Let the Children show the way

We wish you all

 a Wonderful New Year 2016

This is our first time we are celebrating the new year apart from each other.

Ingvar in Ubon and I in Chiang Mai. Not intentional but circumstantial.

But I pray that every purpose in heaven for this season will be established.

Jesus said there is always a harvest. But we are sensing it is a great harvest time upon us.

And He said we should ask for laborers. And we agree. Please pray with us for willing laborers. In Ubon we need both those who harvest 
but also those who are willing to disciple. 

 It takes patience and humility and a lot of sacrificial living. Babies can not take care of themselves.

I am in Chiang Mai presently and my cry for the North is that they will start to share what they have recieved, to the rest of the nation.

Today I was told that it is the children in Chiang Mai that are hungry for God.

In Ubon we hear that it is the children that are inviting Jesus into their villages.

May the year of 2016 be a year when the children show the way for the adults into the kingdom of God.

                               

Impact & Gerda

As a missionary, we have many friends. I cannot count them all. We are touched when ordinarily people serve people in God's presence.

I like the word IMPACT (impressions, imprints, mark). They have done things, said good words (= blessed) and invited God's presence. And the power of God was visible.

Gerda Meinusch died Sunday the 20th of December She got up from bed in her home in Chiang Mai, but slipped and hit her head on a table next to the bed. She became 83.

Gerda was an unmarried missionary from Germany and worked mostly among the Karen people in Mea Sareang. Gerda had experienced God's Holy Spirit and was a fervent intercessor. Over the years Anna and Gerda became close friends. For many years they met 1 or 2 times per week and had lunch together.

Anna is now going to Chiang Mai to be with Joy and Sidney coordinating Funeral and Memorial Service. Funeral will take place in Mea Sereang as a Thank You for Gerda`s missionary service among them. The Memorial service will be on Sunday the 3rd Jan at ACTS Church of Chiang Mai.

The question today is: How can I do something that together with God's presence will produce and make an IMPACT (impressions, imprints, mark) much bigger than what I can produce my selves? Ingvar 

                                                           Christmas 2012 

Christmas & New Year Letter ... to you.

We

From

Click here for the Side-by-Side Christmas letter 2015. 

Ingvar(Fred) & Anna

Herod is not taking a break over Christmas

This sentence is running in my mind today. Like a moving billboard sign in neon letters.
Reading about him, I see someone that is terrified of loosing his power. The wise men told Herod there is a King of the Jews being born… according to the star they had seen.

A sign in the heavens told them of His birth.

Herod was breathing murder, and set out to have all boys under the age of 2 killed in Bethlehem and in all its districts.

As we have been intensely dealing with increasing exposure of Herodian acts to children during this year of digging deeper into the culture and the practices of Isaan, we recognize the spirit of Herod behind.  

The children, the innocent has always been sought, for added power or potency in bent and evil practices.

We long to take a break from hearing and seeing and involving our lives with the objects of these threats.  We would love to dwell in company where there is peace and joy and love and smorgasbord and bright shining innocent children who hasn’t been touched by the Herods yet. I wish for all the children of the world to not have to face the Herods. The destroyer of the innocent, the pure, the joy the delight of wonder….. and the trust.

But what I hear is ‘’Herod is not taking a break during Christmas’’ !

What do we do? What can we do? What is our responsibility?

Let’s be vigilant to protect the innocent, the trust and joy of the Children around us.
Let’s be wise. Let us be Father’s and Mother’s who turn our hearts to the children.
Let’s be generous to those whose dreams were shattered by war and now are at our doorsteps, or to those who never knew what safety was.
Let’s be good!

Heaven is weeping for the children. Will you join heaven in prayer for the children, for those that live in ‘hell’ today.  Pray that they will be found, that they will be safe. That there will be adults who loves in a pure way and sees and listens.

The same spirit that acted through Herod is terrified of loosing his power. He knows his end is coming.

But please don’t stop praying, don’t put down your armor or weapons of warfare this Christmas.

Love Anna

Earthly assignment complete!

Our friend and colleague Lena Bäckdahl completed her earthly assignment 9th of Dec. She had just passed her 70th birthday. She served in three nations Bangladesh, Cambodia and Afghanistan and visited many more. Her favorite thing was to teach traditional birth attendants(TBA). She has been a blessing for many mothers and babies. 

Photo taken by Kjell Bonerfält in Afghanistan.

And she loved the local believers wherever she served. It is comforting to know she is now free of torment, free from suffering and in company with Jesus, never more alone.

Funeral will most probably take place the 7th January 11:00 in Filadelfia Church in Örebro. If anyone of you wants to send a condolence to the Funeral, you can do so via us. Please let us know on ingvaranna@loxinfo.co.th 

Lenas assignment is complete. But she will be missed! Anna

Make a difference..... even today... even here.

Yes.... we all can make a difference..... with Jesus in the centre:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrPMxtUeONE&feature=share

Have a good Advent season. Ingvar (Fred)

Advent 2015

Have a blessed advent 2015.

Sowing & reaping - the whole life in whatever we do.

The Law of Sowing & Reaping is valid the whole life.  

We came to IKEA in Bangkok last Friday and …. this text spoke to us.  

These good words are not just taken out of the blue. No, they are connected to reality. IKEA is indeed creative, new and inspiring.   

Now God who has created us can help us to be even much more creative, new and inspired in Church, in Mission and in the Community. I have noticed that good Sowing and good Reaping is always connected to:

                                                

Think on this: 
Creativity, newness and inspiration always goes together with organisation harmony in Good Governance, Clear Administration and Creative Implementation. Always. 

