The beginning was a miracle in a small congregation in Norway
The Journey from Norway to Canada
“Now marking seven years as missionaries”
By
Cecilia Skulstad Pedersen
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↑ MISSIONARIES: Cecilia and Runar – missionaries in the world's second-largest country: Canada.
Join the journey from the first touch of God in childhood to a life of service in one of the world's largest and most multicultural countries.
In June 2025, our family celebrated the seventh year as a family in Canada. Over the years, many people have asked us to share our story. What better time to do so than when we celebrate our seventh year? As we look back and reflect on the journey we've had, we feel it's time to invite you into the journey God took us on when we moved from our beloved homeland, Norway, to Canada.
Looking Back
But before we tell you about when we traveled as a family from Norway, we would like to give you a little retrospective. Our story starts long ago, already when Cecilia was just 11 years old. Cecilia and her parents belonged to a congregation in Os, just outside Bergen. One weekend, she was to experience something very special. The congregation Cecilia belonged to had invited an evangelist who had lived in Canada, and you know him very well: Svein-Magne Pedersen.
↑ CANADA: Cecilia, at 11 years old, listens to her future father-in-law as he talks about Canada.
With great expectation and curiosity, Cecilia sat on the front bench to listen to the evangelist's many testimonies from Canada. Already then, a fire started in her heart, and this was her first encounter with the miraculous. At this first meeting with the one she didn't know was her future father-in-law, Cecilia was healed of a crooked back.
Svein-Magne and the family lived in Canada from 1982–1988 and became Canadian citizens on July 13, 1989, in the city of Winnipeg.
Runar, Svein-Magne's eldest son, spent much of his childhood in Canada. He was 13 years old when the family moved back to Norway. Runar had completed all his elementary school years in Canada, and he was a Canadian at heart. The transition back to Norway was sometimes challenging, but he adjusted surprisingly well. Already at the age of 15, he began working at Jesus Heals Ministries in Vennesla, Norway, after school. Since then, he has been involved and worked in the ministry up to today.
The Journey to Canada
Cecilia and Runar did not know each other until Cecilia was 16 and Runar was 19, and it would still be a few years before they met for the first time.
In 1997, Cecilia's parents went out as missionaries among the indigenous people in Canada, traditionally called Indians. Cecilia, who had just finished high school, decided to join them. Her time in Canada as a 19-year-old made a strong impression on her, and she forever got Canada in her heart. Since then, she has felt a calling from God to the country.
Cecilia and Runar met in 1997 for the first time in Abbotsford, the city they now live in. As you can probably guess, Cecilia and Runar became a couple back then. They returned to Norway, where they eventually got married in 1999.
Cecilia decided to train as a kindergarten teacher, and Runar studied a Bachelor of Public Administration. They started a family in Norway and were blessed with four children.
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The years went by, but the call to Canada never disappeared. On the contrary, it grew stronger and stronger. Over the years, they made many mission trips there, which further reinforced the call God had placed on their hearts.
In 2016, they received word from the Canadian authorities that their children were born Canadian. This opened the door to what had been a dream and longing in their hearts, which could now become reality. God spoke strongly during this period, and the plans started to take shape.
“Canada, here we come!”
In 2018, they moved with their family of six to Canada. They sold and gave away everything they owned and traveled with just two suitcases each. Was it an easy process? Absolutely not, but God was strongly with them all the way, and they have countless testimonies of what God did for them both in the process and on the journey.
In May 2025, Cecilia received Canadian citizenship. After 26 years married to a Canadian, it was a real blessing from God.
↑ WITNESSES: Cecilia and Runar share the gospel with people everywhere.
Canada is a country with 40 million people, and only 3% of the population is saved. Cecilia, Runar, and their family live in the city of Abbotsford, which has 170,000 inhabitants. Canada is the homeland of multiculturalism and consists of many different peoples. In the province of British Columbia alone, there are 5.7 million people living there. It is a gigantic country with enormous opportunities for evangelization and mission work.
Mission tasks are lined up
Cecilia and Runar work in the Canadian foundation Jesus Heals Ministries Society. In addition to administrative tasks and contacts with people worldwide seeking prayer, they are passionate about reaching out to the Canadian people both locally and nationally. Their work also involves constantly connecting with new people and collaborating with other missions to reach the country.
Canada is vast, the need is great, and the demand for missionary work is immense. In practice, Cecilia and Runar are out in the field and, among other things, evangelize, do outreach, run prayer services in various arenas, and mentoring. Runar also has a worship service where he plays guitar both in church and at various events, including inter-church worship gatherings.
During the seven years Cecilia and Runar have also attended Bible school for two years. The Bible school followed a curriculum from Bethel in the USA, and the teaching focused on evangelism, the miraculous, healing, and the prophetic. This time was fantastic, and they can recount many powerful encounters with God that have changed their lives. Cecilia and Runar practice the prophetic and healing daily in their ministry and in meetings with people – both planned and unexpected encounters with random people wherever they go. Many people have received inner and physical healings through their prophetic and healing ministry.
↑ PREACHER: Cecilia tells how God healed her from the inside out.
Missionary and author
Cecilia has also in recent years written a book that was published in February 2025 by the publisher "Messenger Books" in the USA. The book is titled Never the Same in English and is currently being translated into Norwegian. The Norwegian version is expected to be released next year. If you wish, you can purchase the English book via Cecilia's website.
In the book, Cecilia tells among other things about the journey from Norway to Canada and many other testimonies from their life. The book is also about identity and how hearing God's voice can bring both inner and physical healing. Since her book was published, she has also spoken at various places and venues.
Cecilia and Runar see mission as their life calling. They are both passionate about seeing people break free from chains and come out into freedom, embracing their true identity, stepping into their God-given calls, and experiencing inner and physical healing. Their greatest desire is to see people enter into a close and personal relationship with Jesus, which will transform them from the inside out.
↑ A NARROW PATH TO WALK: Missionaries walk in faith, also as a family. Thanks to all the support partners who remember the work of Jesus Heals Ministries both at home and abroad, with financial support and prayers for the work and our missionaries.
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