Sweden...the final part

No internet for a few days...but here we are again. Thanks for praying for our time with the Mission Council at my church in Lund. A great evening of fellowship and exchange of thoughts. Really good. For hours we shared about what God is doing where we live and work...and there were so many question. We truly felt loved by this group of people who have cared for us for over 35 years. Truly a blessing. One more full day here and we are off on Sunday to Copenhagen and Amsterdam and on Monday morning we travel back to Portland. Then it is time to switch langauge and time zone again...
This has truly been a journey of lot's of impressions....so much to process ....so much to think of and so much to tell you all...and in the end....home is starting to look good. To get out of the suitcase mode will be good...although it has been such a blessing to live simple and live in true community for soon over 4 weeks....
Take care...and thank you for praying!! Appreciate that....have needed that....have strongly felt it.

Pictures

Thought you might want to see some of our pictures from Sweden. The ones we took in Central Asia we will wait to show when we get home....but here is some Swedish fun for you!!

The hats we brought from Central Asia were popular.

Above is my niece Amanda and below my other niece Filippa.


Below....my mother. We took several long walks by the sea....

And here is the gang....from the left, youngest sister Ulrika, then sister Inga Maj, my Mom (sitting), sister Kerstin laughing, sister Annika and me.

Another sister picture...we are truly a bunch of middle aged overweight ladies....still enjoying being together, talking and just catching up on life. Yes, they ALL live in Sweden.

Sweden part 3

Thanks for praying for our time at our church...it went very well and we had a precious time of sharing, worship and fellowship with friends from years past. It was quite something to be able to sing your heart out in Swedish. Something I have missed....and not really known how much I have missed it. It was good. We met many folks we had not seen for many years....This is also the church where Pat and I were married 35 years ago and this was the fellowship that originally sent me out to the regions beyond close to 37 years ago. Very precious indeed. Yesterday we had a great time with one of my sisters who was visiting from the north country and my elderly Mother. We went to the beach and also visited one of the small towns in the area here.

Sweden part 2

After a few days in the old country...it still feels strange to be here. But it has been good to be with family. Yesterday we all got together and it was fun to spend time with my 4 sisters, their families and my 80 year old Mom. We had a grand day and the sun was out and it was warm. One of these days we will post some pictures also. We have a long weekend here both this weekend and next. We look forward to be able to share in my home church this weekend and then spend time with some dear friends next week. Thanks for you continued prayers for us on this long journey. Home is starting to look good....including getting our of suitcases...but for now, that is fine also. Now it is time for a cup of good strong Swedish Coffee....!!! Talk to you later.

Sweden part 1

I seems like a dream.....we arrived in Sweden late last night ....it was raining. But this morning as we are yapping away in the native toungue...drinking coffee...the sun in shining and it looks like a nice day out there....got the Internet going here at my sister's house...and we are all set...

Yesterday, as we spend another chunk of time at the airport in Istanbul I wrote another brief update....here we go:

Last Monday morning came early. We did not only have to get up real early to go the the airport…..this day also came way too fast. Already our precious time with our friends in Central Asia was over. It is really hard to describe these last two weeks….unbelievable experiences, and also many moments of just sitting talking with our friends, hearing their hearts…seeing their visions, their passions for the people they have come to serve. Our prayer was that we would get a little glimpse of that. And we did.

Not only was this a culturally overwhelming experience….it was also an incredible time of seeing folks who are dedicated to what God has put on their hearts….and they are sticking to it. They are definitely NOT hugging the beam, as our friend Alan talks about. No they are out there….brave people….determined people….wanting to serve…wanting to make a difference. And they are. We are so honored to have been able to spend time with them….so humbled by their lives and so thankful for the fellowship and the friendship…how often did we not talk about community these last two weeks….as we lived in tight quarters with both families…. Precious. To be in and out in each other’s lives like this….well, we will never forget this time and we are so thankful to all those who made it possible for us to travel.

Z. borrowed a car on Sunday night and took us to the airport Monday morning. It was hard to say goodbye to them. We hugged the little ones last night before they went to bed. As we had talked about before….we came, and became a little bit of a bridge for them between their world there and the world at home.

