Dalarna...

Forsnäs, Dalarna 19.-27.3.2009

Dalaälven 24.3.09

Dalarna is said to be the heart of Sweden - at least culturally and in many other aspects. It is a really beautiful region with hills, rivers, traditional red houses, horses (incl delicious horse meat) and wonderful friendly people! We had a chance to spend a whole relaxing week in Dalarna, more specifically with YWAM Dalarna near Hedemora. That was excellent time in an international atmosphere. We met many international people both in the base as in the cities we visited. Hello to all of you! Hope that we'll see again!

This year 2009 is actually a very important anniversary. It is now 200 years from the separation of Sweden and Finland after a war between Sweden and Russia. Russia won the war and Finland was annexed to the latter. It is significant to us that the Swedes are memorizing this!

We remembered and realized all this only when arriving to Sweden. Sweden has even published a new one Crown coin in memorial of this.

We really felt there was something in the relations of these two nations that God wants to do. Reconciliation. Noteworthily, Dalarna is a region where many Finnish immigrants used to live in the past centuries.

Taalainmaalla

Forsnäs, Dalarna/Taalainmaa 19.-27.3.2009

Missionuorten Taalainmaan keskus
YWAM base in Dalarna

Taalainmaata (Dalarna) sanotaan Ruotsin sydämeksi - ainakin kulttuurillisesti ja monin muinkin tavoin. Taalainmaa on todella kaunista seutua, mäkineen, jokineen, punaisine taloineen, hevosineen (eikä pidä unohtaa maukasta hevosmakkaraa) ja ystävällisine ihmisineen! Meillä oli mahdollisuus viettää kokonainen rentouttava viikko Taalainmaalla, tarkemmin ottanen YWAM Taalainmaan vieraana Hedemoran lähellä. Se oli todella rentouttavaa ja antoisaa aikaa kansainvälisessä ympäristössä!

Tämä vuosi 2009 on itse asiassa tärkeä juhlavuosi. Nyt on kulunut 200 vuotta Suomen sodasta ja siitä kun Suomen ja Ruotsin tiet erosivat. Ruotsissakin on muisteltu tätä. Uudessa kruunun kolikossa lukee teksti: Den underbara sagan om ett land på andra sidan havet. (Kertomus maasta meren toisella puolen).

HJF puhumassa seurakunnassa Borlängessä
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HJF speaking in a church in Borlänge

Tajusimme koko asian vasta saavuttuamme Ruotsiin. Koimme, että Jumala haluaa tehdä jotain Suomen ja Ruotsin suhteidenkin kohdalla - sovintoa kansojen välillä. Juuri Taalainmaalla onkin aikanaan asunut paljon Suomalaisia.

Spring is here! (kevät on täällä!)

The Finnish spring is finally here... so we moved out to play outdoor sports, such as basketball!!
.

And everyone had so much fun...

Spring is also the time for all kinds of practical work... such as preparing the firewood for the next winter

Snowboarding and other extreme sports...

EXTREME SPORTS! You want to know about it??

Well, sure we do some snowboarding every now and then - perhaps we can update here some better pictures later on...

... but snowboarding isn't the only type of extreme sports you can do in Finland. If you want to get really physical, you can try e.g. ICE FISHING!

This is a VERY hard way of earning your living...!!!

Gothca!!!

Lumilautailua ja muita extreme-lajeja...

EXTREMEURHEILUA SUOMALAISITTAIN


Niin, tokihan Suomessa voi harrastaa monenlaista extremeurheilua, eikä lumilautailu suinkaan ole kaikki kaikessa... tänne varmaan lisäämme vielä muitakin lumilautailu-kuvia jossain välissä.

Timo lead us into the secrets of ice fishing
Timo opasti meitä pilkin saloihin...
Aika extreme tapa ansaita leipänsä... siis kalansa...

Landscapes in Koivumäki

Just a few pictures from where we live...

Suksimme Tsekkiin...

Liberec, Tsekin tasavalta
23.-28.2.'09

Do you hear me??

Helmikuun lopulla teimme viikon matkan Libereciin, Tsekin tasavaltaan, jossa osallistuimme hiihdon MM-kisoihin. Se oli hieno reissu! Jaoimme paljon trakuja mutta meillä oli myös kohtaamisia mielenkiintoisten ihmisten kanssa. ... ja toki käytiin välillä laskemassa.

HJ doing an interview of some of the tourists to the competition.
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HJ haastattelemassa kisaturisteja.

Kontaktihenkilömme pastori Michal oli kova jätkä - hän oli mm. kääntänyt Raamatun tsekin kielelle. Tsekin historia on mielenkiintoinen ja aika haastava - siellä on ollut suuria herätyksiä ja Moravialainen lähetysliike oli nykyaikaisen lähetystyön pioneereja. Nykyään Tsekki on aikamoinen takapajula hengellisesti..

