Sunday’s highlight was dinner with Tone (pronounced like TU-nah) and Lars-Göran (pronounced like Larsh-YORE-an) at their condo and then a simple, short hike to Lake Mälaren (pronounced like MEL-a-ren). This is the large lake that stretches from Uppsala to Stockholm (42 miles) and even farther to the west. This rocky coast is Tone’s favorite place in the area, it reminds her a bit of her growing up on the coast in south-east Norway.
Tone and Lars-Göran are both retired and both worked in part of their professional lives at Johannelund. So, I get to ask some historical questions of the place and get a better understanding of theological education in Sweden.
Today, I had my first class in a month! Yes, it is a bit of a strange schedule since the Bible school gets out early and I am only .75 FTE this year. I still meet with students for mentoring for their bachelors’ theses, and I have other reading and course preparations that keep me busy, but it was good to have a little less pressure during the preparation of the manuscript for publishing. I’m not very good with boundaries anyway, but I’m enjoying what is filling life.
My Swedish language learning continues, and I arranged for a conversation partner for about 1 month this summer between her time home and my time in the USA (departing 29 June for the Twin Cities; 1 July for Alexandria, MN, where I’ll be leading a week of Bible studies on “The Spirituality of the Psalms” at a Mount Carmel family camp; 7 July to Wisconsin to see friends and visit Eric’s beloved family farm and his grave; returning to Sweden on 11 July).
There are some funny translation things I run into. If you didn’t know, the Google Translate app has a phone that can give a rough translation in real-time, just by holding the phone over text. I use this sometimes to fill in words in the hymnal (in block text) that I don’t know. Sometimes the mis-translations are funny. For example:
Obviously, this was not a common word. Sometimes, there are words distinctive to the Christian tradition or words that are more classic (read “old”) Swedish that are memorialized in favorite hymns. I still don’t know what this word means.
The unfortunate event was once during “mass” (the Lord’s Supper service on Tuesdays) in the church, I was using the Google Translate camera app, but as Lutheran do, it was time to stand during the service. My phone was knocked off the pew as I stood, dropped onto the tile floor, and cracked the glass screen. (I can imagine Marv now making some pun about glass “broken for you,” and Jean giving him a gentle admonition, as a retired chaplain would do. I miss you two–and your blog–as you read from Tiberias; assuming that is you on the location stats!)
Keep Anya in your prayers. Two more days of exams, and she is pushing through in spite of being tired.
With blessings,
Beth
I will let Marv and Jean know you are thinking of them. Marv is having quite a time not blogging. I have the privilege of being with them while they both – each their own way – have a rich experience here in this land. We leave Jericho today and head towards Jerusalem.
I am praying for you and Anya. But more than that Jesus ,according to Romans 8:34, is praying for you also. ;>)