It was a rather hot day on Sunday and I believe the temperatures went up close to 30 C ….the sun was really scoring….and you could feel the heat building up in the house also. Summers are hot and winters are cold there in Central Asia. But everyone seem to be fine with that. There has been a lot of rain this spring and everything was very green. We were told that it was more green than normal….and we are thankful that we got to enjoy all that beauty. Because it was really beautiful…..

On Sunday we took it easy in the morning….talked a lot and did some packing. In the afternoon we went to church. Z and M attend a small house fellowship in town. We enjoyed a time of fellowship, worship and the Word together with a handful of believers. Evening went fast and it was amazing how fast morning came…..we are glad Z had a car for us although we did see taxis and the like even at that early hour in the morning. At the airport life was in full swing…and as lines are not a custom…we joined the crowd and took everything in stride.

We had no problem getting in and checking in….the potential nightmare began as we came to passport control. Apparently we did not have the right registration in our passports to be able to leave…. well, after some talking…although no one was really speaking English and we didn’t speak any of the local languages the passport lady found a young local girl who spoke good English and she was able to do a little translation for us…Well, through all of this we were kindly informed that we had to pay for this neglect, of not having the right stamp or whatever it was that they were looking for. Officially we had heard that there was a new law that said the you did not need this paper….well, at the airport, they had other ideas…We did eventually get our stamps in our passports which then made us eligible to leave the country. The sun was rising over the majestic mountain ranges beyond the city as we taxied out to the runway…it was a beautiful morning. Our prayers remain that this country will see the glory of the Lord in the lives of men and women living there….

The plane ride went well….and here we are in Istanbul again…and the first installment of this day’s travel is done. We have two more planes and a train to catch before getting to Sweden.

Saturday Update

Blog update Saturday, May 16, 2009

Can hardly believe that it is Saturday already. Our time here in Central Asia is coming to an end. It has been an unbelievable time…. so many wonderful experiences, so much has happened…we have seen so many beautiful things….and spend some deep time with our friends here.  There are also so many things we will never be able to put into words…and there are so many places where a picture seem to be an inappropriate this to take….like this morning’s visit to the market.

A buzzling place….. it seemed like everyone else had the same idea, to visit the market. There were people everywhere. This is the biggest bazaar/market in this city and what you cannot find there…well, it does not seem worth looking for. M and I visited the material section of the market…. and being here in Central Asia….oh the colors!!

This afternoon Pat and Z are off to the other end of town to meet with some student friends. When they get back we will have dinner with our other friends the R’s. They are still in town and will return to their place beyond the mountains tomorrow.

The V’s live on the ground floor in a very Russian style apartment building. They have an extra door out to a little patch in front you could call a garden. Z has planted some grass and …well, it is getting greener by the day. There is also a sand box out there for the girls…it just needs some sand. This is great place for this little family. They just moved in here about a month ago. It is also a place where they are on constant display…as their neighbors have to pass by their little garden patch to get out to the street.  There are tons of people living in the apartment buildings around here and our friends are truly in a place where they will be able to interact with neighbors and people around all the time. 

On Thursday we also went to the market and bought new cushions for the V’s living room. In this culture you sit on cushions around a very low table….a hard thing to get used to, but a great way to have fellowship. And if you don’t have a low table you just put the tablecloth on the floor….

Friday was also full day after all. In the morning the guys went to the men’s bazaar and checked about material to get a cot done for their little garden. They stayed out most of the morning and had a lot of fun in this bazaar where there are streets for just about every little thing you might want in regards to house building, auto and the like. M and I stayed home with the girls. At 9 in the morning, her language helper came and I ended up looking after both her little boy and Hannah.  Before lunch M and I and the girls went on a shopping round in the neighborhood. But before we went out we donned our “local costumes…” long dresses and head-scarves. M. really looks local, but the kids give her away. We found a small grocery store where we got eggs and cheese and the like. Then we went into a very nice air conditioned supermarket and got a few more things…. and then it was off to the local vegetable market. We were super loaded with the stroller full of not only two hot and tired little girls, but also tons of groceries. By this time it was getting hot out there and we were happy to be home. The afternoon we just hung out in the front garden, much to the amusement of the neighbors…. We told them that we were Z’s parents and they seemed to accept that.

