Who decides the value of man

At times we believe that our value systems in life are already formed and ready. Many of them are formed in our upbringing from our families and our surrounding circumstances. Life is also like a school and our value systems are being tested. When we believe that they are unshakeable, we find ourselves in situations when we loose our footholds and are searching for the solid foundation of our belief systems.

Who am I to question a husbands abundance of love to his unconscious wife, week after week, month after month. Who am I to judge the hopeless or someone not being worthy to be wasted energy on. If I set myself above life, then I set myself in a position which do not belong to me but to God.

Back to the solid rock foundation: That God so loved the world that He sent His own Son Jesus, so that whoever believes in Him will not be lost by have eternal life. God loves and seeks out the lost. God loves the hopeless and those who think they are worthless. For Him every individual is invaluably precious, whether born or unborn, unconscious or dying, healthy or sick, weak or strong, working or retired.

On the shelf it says: ‘’ Fixed Price’’ (unbargainable). On the pricetag: ‘’Invaluable Price’’. And on the stamp right across our lives says ‘’ Bought & Paid in full!’’ by the Blood of the Son of God. Here is no Half Price! and No Sale!

Yes!! This is GOOD!! Love Anna

Blessed Christmas

From sunny, cold and snowy Bleket

Wish you
a Meaningful
Christmas 2010
&
a Blessed Year 2011

We are now in Sweden, and … we find it helpful and “healthy” to be connected and active in Sweden this year.

It is cold in Sweden these days. The subject Light has challenged us the last weeks. We all need physical light, mental light and spiritual light.

”In Him was life and the life was the light of man.”
”And the light shines in darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it”.

Have a warm Jesus-Christmas

Ingvar & Anna

See each other.....thank God.... take courage

“ ……see each other….. thank God together …….take courage…. “ is indeed needed for all of us. We are right now together with 33 adults and 26 children from the work of InterAct in Asia.

We have a vary good time together and ….. there is much encouragment avaliable from each other and from God himself.
Ingvar.

......one day when we look back

Have been thinking of.... one day, looking at my life, what will I see?

I am in the age when this question comes from time to time: What have I done with my life? I believe it is a good thing to ponder upon this question. Not too long, but when it comes, take hold of it and if there are things or life tracks which needs a little adjusting: DO IT! - that's a GOOD thing to do.

But it is good to count the blessings, remember the call, the visions and directions God has given from time to time. Look at the fruit. Hear God speak through lives one has touched.

Love Anna

PS The pic. is from the this summer with the grandchildren.

Angels and I had a fun day today

I rose early today to reach the small town of Muang Li before the church service started in the morning. Two of Tree of Life Ministry team live in M. Li and yesterday they invited me to preach in the church they are attending. I decided to walk out of my comfort zone and preach in Thai. It was so much fun and the best of all were the 2 women who wanted to know the Jesus who didn't reject the sinful woman in Luke 7. There were several other who came for various needs. So the angels in heaven and I rejoiced together.

We continued to visit an orphanage which I was introduced to less than 2 years ago. Then it was a dry land without hardly anything growing on it. Now there was such a transformation, flowers and trees and other plantations and the 50 children were also thriving. The precious couple who have taken in these children see miracle after miracle happen and Gods faithfulness to them.

I wish every orphanage would be like that. So this has been a GOOD day, with much encouragement.

Love Anna

Photo 1 The little church in M. Li

Photo 2 TOL team members living in M. Li

I will post the photos of the orphanage later.

Hand-in-Hand, Side-by-Side

To be able to work Hand in Hand, Side by Side with the nationals in different countries – that is a great blessing. I enjoy more and more to see how the nationals step up, take the lead and together we can continue forward complementing each other with differant gifts. Now I am 21 days in India. Ingvar

10 days in Pakistan

I am now in Pakistan visiting projects, mainly the flood rehabilitation projects we have in north and in south/middle of the country. Again I am shaken of the distress and hardship the poor people come under in floods like this. But in midst of hardship I can see that many can help each other and also receiving help from God himself. New hope and new peace is there in midst of it all. Ingvar.

