What gain have the workers from their toil? I have seen the business that God has given to everyone to be busy with. He has made everything suitable for its time; moreover, he has put a sense of past and future into their minds, yet they cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. I know that there is nothing better for them than to be happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live; moreover, it is God’s gift that all should eat and drink and take pleasure in all their toil. I know that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it nor anything taken from it; God has done this so that all should stand in awe before him.

Ecclesiastes 3:9-14

What were we up to for our last few weeks in Bergen? Lots. So much. We soaked in our last adventures in Bergen—a girls trip to Trolltunga, a boys (+Ieva) trip to Mo, the three-mountain Vidden hike, kayaking, and island adventures. All pictured below!

The girls took a day-trip to a popular trail three hours from Bergen called Trolltunga (“troll tongue”). We hiked 8 miles out to the most beautiful viewpoint I’ve probably ever seen in my entire life, set up camp, slept for the two hours that the sun went down for, and trekked back the next morning. Needless to say, the boys were champs and dealt with everything while we were gone, including an unexplained fire alarm, and even had all the hostel beds made for us when we got back. Shout out Knox and David.

The boys took a much more relaxing trip to a tiny town a few hours north of Bergen to fish, paddleboard, and hike. Their fishing expeditions were definitely super duper fruitful and they totally caught so many fish I can’t even give you a specific number. There were that many fish… They took a hike, cooked some dinner, buddied up with a group of German kids camping in the same place, and slept for a solid twelve hours. And then got stuck in a grocery store somehow.

Because we came to love the city so deeply, it was easy to forget that we were literally there to clean toilets and make waffles (not at the same time). Though we were present for our shifts and leaned into getting to know the guests, it sometimes felt as though we were just trying to get through our shifts so that we could get out and explore more of Bergen; what does it look like to both work and explore in a way that serves God? (see Abby’s reflection on exploring)

One of the things we loved to do with guests was watch the World Cup. We would turn the games on after every social hour, mute it, and talk with guests while the game played in the background. It was a fun thing to build connections around. I know so much about soccer now—I mean football. I can spot offsides like nobody’s business. One of the ways that we leaned into both the service and exploration was by taking guests out into the city with us to watch the games and experience the incredible Norwegian joy of watching the national team make it way farther in the knockout round than they were supposed to. In the end, we had to root for Spain (shout out Camino), who beat out Argentina in the end!

Finally, I think it would be silly to offer you only my thoughts, so here are some reflections written by each team member:

From Elsie:

I’ll never regret spending the summer of my freshman year on this SMP trip. God has challenged me and led me to grow in ways unique to my circumstances and needs, all centered around the theme of meeting God in ordinary life. I joined the trip with a skeptical view of what could be achieved through a short-term mission trip and left with a heart full of gratitude, praise, and humility.

One of the beauties of the incarnation is that God chose to reveal Himself not only through extraordinary miracles, but through ordinary human life. He took on flesh, spoke our language, experienced our weakness, and walked through the rhythms of daily life. He is patient, and He took His time to talk, to love, and to live every moment of His life on earth—all meaningful and beautiful.

So I learned to see that every moment in my life could also be meaningful and beautiful, as a moment to experience God, to love Him, to love others, and to embrace the person He created me to be.

I learned to be present—to enjoy moments of sitting in silence with others or engaging in late-night conversations with guests and friends; moments of joyful group prayers and moments of helpless prayers spoken out loud while walking aimlessly through the streets; moments of folding, washing, and cleaning during busy morning shifts and moments of resting under a green, quiet tree; moments of climbing Ulriken’s stone stairs with guests at the same pace and moments of stopping every thirty seconds together just to catch our breath. I learned to cherish every moment and invite God to meet me in each one.

Finally, a few tips for those who will also join this wonderful trip in the future. First, never be afraid to start a new conversation. Not every conversation is going to be deep or life-changing. Most of the time, they seem small. I find it more important to show genuine interest and care for the actual person in front of you than to accomplish the goal of having a life-changing spiritual conversation in a single encounter. Keep talking, keep caring, keep asking.

Cloudy Bergen is the norm, yet sunny Bergen also exists and makes it feel like the most glorious place in the world. Find a nice cozy spot underneath a quiet tree and enjoy the moment there by yourself. Take a nap, read a book, or just watch the sky above. Enjoy the time alone, but also, you're not left alone, for God will also be there.

Lastly, waffles are perhaps one of the most important things in this hostel. Guests show up and gather around waffles (and so do your teammates). To provide better hospitality and make the waffle-making process slightly more enjoyable—please add enough oil to the waffle makers!

From Abby, to a future Norway team, or just a traveler:

Welcome to Bergen, Wheaton team! I can’t wait for you to come to know and love this city and its people as much as I have. My hope and encouragement is that you find joy in exploring. Explore what it means to be the hands and feet of Jesus as you fold towels and make beds and pour waffle batter. Explore the mountains and the fjords. Be reminded that God is God and you are not. Explore what it is to be loved in your smallness, because you are so small. God has been at work long before you even thought of applying for this trip, and I hope you get to see how lovely it is that He creates moments and spaces for you to join Him in His work. Explore limited and fleeting relationships with people who are only expecting a place to sleep at night. When you come up against the limits of your heart and its capacity to love strangers, be amazed by the depths of God’s love for you. There is so much here for you to learn when you decide to explore. Much love.