Continuation

August 2010 when the choir from Gaborone visited Finland thanking everyone for assistance and help for their Church in Botswana, that is where the Beginning really is. They started this.

Then came two messengers from Luther´s Messengers. 

"We are building up the Temple for the Lord..." That song we learned to sing with 3 languages, and that song is also like a parable for all of us. We are all building up a temple together, building it on to the foundation all ready made by those generations before us. We need to learn to work together, build together, join our workers, funds and strategies, in order to be able to achieve more than by just working on our own. We need to understand the importance of sharing. We should not continue alone. Even the smallest of effort has big meaning in the eyes of our Lord, and has its important place within the whole picture.

What is mission, or mission work? It is commission given for all of us. We need to learn new ways for working together. Make a network, connect organisations, create and build structure for supporting such strategy. "And the boys come and help us. And the girls come and help us. And we are building up the Temple to the Lord."

From the poem written by Bishop of Helsinki Diocese Irja Askola to all who gathered together 23rd of February at Helsinki, and to all of us young adults, in the beginning of our path, these are Bishop´s words to us:

" And Jesus said,

 follow me, 

          and he took me to the home of two sisters 

          called Martha and Mary

          and asked me to learn from their argument, 

                       let not any given role 

                                        shrink your talents

                       let not any cultural rule 

                                        squeeze you

                                                       just respond to your call

                                                       in all its fullness!"

So this trip 2012 was not the beginning, but part of God´s plan, a continuation

So please, 

pray 

together, 

so that 

Dreams do come true part 2

will come true, too..........

Driving the two-way street

 This almost one week together with these two men has been full of program, but the one thing I have learned so far, is the meaning of sharing and exchanging from one another.

Ubuntu. That one word is on my mind every day. I reflect many issues through that word. Myself, my ways of working, even my own marriage. It is an african word, so I think I do not understand it fully, just a little, but I try to understand it better every day. I feel like I myself lack ubuntu in my own life. I think most of us living in western society lack ubuntu.

I understand ubuntu as a special state of mind when you are with an another person. Ubuntu means taking care of that other person, and taking care means so many different ways of noticing the other. And I think we should try to find more ways to show we notice that another person, we care how he or she is doing, we exchange and share our views with one another.

Sometimes we are driving a one-way street, other times it is a two-way-street. Sometimes we are the ones giving and others are receiving, and sometimes the situation supports encounter between two people, when both are giving and receiving. Both ways do have an effect between people and at the end, it is always the Holy Spirit that influence the result according to His will.

My appreciation for u 2

"Muntu ni muntu ka bantu , a person is a person because of other people. You exist because I exist."

Rev. Steven and Lawrence are giving 125% of themselves to each and everyone they encounter here during this visit. They show through their appearance what Ubuntu means. Though they are both young workers in  the field of our God, their will to serve Jesus, their inner devotion, is so strong and reflected beutifully also through their singing.

For everyone from Botswana reading this blog, thank you for sending these messengers to visit Finland. I am humble before you, and honored to have this moment in my life to get to know these men. To have such persons working for the Church is a blessing from our God and I thank our Lord for guiding their lives from the very first day they were born. ELCB, you have raised these men well. I assure you, they carry they both hats so well - you can be proud of them, too.

Music to my heart

How to write about feelings which have no words? How to describe a moment in time, when you see people singing together, learning from one another and sharing that talent God has given to them. These two messengers, oh, I try so much to picture and hear in my heart, what it will look and sound if one day I have the opportunity to listen the whole choir. I will cry and laugh at the same time, as one friend of mine said..

It is amazing, even though it has been over one and a half years since I last saw face to face "my boys", I was able to hear them singing today. These two messengers brought me back those memories and at that moment, I really did miss my guys so much. I guess our friendship is made in heaven and will last a lifetime by the Grace of our God...

Tomorrow is a busy day, too. I will hear you guys singing again, all of you messengers. Inside my heart.

Dear Diary,

What a week. It was quite a shock to find out mistakes I had done and not being sure whether those mistakes can cancel this whole Trip. I know my spirit is like a wild horse. After this experience I know fences are build for a reason, they do give sense of order.  And no one is allowed to jump all over them... I did learn my lesson, next time I will always find out the procedures and work together with as many officials as needed.

Today was about -25. At Botswana is about +35. I can´t even imagine what it feels like to travel from Summer to freezing Winter. I am relieved the weather forecast for Sunday is so good; feels like God is also welcoming our guests by giving us not so cold day for the first day in Finland.

I have received some questions about this blog. Yes, this does not give so much information about the choir. This blog is  more like a diary for me and for those who might be interested to follow my first international project. Those who are interested to meet with our guest, please log in to Facebook and search for "Lawrence & rev. Steven". There is more everyday information. You are welcome to  say Hi to our guests and ask questions. During this visit we will do our best to give you as much information as possible about the choir called Luther´s Messengers.