Preparations size -L

Now it's time again. The suitcase in size L is out from the storage space, not Size S- for weekends at this time. Ingvar is ticking off on his mental list everything that needs to be done and functioning well when he is gone: car, house, heating, grass (Ingvar's responsibility in our household), and many other things.

And so also the mental preparations. We talk about things related to common decisions, economy, priorities, family and work.

It's Wednesday morning, the day(in this season) we often spend more time together in prayer and in the Word and share our thoughts of life together over a cup of coffee while still in bed.

The destiny this time in itself causes prayer to have a bigger role in our home. The path to the cross has become well trodden this time, where I can lay down my burdens of worry and anxiety, and walk away from there much lighter. This is His word for me, but I am happy to share it with you (smile): ''Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God; and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.''

Love Anna

Not Status quo

We are well and happy. Involved in Church life, mission life and ordinary community life. Many things are going on, these days. Anna wrote yesterday on our Swedish blog:

I'm fascinated by LIFE:- It is something that grows - that is changing, developing.
Life does not rejoice in the status quo;- it hopes- it looks forward- it does not judge something / someone to be hopeless.
Life looks beyond all shortcomings, weaknesses and betrayals,- always sees the potential in people, at the working place, in the church, etc.- Jesus is Life- this life is in us and around us as a living Kingdom of God atmosphere, wherever we are.- it affects, is contagious, touching, it simply gives life wherever we move..
I am now 58 and cannot think of a 'status quo life'. Just the thought of that, creates somthing within me that rises up. Life cannot be locked in and preserved. It must be on the move, forward, our whole life. Love Anna
-------------------------
Have a blessed week. Ingvar

.....thirsty?

This morning this question was calling me: THIRSTY? Yes Lord, I'm so very thirsty.

He said: Come to me and drink. We are created with the inner drive to seek out the source of water quench our thirst. I find that often we lower our vision and seek to quench our thirst in meetings or conferences or even from man, maybe preachers and teachers, and forget to lift our eyes unto Jesus and drink from Him who has the Living Water the life-giving Holy Spirit.

..................

Pastor Sidney (Worapong Jariyapruttipong) from Thailand is visiting our nation and also our home. He has seen areas in Thailand and thousands of peoples lives being transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit. His motto is prayer and fasting. Sidney and Ingvar are in Falkenberg today. He will be in a few more places in Sweden. I pray that the life giving Holy Spirit will flow in his meetings to our nation.

Love

Anna

Just very goooooood.....

This is good:

-Reading a good book

-under my plum tree,

-when the sun is shining

-and the wind is a gentle breeze from the sea,

-with a freshly brewed coffee,

-and a real Swedish cinnamon roll.

Love Anna

Testing transitioning( a tree)

One of our few precious blooming trees had to be pulled up to make space in our drive way. My heart cried, but it was unavoidable. Then suddenly the idea dropped into our minds(the family sympathizer´s), maybe it can be transitioned. So we dug another pit in another place, pruned its branches down low and sunk it into the ground. I gave it some good soil, watered it well and I prayed a prayer of abundant life over it, and now my Father waters it,( in case you wondered why it is raining so hard since last night and today. It´s because of my bush.)

Is there a lesson? Yeah! For a good transition, you need the tender loving care, maybe some 'heavenly-Father-pruning' and lots of good nourishing soil of love around our roots and then the water, the presence of the Holy Spirit. I think we and the bush are going to make it.

Love Anna

Home again

Ingvar has come home, 1 day of hospital journeys, and 3 days in hospital and Ingvar had enough. The level of disappointment was high when he was promised to go home yesterday and the fever came back and he had to stay another night. But he arrived before lunch today. He is exhausted, the many days with fever has taken its toll and now we are praying for a good recovery from this pneumonia. We are also so grateful that they haven't found any tropical or other life threatening bacteria or virus. There was concern because of his accident and long stay in hospital last year, with blood transfusions etc. When I was praising God yesterday for His faithfulness, I heard the Holy Spirit say: '' I do all things perfect''. Yes, He does. He does not fail us.

Love Anna

The root cause is found

Ingvar called me with tears of joy, saying at last they found infection in the lungs, after many, many tests. Which means now they can start a treatment. There are still a few more results to receive. And we are praying there will be no more intruders in his body. Thanks for praying.
Love Anna

Ingvar is taking the ambulance, this time awake.