In the evening Z got called out for an intensive neighborhood soccer game… it was truly a wild, rousing game and you could hear they guys blocks away. The neighborhood girls were jumping rope down the street and once in a while a few women scurried by. Later on Z even got his guitar out and Pat quickly became a favorite doing some of his animal sounds…Yes, it was a full day in the neighborhood here where our friends live. Quite amazing…we are so proud of our dear friends.

Thanks for remembering us while we have been on this journey. We are so glad we came….and can’t wait to come home and tell you our story. It has been fascinating. We  are so proud of our friends…we are so overwhelmed with all the people we have met….and the things we have seen and experienced. In many ways it has brought back memories from times past….there are so many similar things here…and yet so different. On Monday we travel to Sweden….and that will probably be where our next update will be from.

 

Thursday update from Central Asia

Thursday, May 14, 2009

We are now back in the big city. Today we have been out and about with Z and M in the market shopping. That was a lot of fun. We bought big cushions that will go on their floor. That is what most everyone sit on here….both for meals and social time and then at night that is what sleep on.  Anyway, we came over here to the V’s house earlier this morning. Enoch brought us and it was really hard to say goodbye to them after such great time together…..we will dearly miss them. They are in town for another day or two and then they head back to their little town tucked away in the middle of no-where. Where they live, one can honestly say that culture has been preserved and time had stood still.

There has been very little time to write for the last few days. And no place close to internet either. Therefore no updates.  But here we are again…..

So, we came here to the capitol on Monday and arrived here early in the evening. That meant we were on the road almost all of the day on Monday ….and after that we have been up in the mountains for a retreat with the two families the last two days..

Yes, it was a long (close to 8 hours this time) but extremely fascinating trek over those rugged mountain tops again….this time with a lot more traffic. We were stopped so many times for one reason or the other….the Chinese are building on the road over the mountains and they have all kinds of interesting things going on ….some that make no sense at all…but the traffic gets stopped…and cars ( most of them loaded to the hilt)  accumulate quickly on this very dusty and most of the time very narrow road…not in a nice one -lane fashion….no it is more like a crowd of people (this time cars) trying to find their way to the front. The question is what do you do when you have four lanes of traffic waiting to go in one direction and four lanes waiting to go from the other end….well, what you get is a real mess….but it was interesting to see how time after time patience was truly exercised  and everything kind of worked itself out after all. Amazing!!

At the second place where we got stopped a big Chinese truck came our way….and Pat, bless his heart, was out there directing traffic and because of his grey hair and impressive stature (he is a tall man in this country)….well, we found ourselves first up in line….kind a cool.

The views were once again amazing…. the sun was out and it was breathtakingly beautiful. The tunnel experience was cool…..again….the water puddles still there…the ice blocks still there and the potholes still there….full of water. But everyone behaved and we got through the tunnel fine. The kids even sang “there is a light at the end of the tunnel” to cheer us on.

Coming down from the pass was beautiful and Pat, sitting up front, took lot’s of pictures….yes, we do have lot’s of pictures….At the end of the trip E’s car was quite a sight…..It was dirty!! But the interesting part is that in town you don’t find any dirty cars, because you are not aloud to come back into town with a dirty car!!  Along the way before the city were all these little car washing stands…..we stopped and had our car washed, and soon  arrived in town and the apartment  E and J have in town….sort of like a guest house for them to stay when they come to town…and to host folks coming and going.  After a delightful evening together with the R’s and the V’s we slept well….and were up the next day getting ready for our little retreat outing. E took the V’s and us up to the mountains to the place where we were staying….and then he brought their family later.  It was like a small hotel high up a green valley with a creek running right through it. The air was fresh, the sky was clear….the housing beautiful….and the creek refreshing. The kids (and the adults) played and played and played all afternoon…the kids even swam in the cold swimming pool ( which had just been filled up that morning with mountain water). A delightful place to hang out and have grand fellowship.

