From under the Juniper Tree

We have now had 4 good days at Juniper Tree at Pranburi. This is a resort and Guest Home for Christians Ministers. Good to be here. Juniper Tree has also a place in Chiang Mai.

First we had good meetings (Fre-Sat-Sun) with SPM and today we have had a day of rest. Wonderful. Tomorrow we will be going back home to Chiang Mai.

We have these days a blessing or some belive a curse as we are connected to the world and to the work wherever we are (almost) by phone and by laptop. Some people think this availability at any time, is a burden. But I see it as a blessing. I can came home without a big pile of work. And no work has crossed any deadline unattanded to. This gives me a good rest in my work.

Tomorrow we go away from under this Juniper (Broom) Tree. But the good news is that the strength from the food here is not (like in the Old Testament) lasting just for 40 days and 40 nights. See 1 King 19:8. No the presence of God will go with us and we can eat and be strengthen every day. That’s the New Testament Life.                                                                

Today I looked at the fishing boats. They had engin, nets and differant tools for fishing, but the most visible was all the bulbs and light equipments. Here they fish at night with a lot of lights. God, I want to do my ministry - full of light. Ingvar

Home alone

To travel in the ministry has many blessing, but also hardships and dangers. Many Good Practices are not just automatically falling on us, but we all have to learn them and put them into reality

For the Family: When you are a family with children the life at home will be much different, when mammy or dad is out of a trip.

For the Couple. When you are a couple with no children at home it is also different back home when one is traveling. Usually it is I, who are travelling, but now for some time I have been mainly at home. Last Fri-Sat-Sun, Anna was with a Tree of Life team to Mae Sai in the so called Golden Triangle. She came home Sunday night from that Church Conference happy for what God has done among them these 3 days. And now she is in Bangkok for 2 days in EFT meetings.

For the Single. Travelling as a single (I understand) is also many things to learn.

• Some can function very well during travels, others can not.
• Some can function very well, left alone at home, others can not.

The keys to be growing, be protected and to be effective (on travel or left at home) is to have integrity, be accountable and always to communicate with each other, with the local Christians and with God.

Anna and I are sending text messages between us every morning and evening. Also talking over phone. More and more we can also use Skype. Travel conditions changes, but to grow in the marriage and in the ministry during trips (both on the move and at home) we must find ways to have vibrant and creative relationship also with the local people and with God despite the distance. Ingvar

It moves.

I had a clipart, it was beautiful. I copied it over and …… it started to move. I got happy and it spoke to me.

We can be a nice-looking stagnant peacemaker. A symbol, a sign and an icon. But … only when we start to move, more will happen.

                                                                

Now, we feel helpless and weak. We can not produce any peace, grace, forgivness or reconciliation. Only when we allow God to touch us and the Holy Spirit to fill us, we can fly by His provision.

                                                                   

There is a genuine grace, peace, forgiveness and reconciliation that He only can produce and give us. 2 Cor 5 says:

v.17 we are a new creation

v.18 we are reconciled with God

v.18 we have received the ministry of reconciliation

v.19 committed to us the word of reconciliation

v.20 we are ambassadors for Christ

Come Holy Sprit… and move among us! Ingvar

To be a learning organization

Many new things are ahead, many circumstances are beside and … right now I am summarizing my learning experience from behind, my trip to Bangkok, India and Pakistan. There is no automatic learning in the work. We must all be disciples and willing to learn. We are a living organization moving forward in God's presence and with God's guidance.

There are much misery and darkness, but also much blessed. By nature, I like to see and take part of what is positive. But, I must also see the negative in the right potion to all the good and beautiful.

I should  never be a "perfect" judge who judges everything and everyone, from an "I-can-and-I-know" position or after "the good old days."

We are a learning organization where our master (Rabbuni) Jesus Himself, has a new and relevant curriculum in Church Planting, Leadership Training and Member Care, which fits perfectly into every community in Asian.

Last trip I had 7 leadership seminars and I saw that people are very hungry to learn.

This little man,















plus many others, looked at me with big eyes and said: Teach me! Ingvar

Go out - come IN

                                   Bless Thailand. Chiang Mai 2012.

Monday evening, I spoke at a meeting, under an open sky, in a suburb of Islamabad. Last night Anna and I prayed together with 3500, under an open sky, at Thapae Gate, right in middle of Chiang Mai. This was the 12th year of Bless Chiang Mai and I think I have been attending them all.

I enjoy being in Churches and Chapels, but even better to be with believers in the middle of the society. Anna and I sat so at this meeting, that we could bless many Thai and tourists walking by. Someone asked: What is going on? Others understood very well that it was the churches in the town that worshiped in the midst of everyone.

The service was very good and we felt that we could Bless Thailand from Chiang Mai. Also, we put our hands on the wall and blessed the town with ..... less walls between us. Ingvar