We thought this must be the ugliest statue in the world.
Tämän täytyy olla maailman rumin patsas...

Skiing outreach to Liberec

Liberec, Czech Republic
23.-27. February 2009

Tarkkaavainen lukija on saattanut nähdä tämän kuvan jossain muuallakin...

In late February we made a one-week outreach to Liberec, Czech Republic to attend in the FIS World Ski Championships. That was a great trip. We handed out a lot of tracts (well, maybe not something I personally enjoy a lot, but anyway) and met with many interesting people. ... and of course, did some snowboarding!

Our contact person, Pastor Michal, was a really cool guy - he'd, for example, translated the Bible into Czech language.




Czech Republic has a rich Christian heritage, being the home of many of the early reformators, as well as the Moravian movement. However, these days Czechs boast on being the most atheistic country in Europe.

This is our team in front of the outreach bus.
"Life is short", says the snowman!

It's also fun...

Yeah - we also have sometimes fun in the DTS. Actually we have fun every day because we have so funny people around! :)

Danzku is another really funny guy at the place... :)
We have so much fun every day just because he is around.
He is working as the caretaker at the base.

Wacky Worms (TM) were an important part of our team at one point of time...

Getting musical...

Music is a rather big part of the DTS - especially this year when we have a bunch of talented musicians in the group.

By the way, as for worshiping God, we learned that it's not about music at all - but it's about Jesus! Music can be used to help us worship and praise God, but it's not the goal itself. I've enjoyed a lot when we've taken the effort in exploring ways to worship and give thanks to God!

A visiting quitarist.

Getting 2 know each other

On the very first week we had some games and did some sleding... It was beautiful up on the Puijo Hill...


The famous Puijo tower.
(this place reminds me of the famous movie, "Läpi harmaan kukon" - but... maybe you don't know it).

Building the team on a lava island...

Opiskelua Koivumäessä

Niin, kuten mainitsin, OP-koulu (DTS), ei ole vain Raamattukoulu, mutta toki meillä on myös luentoja, n. 3 h päivässä. Aiheet vaihtelevat kovasti: Jumalan luonne; Synti, risti ja parannus; Raamatullinen maailmankuva, Esirukous; Raamatun tulkinta; Ihmissuhteet; Lähetystyö ja monikulttuurinen kommunikaatio... jne. Joka viikolle on oma opettaja, kuka mistäkin päin maailmaa... Monesta on täällä ehkä tingitty mutta ei opetuksen tasosta!

Well, how are these guys dressing up there??

Joka tapauksessa, olemme täällä "ihan tosissamme" elämän ja Jumalan tuntemisen kanssa. Haluamme etsiä yhdessä Jumalaa ja hänen suuntaviittojaan elämällemme. Ja onhan täällä mahtava veloushippi (engl. fellowship - yhteys, yhteishenki) myös. :) Jesh!

Studying in Koivumäki

Well, as I mentioned, DTS is not just a Bible school, but of course we have lectures - on average 3 hours a day. The topics are really wide - we hear about God's character & nature; Sin, cross & repentance; Cross-cultural communications; Bible interpretation; Worship; intercession & Spiritual Warfare, Biblical Worldview; Relationships and many more topics. Each week we have a new teacher- God knows from where... On the 3rd week we enjoyed fantastic teaching by Pepe who came all the way from Cänada - his topic was Holy Spirit and holy lifestyle! It was a splendid week - one of the many!


Anyway, we are here to take God and life seriously - seek for God and His directions for our lives - and for good fellowship, too! It's been great time!

Several different kinds of study methods are used, sometimes more creative...

Getting started

Well, dear reader, as you may know we are a pretty international bunch of people, coming from e.g. Finland, USA, the Philippines, Australia, Holland, etc. What we are really doing is that we are a part of a life-changing experiment, called Discipleship Training School (DTS for short). DTS is well... not really a Bible School, but a holistic school of life change - which in practice is much more than sitting on lectures (which we also have of course), and snowboarding.

We live in a community, and this is how our home looks like!

Our group!! :)

Well, where to start...? Let me start by introducing our pack. This is our "official" group picture taken in January 2009.
Siispä, mistä aloittaisi..? Tässä v. 2009 ryhmäkuva.

From the left/vasemmalta: Mark, Mr D, Ms D, "HJ", Boutros, Tap, "Mr No1"
- and in the front/edessä: Merzi and Yessie.

Snowboarding DTS blog opened!

Here we ride! Welcome to the Snowboarding DTS unofficial blogsite! This blog was started during the 2009 Snowboarding DTS.

(the green background color was chosen, because it fits so good with HJ's jacket! ;)