Lund

Today we met with Agape campus ministry leaders and staff at Lund University.  This group is part of the same organization as the group of campus leaders we met with at Uppsala University last Friday.   In the morning, we met with Lindsey, who is a long-term leader who has been working in Lund for several years for Agape.  She shared with us how the year has gone for her and for the organization in Lund.  This was a relatively successful year for the group.  They saw a great increase in the number of men involved in the group.  This effort to get more males involved was led by a couple of the staff members, who worked within a particular "dormitory" on campus, where a few Christians already lived.  They were able to get many more involved.  This was an answered prayer from the previous year.  There has been great participation overall for the Lund group, with about 50 (!)  students at their final bible study of the year.

Lindsey spent part of the school year back in the United States; she had several significant personal issues during her time there, including deaths of a grandmother and a best friend; health issues; and financial issues related to the unpredictability of Swedish tax authorities.  She is happy to be back in Sweden (as of April).  Specific prayer requests she raised included: many of the current staff are leaving and new staff will be joining (please pray for team unity and the ability to get by with fewer staff than last year); there will not be any male staff members this year (pray that male student leaders will step up to fill this void for the year);  visa for Lindsey (pray that she will receive an extension, which will allow her to stay in the country; this is generally a slow, unpredictable, and frustrating process in Sweden);

Lindsey (L) sharing with us prior to a time of prayer at the church where their groups meet during the week.  Caroline, Kristi, and Darcy are at right.

After our time with Lindsey, we met with Ryan and Courtney, who are part of the campus staff for this most recent school year, and are both returning to the United States soon.  Ryan will be continuing to work for Cru at Duke University starting in the fall; Courtney will be attending graduate school at Drexel University to get a degree in counseling.  Specific prayers raised by Ryan and Courtney included:  that next year's staff will have a great deal of energy and strength to continue the momentum from this year (again, knowing that there will be fewer staff); pray for the staff members returning to the U.S. without a particular plan in place (pray that they will find their next path in their lives); pray for student leadership to increase next year; several short-term staffers are joining this year (pray that they would learn the culture quickly and that they would dive into their work in the Fall).

Ryan (L) and Courtney (R) during our lunch and time of prayer.  Paul is at lower left.

After our time with Ryan and Courtney, we met in small groups with several of the Agape staff to pray for them individually.  Here our group is waiting for these students to arrive outside of the Lund Cathedral. 

Group from Left to Right:  Paul, Carol, Karin, Kristi, Caroline, Lily, and Darcy (I am the one running  the camera...)

This is front of the Lund Cathedral (Lund Domkyrka).  This is one of the oldest churches in Sweden and Scandinavia.  The cathedral was built in the 12th century, with a consecration date of 1145.

Yes, I am on the trip also,  Here I am outside one of the main administrative buildings on campus. The origins of the university are traced to the year 1425, when it was affiliated with the cathedral.  The University in its current form was founded in 1666 and is now spread over a wide area of the city.  Approximately 40,000 students attend the university.

Sweden is a technologically advanced country.  In our (very basic) hotel in Lund, we use an iPad to dispense our orange juice or apple juice into a glass.  I think I saw this on Star Trek...