Seaonal greetings from Hjällbo, Sweden

Dear Jenny, David, John, Jane and Andrew; Thais, Ylva, Nir, Tamar, Sima, Bedaya, Hadeel and the Briggs,... Dear friends wherever you are, how ever your sourroundings are...

"Let it be the year, when Christmas (peace) comes for everyone, everyone alive"

Merry Christmas Orange, New Castle and Australia, Palestine and Israel, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, Australia ´97, USA!

John; Congratulations! I might not be just as proud as your mother, but at least very glad! I´ve still 2,5 years to go before I´ll get my master´s exam... impressive to "beat" your oldest host-sister! On the other hand I´m a proud mother. Johannes is such a joy!

Our Christmas´ eve was way too exciting. We´ve spent the night before and most of the day at the children´s hospital since Johannes got feverspasmes after 36 h of 40 degrees fever. Now he´s much better. Playing again, happy again, and only a little bit more crumpy than usual. Puh... We were ment to be in Ålabodarna yesterday, but perhaps we can go tomorrow since we´ve offered a lift with my sister´s boyfriend (He could almost be taken for Petter´s brother; they share a great interest for playing guitar and writing songs and they both spent most of their youth on the soccer field.)

By the way my sister found her self a home by her own in Ljungskile, close to Sparreviken where she´s still the one in charge for all acitivities and camps. Johannes now has a room of his own. She likes her job, but worries a bit for how the economical crises will effect the economy at the camp...How is Australia coping? Israel? Palestine (I almost don´t dear to ask...)?, Brazil?

We´re all still celebrating in secret that Bush got a pair of shoes almost thrown at his face. His clearly athletic judge upon his great speed of reaction... Obama we all hope will make USA stand up for democracy and Human Rights in a more thorrow way than the last 8 years.

Did you see Y´s lovely little son on facebook? Wonderful. We start to long for a little Svante or Sara, but we´ll see. I should at least complete internal medicine before I return home for at least a year in the coocoon of motherhood and babylife.

I love school! To studdy every second week is a blessing! The colleuge M. whom with I share "my" place has grown into a friend. She´s amazing! "Single" mother to a wonderful 8-year old A. with the biggest most beautiful red hair and lots of fun friends. M. and A. mooved into a house with some of our friends from Sparreviken and their lovely daughter... a coincidence.

Petter is working 70 % of fulltime within the Swedish church with different projekts in the integration field. He seems to be very devoted to his job. Every now and then he writes a couple of hours on his master´s essay on Karl Barth´s view upon Religion (Baptism I wrote yesterday, hm I misunderstood theology AGAIN, Med. is much easier!). I´m still to fully understand the subjects depths and corners. Hm... I´m clearly growing more and more into the science of Medicin. It´s my favorite study topic.

At the moment I hope to research this summer at a nearby health-center about the reasons behind the high degree of misuse of codein (a morfin-sibling) in this area together with a clever pharamacologist/general pracitician. We´ll see. We´ve yet to search for enough money for my payment!

My father´s death is of course still very difficult to accept, but the funeral was extremely beautiful and we´re overwhelmed by all support from family and friends. My father has me and my siblings a monthly income the coming three years. I know my father is extremely pleased to be able to help me and Petter to finish our education despite the fact that he´s in so many ways was forced to leave us all without time for a proper good bye. I miss him and feel so thankful that his life became 8 years longer than the life of my grandfather. His wife I. seems to cope despite the fact that her oldest son´s funeral was only five years ago. Svante´s funeral took place on what should have been M´s 35th birthday.

Life is unfair, fragile and beautiful. Lots of laughter and quite some tears. I hope the year of 2009 will be much more laughter than tears for all of you and all of us!

Take good care and let me now about any planned European tour this summer. We´re planning on a train trip to France and Spain to practice languages and get some proper and safe sun. It would be triffic to meet up at R´s (My Australian host-Uncle) place if he give´s his approval.

Lots of love and all my best wishes for all of you! The Days; according to the pictures your one of the tallest family I´ve ever seen (only beaten by M´s (my sister in law) family, they are huge vikings all of them. D; - Welcome to Sweden and explore your roots)

Carin- with greetings and love from my beautiful son and husband

Önskan om en (kär)LEK(s)full Jul och allt Gott inför 2009!

Igår läste jag ett par fina rader i Alltid Älskad, benämt Arabiskt tänkespråk:

I Svart natt,
På Svart sten,
En svart myra.
Gud ser den.

Vinter är på många sätt en kampens tid. I mellanåt kan vårens livskraft och trotsiga belägring av vinterns kyliga befästningar och karga styvhet kännas avlägsen. Vi vågar tro att våren vinner tillslut. Varje år. Ibland vinner vinterns tyrann små perifera slag ändå in i april, men gynnsamma år vinner de små nyfödda knopparna mot vinterns rutinerade elitknektar redan i början av mars. Kärleken vinner över rädslan. Jubel! Av tillit som skapar världen! "Visst gör det ont när knoppar brister, varför skulle annars våren tveka..."

Gud kan kännas oerthört långt bort när livet känns svart. En tröst är att Gud på minst ett sätt inte är beroende av min tro. Samtidigt, tror jag, det är ett plågsamt faktum att jorden och mänsklighetens framtid är oerhört beroende av att vi människor vågar vända örat utåt och inåt, mot något större - Kristi kropp, livskraften, skaparen, Jesus, Allah, filosofin, livsfrågorna,... - kärt barn har många namn. Jag bekänner min tro. Jag tror på Fadern, Sonen och den Heliga Anden. Jag tror på Gud.

Livet har vunnit och vinner över döden. Det goda vinner alltid i längden. Vi får tro det. Det är ett löfte Jesus givit oss. Psaltarpsalm "...inte ens i den mörkaste dal fruktar jag något ont, ty du är med mig..."

"Det folk som vandrar i mörker skall se ett stort ljus"

"Ett litet barn av Davids hus ska göra vinternatten ljus, ett barn ska hjälpa oss att tro, här mitt ibland oss ska det bo."

Min tro vinner över tvivlet när jag vågar tro.

Med önskan till alla människor, alla folk och raser här; EN KÄRLEKSFULL JULETID och allt GOTT 2009!

Carin