Later on in the evening we had dinner by the creek…on a typical cot….sitting on mats with the food on the floor in front of us….it was awesome. Such beautiful families! Then the kids watched a movie in one of the bedrooms while we, the adults were in another room, just talking, sharing and praying. Hanging out was such a delight. And in the morning we once again had breakfast in our room….all of us….and then the kids played their hearts out….It is fun to watch E and Z…..they are such brothers…and really enjoy each other’s company…. The kids also enjoy being together and have lot’s of fun.

As we returned to the city we all joined up at the V’s for Indian dinner….a fun time sitting on mats, eating and just having fellowship. We sang a little bit together and then had a traditional group photo before we headed over to the R’s later on.

Tonight we have also enjoyed fellowship with several other friends of our friends and that was precious...it is now raining out there and lightening.....

We will be here at the V’s house until we leave on Monday morning. Time is going way too fast and we have so enjoyed and appreciated our time here with our precious friends. Thanks for remembering us.

A Sunday Update

Sunday May 10th…

Didn’t get to write yesterday…I think a little travel fatigue did set in. We also had a fair dose of traveler’s stomach. Well, we should know better…but there we went. We are still kind of jet-laging…slept all night, but up again at 5:30 AM…the birds were chirping pretty loudly outside the window. Sunday is the day off here so most everyone should still be in bed. Our bedroom window is facing the main street here in town and we can hear one or two cars go by even early in the morning. We heard the mosque call this morning and the Town Crier walking the streets with the latest news. Could be announcing someone’s wedding, funeral or something like that. Better that the morning paper I guess. This is a fairly good size village-town, and still it feels like time has stood still and the world is out there somewhere….

Yesterday was Victory Day. Everyone was off from work and school and it was a public holiday. This holiday is a left-over from when the Russians were here and it is to commenmorate the victory that the Russians had over the Germans in World War II. Anyay, it is a fair like day and everyone is out in their best…walking back and forth and up and down…the festivities started down by the small lake by the river….and there were hundreds and hundreds of people there…milling about waiting for the official program to start…complete with flags and all…the only bad part in it all was that it was raining…so we crammed in with everyone else under this huge roof where the program was happening. Quite fascinating with a sea of locals infront of us….and then it all started with the national anthem blurting out and everyone singing….that was mighty….a cultural experience cannot get any better than that. Wow….

We went down to the lake….took some pictures and were able to video some of the happenings back up on the stage….and the smoke billowing from the many barbeques everywhere….E. met a friend and ended up talking with him for the longest….the kids had fun running around and all in all it was a grand experience which we will treasure for a long time.

Walking back gave opportunities for conversations with several folks who of course thought it strange that foreigners should be out and about in the middle of all of this. Pat stood out as he is so much taller than everyone else here…. J. and I were covered in true local fashion…with our long dresses on under the coats and scarves on our heads. Walking back we also had to straddle tons of puddles that had built up and it was close fellowship with many coming and going...because who would want to walk in a puddle with your fancy shoes on??

We came home and had some hot tea and then rested for very much of the rest of the day…talked and talked ….and Pat wasn’t feeling very good. In the evening I went with the family up to the Old city where there are ruins who are over 1500 years old…amazing!! Up there on the hill you also have a great view of the town and the valley….and we stood there for a while talking and E prayed for the city. The kids had a blast running up and down the hills and in and out of the most fascinating part of the ruins…and it was beautiful. The sun was setting and the whole area was super green with purple and yellow flowers intermingled with red poopies…all with the mighty mountains surrounding us on all sides… a breath taking sight!

Yesterday was also the day when we were supposed to go over to the neighbor lady’s birthday party…well, we waited for a while….but no-one ever came to knock on the door with the official invite. So we thought….it won’t happen. Well, right around supper time….closer to 8, it did. So J. had to drop everything, put on a scarf and off she went. I could not go. That time of the evening it is just a matter of staying awake. Besides we were trying to figure out what to do with Pat and his bad tummy. We ended up calling a friend of the family for some medical advice….they live across the country in another town, in another valley. So this morning E. found the medicine we needed and now both Pat and I are taking tummy meds for our travel stomachs... :)..yes we have both been afflicted!!

