Something is wrong with me... I am almost convinced of that.
The truth is everything that I am feeling is normal. It is however rather difficult processing as I walk through this.
I feel a lot like a nomad or a gypsy. No fixed place of abode... just a series of stops of varying length.
I could quote all sorts of biblical things which may imply that I should find my grounding in God. However the reality is, even though my foundation is in Him, I am still human.
Aren't we all human? How many times do we convince ourselves that we can be more than human because we call ourselves Christian?
Nonesense I say! Live! Be real! Find people who understand and accept us with our faults and short comings.
Breathe!
At the end of the day... God is still on the throne, Jesus is still risen and I am still His! (even with all my weirdness).
Thank God for Jesus!
When all is said and done, I am His and He is mine... and nothing is going to change that!
luv you JC!
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Monday, November 15, 2010
October was a strange month in Barbados.
A few days after I arrived in the island, some kind of tropical system caused unusual flooding across the country.
Sam Lorde's Castle (an historical site as well as a former hotel) was mysteriously destroyed by fire. (It was in disrepair prior to this as well)
Our Prime Minister succumbs to his 7 month long battle with pancreatic cancer. Our youngest PM dies after only a short 100 days in office.
During the time of mourning for our PM a tropical depression which quickly became a tropical storm then a hurricane. It seemingly came out of nowhere... or maybe we were still reeling from the loss of the PM. No one was prepared for it, it seems. Some places have taken more than a week to have water and electricity restored.
As for me, I'm making every effort to rest while visiting people as often as I can. Also visiting cell groups.
Nov 20th @ Living Room Church
Nov 27th @ Living Room Church Youth
Dec 5th @ Barbados Grace Fellowship church
Other possibilities exist as well. I really want to use this time at home well and wisely!
A few days after I arrived in the island, some kind of tropical system caused unusual flooding across the country.
Sam Lorde's Castle (an historical site as well as a former hotel) was mysteriously destroyed by fire. (It was in disrepair prior to this as well)
Our Prime Minister succumbs to his 7 month long battle with pancreatic cancer. Our youngest PM dies after only a short 100 days in office.
During the time of mourning for our PM a tropical depression which quickly became a tropical storm then a hurricane. It seemingly came out of nowhere... or maybe we were still reeling from the loss of the PM. No one was prepared for it, it seems. Some places have taken more than a week to have water and electricity restored.
As for me, I'm making every effort to rest while visiting people as often as I can. Also visiting cell groups.
Nov 20th @ Living Room Church
Nov 27th @ Living Room Church Youth
Dec 5th @ Barbados Grace Fellowship church
Other possibilities exist as well. I really want to use this time at home well and wisely!
Thursday, October 21, 2010
John 3:16
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him, should not perish but have everlasting life.
Johannes 3:16
Så älskade Gud världen att han gav den sin ende don, för att de som tror på honal inte skall gå under utan ha evigt liv.
In any language this verse sounds cool. Finding the reference on the side of a boat in the Gränna Harbour was a surprise but a pleasant one. May Sweden come to know this to be true!
En Månad i Sverige
I know that this is a bit late in coming together and means that things on the blog will be a little bit backwards... but let us take a look at the month of September which I spent in Sweden.
September 3rd Arrived in Sweden
September 4th Råslätt's dagen (a community day of sorts in Råslätt. Met quite a few people who live there and work with OM and or the church)
Sept 6th Welcomed to the office. Met the office staff.
Sept 8th Attend Spåk Cafe (speech cafe) Hosted by the Red Cross to help non swedes speak swedish with each other.
Sept 10th Attended the Living Room (hehehe) which is the youth meeting of the church that OM works with. The youth meet in the OM apartment where I happened to be staying.
Sept 11th Church's birthday celebration. The members made cakes and gave them away to the people in the community.
Sept 11th to 12th Visited a church in a place called Rimforsa. We led a youth meeting on the Saturday and a church meeting on Sunday morning. The word for 'church' in swedish is Kyrka. The church that we visited is called 'Brokyrkan' which means 'The Bridge Church'.
Sept 11th Dinner and birthday party with some of the other singles.
Sept 13th Attended the Spåk Cafe
Sept 15th Attended a house group (cell group) at the home of a lebanese family.
Sept 16th to 18th Travelled to Stockholm with Isak, David and Magdalena for a meeting about an upcoming activity with Luis i Öster (Light for the People) and Folk och Spåk (People and Speech, the name of Wycliffe Bible Translators in Sweden).
Sept 18th Attended 'The Underground'. This is a youth centre run by the city during the week. Omers and members of the church run it on Saturday nights.
Sept 19th Mushroom hunting :); Church at Råslätts församlingsgemenskap Kyrkan (The Parish Community Church of Råslätt). This is the church that most of the Omers in Råslätt attend. Many in the congregation are former OM ers including the pastor; Dinner with some of the singles plus a student from the university.
Sept 20th Josephine Tan from 'Touch Nature'in Nepal visits and gives us an update on what is happening there.
Sept 21st. Leena arrives to check out the ministry in Råslätt. We share the apartment.
Sept 22nd Visited a house group. One family and a bunch of young people attend this one.
Sept 24th Attended the Living Room Youth Group.
Sept 25th Attended a meeting for the 'Vision Team' going to the Logos Hope in October. Gave a 5 minute presentation on adapting to a different culture based on personal experience.
Sept 26th Church; dinner at Field Leader's house with Leena (from OM Ireland) and Sharaz (from OM Pakistan).
Sept 28th Attended the Världens Chans (A world of opportunity). A missions expo at various bible schools. Done in cooperation with Luis i Öster and Folk och Spåk. I attended on this day only at one Bible School.
Sept 29th Spent the day cleaning and doing Laundry and saying good bye to people.
Sept 30th Last minute goodbyes and departed Sweden.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Vi Ses Sverige (See you later Sweden)
Ok so I did not keep up with the updates as much as I thought that i would have in the last few weeks.
Finland was an awesome time of resting, and thinking and praying and connecting with people.
The last 4 weeks in Sweden were filled with so many different things.
From church visits, to attending the local church; from mushroom hunting to moving in Fika; from speaking english to speaking swenglish; from meeting new friends to meeting old ones; from eating candy to eating beef; from the polka dancing pig to Willy's.
So much has happened and I have learnt so much... and while some moments have been difficult... I have enjoyed my time here... and would not trade it for anything.
Did I mention meeting people...
Vi ses sverige!
Finland was an awesome time of resting, and thinking and praying and connecting with people.
The last 4 weeks in Sweden were filled with so many different things.
From church visits, to attending the local church; from mushroom hunting to moving in Fika; from speaking english to speaking swenglish; from meeting new friends to meeting old ones; from eating candy to eating beef; from the polka dancing pig to Willy's.
So much has happened and I have learnt so much... and while some moments have been difficult... I have enjoyed my time here... and would not trade it for anything.
Did I mention meeting people...
Vi ses sverige!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)