What to be and do 2018?

To have friends is a great blessing. Anna and I are very happy to have many true friends, like you in Church and Missions. We hope that we also can give true friendship. 

In different cultures friendship is cultivated in different ways. In South Asia the Christians in the Churches call each other Brothers and Sisters. This is biblical.

In Southeast Asia many are afraid of close friendship. They need time to build trust. Too many children have experienced very hurting family bonding. Their father and mother left them early and they feel themselves as: Left Behind. They too use the conflict solving system: Smile smile and disappear.

We are also in Ubon-Pakse doing rescue and restoration together with caretakers and the government, but we like to emphasis more and more on building trust and do prevention. And see this multiplied.

                                  Thinking after is good, but thinking before is better.

Looking forward to building both prevention and true friendship in 2018 with you and Jesus. And to see it multiplied… out there. Ingvar
                                           

Have a real Christmas

....... with JESUS in the center.

                                                 
                                  
All over the world The Market and Entertainment world are trying to kidnap Christmas and earn more money. Christmas songs and beautiful decorations makes us happy and .... we are shopping more.

Traditions are good but they must not become the focus. Yes, Christmas - we celebrate that Jesus was born. 

Click here and Read our Christmas letter 2017. 

Ingvar and Anna

Double....

Today we had the first visit by a mission team to our extended Community (Training) Centre here in Ubon They came to pray for us and to bless us.

 

The last year the centre has been too small. The Good News is that the landlord of the next flat House 55 is the brother of our landlord of House 57. They have taken down the wall between the 2 flats, free of charge

so now we have a good bigger room. And more space.

And ..... the message is that the wall of separation between us people is broken down...  by Jesus. 

We are happy that teams are coming blessing us so we can go out blessing others in the new churches and in the communities.

One thing is sure:The main work is not inside The Community (Training) Centre but out there among the people. The focus is Out there among the people. Double space inside and we count on double space outside.

Thank you Iris Global team for coming praying for us today Ingvar (Fred)

My 2 big YES in life....

1958 in Töftedal, Sweden, some 10 km from Norway I said YES to JESUS.

1972 in Kungshamn Tarren (Elida) today for 45 years ago asked Anna and me and we both answered: YES to each other. These 2 YES have made me very happy. Thank you Anna for all.

These 2 YES are without doubt the best ones I have have ever given. I am also happy for 4 children and 8 grand children. And God`s leading to serve God and people in Ubon-Pakse together with Anna Fredriksson who I love more and more. Ingvar

 

In the Samaria's of the Father's set up.

I am so humbled and feel so privileged to be able to once in a while (and sometimes after as long as 10 years) meet those whom we invested in and enjoy what I see.
Some are moving on, moving forward, some are receiving what was sowed into them and suddenly starting to multiply what was given to them. I am not a powerful evangelist, that is not my gifting. Though I know that we all have the call to share the gospel. Having received life we give life.

Today I visited the church where I served with my gifts some years starting from around 1997-98 then full-time from 2000 until we left for home assignment around 2004. After that we started the Tree of Life Ministry outside the one church to serve the greater body of Christ in CM and around.

It was good to be back. Receiving spontaneous hugs (not a Thai culture) from some. Hearing them say that: You showed us what love is and you taught us, now we are taking it to the community. 
Those last words makes it worth all the labor, sweat and tears.

Others have moved on planting churches, training and equipping young people,  healing and restoring the broken, setting captives free.

Thursday to Saturday I spent with some precious women in a retreat. It was not a silent retreat but with enough time to meditate on the word and for reflection to receive new strength to go on.
I was reminded once again why I do what I do and why I am where I am, in the Samaria of Thailand. 
In the scripture John 4 when John writes that Jesus was in Judea and was going to Galilee, Jesus needed to go through Samaria. In effect He must because of the geography, but I have my interpretation, he needed to go, means it was like a call, or a burden to do. Or because He actually had an assignment in Samaria.

It was all a set up by the Father , because we know that Jesus only does what He sees the Father do, or for ' such a time as this' :
-The well,
-the woman,
-the conversation,
-the unthinkable mix of Jesus conversing with a Samarian woman who also had a reputation.
But to me it is so beautiful. The Father's set up! The Prophet/Savior/Rabbi's lovingly exposure of who she is, and who He is, the ONE who has the Living Water. And then she goes to tell the village, that she had perhaps met the Messiah?! Why don't you come and see.

