“My plan was for us to go to a Bible School close to home in Songdalen, Norway, because my wife had multiple sclerosis (MS). But we ended up in Hawaii—at that time a place we could hardly find on a map—far, far away from southern Norway.”
Thor Stensby recalls his feelings with a smile. Sometimes things don’t happen as planned. There are times when things turn out worse than expected, but for the Stensby family things have gone a lot better than they could have ever imagined.
In the summer of 1999, Thor and his wife Magrete were working at the Dvergsnestangen Bible Camp near Kristiansand. There they met some young people from Youth with a Mission who told them about DTS (Disciple Training School), which is held in several different places around the world.
Thor and Magrete thought that this sounded interesting, and then they found out that one of these schools was located in Hawaii. They applied and were accepted. In October 1999 they arrived in Hawaii.
Thor relates:
“During those three months in Hawaii, many things happened to us as a family. Because of her MS, Magrete had been dependent on crutches, and at times a wheelchair, for 12 years. The day before New Year’s Eve 1999, she was suddenly healed so that she no longer had to use crutches or a wheelchair. She still has MS and its symptoms, but her daily life has been changed radically. The doctor doesn’t really understand what has happened, but Magrete is more active than most people her age. She walks 10 kilometers 3 or 4 times a week and bikes 30 kilometers just as often.”
The first time they came to Hawaii they thought that they were going to go to a regular Bible School. But that was not the case. They had come to the University of Nations founded by Youth with a Mission, International. They were enrolled in a three-month leader training school that equips people so that they can help others and prepares them to participate in a missions outreach.
“Aloha from Forgotten Norwegians in Hawaii”
Be the first to comment on "Important experience made Hawaii dear to their hearts "