Summing up.

5764,6 kilometers, Sollentuna (home!), Sweden

We are finally home after 27 days of traveling, visiting, praying and exploring. Traveling wears you out, emotionally as well as physically. Strange how sitting in a car, only moving your right ankle and fore-arms exhaust you. Out of shape I guess...

It was great meeting Marcus and Mia in Falun after not seeing them for about four years. We had much too little time to really catch up, but it was great to reconnect after such a long time. After a nice breakfast in their impeccably designed apartment, we hit the road again.
Found a hitchhiker called Gabriel, who was going to a school reuniun at a "folkhögskola" in Biskops-Arnö, a beautifully located school on an island outside of Stockholm. He showed us around the place as he reminisced about his days at school. A really good guy with lots of stories.

People like Gabriel sum up our trip. There simply are a lot of really beautiful people in this twisted world. People like our friends in Broby that try to incorporate the values of 24-7 in their community and among the local kids. Like our crazy friends in Denmark who invite us as if we were part of the family and work out community in both a 24-7 and YWAM context at once. Like our friends in Neubrandenburg who are willing to stay for as long as it takes to build Gods Kingdom in the forgotten and marginalized parts of empire. Like our salvation army friends in Riga who have a rhythm of prayer as a foundation for the innumerable things they do. Like our friends in Helsinki who try to invest more locally. Like our friends in Pyhäranta who want to live out life together during the summer, listening to God and learning as they go along. Like Sinikka in Oulu, who longs for a true expression of community in her town, and has become a good friend. And many more, not to mention Misty, Scot, Mimi and Evan, who have shared life with us for a large part of the journey, and have been with us through both the good and the less good.

As we have met all these people as well as explored all these places it just seems blatant that God is at work all around the Baltic Sea. As we have traveled, we have added our prayers to the many others prayed over this corner of the world, connecting the dots somewhat and having a blast while doing it. As I don't have Evan's ability to make and unmake invisible things, I can't verify the two first items, but we really did have a blast. Blues worked great, we met friends, we traveled, saw places, people and things I've never seen before, we recieved plenty, gave quite a bit, lived simply, saw God provide again and again. What else could we ask? For now, the only thing that springs to mind is a good nights sleep before jetting off to Croatia 5 AM tomorrow morning.

A big "Thank You" to all of you who have prayed, read the blog and have had us over. You rock!