Juhannus On...

Patio area near Matinkyla Beach 

Gearing up for some badminton! 

Katja and Shaun:  Sweet and Caring vs. The Goofy Gentle Giant 

My brother from another mother.

Juhannus?!  On the Saturday between June 20th and 26th, Finns celebrate Midsummer Day, the longest day of the year (Juhannus).  Second only to Christmas in importance, Finns find this day to be the unforgettable 'forgettable' holiday.  It seems that Finns love to celebrate anything that isn't a work day, which seems to come like every four days.  And with celebration comes alcohol.  So one can imagine how much 'celebration' is performed on this day and naturally we followed suit....Just Kidding!  Shaun, Katja, and I, sat out on the beach and enjoyed some snacks, a crazy man swimming in the freezing water, and friendly games of badminton.  Surrounded by God's beauty, we had a great time two days before Sunday.

As I told you before, I am responsible for quite a few jobs at EICF.  This week I helped set up, led the service, was the worship leader, and the children's minister.   Scary I know:)  But in the midst of all the chaos, God's grace and providential hand made everything flow smoothly.  

Today, after catching up on some reading, I was invited down to Helsinki to visit an Opus Dei house.  Naturally inquisitive, I agreed and was welcomed into their modest dwelling.  Honestly, I didn't know what to expect.  The last thing I had read or watched on Opus Dei was Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code, where Opus Dei wasn't characterized in the best of light.  I was gladly mistaken, they were truly lovely people.  (The last picture of 'my brother' is me with a member of Opus Dei there in Helsinki)