The rest of the day today was a little different..we took it real easy in the morning and after a while another family that our friends work with came over and together we sang, read, and had fellowship. A really neat time. After lunch a few other friends came over and we celebrated Lydia's birthday a few weeks early since some of these friends are leaving the area soon to go back home to where they come from. A fun afternoon of fellowship and true community..... enjoyable time...and a super prayer time.

We are so thankful to be here with these precious friends. Tomorrow we trek back over the mountains back to the capitol and then for two days we will retreat with our friends and some other friends to the mountains for some special time together. So, if you don't hear from us for a while....that is where we will be. By Thursday we should be back on line again for sure. Thanks for remembering us!!! We deeply appreciate that.

Central Asia Adventures

What a beautiful place!!

Friday, May 8, 2009

Jet-lag has taken it’s toll. We were awake at 4 something this morning when the local mosque sounded their call to prayer. Yes here we are …..in a small town in what feels in the middle of nowhere…. where our friends E and J live with their four beautiful children.. It seems like all of Thursday was like an big “out-of body experience”…getting to see people we have not seen for a long time and experience places we never dreamt existed. This is a truly a very beautiful place…. extremely mountainous and therefore also very difficult to get from one place to the other…..

Anyway, let’s back up….we left Istanbul at 8 something on Wednesday evening, and arrived at the tiny little airport in the capitol city here around 3 in the morning….after customs forms and passport control, we found our suitcases…went through another x-ray for the luggage….and there were our buddied Z and E. It was so much fun to see them. We could hardly believe that it was real…..we are here…in Central Asia…We first went over to the V’s place and after coffee, snacks and some breakfast, the girls woke up. It was fun to watch them unpack some of the goodies we had brought. We had a short but lovely time of fellowship while E. did some errands in town. When he got back we packed ourselves and our luggage into his car…. together with another friend of his and off we went for the long trek over the mountains to the town where they live.

As we started into the mountains, it was beautiful…and it got more and more beautiful….and we went higher and higher….the road was pretty decent …but after the Presidents mountain villa, the road got smaller….windier and after a while longer, there was no longer any pavement….and it was really rough. There were Chinese road-workers everywhere… contracted by the Government to improve the roads here. They are also constructing tunnels here and there…to make it possible for these mountain roads to stay open during the winter and avalanche season. Because avalanches are the biggest threat in this mountain country…and we saw signs of them EVERYWHERE.

As as we got up closer to the pass…there was this 6,5 kilomer long tunnel…..and driving through that was an experience in itself. Imagine being in a dark basement….full of potholes, water puddles and ice-mountains for six and a half kilometers, well, that was the tunnel. After the tunnel and for the next 2-3 hours the road was very rough….it was super bumpy. In one village we encountered tons of trucks…a sign that the other pass going north was closed….and there is no tunnel going north…

Well, after hundreds of pictures out the car window (will try to upload some later)….and almost six hours of endless driving we finally arrived in the town where our friends live. Right now they live in an apartment right in the middle of town ..on the fourth floor…in a typical Russian built apartment building where everything and nothing works….they have a 4 room apartment that serves them well at this time. It was raining when we arrived and it is still raining. Even heard some thunder in a distance. This is home to our friends. This morning the boys went to school all dressed up in their nice black suits, white shirts and ties.

After that we got ourselves ready and went to attend a delightful piano recital by Miss Lydia at some friends house… then we stopped at the market and I got myself a local dress. J and I got to attend a really cool wedding party for women this afternoon…. all dressed up like the women around there. We sat on mats, eating and eating and eating….and watching in amazement the bride along with the other women in the extended family who had been brides that year….all dressed up in their bridal customs.
An amazing first two days here in the heart of Central Asia….so good to be with our friends…and walk life with them right where they are. Tomorrow we get to go to the neighbors here in the house….they are having a Birthday party. More sitting, more food…more people. This is sure GREAT!! And if the rains stop we will join all the locals for the Victory Day celebrations at a local park tomorrow morning...

We are 12 hours ahead of everyone back home!!

