After being in the USA for 1 month, I am back in Sweden. Anya traveled a different airline, due to her later arrival in the USA after 2.5 weeks eurailing from Sweden to Spain. While we both had delayed flights, we arrived within 1.5 hours of each other in the Arlanda/Stockholm airport. I waited, and we splurged for a taxi home, as we couldn’t figure out how to get all our suitcases from bus to bus and from the last bus stop to our apartment. After long travels, it was a welcomed closure.
The last month was full: full of teaching for 1 week (with quite a bit of preparation) and full of stuff, as we decluttered my parents’ home. Fortunately, Anya and I were able to stay at a friend-of-my-parents’ home on the shore of Lake Superior. It was an oasis from the chaos, though we only slept and showered there. I so appreciated our dear host, Shirley. We could have spent lots of time just enjoying deep conversation. Perhaps she will visit me in Sweden on her next trip to England to visit her pen pal that she’s had since elementary school!
The heat in Duluth was mitigated by mostly working in the cool of the basement. Now, we’ve returned to record heat in Uppsala–and no basement. Tomorrow, the forecast reads 91 degrees, which is almost the record high for the month of July in this region. Ugh.
Tomorrow morning, I have to bicycle to the immigration office at 9:00 am, when it already will be 77 degrees. I have to have my picture taken for my new residency permit card, so my sweaty head might make it a worse than usual ID photo!
Yes, this means that our residency applications have been approved for 2 more years. I snagged the one 5-minute appointment available in Uppsala through the end of the year! It must have been a cancellation. There are none of these 5-minute appointments available in Stockholm or Västerås, so I snagged one more cancellation for Anya tomorrow at 12:50 in Sundsvall, a city 4 hours by train to the north. She did want to see more of Sweden, so here is here chance. I would have traveled with her if I could, but I need to be at my appointment. We need to get these done before traveling to get Anya settled in university.
I needed to print out the confirmation codes (which I’m supposed to bring), but I couldn’t get my printer to work, even after reinstalling the print drivers. So I combined a trip for groceries and a visit to my office to print out the pages. As I was biking out at the end of the day (waiting till after the 90 degree heat to get into the low 80s), I was feeling alone. Anya had gone to Stockholm to see a friend, and she actually left before I woke up late. So, I hadn’t talked with anyone all day. So, I turn this sense of aloneness to practicing the presence of Jesus.
On the bike ride home, I saw a beautiful sunset with bright “God-rays,” so I biked up to the mound (an artificial sledding mound) nearby to look. Just then, my student, Victoria, and her husband greeted me. They were headed to the hill after their workdays to also look at the sunset. It was not only a nice chat but a Providential reminder that I am part of a community here.
So, there was a nice closure to the day—not including the taste of Anya’s popcorn and pear flavored drink (non-carbonated). Yes, really!
With blessings,
Beth
Glad to hear of the resident documentation coming through; safe travels home; Shirley’s respite; and God doing that ‘revelation’ – thing again. Let’s set up to Skype soon. Tonight is prep for the colonoscopy kesho. Prayers continue.