One of my the 'children' now a beautiful young woman shared today: First God had to tell me to be me and He showed me who I am. And that only serving in the true me is the way that the gifts/talents/ He has given can be productive and successful. Not by trying to be someone else or like someone else. Just being me.

We are His gift (carriers of His gift) to the community.  Jesus says in John 4:10 ''If you knew the gift of God and who it is who says to you :'Give me a drink' you would have asked Him and he would have given you living water.''
Yes we are imperfect vessels, some of us are chipped, broken and mended, broken again and glued together again with His healing Grace.  But the gifts and talents Father has invested within each of these vessels are from Him and are for the church and the community. Life flows out of the vessel who stands in its true identity. It cannot flow through masks and pretentions and desired identities.
So the first step to be fruitful is to know who we are.
Anna

A New Bible ---- speaks

I looked in Chiang Mai for a new NKJV Bible but found a new ESV Bible. Someone says: The ESV is the most recent translation, which stands firmly in the formal equivalency tradition. It is a very solid translation in updated language that aims to reproduce the beauty of the KJV. The result is one of the most poetic and beautifully structured versions that maintains a high degree of accuracy and faithfulness to the original languages. So I bought it. 

Now I am putting away my 12 years-NKJV-Blessing with many marks 

                           and starting to ”eat” spriritual food from a fresh Word of God. 

                                                           

                                                          Speak Lord – I hear. 

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. Ps 32:8

Thank you God, that this is a Word You are speaking to me personally. But also personally to my coworkers and "my" disciples. Well I can teach them but the main teacher is God. They too are Disciples of Jesus. Can I hear God`s Word fresh as a disciple can God also speak fresh to all people of Isaan and Laos.

`s 

Anna is on a Women Retreat in Chiang Mai and I am now in Bangkok on the way to Cambodia. I will be one week with 3 grandchildren while Mariam is teaching in a seminar. Ingvar

Welcome

Thank you Eva, David, Greta and Eskil for your coming here. You are a blessing for Ubon-Pakse

You are welcome back and more participators…. you are also most Welcome here. You are needed.

We had a good team evening last night.  

                        

Welcome Daniel into the team.

                                  

                                                 

 Thank you all for praying and participation in different ways in the work here in Ubon-Pakse. The goal is to make movements that will spread. All are needed. Ingvar

                                           

To encourage.....

I have found 4 main ways to be encouraged and to encourage others.

1. They visit us. Especially in a pioneer area we become greatly encouraged when people are visiting us. Woow. They come to me  ….. out here!

2. We visit them. Last week we visited some new churches.

Yesterday I visited a new Church (1 year old) here in Ubon. I was blessed but ….. I saw 20 new believers were much encouraged.  

Sometimes we can be afraid of entering other peoples ”world”. Too often we think: We might disturb. Sometimes its good to focus:
         a) The leader of the Church. Listening to them, praying for them and blessing them.  


         b) The congregation. Preach, sing and bless the the members in the Church.                      
3. Networking. We meet in more neutral set-up. Somewhere between our different ”worlds” and lift up common issues. Practice the unity we have in the body of Christ. But, I have found that many dedicated servants of God are working so hard in their own work so they have no time for Networking.
   
4. They do the same. When I see they also bless and encourage others ..... I am most encouraged myself. 

Summary: I have found that one of the best Church Planting methods is to take time to visit others. Listening to them, read the word of God, sing together, pray for them and bless them. In order that they will also go out and do the same, is my greatest joy in life. 

Ingvar (Fred) 

The assignment for us is:

Today we have been to The Immigration Office here in Ubon

 and the assignment for us from the Thai Authority is: 

                                                    1 year Work Permit and visa:

                               

                 which says: Missionary, to teach and to spread the Christian religion.

It`s a great honor for us to recieve this Mission from God, from Swedish Churches, associations, individuals and from The Thai Authority. God's word says,  "Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ..." Woow which mission. 

 

If God is calling you to become His Ambassador here in Ubon Pakse. Most Welcome:

                             

Here, we need many more Kingdom of God Ambassadors.

The Good News is that this assignment is not about us. 

It`s 100% about the Kingdom of God. 

