A 9.5 hour flight gave us time to catch up on some movies but neither of us got any sleep on the plane, as it is our typical awake time. A tight time frame to go through Schengen (EU) customs with security and to our connecting flight had us walking fast and passing by our favorite duty free chocolate and candy. Yet we made it with about 5 minutes to spare!
My PhD adviser, Knut, and his new PhD student, Zephania from Tanzania, picked us up. I wasn’t sure he’d get 4 rolling duffel bags, 2 rolling carry ons, and 2 back packs with 4 people in his Rav4, but then I learned that he was a tour guide in Israel for a time, and picked up 8 people with luggage to fit in a van. He is really good at packing, and that is something coming from me and my missionary packing gift.
Knut and his wife, Berly, hosted us for lunch, which is wonderful because grocery stores are closed on Sundays in Norway and restaurants are really expensive. After lunch, Knut brought us to Sandnes, about 10 miles (16 km–as we have to get comfortable with the metric system!) south of Stavanger.
Our house is a classic Norwegian home, I think built in the early 1900s, with wood siding and round slate (real stone) roof tiles.
Anya was so jet lagged, that she slept and didn’t join me for a walk up the hill to my friend Tinas. We stayed there in 2012 for an overnight. I was hosted to a wonderful meal and time with friends and their 2 boys (4th grade and kindergarten). They bought some groceries on Saturday as a welcome gift to get us going. I’m learning so much about hosting others having been welcomed so well. Tina also gave me important news about road construction, which changes the bus stop–which is no longer right at our school–and where the closest grocery store was.
Off to bed and deep sleep until…