My mind is full of thoughts of Vikings boarding their boats and heading off to battle in far away places to be conquered, returning to beautiful wives and great feasts.

I am quickly transcended through time to reality as I feel a tap on my shoulder. I awaken in my isle seat, crumpled up like a little Mayan mummy, to find Jeff asking me for a pen to fill out his landing card. We have just landed in Norway and we need to get off the plane. The airport looks like it was designed by some of the creative team at Ikea, clean lines, minimalistic, yet functional and for a moment I wonder if the Newsboys have played a trick on me and we are actually at Ikea . . .

I am thirsty after so much battle and could use a little Viking coffee. I approach the espresso bar and ask what it would cost for a little shot of fuel. 7 bucks US for an espresso, I couldn’t even afford that in Australian, Canadian, or Hong Kong dollars! I guess I will wait till we get to where we are going and hope they have some Java to share.

We are whisked away in a silver Mercedes to the hotel we are staying at downtown on the main square. At this time of year there is only a few hours of sunlight and I want to see it all! We have a press conference later in the evening and so I grab a quick bite to eat with the guys and hit the streets leaving them to themselves after such a long flight. Some of the guys, who shall remain nameless, like to go to bed as quickly as possible, others like to stay up as long as possible. You are free to do as you choose, just be ready to rock at show time! I am out scouting for possible locations to shoot the band should they feel like posing for a new poster!

The press conference is held in a very cool art gallery that is decorated like a treasure vault in an old Viking castle. The guys take turns greeting our hosts and walking through this fascinating maze of art by some of Scandinavia’s finest artists. The local newspaper sends it’s reporter and photographer to interview the lads, each Newsboy answering a question or eight, then Peter summarizing what the band is all about musically and spiritually. They shoot some pictures and we call it a night over a plate of Chinese food. Yup, Chinese food in Norway!

Today is the day of the first ever Newsboys show in Bergen, Norway, the second largest city in the country and a beautiful fishing village set amongst fjords and Volvos! A radio interview has just come up. Duncan and Paul will be sent as Newsboys ambassadors to greet the nation via radio. 12:00 noon comes and we have to leave or we will miss our airtime slot, but we have no Duncan, just Paul and I are sitting in the car speeding to the radio station. Paul asks me if I could handle being Duncan on the radio, a massive and complex task, the type of assignment I have asked the Lord for in my personal devo times. The band knows my fantasy of being in the band and today Duncan has sacrificed so that my dreams could come true, be it only for a brief moment. I slide into a deep thought coma as we drive. I try to relive every conversation I have ever had with Duncan and I try to take on his personality, his character, his “joie de vivre”, and his savage good looks. Wait a minute, why am I adding this extra unobtainable burden of savage good looks, this is radio mate!

Paul notices me mumbling things under my breath and realizes that I am deep in transformation mode. I work up a rather lengthy conversation, complete with accent and Aussie vocabulary, I also find my self tapping drumbeats on my knees and thighs . . .

We get to the national radio station and meet the on air team that will be hosting the interview. I see Duncan’s face on my body as I look at my reflection in the window of the studio. This will be good! I am so ready; I imagine that I feel Duncan’s hand on my shoulder, reassuring me that all is well. Cool, mate, let’s do it!

Paul greets the nation of Norway, believers, Vikings, and Ikea workers, and begins the conversation with our host. He is doing an excellent job of entertaining angels and sinners alike. Our radio host looks at me, or Duncan rather, and indicates that it is my turn to greet the nation. “G’day Norway” I say in absolute perfect Duncan, smile included! Then it is back to Paul for the remainder of the interview. Yes! Thank you Lord! We made it! I am so excited, even Paul tells me that he is proud of how well I represented Duncan.

Later, in the car on the way back to the hotel, Paul tells me that for a brief moment he felt like he was truly with Duncan in the studio! Now how do we share this with Duncan, or do we . . .

Back at the hotel, the lads are rested, refueled, and ready to rock! They look like a row of apache helicopters ready to attack, all dressed in assorted shades of black and leather. We head off to Johanneskirke, a very cool old church built in 1894, on a hill in the center of the village of Bergen. The church is sort of Scando-goth looking complete with a tall spire and huge wooden front doors. We walk into the foyer and look up into the massive dome that makes up the main sanctuary. In front of us is the platform and a huge painting of Nordic Jesus, and behind us, a massive pipe organ and pipes up in the balcony. As we gaze at all those shiny pipes, I notice Jeff’s shoulder start to twitch a little bit and I ask him how the missus was doing back home to get his mind off the organ and all those pipes, hopefully avoiding an incident with him at the keys, mesmerizing the villagers into some sort of hypnotic pipe organ trance . . .

A little meet and greet and we are off to a spectacular show in this amazing church. As I look at the stage and walk from side to side I keep noticing the painting of Nordic Jesus on the wall above the alter. It seems that no matter where you are, Nordic Jesus’ eyes follow you! I know very well that the Lord is with us where ever we go. Tonight we were just reminded of that a little more then usual!

Out in the crowd things are equally as wild. The crowd is familiar with the music and they sing along with the band in English. Peter takes a moment to let a couple of the guys have a turn at the mic and they do very well. 45 minutes later the party is over and there is a feeling of excitement lingering in the sanctuary. I look back at Nordic Jesus one last time as I leave the church. I have the feeling that He is proud of all that has just been shared. This feeling is echoed by the band who are laughing, enjoying the excitement of the night, each lad fighting to share his story before he forgets it as we run back to the buffet of meatballs and pickled delicacies back at the hotel.