My week - abridged

Well... I got Thanksgiving right this week! Katish and I spent 3 hours baking in the afternoon for a huge Thanksgiving fika!! We had an American flag, Christmas lights and music, autumn leaves that were mailed to me from my yard in Ohio(!!), fruit, pumpkin coffee from Peaberrys(!!!), and some kind of pineapple tart thing that I made up... niceno :) I'm thankful for the greatest life with the most amazing people on the planet!! And for the honor of preaching my best friend Jesus to Ethiopia EVERY day!!!!!

Thanksgiving table!!

My family also skyped with me on Thursday evening! I got to see my mama's face for about 4 seconds(the internet in Africa isn't so predictable) but nonetheless, it was amazing to hear from them! They also called me from USA when the entire family had gathered for their feast of celebration... I spoke with aunts, uncles, my grandma and great grandma.... aaahh!! I have the best family on earth!

I Looooove phone calls from USA!

I went to my first Ethiopian-Pente church conference on Friday evening... wow wow... what an experience!!

Me and Philip dancing to the mesmor!

Last night, Maja and I gathered our women's house church together again. The weighty presence of God was so refreshing for all of us as we began praying together in the Spirit and singing "Jesus..." I preached from Ephesians, 1 Peter and Romans about being women of God. There is nothing more beautiful than seeing strong, confident women walking in all that God has called them to be. Maja and I burst almost daily just thinking about these disciples we have come to fall in love with.... they are truly being transformed. Hallelujah!

Samuel preached a mighty word about the blessing and seal of Holy Spirit upon our lives this morning in Church of Joy! I'm married to the most anointed preacher alive... (thanks for teaching me so much my Samuel!!). Mohammed and Sinabwa also led us in radical worship with our brand new keyboard!!!! Praise Jesus!!

Tonight, Barcelona and Madrid are playing a huge soccer game... if you know my husband at all... then you know where we'll be tonight!

And tomorrow it's off to Dire Dawa again with the girls! Time to soak up more of this African sun!!!

(You might notice all the !!!!!!'s in my blogs... what can I say?? I'm living the best life and enjoy sharing pieces of it with all of you!!!!!)

Addis Ababa

When I finally see "Harar" after a full-day's journey through mountains, sandstorms, herds of camels and Oromo villages... my heart smiles. There's nothing like coming home.

Camel-crossing

Sandstorms!

Samuel and I spent the last few days in Addis Ababa... I had my first latte in months :) :) :), ate yummy food, saw THREE movies(we dont have a cinema in Harar and Samuel likes to order 2 popcorns for himself each time...), walked the entire city for miles and miles, read some Reinhard Bonnke, dreamed about the future and just enjoyed spending time with each other!!

A new week begins tomorrow.. Bibleschool, salvations, follow-up meetings, house churches, team night... ahhhh I can't wait!!!

Oh yea... and of course... THANKSGIVING IS THIS THURSDAY!!!! Still on a quest for pumpkins and turkey...

My mom and dad are also celebrating 22 years of marriage this week!! Happy Anniversary!!!

At the Strandberg wedding!

Embarassing moment of the year:

Okay... okay... so these 3 years away from America for Thanksgiving have apparently effected me deeper than I thought...

After declaring Thanksgiving Day to all of Ethiopia... I just came to find out that I'm a week early! Samuel even shared about giving thanks in our morning gathering... I talked about it during lunch... in the afternoon... at dinner... now he and the team are all asleep and the last thing I said to them was 'Happy Thanksgiving!!!'... how will I explain this one?????

Happy Thanksgiving!!

I'm thankful for life this morning on Africa's Horn!! For my Jesus who has captured all my heart. For Holy Spirit... my best friend. For my gorgeous husband with his heart of gold... who never ceases to make me laugh until it hurts and fills my spirit with strength and joy! For this incredible team we get to spend our days with.. our disciples.. bible students.. Church of Joy.. our families in USA and Sweden.

Everyday is Thanksgiving Day when you're a child of God!

This is my 3rd year outside USA for this holiday in a row... I'm beginning to forget what turkey and pumpkin pie tastes like! Got a package from American last week... PUMPKIN COFFEE from the cafe I worked at in Ohio.... yummm...

Thanks mama and dad!!!!!!!

Told the team about the pilgrims and indians this morning... bringing a little bit of America to my swedish, norwegian, ethiopian and latina family!!! What a life!!!!

Adventures!

How can I put it into words again… there are no adjectives to describe this life of missions and adventure! We had yet another breathtaking and powerful week on Africa’s Horn!!

This last Sunday, after months of prayer and days of preparations… the incredible team launched the vision for Harar Church of Joy!

Harar Church of Joy

Among the people. For all people.

To liberate, transform and equip a generation with the Gospel of Jesus Chrust… in Ethiopia, on the Horn of Africa and to the ends of the earth.

-for the sake of the unreached

Powerful huh???

