40 minutes ride in a motor boat. I have always been water-phobic; well to set things right I mean water-transport-phobic. But this weekend I tried it out and it wasn’t that scarily after all. Not only did I do the 40min to Fogn but first was a 2 hours ride to Sauda on Friday to visit a student group. As always spending time with students is always very energizing and activity filled especially on such an occasion where they were teenagers. The morning came sooner than I had expected. Sauda had much more snow than I had seen in Stavanger and so I did promise myself to go back and try skiing early next year. I also visit Tørd’s family (Tørd is a fellow student at Hald and in Kenya for internship) who were getting ready to go to Kenya next week and visit Tørd. That is when on our way back we visited the Volds at Fogn our host for Christmas. I am looking forward to spend time with them and have a taste of the Norwegian Christmas. You have something to look forward to when I return! 'God Jul og Godt Nytt År!!!' (Merry Christmas and happy new year). Keep smiling!

Martha (Tørd's sister) playing a Christmas song during our visit in Sauda.

'Beyond the clouds'

On the 16th we left Stavanger for Oslo where we were to leave the following morning for a 2 days conference in Denmark. The conference was called the 'Nordic students' conference'. The students in attendance were from the five Scandinavian countries: Norway, Finland, Denmark Sweden and Iceland. Well as you may already guess my attendance was as a Norwegian which may sound ridiculous now that I can't even speak Norwegian. Nevertheless there I was as a 'proud Norwegian'. I attended tracks on 'glad you asked' which is a small group evangelism strategy through exploring different questions asked by seekers. I found this very helpful as we reach out, particularly to the youth in the postmodern era where we question everything and need mind cracking reasons to believe.

It was organised into plenary sessions and small group discussions. It is amazing at what really joins us all together as Christians in the world that we could speak of the same things, connect socially, pray together and discuss God’s word in consensus. Surely this Gospel is real and alive in all nations of the world! This meant to me so much, finding students who have such a commitment to God amidst the social difficulties to the advancement of the Gospel. At the same time we also attended the largest mission conference in Denmark which was held during the same weekend. It was such a nice experience to see such a large group of people gathered to hear God's plan of salvation for the world. The sun is still shines! Above, Discussion group giving feedback durung the 'glad you asked' seminar. Below, the missions confrence.

The conference held in Arhus city four hours drive from the capital city Copenhagen gave us an opportunity to view the flat landscape of Denmark, amazing road technology having the second largest bridge a cross the sea and the many windmills. In the midst of all that great and beautiful sessions, the Scandinavians have a way of lighting up moments by making a lot of jokes about each other. In particular the Swedish and the Norwegian guys. Well I didn’t know why Jesus could not have been born in Norway until then; and this was ‘because there were no wise men from the east’. If you have a map you will understand the joke, and if you are a Scandinavian then it is even funnier!
As the plane took off from the Oslo airport on our way back to Stavanger, there was a lot of fog, the clouds were thick grey and it was dark on the land yet it was 9.00am. As we gained height and we were past the clouds, wow, there the beautiful blue sky and the sun shining big and bright. Despite the clouds the sun was still shining bright and beautiful. Isn’t life beautiful beyond the clouds of difficulty, uncertainty and failure? The sun is still shining, am determined to always look beyond the clouds!!!

Awakening Chronicles

As life unfolds so the weather seams too. Since I was a small boy back home, weather was not one of the topics I used to discuss only in my Geography and sometimes Science and Agriculture classes. However, today it seams to be the major consideration when I am to do something including dressing; is there snow, wind, rain and what is the temperature? In the last two days the temperature has been as low as 2 degrees. This is the lowest I have experienced. A friend of mine joked that back home 12 degrees in the city makes news, here 2 degrees makes small talks. However students still keep the smiles. Too much for the weather and hence small talks.

A week ago my team mate and I embarked on a 7 hours train journey to Sandefjord which is some what on the east of Norway. We were attending a staff and volunteer staff meeting for the student ministry. On reaching the first destination where we were to change trains in Drammen, we had precisely 7 minutes to do so. Well it is common back home that our vectors studies are efficient so when moving from track one on railway lines we just jump over them especially when you suddenly realize that the train is just about to leave. Well, we tried the same! If I have ever heard a shout it was that day. It was one of the railway workers shouting that we get of the tracks!

The meeting was good coupled with a good reunion with all the International Hald students in the students’ ministry. We had sharing moments of the progress in our work, bible study times, prayer meetings and team building activities. We also attended a teenagers meeting dabbed ‘Get Focused’ where more than one thousand students attended. It was fascinating to see such a big number of teenagers gathered. This weekend one of the big question I have had for long was answered. I have always asked myself what makes a true leader. That weekend I thought; just observe a true leader, and there you will know. I took time to listen to the NKSS general secretary keenly and sat next to him during the last dinner. Within 5 minutes of my close interactions with him I had got the answer I have been looking for!

Above, leaving the Get Focused meeting with friends. Opposite, a bible study and prayer sesion in the nature in Sandefjord during the meeting.

One of this days that I like working to finish a task to the end before I take another, happened last Tuesday. I took sometime finalizing work in the house while at the same time I forgot I was to catch a bus to school and learn some Norwegian. When I looked at the watch I noticed I had 2 minutes to the time the bus leaves. You can almost imagine what happened. Well, to keep you away from guessing, that day I came to know what it coasted the world 100 metres champion, Veronica in the Commonwealth Championships. I had never run that fast before.

