Alex Bervik:
Well, I have been in Stockholm, Sweden for one week now. Here are my thoughts and reactions. Two months left!
God is really working in me to get me over my fears, and this experience is driving that. One of the strongest fears I had in coming to Sweden is how people would perceive me as an American. Drawing on my past experiences in non-English speaking European countries, I was hesitant. In Paris for example, I was looked down on for speaking English to people. Coming to Stockholm, I had a great fear of being different and looked down on. Now, I realize that this is a fairly irrational fear because Swedes generally love to practice their English on foreigners, and so far I have been treated with hospitality everywhere. However, I needed to pour my heart out to God and strengthen my identity in Him before I could become more confident here. Embracing who God made me in all my Americanness and as a child of Him has been a revelation here. After maybe the first 5 days of irrational, ugly fear, I have been more bold. I don’t typically go up to strangers and ask if they need prayer for anything as a way to share the Gospel, but I have grown more confident to draw near to the throne of grace and have my identity in God and take those risks. I’m still a work in progress, but what is exciting to me is to see how much I’ve grown in my week here so far and how much further God can take me in the next two months.
I’ve had an excellent reception from my home church here, Korskyrkan. I have felt more immediately loved and accepted than I ever have during my first week going to a new church before. I have been invited to so many events, and have found a real God loving, passionate community at Korskyrkan. I don’t know that I’ve ever been prayed for more times in a one week period before than I have here. People who I have just met will lay hands on me and pray for me. It’s very powerful. The prayer culture I have seen here is definitely an example I will take back with me.
Korskyrkan, and Stockholm in general, is much more charismatic than I’m used to. The awesome discussion and openness of my brothers and sisters in Christ have been inspiring. I can see a real passion here that I believe is lacking in some churches back in the States. I love seeing all that God can do and embracing all the different ways we serve Him. People have different personalities, and we worship God in different ways. Being in Stockholm has reminded me how fun God is and how differently he has gifted each of us.
The passion during prayer and worship is inspiring. One would have to experience it to fully be able to explain it. There is a lot of passion and a great movement towards sharing the Gospel. I pray that God would continue that and just expand a discipleship movement here. The Holy Spirit is present and doing great things here. I believe the harvest is ripe, and I truly believe that God is building up followers here to reap.