A prize to anyone who can find Knaften on the map

Now I am in the north part of Sweden. That’s the part where you have to watch out when you are driving at night so you don’t run over a moose. It isn’t pleasant to hit a moose with your car. It is also the part where the sun is always low against the horizon in the early winter and where there aren’t so many houses so the stars shine really bright. It is also the part where there is a whole universe in miniature on the forest floor with hundreds of different kinds of mosses and fungi and other amazing little creatures.




It is also the part where my friend Z and J and their little baby live.





Every day Z and I go out in the forest. We walk and walk and S gets to ride in the chariot and have a nice snugly nap. She gets bundled up so much that she can hardly move and she looks like an overstuffed dolly.

We find a sunny place to sit when we get hungry and have hot chocolate and sandwiches and fruit – except for S, she has milk…and usually a dirty diaper.


Sometimes we go to church meetings and then I get myself into trouble because I start asking people about what they believe and then they ask Z in secret if I am actually “saved” or not. I am reading a book about all the different revival movements in Sweden since the 1940s and so between that and church meetings, I can have lots of interesting theological and bible discussions with Z and J. I never had so much fun studying the bible than I did on Sunday night.
We were excited to discover that the Bible says some things very contrary to what the offertory preacher claimed. We have decided that our new reference for tithing is to take the Deuteronomy 14 approach: “Then exchange your tithe for silver, and take the silver with you and go to the place the Lord your God will choose. Use the silver to buy whatever you like: cattle, sheep, wine or other fermented drink, or anything you wish. Then you and your household shall eat there in the presence of the Lord your God and rejoice.” Funny how that verse never gets used in offertory sermons (actually, most of the verses we read said that tithe and gifts should be given for the support of the hungry, poor, and vulnerable). We plan on going to Umeå on Monday according to the words of Deuteronomy 14 to fulfil our duty before the Lord, buying whatever we like. Unfortunately a tithe of my current income ends up being exactly 0 crowns, so I will have to find some other reasons and ways to rejoice in the presence of the Lord my God. But just wait until we get an income! I can’t wait to follow the injunctions of the scripture. (And they wonder if I am saved or not!)