I am here in my Church on a windy hill. Don’t walk under the big pine trees – they tend to unload snow that has been store high in their branches. I go out for a walk through the neighborhood every evening. Take a flashlight with you – cars are always in a hurry at that time of night. It is sensational when the Northern Lights are on display. The other night, I spent some time just looking up in amazement at the swirling motion of this awesome display of God’s power. They don’t celebrate Thanksgiving here in Sweden. I guess they couldn’t find any Pilgrims with the funny hats and big belts. I ate dinner in town on Thanksgiving Day but somehow moose meat doesn’t remind me of turkey one bit.

Last Sunday was the third in the Alpha series of studies in the book of Philippians. We are holding firm with 22 people attending. That was great. The discussion groups went well. One very young family that attends is having real financial difficulties. They are raising three young boys, with one more on the way. The oldest is 4 years old. I found out that they planned to go back home to Stockholm in order to have meals to eat. So I went about establishing a Church Benevolence Fund in your name and they became the first recipients. This young couple thanked you in the most heartfelt way. Incidentally, the Church Board named that fund – the Omsorgs-Fond. So, if anyone asks you, please give them the correct fund name.

This afternoon the Church held their bimonthly senior citizen’s lunch. The lady that lives on the lake near the Church was there. She lets me walk over her property taking digital pictures of her Swedish farm. I brought my laptop to the Fellowship Hall and showed her the scenes that caught my attention. It amused her to see pictures of what is so familiar - of where she lived so long.

Christmas will soon be upon us. I have something planned for the Church but I can’t reveal the details to you, yet. I want to do something special for these people because all this snow on the spruce trees everywhere gives me an inordinate amount of the Christmas Spirit. So what can I do but surprise them with something special on Christmas Day.

Pray for our little Church here in Gunnarn at this Christmas season. This is the first Christmas that they will have to content with an American who doesn’t know the first thing about some of their holiday traditions. But, I do want to celebrate Christmas the Swedish way this year.

God bless you all.

In Christ,

George Wilson