CORRESPONDENCE THROUGH AUGUST
2001
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CORRESPONDENCE THROUGH JULY 2001 Date: Mon, 13 Aug 2001 Thought I would send a little note to say that we returned home again after a very wonderful just over 2 weeks away from home down in continental Europe. We started by spending 4 days in Belgium visiting Mireilles relatives there - and then just over a week in Italy where we met Alex in Venice and then had the privilege of a wonderful convention at Carema in a beautiful setting in the Alps in northern Italy. The warmth and spirit of welcome we received there really touched our hearts and made us very very thankful for the wonderful Spirit we felt in these folks. We then went through the Alps via the Saint Bernard pass (with its approx. 15 km tunnel) into Switzerland. Quite an undertaking with our older car and rather heavy trailer - but we made it!! And the kids loved it. We then spent 3 days in Switzerland with John and Trudy Matter who live in a beautiful spot just out of Bern. We have got to know them mostly because John works for Volvo and is frequently in Sweden on business and sometimes calls on us on these occasions. John took us all hiking up a mountain one day which was very interesting and really made the kids sleep good that night!! Stopped overnight with some friends in Germany on the way back which helped shorten the 'long haul' back to Sweden. Terry and Emma met us at home when we got back last evening and the kids really had a lot of stories to tell!! Janet Modras and their two youngest girls had stayed at our house most of the time we were gone but had left on Friday to go back to Finland as Brian (And Abigail, their oldest girl) is expected back from a short trip to Australia (where they originally come from) the middle of this week. We hope to see them within a week or two as we want to hear of his experiences amongst the different ones there. What we have heard thus far from him sounds quite interesting! It has been an eventful summer - to say the least. Unfortunately we seem to have been repelled by many in the fellowship we have until now been involved with, so are now in the process of seeking to establish a form for the most important concern in our lives - of maintaining and developing the gift of His Spirit that the Lord has entrusted us with. Thus far we feel the Lord has been very good to us in this, and we believe that the Lord will see to us, even in a future that is well beyond our view at this moment. All for now, Edgar Massey 8131 Date: Wed, 15 Aug 2001 Letter send to friends and workers in Scandinavia 8151 Date: Sun, 19 Aug 2001 To: Helen Furtan, Ken Massey Cc: Eldon Knudson, Steve Sorenson, Larry Stevens, Martin Johnsson I want to get a little note off to share some of the encouraging thoughts that helped us in the little Sunday meeting our family had this morning by ourselves here. This is our first Sunday meeting at home since we were 'dealt with' and we all have been very anxious to find a form for our worship that will give us the strength we need for the daily struggle to keep true. Ellen choose the first hymn - it is the Swedish equivalent to 'Was it for me' and then after our little time of prayer together Mireille chose 'Approved of God' I enjoyed Mireilles thoughts about the star that lead the wise men - when there was nothing on the earth to point them to where they would find the Christ. It took faith to follow that star but it was all they had to lead them both in good and evil and it did lead them aright. Rebecka also spoke about light from Ephesians 5:8-10 - For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: [9] (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) [10] Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. She said her purpose for the future was goodness, righteousness and truth in all things. Ellen (who just made her choiCe at Orsa this year) read Joh 3:8 - "The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit." She then said she didn't know where the spirit came from or were he would go but she wanted to follow. We closed our meeting with the hymn 'Dear Saviour lead me'. The second verse appealed to me noting the mercy of God in allowing things to happen for this wonderful purpose - 'That I may know the guidance of Thy hand' . Terry and Emma had gone down to visit some of the older friends in southern Sweden yesterday and then spent the night at Emma’s place in Gothenburg. Terry is taking some tests in Gothenburg regarding her Swedish nursing papers so is staying with Emma while she is there. Will let this be all for now. Edgar 8191 Date: Fri, 24 Aug 2001 From: Edgar Massey To: Eldon Knudson, Dale Shultz, Erik Lund, Lars Lund Cc: Audry Lawrence, Bent Staal, Bernard Hall, Bob Dye, Dean Affleck, Dick Middelton, Donna Mose, Jean Bergquist, Jane Ahlm, Jim Atcheson, Kieth Olsen, Larry Stevens, Lloyd Kneesch, Mabel Jacobs, Martin Johnsson, Mary Roper, Mavis Krapu, Merlin Affleck, Sydney Holt Dear Eldon
What has happened with concern for truth??? What has happened to the doctrine and faith that we believed in when we made our choice? What is left of what was important then? 8241 Skickat: den 24 augusti 2001 Till: Edgar Massey My heart is pained to see the kingdom suffer loss. As John McC. said at P.G. convention, Satan is trying his best to make every worker leave the work, every saint to quit professing, every marriage break down, and he won't give up! We all must pray harder, rather than be critical when we see him getting victory in some lives. Humans make mistakes, but Jesus never did. All we can do is look to Jesus and just pray more earnestly for humility and wisdom. We wouldn't want to lose our place in eternity with him, just because a brother erred, offended us, or anything else that will look so small from eternity's shore. Love begets love. Remember we love you all and pray for peace in the city. M Wood 8242 Date: Mon, 27 Aug 2001 08:03:44 +0200 To: M Wood Thanks for your reply to our letter with the questions we are asking - Your suggestion as to love is a good one, but we do have to remember that love is defined in different ways by different people. Jesus said that we weren't to love according to the scribes and Pharisees definition of love as it only included those in 'fellowship' with them. They were careful in excluding others from the kindness system they had developed for those who loved them and Jesus spoke against this. This kind of love begets the same kind of love which isn't really what would seem to draw us closer to God. Wishing you the best, Edgar 8271 Date: Tue, 28 Aug 2001 To: Ken Massey Just a little note about the visit with Erik Lund who came over from Denmark for the afternoon and last night-. Without suggesting the visit is going to make much of a difference in the picture, we still feel the visit was left in a much better spirit than the some of other ones we have had with others. Things did get fairly hot and heavy in the course of the evening but when all was said and done we did feel we did receive a measure of understanding at least. Tomorrow the sisters(Hilda Hanson and Lena Wallin)have said they wish to come and visit us, so we will see how this goes. On Friday a 'half ex'ed' family from southern Sweden have said they want to come and have a visit about these things since hearing about our situation, and we have asked them and their kids for the night. It is hard to forget about it all. Sorry I don't have time for more just now. Edgar 8281 To: <gemthoughts> From: Edgar Massey Date: Tue, 28 Aug 2001 We had a nice little meeting this last Sunday here on our own. Peaceful as it is with a 14 month old child in the process of getting 2 new teeth!!!! Fortunately the children don't seem to notice that kind of a commotion as much as adults do - and seeing that it is only our family none of us has to wonder what the others are thinking. Strange how it puts a different perspective on some of these things. Rebecka choose the first hymn 'Give me a tender heart' (which she later spoke about). Ellen choose the hymn after prayer and the words 'Yesterday today forever Jesus is the same' seemed to leave an extra impression coming from a 9 year old. The 'yesterday' part wasn't large in her experience but the today and forever part was just as important for her as anyone. Mireille spoke first about the man who gave the talents to his servants to do something with for a period of time. One of them didn't 'dare' make the personal choices that would bring profit and blessing but chose to instead take what appeared to be the safe course, where no personal choices were needed. Keeping free from the risks of trusting a personal commitment meant no loss - but it didn't bring approval. Rebecka spoke about wanting to have a tender heart - what makes it tender was 'no hardness' . Interesting to hear a 10 year old concerned about the prospect of allowing hardness to spoil what the Lord wants to be tender and pure. We closed with a hymn - and Nona was quiet for nearly the whole hymn!!!! 8282 |