Learning Norwegian is interesting and I have learnt three new “alphabets”, å, ø and æ. Also ‘y’ is read as ‘I’ and so both are vowels. ‘J’ sounds like the English ‘y’. Where a vowel is followed by two consonants makes a different word and pronunciation as when followed by one consonant. Hence the words ‘pen’ and ‘penn’ are very different. The easy part is the ‘er’ takes place of ‘are’, ‘is’ and ‘am’ so I will say ‘Jeg er bra’ to say ‘I am good’. Well that is a 3 hours lesson. Soon I will start reading the Norwegian news paper. Since I came I always asked myself why when you ask a Norwegian to teach you something they say ‘I will learn you’ instead of ‘I will teach you’. This week I actually discovered. This is a direct translation from their mother tongue what we used to call back home ‘DT’ (direct translation). In Norwegian you say ‘Jeg vil lære deg’ so it is automatically ‘I will learn you’! I warned you if you hear it again!

Hands on....

Working among students is always energizing and rejuvenating. My working involves two students groups in Stavanger University; the International students Fellowship (Christian Union) and the Norwegian students Movement (LAGET). Both groups are part of the Norwegian International Fellowship of Evangelical Students (IFES) movement called NKSS.

Above. A joint fellowship between LAGET and the CU

Our focus is to make Jesus known, believed and followed in the University. We do this through, fellowships, bible discussions, camps/retreats and leadership development activities.

Students in a Bible study in a recent camp.

Informal gatherings such as social evenings, meals and outings are good opportunities of making contact with the students and other people too. I have visited several families and met several people in cafes here in Stavnger, it is a very common practice. Back home we call it 'Fellowship and swallowship'.

Finn Ivar Vold trying is hands on Ugali (Kenyan meal) and Chicken together with Elias (Visiting Kenyan, left) and Joe my team mate (right) in our house.

I am a part of a weekly bible study group in the city of Stavanger, the G12 group. It is a group in IMI church made up internationals leaving in Stavnger city. Here I try many things including baby sitting.

With young David in the bible study group.

Use of every small ability is highly appreciated here ,to develop it and to serve.

Playing drums in the bible study group

I also attend the international church in Sandness. See; http://www.kif.sandness.googlepages.com/. Both the bible study and the churches are places of growth, meeting other people and off course areas to serve.

Pastor of the International Church in Sandness Fransis Kamau and his wife Janne.

The Global Leadership Summit organised by the Willow Creek Association was a good growth point. Together with the staff of NKSS office at Stavanger and two student leaders I participated for the two days the summit run. The topics discussed were: Vision to die for and inspiration by Bill Hybels, Tough Choices by Carly Fiona, Building humanity by Jimmy Carter, Lead where you are by Colin Powel, Go put your strengths at work by Marcus Buckingham, A leader's greatest fear by John Ortberg and living for greater good by Richard Curits.

Above. Discussing a point with Åusmud the LAGET Chair duirng the Global leadership summit.

I have had some reflections and questions on some few issues I thought after the summit, such as:

• How to use my spiritual gifts (Administration, faith and Leadership) in what God wants me to do with my life while here on earth as a leader.
• How do I stay in the course of God’s call even when there is no motivation and inspiration to stay?
• What inspires me and what motivates me most in my life and leadership?
• How do I want to lead in my context and cause Godly impact?
• What are the Shadow missions that can distract me from God’s mission for my life and how do I counter them?
• Discover deeper my strengths take more time and build on them and get a way round my weaknesses.
• Getting my cutting edge and playing my part in the lives of the less privileged, the poor, the HIV infected and issues of justice in the society.

I am still thinking through, praying and finding answers, for some I may not find answers soon! The summit will remain a great highlight of my time in Norway, am glad I was there.

Being in Stavanger, a new city it could be lonely, but meeting Tom made a big difference. Well, he is from Stavanger and Nairobi too, after having visited Kenya 26 times in 19 yrs! Getting to make a home in a new land the aquitance approach is the best, with the people and the land and this started on this beautiful Wednesday of Moi day.

Tom steering on a highway.

Above a beautiful water fall in the middle of a city in Kilppen Community. On the left a historic site marking the

making of unity between leaders in Norway 1000year ago under the leadership of King Harlod 1.

Being in an new environment the body and the mind take some good time to get into the system. I have learnt that taking more time in the outside to breath the fresh air, get the cold, get rained on, meet the people, make mistakes and laugh loundly about them is a good part of life. The beauty of nature is healing and refreshing. It speaks of the greatness of the invisible maker who put it all together and his invisible nature controls it. At one point I thought, 'If I never believed then I would have believed', that is, "...since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." Warumi moja, ishirini.

Below. May be too much walking without some sleep makes Sammy and Knut dull boys!

A little rest on the pulpit rock was not that bad, especially after 2hrs 30 minutes climbing to the o the top, walking over rocks and above beautiful fjords. The trip was with Knut an electrical engeneering student at the University of Stavanger . It is amazing how friendship grows and blossoms with time and how one would give for their friends. It wa a day well spent!

A step next

It is amazing how time moves fast, already in Stavanger for one month. It has been exciting to be here working among students and visiting different places in Stavanger.

Finally Nimefika!

Sasa? I am finally at Hald! It is great to be here and life though diffrent is very exciting. It is now three weeks that I have been here at Hald International Centre. This is the first step of my work here in Norway and I am going through a preparatory course for seven weeks before going to my practice place to a city called Starvanger in the South coast of Norway. I have made so many friends and am happy that there is so great unity in diversity. Activities are many and the trainings on diffrent issues such as leadership, missions, poverty, Norwegian history and church, development and coorporation agenda by fk Norway.