44.23 ~ translation: week 44 in 2023, the höstlov, also known as fall break, of a lifetime

44.23. A week to be remembered.  There’s this church in Grand Rapids, MI, USA.  They are incredible ministry partners and have faithfully prayed for team Swanson, have supported us with their financial resources and hosted us in their homes on many occasions.

 

The last time we were in the USA (June 2022-January 2023), we visited First Covenant Grand Rapids, MI and started to brainstorm about what it could look like for a team to come to enter into ministry alongside us with our local ministry partner, Wesleykrykan in Malmö.  And that brainstorming and dreaming came to be our reality when they arrived on 28 October and dived into a full on week of kids ministry, youth and young adult ministry, and participating in worship together with us on 2 Sundays.

This is what we set out to do together...

Barb getting on the bus at church in Malmö to go meet the team in Copenhagen...taking along the Swedish flag in case they got lost!

 

Table has been set.  Välkomna amerikanska gäster!

                                        Wesleykyrkan meet 1st Covenant Grand Rapids.                                         1st Covenant Grand Rapids, meet Wesleykyrkan!

Wow, looking back on it, it was just way too much fun!  Lots of planning on both sides of the ocean, heavy suitcases that came laden with Bible story materials and crafts for our youngest kids, filled with candy that had been donated by one of the team members small groups, and gifts and ideas of how to bless our community here.

 

We maxed out our days together.  We had kids clubs (think VBS, Vacation Bible School which is so popular in the USA).  The kids were guided on a journey thru the parables of the Lost Sheep, the Prodigal (Lost) Son, and the Good Samaritan.

A lost sheep...

 

The story tent, where all the fun and Bible teaching happens!

 

Oops....another lost sheep!

Our American guests were treated to a variety of foods throughout the week:  Syrian fatouesh and a good old fashioned American pasta salad, meals in the homes of our Swedish partners, a Persian feast, pizza and of course Swedish meatballs.  And tacos!!!  Because every church should have a taco-kväll (taco evening) as an outreach event.  We even received a new name this month:  a sweet little boy who comes to taco events calls us the taco church!

 

Oh yeah, and team Swanson tested positive for a certain virus that shall not be named, and had to drop out of the picture.

And then this happened....

 

Just some of the delicious food that showed up at the Persian feast!

Our gracious hosts and cooks even delivered food to the Swanson home so that we could participate in the party ~ we were totally feeling "bortskämda", spoiled in the local language.

 

Words aren't worthy enough to describe the tastes on the Persian dessert buffet ~