Growing up in the 70's

A powerful thought hit me while reading the Lonely Planet Travel Guide recently. Many people my parents' age will no doubt remember what happened in Cambodia, how the country was shut off from the world and turned into a peasant work camp virtually overnight by the Khmer Rouge. If you lived there and even appeared to be educated, wore glasses or spoke two languages you were immediately executed. Others were tortured almost to the point of death, but kept alive until they confessed to "something.. anything" that could be used against them, to be accused as traitors of the regime. Only then were they taken to the killing fields and executed with the over one-million other victims.

It was while I pondered these facts that the thought hit me: "While Cambodians were suffering on the other side of the planet, I was spending my summers playing kick-the-can and complaining about having to eat my spinach" (I never really believed that Popeye story).

Now, 30 years later, as I prepare for our summer mission trip, the perspective is becoming so much clearer. Our team of six will most likely be ministering to young, orphan children, fruits of the victims who survived the tragedy of the past 20 years of Cambodian history. Children whose parents are drug addicts and can't take care of them.

Wow! That's awesome, to think that seven people who probably have never experienced the tragedy the Cambodian people have, will be able to bring faith, hope and love back into the hearts of those people, one person at a time.

More info on our trip coming soon!

Youth on a mission :-)

I made a short fund-raising video for one of our summer mission trip team-mates. Taylor Ross is 15 years old and is the son of one of our YWAM Restenäs parents, John and Donna Ross. The Ross family has been an integral part of our campus since 1999.

When I first met TJ (Taylor), he was about 8 years old, too smart for his britches and sassy. One day I spotted TJ and another young boy climbing out of one of the windows onto the roof of the dining hall. I told him he should get back inside, that they could fall and hurt themselves. TJ assured me in a loud voice, "It's okay, I've already broken my arm twice before."

We would be honoured if Taylor could join us on our trip to Cambodia, but he needs to raise his own funds to pay for his trip. He still needs around $1,500US. Please check out this short video below and pray about helping him out. If you decide to do so, feel free to contact us any time and we will make sure that Taylor gets at least 50% of your gift ;-) HeeHee Kidding, of course. We'll give him 75% No! I'm still joking. Seriously, we will give it all to TJ, because we want him to go!



For more info on Taylor ross visit the Ross website www.rossmanna.com

Keepin' it simple

Grandma (Mormor) and Grandpa (Morfar) thought I was going to India, so they bought train tickets to stay with V and Rasmus for the week. This is just a simple video of us doing Swedish-type things when the weather is nice. Notice, we're all wearing jackets? Hmmm! Love this Swedish summer. So unpredicatable.

If you're wondering about the sailing ship in the credits, you can visit www.elida.se to see more. You can read it in English by clicking on the flag on the bottom right corner of the website.

Family reunion!

They're back home! Veronica and Rasmus are home. Finally, I can get back on a schedule and eat normal food again. I celebrated by buying some pans flowers and planting them in pots and in the garden before they arrive. Veronica says her favorite thing about being home this time is seeing her family pay all that attention to Rasmus and love on him.

Indian visa denied

You may remember, I was waiting for the Indian embassy to grant me a tourist visa. It turns out they got suspicious about my reasons for wanting to go, so they forwarded my application to the 'higher' authorities in India. They told me it would take anywhere from two to six months to get a decision. Makes you wonder what they're thinking when it clearly said on my application 'from 3 May through 21 May'.




Well, the date for me to leave has passed, so I decided to cancel my application. The man at the embassy asked me, "But sir, don't you want to keep waiting for a reply?" Sigh! Patience is a virtue, every day, for something, isn't it? But I feel good about not going. I know God has a reason for the closed door.

So now I am trying to connect with the CRIT folks over Skype. Ironically enough, India, although they have some of the most skilled and learned IT people in the world, do not have the world's most reliable internet connections. So I am stuck waiting by my computer to connect with someone at CRIT, even if it for a few moments. I am determined to get connected at some point!

They were right!

I have the week all to myself. Rasmus flew up to Övik with his Mamma on Wednesday to visit his Mormor (Grandmother) and Morfar (Grandfather). V's old orchestra flew her up to play first violin with them in a co-concert starring a famous Swedish musical group called Triple & Touch.



So I've been able to stay up till the wee hours of the morning puttsing around, blogging and eating really unhealthy food. Sure, it's novel to do whatever I want, whenever I want. But I still miss my wife and son! Like today, she SMS'd me telling me she threw up right before she left for the concert. Not 'coz she was nervous, but because she had the stomach flu. And I can't do anything about it except pray.

Good thing is, they come home this Wednesday!
P.S. The classical music you're hearing is some of the music V played today.
nkss

Rasmus swinging

Rasmus has a little swing just beside our home. It hangs from an apple tree branch. FInally the weather is nice enough so that he doesn't have to wear that big, fat coat!

How to win a year's supply of diapers

A while back Veronica tried to enter Rasmus in a Pampers photo contest. Except the website wouldn't launch his picture, and after several attempts, time ran out.



So Rasmus'winning photo had to forfeit the prize. But tenacious Veronica never gives up easily! she spotted another contest sponsored by Pampers; this time, a video contest. Each week they would choose one winninng video to recieve a year's supply of diapers. So V entered Rasmus in the contest, and this time, it actually launched.

Well, then we sent out a billion or so emails to close and faithful friends, who graciously voted for our video. (Of course, there was no doubt that even without our billion or so emails, Rasmus still would have won the contest ;-) Thanks to everybody who voted! I want to invite each and every one of you to come and celebrate with us by changing at least one of his diapers!