Ingvar has been sent from one hospital after the other for a mysterious fever for 6 days and very high ESR. Please pray that the doctors quickly will find the root cause. Thanks for standing with us.

Love Anna

We are doing well - this summer

We are doing well. Happy to meet relatives and friends. Also we found a house and ….. we have already moved in. A good place and .... we love it. Our first own house ever.

During summers in Sweden people take holidays and are out in the nature. We have some meetings, but mainly planning for this fall. Anna has started to work in a Nursing Home.

We are praising God for His love, care and help. Ingvar

Ruth & Niklas

Saturday the 19th of June, on the great wedding day of Sweden, when our Crownprincess Victoria married her Prince Daniel, one of our princesses in the family, Ruth was married to her Prince Niklas. The beautiful wedding ceremony was held in the Redbergs Park in Gothenburg among many relatives and friends. The Bride and Groom were very beautiful. We rejoiced with them and we bless them and their future together. They will live in Gothenburg and will take the family name Trygg (meaning: secure). A proud and happy father of the bride conducted the ceremony.

Love Anna(a proud mother of the bride)

¨The head doesn't swell as long as the eyes are leaking.¨

I am listening to a message from last year by Mikael Alfv'en and this was the title of his message, and it speaks heaps. Our eyes are leaking when we are humbled and sometimes humiliated. They leak when we are before God in prayer. Tears when His mercy overwhelms us and we realize our own 'filthy clothes'.

Our eyes are often leaking when we minister to those in need, the broken, the hungry, the outcasts, those whom nobody wants to touch.

Interact is challenging the churches to take responsibility to pray for Sweden during this year 2010-2011. I believe many eyes will start to leak. And the humility that comes with 'leaking eyes' will break the pride that keeps our nation away from God.

It is a good timing for Sidney (Worapong Jariyapruttipong) to come to Sweden in August. I believe that the challenge he has for Europe, to fast and pray for breakthrough will cause our 'leaking eyes' to make a river. There might be many methods for revival. This is the ancient one and a proven one.

Love Anna

Blessing others

Yesterday we had the Swedish National Day. Before 6th June 1983 the day was just the National Swedish Flag Day, but now it’s the Swedish National day.

I am happy to be a Swede and that we can bless other nations and promote good relationships. Sometimes Swedish people misbehave in other countries, but, ….. most I believe, we are promoting growth and development on many levels.

Yesterday, here in Sweden, Anna and I visited a church attended by many nationalities. We do indeed living these days in a time when we meet many different people groups, wherever we are. And we can be relating to other individuals, families, churches, societies and countries…. in a creative and open way, blessing them. Exiting! Ingvar

We are doing well, but.....Thailand?

We are doing well. Happy to reconnect with friends, relatives and churches. We have rented a summerhouse at the west coast Island called Tjörn.
But of cause, we are concern for the work in Asia. Especially right now for the situation in Thailand. We pray for peace and harmony among all groups of people in that country. For us:

• To be far away - is not easy.
• To be too close - is dangerous.
• To be nearby - is the best.

We are updating the routines of sharing and keeping in touch both concerning the Present Situation and the Crises Plan.

EMMANUEL = God with us, whatever happens. One thing is sure: In time of need, the local people needs us, more than ever. Ingvar

1:st travel in Sweden - right now by car.

Anna and I are now on our first (for this year) longer travel in Sweden. We are going to our HQs at Örebro and to the INTERACT Annual Congress at Torp. Exciting. Anna is driving and … I am on the internet.
The weather this springtime is beautiful. The nature is coming alive. The goals for this year are many, but the main ones are to be in the midst of the Swedish Church Life and the Swedish Community Life. That’s exciting. I am happy to be able to meet many good old friends, but also many new ones. The Swedes are really friendly people.

Anna is driving and I am sending this blog to you at 100 Km/hours. We hope to do many journeys together this year, but…. sometimes we will have to travel separately. One thing is sure: We want to bless this beautiful country this year. May God Bless Sweden. Ingvar

Going Green – and waiting for our Souls.