A Turkish Stop over

Wednesday, May 6th

After a delicious breakfast here in the heart of Istanbul....I will try to update you all on the first part of our journey east....but let's take it from the beginning.....

Monday morning.....Getting up was no problem. I am not sure if it was excitement or the pizza the night before that got us up around 3 in the morning. So, by 9:30 AM we were more than ready when Jonathan drove up and collected us and our luggage. We said goodbye to some of our house-guests who were still there…and off we went.

Check in was a breeze…both suitcases were under the allotted weight….at least for this leg of the journey. As we prayed before security we were joined but another friend who had just arrived and when at the gate we saw another friend for a quick chat. The ride over to Europe was long, very long…and in spite of trying real hard, sleep did not come easy. So, with just a few cat naps here and there…..we arrived in Amsterdam….

And by this time it was already another day. Found our new gate and soon we were on another shorter flight down to Istanbul. At this point sleep was no problem….the only mishap was that a lady with really strong perfume or something which threw my hubbie into a coughing spasm….not a good idea considering what we were to encounter upon arrival in Istanbul. Well, it started before landing…..”please fill out a health-card”…. everyone had to declare their health status before entering Turkey. We had visions of interrogations about little coughs etc….but not to worry. Right outside the door as we embarked the aircraft, there was a health officer just calmly collecting all the health-forms. I wonder if anyone willingly would tell anyone if they were sick? Most folks working at the airport were wearing masks…. taking the risk of flu very seriously. We never saw a hint of any of that in Europe. I wonder why one place was super cautious…. and in the other one life was going on as usual?? Interesting.

After lining up to get a visa….yes, you need a visa if only for a night here in this lovely country….well, we kind of knew we were back in the East…and it was kind of fun to be there in the middle of an immense sea of people from all corners of the globe…most of them ignoring the whole queuing idea. Facinating.

Hubbie got his visa….and myself, well, no visa needed…remember, I still have my European passport….which is good here also. So, it was on to the next line….no on to joining the next throng of people….waiting to enter the passport area….to do this you had to pass by the health inspector….and in front of an infra red camera. Not really sure how they can determine who is sick and who is not….but they took a few folks aside here and there….all because they wanted to be careful not to allowing any flu stuff into their country. The best affect of all of that was that a lot of folks became more aware…. because in the next line….a massive 8 lane line….it was easy to spot those who found the whole experience un-nerving…they had their mouths covered with some piece of their clothing….a good idea considering that at this point we had really close fellowship with quite a number of people from all parts of the world. This was the line for “other nationalities” to get their passports stamped. Well,…after a long while we did get our passports stamped and then it was time to go and find the luggage….which we did. Customs was a breeze. We never did find our hotel shuttle, but found a nice taxi driver who took us to our hotel…. the WOW hotel, not far from the airport…where we then desperately tried to make heads and tails out of what was night and what was day….but it sure was nice to be able to have a warm shower….a nice sit down supper and sleep in a bed…. and slept we did....almost 12 hours....in a little bit we are off to the airport again for the third and last leg of our journey east....

Monday - On our way

Thanks to free wireless at the aiport...we will just write a short note. We are all checked in....and having something to eat....and at Noon we will fly. No time to write in Amsterdam as our stop-over there is too short. Maybe you will hear from us in Istanbul...who knows. We are so thankful to everyone who is praying for us on this trip. Take care.

More Packing

The suitcases are packed....and thankfully they are within limit or just about....and we just got our over night hotel booked that we need half way. We are getting ready....thanks for praying for us. Hopefully we will be able to update you as we go along....

Packing

It is really raining out there....Pat is washing the car....with lot's of help from the mighty showers from above. I was just thinking that the rain and all kind felt a little bit like a Swedish rain storm in the summer....except we were missing the thunder....and can you believe it....there it was!!

We just came back from a beautiful wedding out at church. Our friend Loren married his beloved Virginia. The fun part is that his family from Alaska has stayed with us for almost a week. Mom and Dad, GrandMa, sisters, brother in laws and a baby. To pack in the middle of all of that seemed a little crazy....so we are planning packing big time tomorrow.....!! And then off we go. We will keep you posted. We hope to get a little bit of a newsletter out before we leave.