The motherland

It's funny to be writing a post about "the motherland", but that's what Sweden is for both of us as we reflect on our Swedish heritage (handed down through both grandfathers for Steve and through Barb's maternal grandparents).  Yet for this trip, it had nothing to do with the motherland and everything to do with Sweden, the country in Europe that has taken in the largest number of refugees per capita.  They have given permission to anyone coming from Syria to stay in their country.  Theirs has been a most open welcoming policy.  Theirs is now, though, a country that has closed the border with Denmark to limit the influx of refugees. 

Malmo's Twisted Torso...not really a housing option for us!

 

New friends in Malmo

The church before we dismantled everything for their upcoming 3 month remodel project

Visiting a used clothing room made available for the New Swedes

"New Swedes" as they are called by our host family and Pastor David Sirvio and the Wesleykerkan in Malmo.  We met the New Swedes at the Swedish language cafe, where we had our first Swedish lesson....writing sentences that included using descriptions of the 5 senses (hearing, smell, taste, sight and touch), and opposites (dry-wet, hot-cold).  We met the New Swedes at church on Sunday morning as we listened to the service being translated into English for us, but also for the Syrian woman who for the first time since coming to church, was able to understand everything that was being shared.  (And wow, we were ever so thankful for the translation equipment that made it possible for us to understand as well!)  We met the New Swedes in the home of a church member who has welcomed the same Syrian woman and her son to live with her while they get established in Sweden.

Pastor David, the church council and our host family made sure that we had exposure to a wide variety of church activities in our 4 days together:  language class, dismantling of the church, street church, Friday evening taco hangout with family/friends (called Fredags mys, which one friend translated "a Friday evening cuddle"), Sunday morning worship complete with several people praying over us for clear discernment over our future, and an evening hanging out with New Swedes, old Swedes, a Phillipino woman and a couple of Americans thrown in just for good measure.

Loved the name of this Saturday morning activity....but wow, it was sure cold out on the street in Sweden in March!

Amazing conversations with people passing by while Johnny Cash music played on the bluetooth speaker hooked up to an Iphone

Favorite street outreach event that I've ever been involved in!

 And just so you don't think that it was all work and no play....

Just like how my friend Bonnie taught me how to bake...wouldn't my MorMor (Swedish for mother's mother) be proud if I could make cardamon rolls look like that!

 

Time for "Fika"....but what's a girl supposed to do who only drinks decaffeinated coffee??  Do we get disqualified as missionaries?

Seriously?  A whole aisle in the grocery store just for knakebrot?

 

I love it that this new friend in Sweden has the same name as an old friend in Belgium

Playing Jesus

I love to play! I love to role play with kids! And  I especially love to role play with kids as we learn Bible stories together…..especially stories about Jesus.  So, you can imagine the fun that we had on Palm Sunday as Miss Barb took off her jacket and told the kids to throw it on the ground in front of the donkey, because Jesus was coming.  And Jesus was a very important man.  In fact, throwing the coat out for Jesus is what people would do when a king or important person was passing by.  So, there went my jean jacket.  And then came the donkey (Miss Barb on all fours, and in this moment I was sharing my thanks to God for healing my knee that has been so angry and inflamed for several years now).  I was also sharing my thanks to God for Kerry, my trusted language helper (she did all the translating into Dutch that I needed, so that I could concentrate on being the donkey and getting Jesus safe to his destination).  And can I tell you something amazing?  Our Jesus that Palm Sunday morning in Antwerp was played by little Mo-hammed, whose family now has permission to stay in Belgium and his parents have been recently baptized in our church and he’s learning all about Jesus.  And today, he’s riding the donkey as the other kids are shouting out “Hosanna” (which doesn’t have to get translated into Dutch….it’s all the same….”Hosanna!”).  One more important fact to share so that you can let your imagination run wild with this one:  Miss Barb (a.k.a. the donkey carrying Jesus on her back) had to quickly remind the little kids (our 3-5 year olds got to play with the plastic palm branches first), “hey kids, be careful.  Don’t hit Jesus in the face!”  

I love my church!

I love Palm Sunday!

I love Jesus!

Okay, the cloaks on the ground in front of Jesus are a little different than Miss Barb's jacket

Everybody's happy ~ just like the AIPC kids!!!

AIPC original artwork....check out the curly eyelashes on Jesus' donkey ~ oh for cute!!