And .... Sowing & reaping is not only valid after graduation and before retirement. No No No. We are sowing & reaping the whole life in "Whatever we do...."  Ingvar

Behold now .....

Yes     "Behold now is the accepted time...." 2 Cor 6:2

Yes today is God   ".....in your midst". Is 12

Yes in my midst. Thank you my Father.

 Ingvar

New Visa and New Work Permit.

Always a blessing to receive a new 1 year Visa and a new 1 Year Work Permit. 

All including the officers at the Immigration wants to be blessed by the religious people, including us Christian Ajarns. In Thailand we missionaries are honored.

And that's for sure: We are here to help and bless the people of Thailand and Laos.

We are blessed by meeting the Officials and the local people and .....they give us a good welcome.

We think and pray these days for all the refugees coming to Europe and do not having all papers they need. Hope and pray that they will be well treated coming also to Sweden these days. Ingvar

Fri-Sat-Sun Church Camp

2 new House Churches in Ubon has Church camp this weekend (Fri-Sat-Sun) and they asked us to teach on "Set My People Free".

The aim is also that everyone will experience a personally encounter with Jesus themselves. Yesterday many left their burdens on the cross.
                                                    
Very grateful to teach and lead them forward in their (for most of them) the new faith. What a blessing to see: 
                a) the old Churches renewed.
                b) the new Churches be born.

Both is needed in this city these days with only 
                                      
Ingvar

Making an IMPACT

Some people make an impact and somehow they continue to bless me and make me happy even after I left them. It’s a lasting God given IMPACT.

Some people I forget  …. after 1 hour so so. There is no lasting God given IMPACT there.

Pastor Neung and his wife in Jump Church in Khon Kean (started by SOS from Sweden and are under COC) and they make an God given IMPACT. Happy to worship with them today.

May God bless them as they reach out to many young (even broken) people of Khon Kean and beyond.

After a good Minibus ride, I am now home in Ubon with Anna. Ingvar

Heaven come down

We set out today to visit a small church in the network of churches in Ubon, to encourage the precious hardworking servants of God. We came to locked doors, and the neighbor said "they have gone to Korat". Another worshiper joined us and together we set out for another church. Believe it or not, that was closed as well. 

It was getting long into church service time. So we decided to stop at a cafe to have a drink and pray together there. We got our coffee/tea and started to approach Father God....and suddenly we are surrounded by His Presence in a very tangible way, our friend is in tears, she prays for the crowds of friends who are caught and bound by religion and the constrictions of society and culture. 

She sees them as birds in a cage unable to fly because they have been deemed unable to fly as they come from lesser academic standard. From simple laborers, or  'fishermen' less noble backgrounds. How can they fly if they have not studied how to?
I love how God so often seeks out the poor, calls the simple, even to the shame of the noble, He displays His power and His heart to the least and the lowest.

Now this bird is flying, soaring higher and higher. But she keeps on returning to this cage where her friends are still held, by believing that they are mere a chicken and not eagles. There she cries for their release and freedom to be who they truly are.

Wow! Our little cafe meeting turned into 'Heaven came down' - and we ended in laughter.
Let's not restrict Heaven.
Love Anna

Now a Mission team to Ubon.

We have now 32 Americans on a mission team to Ubon for 4 days. We have been with them 2 days to 3 new churches outside the city. Very good to see how God is working. 

Tonight was the first night of two Thai-American Worship Concerts in Ubon. It was a good start. Well done many people and .... most of all God did a good work in many. 

Interesting that I today could greet the person incharge of the Ministry of Culture and Religion. He looked happy and was very positive to us Christians. We pray for him and others in the Government. Ingvar

Not like a beautiful cactus, but....

When I think of the Church, Missions and Thailand I cant but see before me these numbers.

  

Statistics and numbers do not say everything, but for sure that:

1. God is now calling Thai to take many major new steps forward in spreading the gospel to the unreached in Thailand.

2. God is now calling us missionaries to take major new steps forward to come alongside the Thai in this work.

Yesterday we relaxed at Horizon Village outside of Chiang Mai. Beautifully. Although cactuses can be very beautiful, still I do not want to be like a cactus.

                                       

I want to be like a beautiful orchid ... with Anna and others. Psalm 1 is ringing in me.

Today morning we came back home to Ubon. Anna is right now teaching Set My People Free that was developed in Acts Chiang Mai for some years ago. 

                             

Now we pray that we can teach others that teach others that teach others that…. 2 Tim2:2. Ingvar  

5 days in Chiang Mai

Will go to Chiang Mai and be there 5 days. Will have SPM annual meeting and 2 days of rest.

Congratulations Mariam... and New Life

The big sister Tabitha was welcomed into our family in Dhaka, 22 April 1975.

                                   

Karin Mariam Smith was born today for 40 years ago in Chandraghona Bangladesh. Dr. Karin T. (Åhlèn) from Mjölby was a doctor at the British Baptist Mission Hospital at Karnafully River that flows from Kaptai Lake to Chittagong. Karin was a blessing for us during the delivery. Thanks Karin.

                                        

                                            

                                             

                                             

Ruth was born in the same hospital in February 1978 and Benjamin was welcomed into our family in Dhaka, Aug, 1981.

We are so thankful for our 4 children and 8 grandchildren plus many spiritual children and spiritual grandchildren.

Yes, life is exciting, with many different chapters. All equally valuable. One thing is certain:

New Life - may be a few hours old.

New Life - can be 40 years old.

New Life - can be 90 years old.

The question is not how many years, but who is the Lord of our lives.

We can have New Life the whole life ..... when Jesus is Lord.

Mariam Congratulations on your 40 birthday.

 Hug from