2009 - One thing that was etched on my mind was the Hill of Crosses in Lithuania. I was co-leading an outreach team to the Baltic Region that time. An almost complete account and fun stories to go back to can be found on this link.
Then I started sharing to my leaders about hosting a Call2Worship Seminar in the summer, which eventually happened, and was staffed by wonderful friends from different parts of the globe. If my memory serves me right, there was about 10 nations represented that week. Little did I know that God would knit my heart with a dear friend, who had the same vision of seeing a school that would equip worshipers and leaders in Finland. Later that year, my friend, Mirjami, and I started sharing this vision and prayed into how we'd work together. A couple months later, we found ourselves planning for the SOW in Budapest, and in Finland for 2010.
Before the year was over, we met again in Holland for the SOW DNA Conference, where great connections were established. After this, I had an opportunity to go to the Philippines for Christmas. It was such a great time touching base with my family and friends. One significant thing that happened was, hearing my mom releasing me to what God has called me to do and speaking blessing over my life. That meant so much to me.
2010 - I came back to Finland just before the New Year's in order to extend my visa; which was such a miracle! I was granted 4 more years!!! Then it was time to go to Budapest a month before the school started. I co-led two SOWs in a row - it was challenging but it was worth it. SOW Budapest was a lot of fun. We had 6 students and 7 nations represented in the school. We took the school to Finland and Sweden for outreach, where we learned a lot about prayer and worship through a driving more than 2000 kms around these nations. To make the matters worse, we had a van that taught us to be thankful even if the clutch will work, or will we be able to bring it back to Finland after it broke down in Sweden.
The first SOW in Finland was launched and the team went to Iceland and the Faroe Islands for outreach. You may read the stories I've written on the 2010 entries. I went to visit the team and it's where I've made connections and friendship that led me later to go to the Shetland Islands in the spring of 2011.
2011 - was a year packed with unexpected turn of events. During the Spring, I was so blessed to go to the UK for a month. Then in the summer, I had to cancel the SOW for lack of students. I was, however, surprised with another "SOW" happening right after the cancellation, where I wasn't the leader but I was to embark on a journey with God's Spirit - to go deeper into His courts of praise. It was also a season of widening my network with people involved in worship and prayer. I also got the invitation to go to Sweden and help pioneer the School Of Worship in the Spring of 2012.
2012 - before I went to Sweden, I was invited to join a Prayer Conference in Lapland, so from there, my friend and I crossed the border and drove all the way to Ljungskile, Sweden. It was an honour to be sent out to Sweden not just by my YWAM Family but also the Finns I've come to know and love. In fact, God used a couple, (who later on invited me to be part of their extended family) to support me the whole time I was away from Finland. SOW Sweden was such an experience for me. I gained a lot of good friends, learned more about leadership and working together with people of different cultures and personalities. It was also then that God encouraged me to start teaching what I've been learning from him; and to find someone to mentor, as I learn also from my own mentor.
Then I came back in the beginning of the summer after celebrating my birthday in Norway and Sweden. It was a busy summer of weddings. Three couples got married (separate occasions) and I got to be part of these precious people's lives. Then I had a month in France, which I wrote about earlier. I came back to Finland just to realise that God was asking me to let go of the SOW (now for the 2nd time). Little did I know, my moving to Helsinki was that soon! So moved to Helsinki, I did. I first moved to Espoo and left in December to join the praying community in Jakomäki, Helsinki. After that, I was blessed to spend Christmas with my French family and friends.
2013 - I came back from my Christmas holiday and jumped right into helping in hosting a team from Skien, Norway. We spent time with the team doing some prayer walks around Helsinki, and getting a heart for the city. The team also served in a local church we were connected with. Then I also got to meet my housemate, whom I'm living with right now in Jakomäki. Just recently, I've been back to France again to teach at a Training course; and this week I taught at another Training School in Siilinjärvi, my home for the last 5 or so years. It was really good to be there and remember how God has led me through the years of my stay in this beautiful country.
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| my home for the last 5+ years before moving to Helsinki |
I end this entry with huge and deep gratitude to Finland, to my Finnish friends and family who believed in who God called me to be and do here. Kiitos paljon! God bless Finland!!!
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