It’s told about a traveeling Japanese man. I don’t remember if he travelled by Train or by Airplane. After arriving, he sat down on a chair on the station or at the Airport. Someone asked him:”Why are you sitting here?” He replied:”I am waiting for my Soul”.

We feel a little bit like that, right now. Our bodies and our sprits are here, but our souls needs more time to arrive.
We enjoy experiencing the Swedish nature turning green. Beautiful. Everything is coming alive around us after a very cold winter. At the same time we are “landing” into a rented house here at Gullfjäll, on the Island called Tjörn.

A mobile broadband is helping us to stay connected to the work in Asia, even this year. We need God`s help to be 100% present in Sweden, and …. at the same time fully work for the extension of the Kingdom of God among the crowds of people in Asia.
Life is good ….... and very exiting. Ingvar

Arrived in Sweden.... yet another step.

We have arrived and all is well. So many impressions that first bombards our 'Asianized' souls. Sweet welcoming of our children Ruth and Benjamin. The temperature 7 degree C, crisp and clear air, the beautiful spring flowers, and new baby leaves of the birch trees. Drinking water from the city water tap. The black and gray business like dress code(early morning airport population) and the non smiling faces.

We thank God for all who helped and served us and got us on our way, leaving Asia. I will miss you. And thank God for our family who received us with sweet hugs and help us to our next step to our new place of living(on Tjörn) to start this season in Sweden.

Love Anna

Good Bye; People and things

After 5 years in Chiang Mai it`s time to say Good Bye. On Monday we will go to Sweden for 13 month. Once, in Bangladesh, we tried to avoid all these difficult Good Byes. But when our coworkers found this out that we were leaving, it became panic.
No, it`s better to learn to have good Good Byes, and also to have good Welcomes. Even if we have done this many times, still there are much more to learn how to best “take off” and to best “Land”. Many feelings, questions and worries wants so come in and be big burdens.
But, still it is valuable and good for us, as mission workers, to now and than say Good Bye to people and to things. The truth is: We will do well without many Good-to-have-things”. And the nationals will grow while we are away. Ingvar

Thank You God and ..... many wonderful friends.

Thank You so much for your contribution to a very blessed 60th birthday. I appreciate more and more: LIFE, God`s goodness and ….. you all wonderful dear friends.

A very special Thank You to my dear wife Anna. She is wonderful and worthy of a double blessing. I am very happy. Ingvar

Celebrating Ingvar's 60 years

Today is Ingvar's 60th Birthday. Many emails and greetings from many nations are dropping in.

We are again reminded about how vulnerable life is and we celebrate the grace of life God has given. Ingvar says he is 1 year and 3 months old (after the near fatal accident).

Happy Birthday Ingvar!

Love Anna

Pray, Listen, Bless Thailand

All countries go, from time to time, through different kind of crisis. What can we, ordinary people do - at a time such as this? We too can first be frustrated and loose heart, but ….. better not to. Let`s encourage each other:

1. Not to stop PRAYING for the Leaders. We are the people of prayer. One main big prayer request is that the leaders now find solutions.

2. Not to stop LISTENING to the once that feel their voice has not been heard. We can listen to the oppressed, to the weak, to …. yes to all, so they feel we care and do something about it.

3. Not to stop BLESSING. We Bless – in Greek Eulogia = good/well words. There are bad things around, and we can see & agree on them, but it’s more powerful when we see & agree with the good. We believe good has power to overcome the bad.

A word "for a time such as this" is from Acts 6:5a: "And the saying pleased the whole multitude....." Ingvar

''A time to keep and a time to throw away''

''To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven, says the Preacher in Eccl. 3:1

We missionaries are privileged to have the seasons to throw away come more frequently than for others. Well we can take it as a burden, a missionary-pain, or we can choose to see it as a positive thing.

We are forced to do what many might do for their parents only when they have passed away. In that case we are helping our kids removing some of our clutter before time is up. For families like us who have roots in many places, our home becomes the house of transition for the clutter after High School to College, or between college and a job or from one nation to another. The Salwar kamizes for the visits to Nepal, or the High School yearbooks before they know where to settle. Today we are digging deep into some hidden away drums, with transition-clutter. I didn't even know they existed. Mariam wrote on skype: 'I sympathize-sneeze' with you. So next week when the city is quenching the heat with the crazy splashing of water ''Songkhran festival'' we will be in the midst of our season to throw.

