2012 in review

 

Another year has almost come to an end. For some it is nostalgic to look back, maybe sad that another year is over. I always think this is a time to look forward. However we might feel, it is here. And it is real, and it is happening.

I can not fathom how lucky I am. Or more precisely, how blessed I am! We live in a fabulous country (there is no Utopia). I have a chance to go to school, paid, we have everything we need in abundance! We even have something a lot of people around the globe unfortunately lack today, safety. Safety is nothing one should take for granted, neither is it something we can control. Not fully.

I have a lot of friends from different countries living here in Lund (Sweden). They comment sometimes that here they can actually allow their kids to play outside without constant supervision. It is something we, as Swedes, do take for granted I think. It is a fabulous thing to be able to do that. Yet, in most countries around the globe it is not possible. In Sweden we have very few abductions, very  few killings and very few guns. My heart goes out to Connecticut, and again I can´t help but feeling blessed. I am so greatful for my life, and for safety.

During 2012 I continued my studies to become a Special education teacher. I love being back in school! During the school breaks we went skiing. First we stayed with Farmor and Farfar (grandparents) to ski during the winter break. Then we headed towards the Alps and our good friends in Geneva, Switzerland for some more skiing during the Easter break! It was wonderful to be able to take the kids to all those places we visited living there for 6 years as newly married. Noah got to see where he was born and he loved it! And to take the kids up some real slopes! Wow!

The Summer break started off a bit sad. My father moved to his real home, heaven. He had been sick for a while so it was not unexpected, but still very hard to see him go. He was a great man, in many senses.

The Summer was spent mostly at home, we made a few shorter trips, but with a pool and a 15 minute drive to the beach, there is no real reason to go away during summer! Our dear friends from our time in Geneva, Jennifer and Henrik Nissen with Tobias and Amelie and Liz Prosser came to stay with us for a few days. They managed to time their visit very well as we had almost 30 C (85-90F) degree weather the entire time! We sat outside until midnight and went to a couple of different beaches, but most of all, we were able to catch up! And the kids had fun too!

Fall break was spent at home too, maybe next year we will take our new camper out! Fall means cheaper campers, so we found one we loved and got it! Haven´t been able to try it yet, but we look forward to doing so in the spring! Andreas got to visit Japan for the first time in the fall. He brought back some new outfits for the kids!

I have almost never been away from my family. Living in the US there weren´t really anywhere for me to go without them. But this fall I caught up! I went to London with my sister and niece, to Stockholm with my best friend, and to Eastbourne, England with two dear friends! I love living in Sweden! (could have a better climate, but otherwize.....). Andreas took good care of the crew during my absence.

And now we are in a time of Advent. We just said goodbye to Andreas´ grandmother who moved to her heavenly home last week at an age of 99! With Christmas around the corner, we would like to wish you peaceful one, and happy and prosperous new year! And keep Christ in Christmas!

With much love, Jennifer and Andreas Jansson and the below gang! Keep in touch!

 

 

 

 

London baby!

It is nothing I am ashamed of or hide, but I am pretty indispensable around the house. To quote my good friend Jossan (who´s husband also is away alot at night) , I say "I  AM the Jansson-enterprise".

This blog-post is not about how great I am, it is just a reflection on how part of my life appear. I am very happy with life, and my husband is a great man. It´s just that sometimes the unlikely things happen to an extent that you just have to stop, and laugh about.

We chose early to live our lives this way, and for us it works. My husband gets to work with his passion, Physics, and I get to do my passion, motherhood. But even a mother neads a vacation from her job sometimes, so together with two other chicas, I took off to do London for a couple of days!

So me, my sis and my niece, a mother of two, left Sweden for London last Saturday. We had many laughs, walked until we had blisters (that might have been only me, who insisted on wearing no socks...), shopped till we dropped, went to the Theatre, rode double-deckars, English cabs and the Tube, ate sushi and fish and chips, saw the Big Ben and Westminister up close! We did NOT however have a Sauna, as it wouldn´t work for us the two times we tried. We didn´t quite get stuck in the elevator either, even though the elevator lived a very interesting life of its own..... I also got lots of souvenirs for my kids, I got a shopping bag with the Queen of England on it, (for which I am now being widely harrassed, haha) and also got to feel a bit American again as I had Starbucks coffee and  a Bra measured and bought at Victoria´s secret!

We had a great stay in London, and the reports from home were good too. Emma called and missed me deeply already on Sunday morning, but other than that everything seemed to run smoothly. Until Tuesday night. That´s when Andreas went grocery shopping and as he was putting the groceries into the car, he managed to get the edge of the paper bag right into his eye, and managed to cut his cornea right across his pupillary, and when he finally managed to get home, with agonizing pain and one-eyed,  Noah ram right into an open window and started bleeding from his head!  Other than that Andreas managed to hold the house down pretty well!

