Sverige!

Hello friends : )

Okay so I realize I'm starting this blog a little late, but honestly things have just been full speed ahead since I got to Greensboro on Sunday. I imagine the rest of Summer Project and my travels after will remain full speed ahead... so don't count on me updating this daily. Or weekly. Or ever again.

Getting here was a little intense. A little less than hour before our flight from DC to Munich was supposed to board, I realized my boarding pass/passport were nowhere in sight. We all proceeded to freak out. Treece and I were walking all over talking to different security guards while everyone else searched... no luck. But, just in time, ten minutes before boarding, Stephanie found it in a bag that both a staff member, another student, and I had already looked through. Ridiculous. But also awesome. After that little stumbling block--the wheels on my luggage broke. On both bags. I've been DRAGGING 90 lbs. everywhere we go haha. Changing to another hostel on the other side of town today--not fun. Definitely worked up a good sweat. Luckily the guys here are awesome and have been helping me out a lot. (Yes James, I actually let them help me, aren't you proud?...It took some convincing though. Actually they forced me.) I need to buy some new luggage before I travel around after project. (like my huge bag was going to fit in our little car anyway...)

Sweden is BEAUTIFUL! The air is clean, but a little chilly.... It's light outside ALL the time. The sun rises at 4am and sets somewhere around 9pm, but it'll get even worse before we leave. Everyone wears black all of the time and looks absolutely frigid. Honestly it seems more like their coldness comes from a lack of something meaningful in their lives, not the temperature. No one makes eye contact or smiles, and they look at you strangely if you do. However, if you strike up a conversation with someone, they're more than happy to talk to you (as long as you stay out of their bike lane!). I think they are very interested in the warm personalities of Americans. They don't realize that it's because we're Christians. They will though, they will : )

Please pray for the people here, they need the Lord so much. It's obvious that they are missing something here, no one makes deep relationships because they can't properly love. The first Swede I met, Adam, said that our conversation was the deepest he'd had in a month. Thinking back on all of the deep, deeeep conversations I have with my friends at home (T.coop goers--love y'all!)... I sympathized with him so much.

Pray for the Swedes, pray for Adam and the other students here in Uppsala, they need Christ. I think the best thing we can do for them this summer is just to show Christ's love to them as much as we can and also the joy that comes with it. Pray for our team that we'd be a solid example of the unified Body, that we be bold in spreading the gospel, and that God would soften the hearts of the Swedes. I've never seen harder soil than this.

I'd love to tell y'all more--about fikas and coffee, viking games, and my amazing project members...but time is limited.

BUT--hey--one more time. DO NOT CALL OR TEXT ME. FOR THE LOVE OF EVERYTHING GOOD IN THE WORLD DO NOT TEXT ME! haha...but seriously, please? You guys are not listening. I keep getting texts inviting me to things... I can't fly home, so sorry... I also can't keep paying 50 cents per invite to do so. LOVE you guys...DYING to hear from you... just not via text. If you love me, e-mail me! hansel@mailbox.sc.edu

Mindy <><

P.S. Read Acts. It's tight.