We made it to Sweden! Praise God our day of travel was light, easy, and stress-free. Our flights were pleasant, and the connections were short yet restful. We arrived looking like zombies, but most of the team caught a second wind in time to go for a walk and get acquainted with the neighborhood. We shared a dinner with Sarah’s good friends, Stefan and Ingrid. Our team enjoyed listening to ministry stories from a sweet couple running hard for Jesus for over 40 years. Some of these teary-eyed stories were compelling testimonies of committing their lives to Jesus, trusting in His ways, and falling in love by God’s timing. What a blessing to Sarah to have a solid couple to do life with! They have also graciously opened their home so that Carmen, Scott, and Alicia can have a place to stay.
Our team enjoyed catching up on sleep and getting ready for church service on Sunday morning. Over the past 18 months, Sarah has attended a new church with Stefan and Ingrid called Husbykyrkan (translated to Husby Church, Husby is the city). This church comprises members from many countries, cultures, and languages. However, the church service is held in Swedish. Thankfully, we were greeted by Maria, a sweet church member who enjoys practicing her English. She offered radio headsets so we could hear her translate the entire service for us.
The message of the morning was “Hope in Unity.” You can imagine having so many different cultures represented in one church that it could be challenging to navigate all the cultural differences, but the message was very fitting…we are united in Jesus! After the service, we shared fika (a social time with coffee and pastries) with many church members and were welcomed with smiles and questions.
A Walk Around Stockholm
Enegerzied with caffeine and carbs, we took advantage of the beautiful sunny weather to take the train to walk around the many islands that make up Stockholm (the city is spread across 14 islands). Those who had never been to Sweden came out of the subway station with wide eyes and jaws dropped. Truly, it is a beautiful city. Sarah gave us a quick walking tour of the most popular area or island in Stockholm, which is Gamla Stan. This is the island of the Royal Palace, Stockholm Cathedral, Nobel Prize Museum, and Stortorget (the main square of Gamla Stan and the oldest square in the city, pictured above). After a few hours of walking, over 16,000 steps, and 7.5 miles traveled, we were ready to sit on the train and head home for dinner.
We had some time to plan our days and discuss a schedule for evangelism after dinner. Tomorrow brings a new day of excitement and opportunities for the team. We have a mix of prayer walking, coffee table ministry, park outreach, and evening house church. It’s exciting to look ahead at the different ways that our team can be challenged to step outside our comfort zones and trust that the Holy Spirit will lead during these interactions. Please pray for divine appointments for all these different activities on Monday.
-Brent Kendall
Posted in Missions