Welcome messengers, rev. Steven and Lawrence.

Waiting for tomorrow

For the past two and a half days I have been worried so much. Friday I reseived email which revieled a huge mistake I had made concerning this Trip. It was unconditional and in every way not intented. My mistake was the result of my lack of experience, lack of patience and lack of knowledge combined with enthusiasm, speed and wanting to do somethig for the first  time, without asking anyone any advice.

Friday evening I was just so worried and so embarrassed and so quilty. "Me, myself and I" was to blame, no one else. It was my mistake and I knew I had to face the qonsequense. But to know that mistake might influence others too, that was something I blamed myself the most. It is  not easy to find out that your idea of making something good, turns out to be something totally different.

So now I wait. And wonder like crazy, will there be a happy ending next Sunday? Or a happy beginning - learning from mistakes and building with a better understanding?

Me, myself and I

A friend of mine wrote to me today: " In Africa we say ´Muntu ni muntu ka bantu´, a person is a person because of other people. You exist because I exist." 

Today I ask forgiveness from those who feel left out during this planning. Me, myself and I have been the person stronger than others. My enthusiasm and motivation is so often stronger than my talent and patience. Please, forgive me. I am at the beginning of my path, and promise to learn from my mistakes.

In, on and underneath the Tree

February 2011 a group was made at Facebook for us to get to know eachother. I started to work for the Dream, Trip 2012 February for the choir. I must have sounded like a Nokia-tune, "making connections" as I sat in front of a computer emailing different people. I had hardly no network when I started. I made one, and enjoyed every new person I contacted. Lights were green or yellow, so many people were interested to partisipate and welcome Messengers to Finland.

 I felt like I was in, on and even inside our Church, getting to know pastors and other workers, gathering information and understanding different ways of our Church´s international work. I experienced God´s guidance as I met new people. I experienced such a joy every day reading posts and email from Botswana. I felt like a painter; creating a picture never seen before. The program for the two weeks came out piece by piece and everything seemed to fit together.

But then things started to fall apart. My very first international project was not prepared as well as it should have been. I had to email  my new friends in Botswana that their Trip, my Dream, did not come true this time. I found myself underneath the Tree.

But isn´t it so, that when you think you are alone, you really are surrounded by people who care and support? That support encouraged me to try once more. And I found two organisations to work together with me - thank you both so very much. I was also given help from one organisation for writing invitations and buying planetickets. I think that was God´s plan from the beginning; working together we can make dreams come true.

January 2012 I reseived email telling me the trip for  two was finalized. Two men I have never seen face-to-face are soon coming to Finland. Part 1 is becoming reality.

Why Part 1, you might ask? Well, we are now welcoming 2, but 15 is left behind. Part 2 is my dream too, and that will come true when we welcome the whole choir Luther´s Messengers to Finland. Could that be Trip 2013? I pray God´s guidance with that dream while walking and talking in, on and underneath the Tree.

Luther´s Messengers

Today as I was walking outside enjoying the sunshine, cold whether and snow, I tried to bring back memories from this past year. It was August 2010, when I first met some of you , when you were visiting our parish. It was the last weekend for you before heading back home after many weeks of travelling in Finland, you were the mail voices in a choir from Gaborone.

I was outside our Church with my son waiting for the bus to arrive.  I was one of many parish members who were hosting your stay with us. I had a piece of paper with me, with two names written in it. Heh, I did not even know which of those names were first, last and the middle name. And shame to admit but I did not even know where was Botswana! I knew it was part of Africa, but that´s just about what I knew.

When the bus arrived, I found myself surrounded with lots of suitcases and lovely happy people. And I was found, too. Those two names on that piece of paper had faces, and hansdome faces, too, I have to add. After short intoduction at the Chuch we all left home with our new friends. My oldest gave her room for "my guys", and I guess they slept well, despite the HelloKitty-theme and pink colors.

Next day was Sunday Service. How amazing and beautiful it was! Listening to choir from Gaborone singing, ohh, it was like God´s Kingdom there and then. And choir´s consert after coffee - even more amazing! Everyone was enjoying like never before. And for me, to see that remarkable change - how these guys I had talked with changed themselves to instruments for the voice. It seemed like they are not singing, they are the Song, the Music, the Instrument. It is difficult to describe that, one has to see it with own eyes and ears.

After that consert I kind of talked myself into the bus to take part in afternoon program, visiting two museums close by. Okey, have to admit, publicly, it was the company, not the museums that motivated me.

That day friendship was build and the next morning came too soon.

It was that next morning when, I thought, I was given a Dream from our Father. Okay, have to admit, again, that it was me who decided the dates to be during my own birthday, despite the wheather conditions  during that time of the year. I just wanted to hear my friends sing me Happy Birthday. Well, at first it was only "my guys" that was I was thinking of inviting, but it did not take long to change into 17 guys -

I was introduced to all of you, the choir called Luther´s Messengers.