Long awaited and much anticipated

Hej Hej! Tack så mycket (thank you very much) for your support and prayers while I was in Sweden this summer. This summer I traveled with a team of 25 students and 10 Campus Crusade for Christ staff from the mid-south region to this lovely but lost country. I had the opportunity to meet numerous Swedish college students and build friendships with them. Through these friendships, I was able to share the truth about Jesus Christ, my testimony, and answer questions about the Christian faith.

The majority of students that I talked with had either never heard the gospel or never thought about it as being a reality that God desires a relationship with them. Christianity is thought of as tradition and is something that Swedes do not view as relevant or important to them. It is not what they are taught in school or how they grow up; therefore, Swedes typically see Christianity as something that may be good for other people but not for themselves. Also, Swedes are not lacking any physical needs. With one of the most stable economies in the world, the majority of Swedes live comfortable and “normal” lives and do not think they need anything else. Therefore, they do not realize they have a spiritual void and are not searching to fill it.

I had the opportunity to discuss these cultural norms and personal thoughts with the Swedes I met at Uppsala University. I became close friends with several girls. I spent the most time with Johanna. From the beginning, Johanna was extremely attracted to my team and the way we loved and interacted with one another. She told me that we were different than anyone she had ever met. Every group event that my team organized, Johanna was there. Johanna and I went through the gospel together and discussed Jesus and His life and the purpose of His death and resurrection. Johanna understands that nothing on this earth will completely satisfy her, but she does not believe that Jesus is the only way to know God personally. She believes that everyone has his or her own way of getting to God. Even though Johanna is not yet ready to place her faith in Christ, I was able to see her take steps closer to understanding who God is and her desperate need for Him.

Katie, one of my team members, and I met two girls named Tamara and Cecilia before a party at Uppsala University. Tamara and Cecilia had a great interest in being our friends and invited us out with them on several occasions. Our time with them was short because they left for vacation, but we were able to meet with Tamara for fika (an afternoon snack) and share the gospel with her. She is unsure what she believes, and she told us that she did not know enough about all of the religions to make a decision about which one she thought was true. We encouraged her to research them and the life of Jesus. Our conversation with her sparked thoughts about God that she did not have before.

This summer, I was able to see God’s hand so evidently in situations He placed me in. On one occasion, He had a girl named Marie accidentally bump into me while in line at Uppsala University. She said something to me in Swedish, and I told her that I was sorry that I did not speak Swedish. We started talking about why I was in Sweden, and she initiated a spiritual conversation. It was obvious that God placed me right beside her in line because I could see how she was spiritually broken and had a desperate desire for God. Amber, Campus Crusade for Christ staff, and I were able to meet up twice for breakfast with Marie. Marie had never heard a clear explanation of the gospel and had many questions that we were able to answer. Marie understood that she had never made a decision to trust Christ as her Savior and that she had to do so to know God personally. Marie said that she desires to have a personal relationship with God, but at the same time, she is not sure if she is ready to make that decision. While reflecting on the conversations we had with Marie, Amber informed me that this was the most encouraging conversation she had ever had in Sweden. Amber spent two years in Sweden meeting college students on a Short Term International mission with Campus Crusade for Christ. And I, only in Sweden for five weeks, was allowed to be a part of God’s plan for Marie. God chose to qualify me to help comfort Marie and show her how she can experience Him.

While in Sweden, God used my team to initiate over 274 conversations with Swedes. Over 225 spiritual conversations took place. Over 143 times the gospel was shared with different people, and some of the Swedes we met heard the gospel multiple times this summer. And over 47 people were brought to a point of decision, where they knew exactly how to begin a relationship with the Lord if they wanted to. God is definitely working in Sweden, and that work has not ended now that my team has left Sweden. There is a team arriving in September who will spend a year serving the Lord in Sweden. This Short Term INTernational (STINT) team has the contact information of the Swedes my team met this summer.

One of the members of this team I know personally. I had the opportunity to meet Maleah Pusz last fall at a retreat. At that time, she realized that God had called her to spend a year in a country that she had never been to. Maleah will be able to meet the Swedes that I met and continue conversations with my Swedish friends. She will have the opportunity to encourage and challenge thoughts and perceptions about God and His desire for a relationship with Marie, Johanna, Tamara, Cecilia, and many others. God also has big plans for her that expands beyond the Swedes my team met. But first, she must get there. Maleah needs support both prayerfully and financially. Her financial deadline is August 1, and if she does not meet it then she will not be able to go.

I encourage you to pray for her as well as prayerfully consider supporting her financially. I know how much your prayers and finances have been a blessing to me as a part of my team. God is definitely using your prayers and finances in Sweden to further His Kingdom. Please visit her web site http://swedenforachange.blogspot.com/ to learn more about what she is doing and what her needs are. I have given her your contact information, and she may be contacting you in the next few weeks. If you would like to go ahead and support her financially, you can go to this web site to begin giving https://give.ccci.org/give?Action=ViewNewGift&Desig=0606254Her staff account number is 0606254.

Tack så mycket for all of your efforts to further God’s Kingdom and investing in eternity!