Must say that Immigration here in Ubon is the most friendly we met. Everything just took 1 hour and 30 minutes and ... we feel honered to serve God and people in Ubon-Pakse. Ingvar (Fred)

Pray for Thailand

King Bhumibol who died 13 Oct 2016 (born 5 Dec 1927) was the ninth monarch of Thailand from the Chakri dynasty as Rama IX. He will be cremated in Bangkok tonight at 22:00.                      

We stand with you our dear Thai friends in the loss of the beloved King Bhumibol. He was a good King and he becamed a ”National Father”, a father-figure. This loss also callenges us men to be good ”fathers” wherever we live and work. Many here in Isaan and south Laos are missing their fathers.                              

During this last year many have been making merits in order that the spirits will be favorable with them. We Christians are grateful that Jesus have open the way for us, even when we are too weak to make enough good works.

Pray for Thailand (around 69 milion people) especially today-Friday-Saturday-Sunday. This funaral is the biggest I have seen. Ingvar

                       

      

Local Multipliers

Manage  Aman Khan  We are the fruit of Swedish Churches.... thank you for your prayers and contribution for our life.

These words came last week from Pastor Aman Khan, Odlabari, WB, India. I met Aman and his brother the first time 25-30 years ago in Barhaj, UP, India. Now he have been to Chiang Mai for an international conference. When I regretted that I could not meet him, he says: We are the fruit of Swedish Churches .... Thank you for your prayers and contribution for our life.

First we must say: Thank you for coworking and partnering with us in the work. To do missions is indeed a cooperation.

And with all humility we thank God for everything that the Swedish congregations has done and are doing in mission. Many have met God and have become mission leaders.

Some projects have failed, but many initiatives continue in specially 3 ways:

a) In the same way. The churches and the projects continue in the same way year after year.

b) With new local initiatives. The work did very well a specific time, but ... the grain fell into the ground and died. And new more local plants come up. It all becomes a multiplication in the Kingdom of God. 

c) Individuals. Many may not plant a new church or new projects but personally they carry what they have received, use it and some train others who train others .... in the community.

The best is when we convey the relationship we have with our living God. Then others also hear from heaven and .... they too become multipliers under the leadership of God. 

I looked again at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dknradmzdiQ

Projects and institutions comes and goes, but people who love God and the Church of God lives on. And they become local multipliers.

Ingvar (Fred

Where is the Centre?

I love when the Centre at Soi 11 is full of People. And like yesterday, we had in here a very important meeting. But I love it, ever more, when all are, like today, out there in the Churches and in the communities. Today, only I and the Lord are here.

We all need to have inspiration to do what we do, with the big picture in mind. If not …. we can drag on, but without joy and fruit. 

In 1 Cor 16: 9 can we read: For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries. 

The internal and the external adversaries will be there. But The Lord is with us and … we can come through stronger. 

Read vers 10:  .... for he does the work of the Lord, as I also do.

So the great and effective doors are:

1) For me? Yes I am part of  the centre, but I'm not the center.

2) For my coworkers, my team, my family? Yes we are part of the centre, but we are not the center

3) For my work? Yes it is part of the centre, but not the centre.

4) The Kingdom of God and God`s work is the centre. God = the I am, is the centre.

Only when The Kingdom of God and His presence is the center we can be inspired.

I will train others, who will train others, who will train others.. ... so there will be multiplication. And God our Centre will be reallity for us ... wherever we are. 

Ingvar(Fred)

Along The Mekong River

Yesterday I travelled 399 km along the Mekong River to Udon Thani. On Sunday I will attend a church in Udon Thain and ...go ba ck home by bus to Ubon.

I must say I enjoy working along this river,  on both sides. People are friendy, and ... need the Good News about Jesus

Ingvar

Word-of-God alive also today

We all need spiritual food. Not least working like we do here in Ubon-Pakse. Every day we meet many people who are "starving" from God`s food. Then it's best that I myselves first "have eaten". 

Yesterday I opened the Bible ... and the Word became alive:

Ps 32: 7-8

You are my hiding place;

You shall preserve me from trouble;

You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah 

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;

I will guide you with My eye. 

Thank you Lord for your living word today, here in Ubon-Pakse for me personally and .... for more and more people in Isaan and southern Laos.

I need many Word-of-God-hugs today too. Ingvar