A season of reflection....

For us who celebrate Christmas this could easily turn into a time to stress out and get ready, rather than to reflect! My own way of dealing with this time of year is to buy my presents as early as possible and be done with at least that bit.There are so many things we do not have to do I have realized over the years, and what remains is: creating opportunity to just chill together! And reflect. Reflect on the real reason for this season. So here comes my reflection.......


I wasn´t just brought up in a Christian country, I consider myself to belong to the faith of Christianity. But sometimes it seems hard to keep focus on what is more important as a Christian. As a believer though,  I don´t really have a choice on what is more important. Jesus clearly states what is most important: "Love your Lord with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself" (from Mark 12:30). This means that the color of the Starbucks Christmas cup actually is not that important. I would say that protesting against gay marriage is of lesser importance too, just to mention a few.

As Christians, or as humans for that matter, it is our responsibility to help others. To give up something to be there for someone else. Our mission is not to spread fear, but to comfort. The reason for the suffering we see today is evil. The reason is not Islam. Unless you would like to say that Jesus would stand behind what Ku-Klux-Klan stands for. Didn´t think so.The reason for the suffering we see is pure evil. Brainwashed human beings with a longing to belong. They do belong now. To ISIS.


We live in a time where there are sooo many people who need urgent help. People who have watched their loved ones die in front of them, people who do not know any other way than to leave the place they love, where they belong, where they have their identity and run for their lives. Why shouldn´t we help them? Probably because it might cost us some. If not money then it might cost us some of our time or comfort, that we do have in abundance. But the reward of helping others is greater than the cost. Try it. Next time it might be you who need the help!

I dare you to do something out of the ordinary this season. Try something you wouldn´t think you would do. Enlarge your comfort zone. Buy gifts for someone who REALLY needs them, visit someone, give a meal. Be there. Look someone in the eyes, affirm. Share your life!

We as Christians often say "Jesus is the reason for the season". We do celebrate him being born on this day.

Gee, if only there was a biblical story about middle-eastern people fleeing for their lives, and looking for shelter..... hmmmm......

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

Christmas Letter 2011

Västra Karaby December 23, 2011

Who´s the reason for the seaon?

Well, we believe that would be Jesus. He rocks. Even this year.
This has been a sort turbulent year for us. One year ago, we struggle with finding ways for Noah to like
school. We don´t struggle anymore. He switched schools this school year and is very happy where he is.

I , Jennifer, am back in school since August this year. Not teaching, but to learn. I was working in a preschool in Lund all spring, and decided to go back to school, part time, and eventually get a degree in special education. I was excited, anxious, apprehensive, proud and curious all at the same time to go back to school, and it turns out, I still have some learning brain-cells left, and I love it! I love beeing in school!

And I am doing it part time to be able to be here for my family. Andreas still travels alot and then it

depends on me, so I didn´t want to take on too much initially. I have decided to not go back to work in the spring either, and then we will re-evaluate.

Albin and Emma are still in the International school in Lund. They speak English all day, Noah get´s

mother-tounge tuitione in English once a week, and on top of that we are trying to provide English books and movies for him. He thinks it´s weird if we speak English at home, so that doesn´t work out to well.

Albin is in PYP3 (Primary Year Program 3, at an IB-program (International Baccalaureat) ). Emma is in PYP 2. They both love school, the only thing they are not thrilled about is that a lot of their friends move after 6 months or a year. So quite some good byes yesterday, last day of school for this year!

Andreas is still trying to set up a facility that will find Higgs Boson particle before everybody else does.Oh, no that was his previous and the one before that work place. There is still no accelerator in sight, but the plan to start building one in 2-3 years time is still firm. But they are changing location for their offices on Feb. 1st as they quickly outgrew their first facility. He still travels a lot, and in October we all got to come with him to Illinois! Back to our old neighbourhood! It all worked out really well, as he was ,working there for about 10 days at the same time as our kids were off school on Fall break!

We had a truly awesom trip! Hotel was great, weather was fab, the old neighbours had a couple of days

off from school, so we could hang out with them at pumpkin farms, the zoo, the movies during the day!And then we did lots of fun stuff at night too, to forget Halloween! It was great to be back and being able to celebrate a cute Halloween. As Halloween is pretty new here in Sweden, it is all scary. Witches, ghosts, goblings, spirits, blood, skeletons etc whereas in the US you can dress up as anything you want! Cute! We were able to hit our old playgroups Halloween party at Fermilab, Halloween itself at the Finleys with tons of candy and other good stuff!

