Røsvik Top 10 from 2009

In keeping with tradition, here is our family’s Top 10 from the past year….

10. A running theme throughout the last 7 years is God’s faithfulness and never-ending care. It’s so cool to look back on 2009 and remember how He provided for us in so many ways - sometimes in ways that we didn’t expect and sometimes in ways very contrary to what we thought was best. But each time we could clearly see that it was from Him, and looking back we realize that His ways are always the best. May we start 2010 with expectant hearts – looking to Him to lead and guide us each step of the way…trusting that He does indeed know what is best for us.

9. The time we spent in beautiful Dumaguete, Philippines (on the southern island of Negros) visiting Robbie, a dear friend and co-worker, and her family. It was so much fun to be with her family for a week, and we’ll never forget their hospitality and kindness!  

8. Having the chance to visit several friends in their homes in the villages they work in during our last month in the Philippines. We met little Ellen Jane six years ago when she was just 3 years old and the missionaries had only just moved into her village and begun learning her language.  Today her entire family has been taught from the Bible in their own language, and both of her parents are now believers! It was so special to see Ellen Jane again, and to see her and our Emma playing together.

7. We moved several times during our 4 years in the Philippines, but our final move was to an SIL flight center, whose airplane and pilot we were using. It was a little daunting for us at first to know that we would be outsiders (the only NTM family there) but it didn’t take long before we realized that we were surrounded by a bunch of really great people. We continued living there until May of this year and to this day are still enjoying some of the special friendships we made there. God has been so good to us!

(Here we are having our American Idol finale party this May!)

(Levi and his buddy Austin.)

(Emma and sweet little Maren.)

6. Our church in Florida has played a huge role in our lives since before we first left for the Philippines. They’ve faithfully supported and prayed for us for the last 5 years, and we really enjoyed spending time with our church family during our 6 months in the States. We loved catching up with old friends, meeting new people, and being encouraged each week through the teaching of our pastor and the fellowship with each other. We especially enjoyed being able to teach the middle school and high school Sunday School class each week as we took them chronologically through the Bible, from creation to Christ. (The same teaching that NTM uses around the world in tribal villages!) We feel that our relationship with our church was strengthened after being away for so long, and we appreciate so much their love, care, and prayers as we begin this new journey with NTM Norway.

(Our Sunday School class on our last day at church.)

5. Number 5 would have to be our month of travels in September, from Florida up to New Brunswick, Canada with stops in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Maine, Vermont, Chicago, and Georgia. We enjoyed the beautiful weather and all there was to see, but most of all we enjoyed visiting relatives, seeing old friends, and making new friends along the way. It was especially great to see my mom’s whole family up in New Brunswick and spend time with my wonderful Grampie and Grammie Jones.

(A 4-generation picture. I’m so thankful for my family.)

4. Hands down, two of the best parts of our year were when two sets of our dearest friends came to visit us while we were in Florida – Don, Char and their kids in October and Danny and Philippa in December. One of the biggest blessings that God has given us are the incredible friendships we have with these two families. And it was sooooo special that it worked out to see both of them this fall!

(The Epps!)

(Us with Danny and Philippa at Disney World.)

3. Uncle Erlend coming to visit us in the Philippines earlier this year, all the way from Norway! It was so much fun to show him where we were living and see him experience all sorts of things from the mission field. (We also enjoyed the yummy chocolate and treats that he brought with him!) Right now Erlend is in England finishing up the missions training with NTM. We are praying for wisdom and guidance for him as he looks to the Lord for his future.

2. Getting to spend the last 6 months living around the corner from my family. Words cannot express how wonderful it was but I’ll try a little – fun, crazy, awesome, super, great, glorious, amazing, stupendous, busy, exciting, loud, laughing, crying, singing, eating, talking, eating, talking, eating, talking, playing, driving, shopping, hugging, and chocolate chip cookie dough. Did that help a little? :-) Unfortunately our time with them was so wonderful that it made it all the more difficult to say goodbye earlier this week. I will terribly miss seeing them every day and it’s sad to think that Levi and Emma might not be as close to them as I wish they could be, but I am so thankful for all the fun we had together and that God placed me into such a wonderful family. And so very thankful that we were able to have six whole months of togetherness!

(Grandma Esther with all her grandbabies.)

(The entire Meisel family at Thanksgiving, gathered from near and far for a family reunion. VERY special memories!)

(Christmas day.)

1. Markus asked me if I was going to include coming to Norway on my list, because to him it was a HUGE highlight of his year to come home and be reunited with his family and be immersed back into the familiarity of his home country. At first I thought I’d put it somewhere near the bottom of my list just to be nice (hehe) but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that moving to Norway really is the number 1 highlight of 2009 for us. This is something that we’ve been praying about since we were married, and it’s nothing short of a miracle how God has led us here with united hearts and opened the doors thus far. It’s very fitting to start this brand new chapter of our lives at this time of the year, which we often see as a fresh start.

So here’s to 2010 – a brand new start in a brand new ministry in a brand new country for us, and another year to walk with our faithful Lord and Savior. I’ll just leave you with this verse that my mom gave to us yesterday…it’s one that we’ve both heard many times before, yet it spoke deeply to our hearts today.

“Forget the former things;

do not dwell on the past.

See, I am doing a new thing!

Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?

I am making a way in the desert

and streams in the wasteland.”

Isaiah 43:18-19

(New Year’s Eve dinner with our family. Of course Markus is behind the camera again…)

Happy New Year from the Røsviks! We send our love to each of you, whether near or far! And who knows…maybe this will be the year of our Lord’s return!!!! :-) :-) :-)

In closing, here’s a quote that both Markus and I love and find so fitting when a new year rolls around…

“I said to the man at the Gate of the Year, ‘Give me a light that I may walk safely into the unknown.’ He said to me, ‘Go out into the darkness, and put your hand in the hand of God, and it shall be to you better than the light, and safer than the known.’” (King George VI, Christmas Eve address to the British Commonweath during the difficult days following World War II. As he spoke, his listeners were unaware that the king was dying of cancer. These words were to become an anchor in his own time of need." From: ‘Can Man Live Without God’ by Ravi Zacharias)