In February, 2013 Ingrid and I were in Russia. At the end of the journey I had a wonderful discussion with the Orthodox priest, Andrei. I asked him to pray for me, and he said he would do it. For him, praying was doing a liturgical action. He asked me to pray for him, that he would be saved. I understood what he meant. He was referring to the theosis that is part of the Orthodox teaching--becoming more Godlike.

Advent candles

Soren Rafael Mattsson-Boze

Born on Labor Day, September 3, 2012. He joins his brother Eli in Phil and Vanessa's family.

russia

http://www.opendemocracy.net/od-russia/andrei-loshak/kafka’s-castle-is-collapsing

This article is an interesting commentary on the Kafkaesque world that calls itself Russia.

India

Ingrid taught all these children in a small room while Joel (Mattsson-Boze) was preaching in the room next door. It was a bit hectic, but the children were very responsive.
I went in to help her play "duck duck grey duck" with the children

Annika Marie Mattsson-Boze

Here she is reading the Wall Street Journal. She was born October 17, 2009 to Karl and Kate. Ingrid and I have been taking care of her since January 11, and will continue through February, 2010. Then we will work our way back to Minnesota.

Bre'r Fox

Here is a friend we met at Itasca State Park on October 21

Joseph Mattsson-Boze

Karl and Kate

Karl and Kate are moving to the Boston area. Karl will work for Millipore and Kate will work for Welch's. Houses are very expensive, like southern California. But they love the Boston area, and will be loyal participants in the Red Sox Nation.

Back to Russia

I will return to Ekaterinburg and Perm on May 30, and will be teaching church leaders there. This has been very effective. Most of the leaders used to be drug addicts or alcoholics, but God has delivered them. Now they are becoming preachers.
I'm honored to be a part of their development in ministry.

An old picture from Marstrand

After World War II, my parents brought us kids to Sweden. I had a tendency to get lost, and they went looking in the water around the island to see if I had drowned. But I had gotten on "the streetcar" which is what the ferry to the island was called, trying to visit my uncle Erland. Some nice lady found me and put me to bed for a nap. Later she informed the authorities, and I was reunited with the family.
So this streetcar has a fond place in our family history

Ove Hagne in Honduras

 

rehab

A survey was done in Russia that determined that our program in Perm is the most effective alcohol/drug rehabilitation center in Russia. This provided them with an additional 9000 dollars to help with their expenses.
We got word of this just after we had sent 3000 dollars to help them put a heating system in the main center.

The rehab center in Krasnokamsk. The Herald of Faith helped them buy it, and now they are making major improvements.
We treat about 120 people every 3 months in the various rehab centers in Perm Oblast.

Keyboard player in Seroburalsk

This is in Yekaterinburg, Russia in November, 2006. I was in Russia for 3 weeks with Dale Collins.

One of my Russian friends

Tanya has studied English for 4 years, and she always comes to me speaking some English. She and her father Alexei (the pastor in Ekaterinburg) went with me on the train to Perm. This picture is taken on the river at Perm 

Bluebirds

The mother has a mouth full of mealworms. The father is feeding the birds inside the nest box. There were five of them.

Ingrid cleaned out the nest when the babies flew. The birds seem to have started building another nest, so we might have some more.

More from Russia

I finished up on the eastern side of the Urals and came back to Perm today, Monday. I was in Ekaterinburg, Polevskoy, Talitsa, and Artemovsky. It went well. I was really visiting old friends. But I figured out that I had used 8 interpreters in the two plus weeks of ministry here.
Today we met with leaders in the church, and probably produced more change than all the teaching.