We had so much fun and it really felt like being back home! But then when it was time to leave again,

that felt like going home too..... (Albin was sad though, really sad. He misses Ryan. A lot!)

We are now getting ready for Christmas at our house! We are not travelling this time of year, as some of us do too much of that the rest of the year. So tomorrow is Christmas eve and we going to have a mix of family and friends over for a traditional swedish Julbord! I already got my Christmas present, we remodeled our bathroom this fall, and the jet-tub is MINE! Last Sunday we had a big Birthday Party for Jesus at church, it was so fun to see all the kids there! And a great way to actually remember that it isn´t Santa we are celebrating.....

So to all of us, to all of you, a very Merry and Peaceful Christmas and wonderful and blessed New Year!

Paris, Paris, Paris! [Pah-ree]

It's been about nine years since I visted a France the last time! Nine years since I really had to speak french. It is going pretty ok. I Haven't really been indulged in any deeper conversations, more asking for things and so on, but it is all coming back to me.

Our three darling children are enjoying the company of paternal grandparents, so just us! Andreas will be working for about three days, but we are here for a week, so that's fine!

We started off today by having breakfast at a local Bolangerie, Bakery that is. I had Pain au Chocolat with a Grand Cafe. Funny how the size of coffe various over the cultures and countries. What I had this morning was a large coffee, and probably the size of a quarter of a Starbucks Tall one (small coffee at American coffee shop). We have actually seen Starbucks here too! And Gap. Got the kids T-shirts that said Gap, Paris on them, for the same price as they sell the souvenir T-shirts at crap quality by the Eiffel tower.

As we were headed towards l'Arc the Triomph at the end of the famous bolevard Champs Elyssee today, we were along La Seine and by the Louvre and we paused for moment to watch to guys climb the roof to fix something. I saw a rope dangling and said to Andreas Thank goodness they have security ropes in case they'd fall! Well, at the other end of that rope was a bucket dangling with tools to fix whatever it was he was fixing. This was on the 4th floor. I had to leave, I couldn't risk witnessing another person die. We turned to continue towards l'Arc the Triomph, and a woman comes up to us and bends over to pick up a gold ring, almost like a wedding band but wider. She turns to Andreas and says "Oh My God!" 

I had noticed that there was no ring on the ground 2 seconds earlier and told Andreas in Swedish that she did in fact not find it, but had it already. He got a bit confused and just told her it wasn't his, and she lost interest and continued on her walk. We then paused again, to see her do it again to two or three other couples. It is clear to me that her intention was to fool us, and them, but we still can't figure out what she wanted? How was she supposed to fool us? I dont't get it! But if you do, please leave a comment and explain this weird thing to us!

We walked at least 15 km today, in scorching heat, so now we are enjoying the AC for a bit before heading out for dinner!

Summertime!

Summer in Sweden is like I remembered it. I walked the dog the other night, at 9.30 pm in the sight the wheat and canola fields coloured by the redness of the setting sun, the blackbird accompanying the scenery. I have missed this sooooo much being away for 14 years! And to think I live right in it is just overwhelming! I plucked a bouquet of early summer flowers to bring home. There were never this many wild flowers in the US. I am not sure I have realized that until now.

Another thing we have here, that the US doesn´t have is Allemansrätten. In English the official translation reads The right of public access. This means that you have the right to walk through other peoples property, unless it is a fenced private yard. So you may walk through and also pick flowers and mushrooms etc. in the forest and fields everywhere (some restrictions apply). Wonderful! The accessibility of nature is really something!

I miss Illinois climate though. A climate where an outdoor event in all likelyhood can be planned and held. Here, you always need a plan B for outdoor events. In April we had 80 F. or 24 C, this week we have a mere 55 F or 16 C and the rain is supposed to hang over us for a week. Ugh. I love hot and humid weather , Andreas is happy we have Swedish climate though.

This week is the first week off. I am on Maternity leave! YAY! The leave is valid until the child turns 8, so I am off all Summer with the kids. This week we have been home all week. Re-organized furniture, cleaned out closets and toys, went to the dump one day with stuff, gave away other stuff and cleaned cleaned cleaned! The kids love it! They really want to be helpful so they have also done a lot of work with me. We have been re-organizing in preparation of something I might tell you in a later blog. Keep praying for us!

Noah went to spend a day in his new school before it ended, and he loves it! I think his life will be so much easier when he starts there! Things are looking better! I love life! I love God. He´s so cool.

The kids and I are making Swedish cardamom rolls to fill the freezer for Summer fun!