Then there are treasures like ''holy journals'' and worship-music, They are ''the keeps'' you don't want to keep in Thailand and not in Sweden so we carry them back and forth, back and forth, and that is a substantial pile!

All for now in a very hot Chiang Mai.

Love Anna

Easter Greetings 2010

We wish you
a meaningful
Easter 2010
The Easter message is needed today as we look for a Resurrection Power that works in there, but also out – in the daily life.
We shared some good words the 17th March (on this blog) by Bijoy K. from India:
"In God's Kingdom, true spirituality is complete, only when practiced in community."
Jesus died for us on the terrible cross and resurrected with a wonderful victory – all in the midst of the people. Easter greetings from Ingvar & Anna

Rain from heaven x 2

Rain certainly always comes from heaven, but this time it really comes as an answer to prayer.

The air has been full of smog, and particles on a health hazardous levels. The eyes sting, breathing becomes heavy. Many people with lung problem have had a hard time. Praise the Lord for answers to prayer. It's raining!! Love Anna

....only complete in community.

The Community Church in Chiang Mai has made a LENT Devotional 2010 book. On page 58 Bijoy K. (India) writes:

"In God`s Kingdom, true spirituality is complete only when practiced in community."

I love to be in the Church for worship, fellowship, spiritual food, growth + + +. But, thank you Bijoy; “…. only complete when practiced in the community”. So both IN there and OUT there is needed. Ingvar

From ‘’life in a pigpen, to being embraced by father’’

Some in the team and I have just spent 2 days teaching, praying and ministering to a wonderful group of people. From 3-4 peoplegroups, but the majority from a tribe who make up much of the construction labors and nightbarworkers in the north.

When the lost son was coming closer towards home, the Father ran to embrace his son, though the son was a stinking mess(coming from a life in the pigpen). What a wonderful picture of Father’s heart.

This group of new disciples some have hardly come out of their pigpen clothes, but just like the lost son who suddenly decides to come home, they were hungry for daddy’s hug, and thirsty for the unconditional love and acceptance, and they truly encountered God. They got a royal welcome, it was a party with tears and conviction and they were overwhelmed by His presence. Their filthy rags left at the cross, new white robes were visible through new hope and light in their eyes. Reconciliation is sweet. This is a day they will never forget because they have encountered and connected with Father through Jesus the Beloved and the cross.

This is messy work but lots of fun too.

Thank you for praying!

Love

Anna

What's your addiction?

Did you know that the shower is a good place for meditation ;-). I was preparing in my heart what to teach in the area of addiction for upcoming camp. It struck me that just now I was fighting my own addiction. Pardon me, I didn't mean to give you a fright. I have forced myself to take a short break at a hide away resort(but with internet, praise the Lord) and I found myself be addicted to people. I am in withdrawal. My mind runs for the escapes to call somebody, or invite somebody for dinner or why not come for a swim or, or, or...... Then I say to may self, NO Anna, just slow down. You do NOT need others just now, you need God. You need quietness. You need to be alone.

Yea, I have been in that ditch too. Where solitude can become an addiction. Where I just long to be alone with God as an escape. You know I could go on for ever in this subject, because anything can become addictive. But just now I am thoroughly enjoying to have time to listen to the Lord away from the stresses around me, and smell the flowers in the rose garden, take a swim and long walks, even if I am gone for only 48 hours. Love Anna

Requesting a God encounter!

When Moses was on Mount Sinai he requested : ''Please show me Your Glory.'' This coming Sunday and Monday, we the Tree of Life Ministry will serve one of the lively churches here in CM. Their new members will meet for an Encounter Camp. Several of them come from the particular tribe who make up the majority of night-bar workers here in CM. And my prayer is that all of them will have such a powerful encounter with God's love that it passes through their understanding touching the innermost parts of their being with the truth ''this is My child, whom I love very much''. Will you send in this request to the Father with us?

Love Anna

Full House, with work & Visitors

This last week we have had Full House with work and visitors. I must say I enjoy when there are many activities and many visitors, who show interst in the work. The 13 visitors right now are from the Theological Seminary in Japan called KBI.

