Reflecting on my childhood I remember an undercurrent of exploration and adventure buzzing in the background. I often found myself captivated by stories of “distant lands”, documentaries of men conquering mountains, and programs following lions roaming the savanna. I’m the type of guy who binges “The Deadliest Catch,” purely due to the danger and unpredictability of living in one of the worlds most dangerous contexts. Perhaps my childhood laid the foundation of adventure and faith that has been life for Jenny and I.

While engaged we spent a considerable amount of time considering where to honeymoon. I fixated on Iceland. She convinced me that Iceland would be too cold. So, naturally, we landed on the remote island nation of the Cook Islands. From day one we ventured to far off places. Open to the excitement of new cultures, food, and people. We found such joy in connecting with the “locals” and peeking into their lives and providing some love and encouragement along the way.

Over the last 21 years we have been invited to love and serve others in various “National Geographic” locals. Our “yes” has opened the doors to see the Cape of Good Hope (South Africa), Vik (southernmost point of Iceland), Cape Reinga (the northernmost point of New Zealand), and more. In it all, we cherish the many international friends made, lives touched and memories we’ve acquired over the years.

Our time in Norway has been no different. We continue to see new and exciting “open doors” to adventure and connect with wonderful people along the way. This June, we had the opportunity to stand at the top of Europe, known as North Cape, (or Nordkapp), Norway!

To get there by car was no small task. From our little town of Ål we drove about 2,500 km (1,555 mi.) to reach Nordkapp. To put it into perspective, this is the same as driving from Ål to Rome, Italy, or from Seattle to Dallas. The round-trip distance is the equivalent of driving from San Francisco to New York City.

If we were in the states this drive could be accomplished in a handful of days. But not in western Norway. With the land broken up with towering mountains, fjords, rivers and plateaus, we needed to plan for weeks to accommodate all of the mountain passes, ferry crossings and maximum speed limits of 80kmph. Soooo slow!

Needless to say, the trip did not disappoint. Each day was like opening up and immersing ourselves into a new and refreshing chapter of a great novel. Over 18 days we were captured by displays of beauty giving way to beauty; from the world-renowned midnight sun, to herds of reindeer traversing the arctic landscape, towering waterfalls and majestic white sand beaches. We reconnected with friends and made some new ones along the way, not to mention the priceless gift of stockpiling memories with the family, and lingering in “conversations that matter” over a lazy breakfast or evening coffee. Those are the moments that the spirit touches eternity as truth and goodness are pondered.

After x amount of day, our final destination was upon us: Nordkapp There we were, the four of us, standing at the top of the continent. All of Europe and Africa to our backs and the northern reaches of the arctic expanding before us!

So why do we go? We go to touch the land. To pray blessing and provide encouragement to friends and strangers. To stand at the “edge” and get a sense of the greatness of our Creator and open up ourselves to just how small we truly are. To hear His quiet voice remind us that even in these distant places He is present. Though He is beyond the “ends of the earth” we can take great comfort knowing He is with us. Always.

The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you…
-Deuteronomy 31:8