Hässelby and Liljeholmen

Today we ventured to the limits of the Stockholm subway system, visiting the New Life Church in Hässelby, and also we were challenged by the local bus service, when we traveled to the home of Jim and Lynn Jarman for dinner and prayer.  We left early in the morning for the New Life Church in Hässelby, which is about 12 miles west of central Stockholm.  We were invited to participate in a work project at the church.  The church is relatively new (started a couple years ago), but the church building is very old, built in 1906.  So, the church leaders are working to make sure the building and the property are maintained properly.  Today, our team worked with church leaders: to improve the look of the grounds at the entrance to the church (weeding, pruning, trimming, mowing); to clean and organize a closet in the main level of the church; and to clean and organize the balcony of the worship space, which is currently a staging area for some construction projects taking place at the church, so it is full of tools, building materials, and hardware.  The church leaders we met and prayed with included: Rui (originally from Angola, grew up in Portugal); Elin (native Swede); Brian (from Kenya); and Tyra (from the U.K.).  David and Laura Moench from Fridhemskyrka (see May 27 post) also joined us for the cleaning and prayer time.  Specific prayer requests for the Hässelby Church include:  pray that an upcoming family outreach event would go well, as the church works to connect with the people in the neighborhoods near the church; pray for the growth of the church; pray for Brian and his wife, Andrea (who leads worship on Sundays) as they are expecting a baby in September; pray for the construction ongoing at the church (part of which is to create an apartment for Tyra and her husband to live in, in the attic of the church building); pray for the leadership team, for stamina and for guidance, and for clear direction in building this church family.

The exterior of the Hässelby New Life Church


The entrance area of the church; looks a bit weedy...

Pastor Rui and our team in the worship space at the church (yes, they sit at tables during worship)


Elin and Tyra, church leaders at New Life Hässelby (with Kristi in the center)


Karen improving the area near the entrance to the church with her pruning shears.


Weeding takes a lot of effort, as you can see from this picture of Caroline and Karin near the church entrance

In the evening, we traveled by bus and subway (after our preferred bus never came) to the home of Jim and Lynn Jarman, who now live in the Liljeholmen area of Stockholm and are working to support missionaries and church planters in Sweden.   We shared a meal (Friday is Taco Night in Sweden, if you can believe it) and had some good time for conversation and prayer.  Specific prayer requests for the Jarmans include:  good health, as they have found that the first few months of living in Sweden have included frequent illness; pray for the effectiveness of their ministry; pray that they would know what to focus on (as they get many requests to support church leaders in the area); pray against the spiritual warfare that is common in Sweden, as many here are opposed to Christianity; pray for identification of new locations to plant churches in cities and near universities; pray for awakening and revival in Sweden.


Jim Jarman providing us with an overview of the status of the church in Sweden, and the work they are doing to support missionaries and church planters.  Karin is to his left.



Paul Lindberg and Lynn Jarman listening to Jim present on the church in Sweden


We were treated to a spectacular post-sunset sky when we left the Jarman's apartment in the Liljeholmen area of Stockholm (photo taken at 10:15 PM…!).