Monday, my free day, started with my hub, Philip and Erik, coffee, the Bible and the warm yellow sun… perfect.

Fika with the one I love

Then I spent time out in the city, greeting people and reading at Palace Café. I’m reading “Even Greater” by Reinhard Bonnke. It’s a powerful book of 12 testimonies that have taken place under one of the world’s greatest evangelists. My spirit is being stirred…

In the afternoon Samuel and I found an incredible mountain overlooking our Harar. It was actually an orthodox graveyard.. beautiful. Our adventure ended though when Samuel said “Gab look!”… I turned to find a wild hyena crouching in the bushes next to us! Harar is the famous Hyena city.. we are lulled to sleep by their singing every night.. I even fed them raw meet with a short stick in my mouth last year… but you NEVER see them wild in the daylight. Needless to say, we descended the mountain and began our long journey home again.

Sweet love

Adventures are sometimes like scavenger hunts… who knows what you’ll find??

Samuel and I wanted to surprise and bless the team with a roadtrip! We told them to be ready to go at 6am on Wednesday morning… and we just drove… through villages, small cities, mountains, mountains, mountains, out for breakfast of tibs and injera (and lunch of tibs and injera)… so fun! (Tibs and injera – by the way – is goat, ox or camel meat eaten by your hands with spongy, sour, pancake-like break…mmm) By the time we were driving home, we turned around to find all but Philip asleep in the bus… guess they enjoyed the ride :)

My fam!

Me and Kati at the famous Ethiopian Orthodox Church

No matter where you go in Ethiopia… someone is shouting “Sammy!!!”

A few hours in to the journey, we stopped at the top of a mountain in an Oromo village and hiked a small hill.. we wanted to spend some time loving on Jesus with our worship and reading the Word together. To our honor, a crowd followed as well. What should we do? Preach!! Of course preach!!!!

Mohammed gave a simple salvation message in Amerinja and a local young guy who knew how to translate, spoke the message in Orominja. At the end… 8 men raised their hands and immediately went forward to pray the prayer to salvation... with the mountains and wild horizons of Ethiopia practically dancing behind them as far as our eyes could see.

After salvation, we preached and prayed healing… then tied it all together by singing a simple Oromo worship song together. That moment was breathtaking. We all had tears in our eyes.

On our way back through that same village in the afternoon… we met the translator again. He promised to come stay with us in Harar for a few days. We will teach him about baptism in water and Holy Spirit… then send him back to preach the Gospel and follow up with the rest of the people in that village and beyond!!! Hallelu!!!!!!

In the words of Reinhard Bonnke… “Africa is being saved!”

What a life

An Oromo woman.. hearing about my Jesus for the first time :)

life, life, life..

Church of Joy was powerful this week! Samuel preached about having a vision (Proverbs)… in preparation for the launch of our own church vision here in Harar this coming week. We also installed Ashagre and Mohammed as our assistant pastors here in Mission SOS - Africa’s Horn!! Ashagre is one of the greatest teachers I’ve ever known… with the heart of a true shepherd. Mohammed is a dynamic and genuine evangelist inside and out… he breathes, sleeps, eats and dreams evangelism. We are honored and strengthened by the two of you! Thank you for sharing life together with us!!!

“I know some people worshipping together in Harar today!!!”(The globe I painted last week ☺ )

What is life without adventure, risk, taking chances, dreaming up things that are beyond you? What is life without Jesus? I’m madly in love.

What does a typical week in Ethiopia look like?? Rising before the sun to spend time with Holy Spirit… saving your friends (or your friend’s mobile) from being locked in (or falling into) the squatty potty… gnawing on sugarcane… countless kisses with new and old friends on the streets… Amerinja classes (and a final tomorrow)… powerful House Churches… eating enormous bites of injera, rice or spaghetti from your disciple’s bare hand… playing soccer with your life-heroes under the hot sun and distant mountains… carrying a burning passion for the unreached souls on Africa’s Horn every moment of every day… soaking your sand/dirt-stained feet in old baptismal water on your day off… utterly living life to the fullest! A typical week is full of joy, laughter, lessons, excitement, anticipation, dreams…

Now I sit writing and listening to my Samuel teach the Bible School students about the GIFTS of Holy Spirit. Powerful! Today we’ve been married for 7 weeks… the most incredible 7 weeks in life. How amazing it is to wake up every day with your best friend... not quite sure what the day will bring… but knowing that you have each other, Holy Spirit and the same adventurous spirits that are driven to transform a people to the Kingdom of God... together.

Samuel! Thank you for making me laugh until it hurts, for leading me with your wisdom, sharing your heart with me, watching movies with me… you’re the strongest man on the planet. I’ll follow you to the ends of the earth…

My Daddy walking me down the aisle… Thanks for setting the standard for me ☺

The Strandbergs! Best family I could ask for…

Daddy, Mama and the man of my dreams…