Dear Friends In Warmer Climates,
Happy day – it has been snowing the big heavy stuff all day. What a nice surprise to get up early in the morning and to be greeted by more snow. It is like White Christmas every day. It has been like this since I arrive in January. I drove back home from Storuman today on the back road – the long way. That way goes over the hills to get to Gunnarn. I was there before the snow plow had gone through. I passed the most beautiful sights of huge pines laden with white snow. Occasionally there will be a birch tree bent over to the ground – looking like one half of a McDonald Arches. That is correct – the main trunk remains erect and vertical – but the upper portion of the tree bents all the way down to the ground. The people here assure me that these trees will spring back up after the snow melts. Which reminds me to tell you – nothing has melted here since before I arrived. The temperature has never been above freezing. Like right now – it is 20. It had been exceptionally cold this year - down to -35 once. The Bay of Bothnia has had ice that was reported in the newspapers at 15 meters thick – that means 49.21 feet thick. Now would I lie?

I must tell you about my adventures on the way home after an evening with friends in Lycksele. The drive takes about an hour for me to get home. The snow was so soft and quiet to drive on that there is a deception about it. My foot gets heavy on the accelerator pedal. As I rounded a bent, heading toward a long straight away of road, what do I see? Standing in the middle of the road was a papa reindeer – just looking intently straight ahead of him and away from me – straight down that long road. He didn’t se me – he was looking in the opposite direction. He didn’t even hear me. Maybe the wind was blowing in the other direction. Could not stop. That baby was only twenty five feet ahead. My plan – PRAY. After that I gunned that little old Toyota Corolla – thereby calling forth all 120 horsepower that might be available at the time. I passed that baby before he had time to hate me. If I had opened that driver-side door, I would have slapped that animal right on the rump. But as I look at it – it was a win - win situation for both of us. I still have a Corolla without dents and he still has his beautiful antlers. Nature is wonderful and God is full of mercy.

Church this weekend will be held on our favorite island in the middle of one of the large lakes. It is so remote that all the families will arrive on snow mobiles. They build a fire on top of the hill there and cook hot dogs and pop corn and coffee and sweat rolls. Kids bring cardboard and slide down the full length of the hill. It keeps them busy.

I did preach a couple of times since I wrote to you last. I spoke about the Holy Spirit and our walk with Him. Much misunderstood concept. I can tell when people don’t follow the Holy Spirit very much – they don’t laugh out loud in Church. So, I have to tell them a joke or two before I begin teaching. Then they can realize that God isn’t always mad.

In Christ,

George Wilson