Easter in Austria

Well, I just finished writing a home exam (you get three days to answer ten questions on the modern history of the Middle East and North Africa), which feels good. So I just thought I'd do a real random and rare thing - update my Xanga.

Hope you all had a good Easter! I went to an IFES (International Fellowship of Evangelical Students) European Evangelism Conference in Linz, Austria for five days! Met up with 2000 students from all over Europe (plus some other places) and worshipped God, celebrated Easter, had great food, heard great teaching and hung out together. It was great. For me it was really good to focus on Jesus and what he did for us on the cross and that he rose again for us to have life through him. It was also good just to meet real nice people from different places and be inspired for evangelism and student ministry and mission on campus!

Hopefully I'll be able to post some photos some time (in another six months or so, when it's time for another update aye...!) Take care everyone, and may you do whatever God blesses and leads you to (I was going to write 'God bless you in whatever you do', but then that might not be quite right).

Jesus lives and his is all power and authority in heaven and on earth!

Arabic in Stockholm

Hello!

In August, after finishing my job as a youth leader, I moved to Stockholm to study Arabic at the university. Time really flies and there's so much going on all the time that I haven't taken the time to update. I'm loving it here. I love this city - it's big, there's heaps of people, it's really beautiful, and there's always something happening. Arabic is going well so far and I enjoy studying. I live in a student dorm; I have my own room but share a kitchen with 14 other people, which I really like. It's a bit like YWAM (community living) except it's not in "the bubble". I'm part of a great church (www.elimkyrkan.org) and a church plant for students (www.trinitystockholm.se), and I've met heaps of people and made some really good friends since I came here. I feel that I'm really where I'm supposed to be, which is great.

Holidays coming up

I'm sitting here in my office finishing off my work before going on holidays for five weeks. Need to burn 6 CDs with pictures for my confirmation group and send them, then I will have peace for going on holidays! Each CD takes about 15 minutes so I figured I could update my Xanga in the meantime!

After I get back from my holidays I only have two weeks left here in Sala as a youth leader. It's kind of sad. I have looked forward to finishing and doing something else, but now that the time is approaching I'm starting to feel sad about leaving everybody here. Not so much the work I guess, but the people. It's always the people.

The past week we had a summer camp (only in the mornings though) for kids aged 7-9. I didn't look forward to it at all beforehand, because I thought that age is not really "my thing". But it was real fun and I really enjoyed it! Today we had a church service which our small group had planned. It was a journey on "the narrow road" (see Matt 7:13-14) with different road signs symbolising various parts of the Christian life. It was a lot of fun to plan and also to do it.

For my holidays I'm doing a few different things. For more information on that and if you want something to pray for, you're welcome to e-mail me!

Currently Reading Bruchko and the Motilone Miracle By Bruce Olson, James L. Lund see related

A month with Elin...

And... it's already been over a month since my last post. Let's take a quick look through my calendar to see what I've been up to.

Went to a worship night in Uppsala, a city near here, with Brenton Brown and Paul Baloche (as in, the worship was led by them, not that I went with them...). It was really good.

Made a surprise birthday party for Ryan, the youth leader from the US in the other church here. Fun.

Had the confirmation ceremony at church, for the confirmation group I've been a leader for.

Went to the annual general meeting for the youth organisation I work for. Worked there. Not much sleep. Very tiring.

Had a weekend together with four churches around here where we had fun together, had worship, food and everything. Good times. Good fellowship.

Ryan left and went back to the States. Sad.

I moved out of my house and into the bigger house (with a couple from the church), because the guy who lived in my house before came back. The couple from the church is real nice so I like it there.

Went to Stockholm to see Chris and Nick Desvernine (U/K team would remember Chris... from the Purple Dragons) from California. Very cool, I had fun.

My sister graduated from high school (it's quite a big party occasion over here). Remembered when I graduated. Craziness.

Had a LAN here at church, including a Miss LAN contest where a bunch of guys dressed up as girls and competed for the title "Miss LAN". Heaps of fun.

Had lunch and went bowling with three good friends. Very nice.

So, wow, I have done stuff! Also, I don't usually submit what I'm currently reading/listening to or whatever, but this time I have to, because I'm currently reading this amazing book. You may have heard of or read "Bruchko!" by Bruce Olson (if you haven't read it, you should). This is the sequel. It's truly amazing and inspiring and encouraging.

Life goes on...

Lauren, thanks for the comment and the encouragement to update! It's always nice to hear that someone is interested in what I write, otherwise there's not much of a point in posting.

I am still working as a youth leader in a church, and it just doesn't feel like there's much to say, unfortunately. Life just keeps going, nothing too exciting happening... Except I finally got a close friend with whom I can grow, so that's really nice. She became a Christian only a couple of months ago and we've become real close. Things have been a bit up and down lately, but I'm so not going to post the details of that on the internet. Life's complicated. I'm complicated.

I could tell you a lot more I guess, but I just don't want to pour all of myself out on the internet for all to see.