Fences. What are they good for?

Our fence here in Bleket, Sweden (toward the west) needs repair. The wood is OK so Ben and I have now washed it and nailed it better together. And ..... now we are painting it with white paint. 

What is a fence good for? I asked Ben and Anna this question at the dinner yesterday and they had some good arguments for having a fence. One of them was: When there is a fence people understand the boundaries, even though anyone can jump over the fence or go through the gate, which has no gate.

Sure it should been easier if we did not have any fences, walls, hedges and locks. That all could go wherever they wanted and use whatever they needed. But we quickly realize that in this world we need healthy and peaceful borders. God's Word and God's Holy Spirit helps us so we can live together with others in peace and harmony. And Jesus himself says: I am the door. With Jesus as "the door" we can go out and go in and find food and protection. And we can live with open and healthy boundaries.

The other day we had Mongolia-missionaries visiting us. Yesterday some Nepal-missionaries visited us. We are happy to connect to them, over the boarders. And the next week we go to the InterAct Missionary conference. 

The very important mission work we have right now is to pray for the Muslim world. The month of Ramadan ends on 28th July. My experience is that during this month there is an increasing tensions within and around the Muslims.

Pray also these days for peaceful borders around Israel.

Corrie ten Boom said, "Prayer is the key for the day: the cover for the night". 

Let`s pray and work for open and healthy boundaries .... in all areas of life. Ingvar

His presence and His rest

Every day we hear and say many kinds of words. All have power. We can joke, talk (more babble), give information (also our own views and feelings) and we can convey the voice of God. The last days Exodus 33:13-14 has been speaking to me:
13 Moses said: I pray ...... show me now Your way, that I may know You...."
14 And The Lord said, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest".

Woow ... he walks with me and wants to give me peace and rest. This is not only for the future or when we get to heaven, but for us right now in our everyday walk. Also today. The question is: Do I receive God`s presence and rest ...... even today, right here? Ingvar

Refreshing...

We have via Internet been followed a couple of summer conferences and heard comment like: "It has become a place for refilling".

 10 "For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,

And do not return there,
But water the Earth,
And make it bring forth and bud,
That it may give seed to the sower
And bread to the eater,

11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;

It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it."

Father, let the Holy Spirit refresh us all as the rain falls with every word coming from your mouth through your servants in every Christian conference being held this summer. So it gives seed to sow and bread to eat.

Jesus, you are the living bread help us then to share the bread with others. Holy Spirit, you are the living water, fill us so that we overflow into a world of despair and darkness.

Anna

We will now be in Sweden 41 days. (1 July -11 August). Important to sometimes:

a) to take rest. We will take it easy this summer. Last year we built a small Garden House and visited many Churches. We have experinace that God has given us in Ubon both In-Service Rest and In-Service-Strength. Yet  it is good sometimes to move away to another place to let the the Spirit, the Body and the Soul be refreshed.

b) to be with the family, the Churches and in the society in Sweden. Important to do things together. Also brush the teeth. This is our grandchild Emelie.                   
 

 

This summer we cannot visit all our supporting Churches. We will mainly be in Bleket but also at the InterAct Missionary Conference at Götabro.

Please contact us at:
+46 767 918181 (Anna)
+46 767 918182 (Ingvar)

Ramadan 2014 is this year 28th of June (for 30 Days) up to July 27th. Pray for the Muslim world.

Anna is still a few days with Ruth and her family. I am now in Bleket. Ingvar

It has been spoken...

For years it has been spoken: watch the children, God will use them for revival. I have eagerly watched and waited. My experience the last few days both on the other side of Mekong and here tells me something special is about to happen. Wilawan told me today of the four kids after church when the members had left. She shared about Jesus and they recieved prayer and they all suddenly had visions of Jesus and angels all around them. They didn't want to ''wake up''. That experience will be so real for them, an encounter with Jesus will not easily be forgotten.
To those who have children in your ministries. Watch over the children. Welcome them just like Jesus did, not like the desciples did. If they come and tell you extraordinary experiences with Jesus. Believe them. What you are seeing is the beginning of something great.

''Unless we become like children, we cannot enter the Kingdom.''
''Jesus said, Let the children come to me, and forbid them not.''
'' The Kingdom of God belongs  to them.''
Love Anna

...our break is approaching :-)

My body and soul tells me, I’m approaching my holiday. There isn’t much of reserve  energy. Sometimes we have a siesta after lunch because the strength and does not match the pace of work and the temperature. Still, I choose happily to spend a day in the village with Wilawan when she leads young thai guys to follow Jesus. Or teach an old woman of the need to forgive her neighbor or to see her pray for the sick and coaching balloon war before the gathering.

Being a mentor in children issues, we talk about how she will handle the restless boy? How can she help those who have been abandoned by their parents? So very common in Isaan that the children are raised by others than the parents. This is a hugh problem in Isaan and has and will have severe consequences in the society.  How does she keep watch over children's safety when they are with her? etc.

Otherwise I am a translator, ''healingprayerminister'' (too many right now) have no teams available here in Ubon, doing member care, I preach, teach .......

 

But now I long for  my children and grandchildren and after a special little cottage in our garden and after the salty breezes in Bleket and the occasional strawberry. 30th of June we head northwest and will be back 12th of August.
Love Anna

 

Flying termites, mud and heaven!

The monsoon rains just started. Slimy roads with threatening visits in ditches or swarming flying termites, the lack of pre-communicated program could not stop the joy of ministering to this beautiful tribe on the other side of Mekong. If I look to the outer appearance and not with the love of Jesus in my heart, I might see this village embedded in this tropical forest, poverty stricken and everything covered in red dirt.
Then suddenly one comes up and walks alongside me, starting to share her life. I ask how old are you? ''I am 21 years old, have 11 younger siblings. Mum takes care of the babies, dad is weak cannot not work enough to feed the family. I am working to help support us. I have 2 friends who have gone to Bible school. I would love to study the Bible.'' Then she leaves my side taking another trail to her house. Waving saying '' I'm coming to the gathering''.
I reach this church. They just hosed the stairs and floor in the church to get rid of a layer of red mud. It is truly slippery and I have to hold on to rails and wall, not to slip.
We are here because suddenly there has opened up a door, an unusual request to speak to the youth, in this place where officially we are forbidden as a foreigner to speak. Here we had received special permission from the headman. When I read my friends email prior to coming I said ''oops'' he went to the headman? This almost feels like a trap. Countless of people have been jailed because of doing what we were just going to do.
Here we are, 35 little kids are waiting for us in tidy rows. Noone hangs over them to keep them calm or disiplined. So unlike where we work. The youth were to come an hour later. The little ones just wanted to be there. They were not invited. The second day, the same happened, we took the opportunity to minister to them before the youth arrived and it felt like this was what heaven wanted.
As we prayed for these little ones they sat like little angels with faces shining with such peace and joy that I just wanted to drink in the beauty. So precious. My friends and I we just sensed that this  moment was to release these kids to be like firebrands in this community. I felt like we were commissioning the least and the greatest in the Kingdom of God. And I am eager to hear what will follow from this place.
When these kids and youth worshipped there was absolutely no performance. They really worshipped! Lord you have hidden treasures in this jungle and I am getting really excited for what he will do in this area on both sides of Mekong.
Love Anna