Every other conference setting will be a disappointment after today!
I’m here in Växjö where the Teleborg Castle is used for conferences!
The beautiful Teleborg CastleHoyce and me in front of the Teleborg Castle
Knut, my wonderful PhD adviser, invited me to be part of a conference hosted by Linnaeus University. While Knut is unable to join us, Hoyce, from our Maasai and the Bible research group, is here from Stavanger.
An amazing conference setting!
The main part focuses on miniature religious texts, with research presented on mini books from the Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and Sikh traditions. Researchers are here from Sweden, Norway, Denmark, USA (3, not including me), and Canada. If you add countries of origin, then include Germany and Tanzania.
A “Thumb Bible” circa 1850-1875 compared to a 1 kroner coin.These mini books often came in a case with a small magnifying glass.
I learned a lot! And what a wonderful day of royal treatment (and way too easy access to chocolate)! The dinner was exquisite and held at a banquet table with silver candelabras!
Tomorrow, the conference continues and includes our group of scholars, “Religious Texts in Global Contexts,” with discussions of other projects beyond miniature books. I’ve been invited by Knut to submit a chapter for a book.
Today was my day in Alvesta waiting for my evening train.
I have to start with mentioning that I had the best bacon I ever recall eating at the hotel breakfast buffet. I don’t eat bacon often anymore because Anya doesn’t like it. So, any bacon wold be enjoyable, but this was very flavorful with great texture–neither over done nor under done–but just right! I even told the staff. I’ve heard that Swedes are proud of their pork, well I now agree (and there is a bit of rivalry with the Danes.)
This sign at breakfast is encouraging taking with their neighbor! No one did, though I did thank the staff and relayed my love of the bacon!
I worked in my hotel room in the morning and stashed my backpack in the luggage room. Then, I took a short walk around town.
See the special down spout covering outside the knitting/crocheting yarn store!
I also found a grocery store where I bought a ready to eat salad, which I ate in a park drenched in sunlight (though the chilly wind meant I ate with my coat on).
Then, I was off to the library. I studied Swedish there, but I opted out of the language speaking practice. It seemed that they had their hands full of refugees needing help.
Refugees getting an orientation at the library. God bless their transition.
One last view of the beautiful Alvesta train station.
The Alvesta train station
Then just 11 minutes by train to Växjö.
Finally in Växjö as the sun is low on the horizon
I found out today that my former PhD adviser, Knut, will not be coming to this conference. His mother passed away yesterday. So, please keep him and his family in your prayers.
So, on the train out of Uppsala, I was thinking that I’m not really tracking the dates of each day. During the end of September, I had to look at the date on my phone or computer calendar. They weren’t tracking in my head each day like they used to.
On the train out of Stockholm to Alvesta, I realized that I’m really not tracking! The ticket checker identified that my train ticket was for tomorrow. I left a day early! We’ll at least I’m a day early and not a day late–and he let me use tomorrow’s ticket today and didn’t make me buy another one.
If the ticket checker on the train from Uppsala to Stockholm would have caught it, I would have just returned to Uppsala with a little trip to Stockholm on a beautiful afternoon with the fall colors.
Fall colors coming outBeautiful Swedish countryside
Instead, I’m staying the night in a hotel in a nice little city, Alvesta.
A lovely greeting to AlvestaThe landmark train station in Alvesta
Tomorrow, I’ll work from my hotel room with a late check out at noon. I’ll have lunch and then head to the library for the “språk cafe” (language speaking practice), and work from there for the afternoon until my train to Växjö. The ticket for the third leg of the train trip is–of course–for tomorrow!
I’m trying to figure out how I got off a day?
Perhaps it is because the Swedish calendar starts the week on Monday instead of the American calendar starts on a Sunday. Perhaps, I’m just not quite grounded and tracking with all the adjustments that are distracting me. The work this past weekend also threw the rhythm off a bit. Perhaps, I’m just off! At least the only consequences is the price of a hotel room (with free WIFI and breakfast), but I did get an online discount.
More Swedish learning tonight, while I enjoy the second chocolate from the second pillow.
There are some different kinds of gap filling today.
First, I worked on filling the huge blank walls in our apartment with artwork. These student apartments have a piece of trim along the top of the walls where a hook can hang and hold a picture. Since I picked up some heavy fishing line yesterday at Clas Ohlson, I could hang my artwork and fill the large gaps and spaces. The vacant walls started to have images of my favorite art.
Interestingly, I have some prints that I bought during my first trip to Tanzania in 1992. The artist is a Swede, Heidi Lange!
We took all our empty packing boxes down to the storage area in the basement area, and but still not filling that gap. It is less than 1/4 full.
Lowering boxes was easier than climbing two flights of stairs.
Amazingly, Anya’s phone fell from the balcony of this third floor apartment and survived without even a crack!
Much of my day was preparation for a gap that I’ll be filling tomorrow. The is a young adult retreat (for 20-35 year-olds) that is co-sponsored by Johannelund, the church we attend, and some other churches and ministries in the area. The keynote speaker, Simon Ponsonby, is a pastor from a church in England. He is well know here from previous visits, so over 150 people are here for the weekend. He was going to be the preacher on Sunday morning, but for some reason, he has to leave early. So, they asked me to preach. I’ve preached before, but I’m more of a teacher (more dialogue and engagement in the text rather than monologue). Originally, I was not feeling that I would have much to offer for a message, as I’m so new and am just getting my head around life here. But I ended up getting inspired, and I have developed something to share about how our fears can get in the way of receiving the gifts that God has for us. I’m drawing upon the 12 spies who went to Canaan to check out the land. Ten were overcome by fear, while two trusted God’s provision. I’m drawing from my life with my ups and downs of learning to trust God.
I knew that it would be good to visit the retreat and hear Simon speak. Then, I could get a better sense of the spirit of the place and see if I needed any tweaks to my message. Anya was also having a couple friends over and making a pancake dinner. So, she was encouraging me (read between the lines) to hear Simon. I did.
I was greeted by the woman who helped me move in on Tuesday. I even got a hug! So, not all Swedes are reserved.
The worship time before Simon spoke
It was a meaningful time of worship (and me working on Swedish by translating most of the lyrics of the songs), and Simon is a captivating speaker. He spoke in English, so it was an easy evening for me.