We have many different kinds of visitors. The 2 main groups are:
a) The ones that gives more work.
b) The ones that gives more inspiration.

These 2 groups (and all between) are, as visitors to Chiang Mai, a challenge. First it can look like: only more work, but after some time we see the inspiration part growing.

To have these 13 visitors from KBI is indeed an inspiration. Some from Sweden started KBI for many years ago and now it is producing “Japanese” fruit that is a great inspiration for us and many. The Multiplication Factor has no boundaries.

If Anna and I had started a Guest Book when we got married Dec 1972 well …… it should have been 10 000:s of very interesting names by now. And …. I hope and pray that there is a multiplication factor in this as well. Ingvar

Code of Conduct and Clean Travel

I can see “the cry of the hour” on the need to have Code of Conduct for every working and educational place.
Many are these days traveling both in the work and for holidaying. We all are on a pilgrimage and there are many beautiful things to see and many wonderful people to meet. To do that a higher grade of awareness and protection is needed, these days. Every organization needs, for every employee and voluntaries, Code of Conduct. Even for Christian workers.

When I travel I take some important step to travel clean and fully accountable both in my work and in my private life:
a) I plan my journeys together with the local people.
b) I stay in places they recommend. They have my full itinerary and know who I meet. No hiding in the bushes.
c) I always immediately, after landing, buy a local SIM card for my Mobil telephone. I call my dear wife Anna and send the number to my children, my boss and to all local contacts I have.
The cry of the hour is to travel clean and fully accountable in both the work and also in the private life.
To plan a Clean & Accountable travel helps us to have a blessed journey … full of good fruit and no rotten ones. Ingvar

Looking for a smaller house in Sweden

I am now in Sweden for 14 days on a very unique and special mission: To find a house for us. After getting married 1972 we have always lived in rented houses. Now we look for a smaller summerhouse that we can use also during the winter.
I have found one and … it looks the best.
Now the prayer is that no other buyer comes around and that the present owner will be happy to sell to us for the amount that we are happy to pay. A special mission needs special prayer. Thank you for praying us. Ingvar

Dedication & Longjohns

Dedication

Sunday came at last, with the dedication of the premises of Tree of Life Ministry, Thailand. Important in this culture. Several of the networking churches and organizations honored us with their presence. Pastor Sidney who is on our board and Sue Hunt, former leader of Living Waters Thailand, prayed for the work and the new place. It is a privilege to have the trust across denominations, to train, help and serve their wounded.

When I listened to Ooy(Sirirath) responsible for managing the ministry activities, and she explained about the different programs, I was reminded of 20 years ago when we were leaving Bangladesh a nurse came to me one day and said she had a dream: She saw me working in a big white building (the new place is in a big white building) and she said: ''I saw you rescuing people out of their jails''.

Maybe we are not the troop who rescues people from their physical jail or slavery, but many of those who come to us are imprisoned in the jail of their own soul with much of sorrow, shame and hopelessness, and they long for freedom. For them to meet someone who loves and accepts them, is often the first step to transformation.There is no greater joy than to see them 'soar'.

Preparing for the Swedish winter

Now I have seen Ingvar off for Sweden. He was prepared with long-jons(Swenglish?) and Goretex jacket. Praise God for export shops.This is the first time in 35 years of mission service that he voluntarily returns home in the middle of the cold Swedish winter. Our bodies has adjusted to tropical heat many years ago. This time his task is to find a house for us, which really feels like walking on water for us. It might help that even the North Sea is frozen. (Well that was meant as a joke). Anyway I know Jesus will be with him just like He was with Peter. Love Anna

Urbanization

I am now 7 days in Laos. Have been up north and yesterday I travelled from a very poor village to a middle size town and to the capital. Many are, these days, moving to the cities. Some have resources to study, get an accommodation, get good friends and a job. Others fall into a lot of “dirt” and slavery. The cry is to find meaning of Life and to feel at home – right here.
This, my present visit to Laos, speaks to me strongly about the need to support the people both in cities and in the countryside, so they can grow and be happy where they are and not to be forced to move, against their will. Ingvar.