He ended up with a pirates eye-patch and strict orders from the doctor not to drive for a couple of days, (so now I am a taxi-driver as well!) and Noah ended up with  a head ache (which he has now recovered from btw). So, to sum it up, yes, my family still needs me! After being away, I also feel refreshed to take care of business around the house! Even momma´s need a break sometimes!

Have good weekend everyone!

A tribute to a great man.

A great man has passed on. (för svenska, scrolla ner)

He was born 1929 under poor conditions in a small town in Sweden. He grew up partly in Eastern Africa, partly in an orphonage in Gothenburg together with 3 out of 4 sisters while his parents left for a year in Africa, which turned out to be 7 years because of WWII. His name was Rhode Struble, Rhode after the country Rhodesia, Struble his father took after his married sister in the US. A great man has passed on, a man with many strings to his bow. A man who was on fire for his Lord and Master and who chose to walk in his parents footsteps and became a missionary in Eastern Africa.

1956 he married Gudrun Drott. They moved to Brussels, Belgium shortly after the wedding to study French. That´s where their first son, Daniel was born. Christine was born 2 years later during their first period as missionaries together in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania. As a missionary he got to practice his musicality, pray for people, preach, plant new churches, negotiate with authorities about new developments and use his talent for languages. 4 years later, Samuel was born during a stay in Sweden. 1973 the whole family returned to Sweden for good, and one year later Jennifer was born. He had 4 children, 11 grand children and 3 great grand children.

A great man has passed on, a man who loved to discuss, loved to read Gods word, loved to travel, loved to teach, loved to study, loved the sun, loved his wife. A very diverse man. A man who was called ”retarded” growing up, but who later accomplished a doctorate in Theology while he was working full time as a teacher. A man whos humility knew no limits. A man who wrote 7 books, and refused to be called an author, a man who spoke 5 languages fluently but refused to be even called knowledgable in languages. A man whos generosity knew no limits. A man who would give the shirt on his back to a person in need. There are many of us who were touched by his life. Many are we who remember. Many are we who now say good bye, many are we who are going to see him again, one day.

Just like Moses, he was born to nothing, walked with God, lead a people and died satisfied with life.

A great man has passed on,

that man was my father.

I love you dad!

Jennifer Jansson

En stor man har gått ur tiden.

Han föddes 1929 i en kökssoffa i Småland. Han växte delvis upp i östra Afrika, dels på barnhem i Göteborg tillsammans med 3 av sina 4 systrar, då hans föräldrar åkt till Afrika som missionärer för ett år och fastnat i 7, pga andra världskriget. Hans namn var Rhode Struble. Rhode efter Rodesia i Afrika, Struble tog hans far efter sin gifta syster. En stor man har gått ur tiden, en man med många strängar på sin lyra. En man som brann för sin Herre och mästare, och som valde att gå i sina föräldrars fotspår och bli missionär för svenska Pingströrelsen i östra Afrika.

1956 gifte han sig med Gudrun Drott. Tillsammans flyttade de ganska omgående till Bryssel för att lära sig franska, där föddes deras första son, Daniel. Christine föddes två år senare i Tanzania under deras första gemensamma missionsperiod. Som missionär fick han använda sin musikalitet, be för sjuka, predika ordet, plantera församlingar, förhandla med myndigheter om nybyggnationer och även använda sig av sina mångfaldiga språkkunskaper. 4 år senare föddes Samuel under en vistelse i Sverige. 1973 kom familjen hem till Sverige för gott, och ett år senare föddes Jennifer. Han fick 11 barnbarn och 3 barnbarnsbarn.

En stor man har gått ur tiden, en man som älskade att diskutera, älskade att läsa Guds ord, älskade att resa, älskade att undervisa, älskade att studera, älskade solen, älskade sin fru. En mångfaldens man. En man som under sin barndom blev kallad ”idiot” (efterbliven) men som senare doktorerade i teologi under tiden han arbetade heltid som lärare. En man vars ödmjukhet sällan skådats. En man som skrev 7 böcker, men vägrade kalla sig författare. En man som talade 5 språk flytande men vägrade kallade sig språkkunnig. En man vars generositet sällan skådats. En man som skulle kunnat ge sin sista skjorta till någon som behövde den bättre. Många är vi som berörts av hans liv. Många är vi som minns. Många är vi som tar farväl, många är vi som tänker se honom igen, en dag.

Precis som Mose, föddes han till ingenting, vandrade med Gud, ledde ett folk och dog mätt på livet.

En stor man har gått ur tiden,

den mannen var min pappa.

Jag älskar dig pappa.

Jennifer Jansson