From their respective cities, five overseas visitors traveled over 17,000 miles to reach Byrn Mawr, Pennsylvania and the BuildaBridge Institue, traveling from Oslo, Norway, Drammen, Norway, Guatemala City, Guatemala and Lejre, Denmark.

After receiving a grant three years ago to visit churches and religious organizations abroad, Harold Skarsaune learned about BuildaBridge. “Before I came here, I was working in the same field as BuildaBridge without the theoretical framework for it,” he said. Skarsaune, who is a catechist for the Church of Norway, works with teen youth clubs and  attended the Institute for his second time. He said he does not consider himself an artist in the traditional sense but feels that he is an architect.

Atle Naesheim, who is a visual and graphic artist specializing in painting, teaches art to high school students in Norway. After returning from the Institute a few years ago, Skarsaune enlisted Naesheim to assist him on a project. They developed a course that targets people working with children and teenagers, using art as a means for teaching spirituality. They are having a conference in October that Dr. Corbitt and Dr. Nix-Early will be attending.

Elizabeth Helvin also came from Norway to attend the Institute. She is a sculptor and has worked with a children’s home and with drug addicts in the past; however, she has worked as an artist full-time for the past seven years. Helvin said she believes that artists often become self-centered and destructive. “I’ve never dreamed of fame or money,” she said. “I think there is this sense of bringing hope and healing to people.” She learned of BuildaBridge after meeting Leah Samuelson, an Artist-on-Call for the organization. Helvin explained that, while Norway does not have many street kids, there are a “great deal of people that are broken and lonely and need redemption.” It is these people that she hopes to reach with her art. 

Trine Berg Hansen came from Denmark, where she works as a teacher at a Christian school for eighth to tenth graders, to attend the Institute. While in London in 2001 to complete her dissertation on gospel choirs as a means for missionary work, she came across Dr. Corbitt’s book, Song of the Harvest. She has been hoping to attend the Institute for several years and has finally gotten the opportunity. Ultimately, her goal is to facilitate art within education. “I longed to get the Danish Christian-based artist to work more intentionally with their arts,” she said.

Liz Herrera came from Guatemala to attend the Institute. She is currently working with Dr. Corbitt to plan an Institute in Guatemala City next year.