Shortness

So yeah, this will be a primer for the actual newsletter that I will put out. Well, I was worried that my class ending would have stopped my activities for a while. I have actually just started a good bit of business for a while. I went to the Baptist workers days in Kesäranta near Jyväskylä with some church members and a Burmese brother who leads a church in Vantaa. The Finnish was a bit hard, and I was distracted once I noticed the smoke coming out of the savusauna (smoke sauna). Unfortunately, that distraction was during the most interesting brother who had grown up in Estonia and had served in the Soviet army. He told his life story, but I was just watching the smoke come out of the sauna. Maybe I will get a chance to listen to him again. The next day we went to my roommate’s family’s home for a lunch as prepared by his parents. While we were waiting there, the Burmese brother was sharing about the problems in Burma (all in Finnish, but since he is a foreigner speaking it, I could understand it all). Yeah, he got into naming the countries where the weapons had come from…way to go U.S., way to supply the means by which a people are oppressed and dehumanized. It was kinda rough to listen to his country’s problems and how he and is family could probably never return there.

This past weekend was the 2 Timothy 2:2 theology camp that the Finnish Baptists are hoping to prepare future leadership for future churches. I served in the kitchen for most of the time. I never got to hear an entire presentation because of either cleaning or preparing food, but that was alright as long as those there being groomed for leadership were able to be there without worrying about food or the kitchen. A few American style things made a showing at the meals (i.e., the way we serve, or the way that we combine items of food…chips and sandwiches together doesn’t happen here).

Coming up is the Baptist Summer Celebration in Kesäranta. It marks the beginning of the summer break for us in the house-church. Smaller Finnish churches take breaks during the summer because nearly everyone is gone in July to summer cottages, or out of the country. Before that celebration, Team Finland will gather together one more time in Heinola to share and encourage before the two families move back to the states (the team leader’s family for only a 9 month period, the other family for an undefined time, that is, if they even come back to Finland). I will be here for 2 months without other IMB personnel here, but there is another guy coming in October for a two-year period, who will work with me during the period that the team leader’s family is back in the States and then transition into being here when they return next year. April of next year is the official end date of my employment. Not sure what happens after that, but gotta focus on the work at hand…and my impending moves in living situations…and coming only-birthday-in-Finland party.

Keep praying for Finland, keep praying for the work of believers in Finland, keep the workers in your prayers.

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