A Healthy Lifestyle For the Entire Church

As a church this fall , we are focusing on building a sound lifestyle and culture that will enable us to endure for many years as missionaries both in Sweden and on the unreached mission fields... We have decided to become stronger spiritually, mentally and physically and that is why we as a church want to encourage fitness, ie sound diet and physical exercise. We want our members to have stamina for more and to be able to go on a demanding mission trip or festival when they are both 70 and 80 years old. The SOS people will parachute and begin rock climbing when they hit retirement at 65... Some one will dance Salsa with their wife when they become empty nesters and so on...



In line with this, on Saturday, Omid Dadary , a Swedish Iranian will hold a seminar at SOS Church on Kungsholmen with the theme “A Sound Lifestyle”. It will start at 2pm and end around 5pm. Everyone is welcome – we will also open up the Kids church for childcare during the seminar and there will be snacks as well (healthy ones of course) ;)... Omid Dadary was given the prize as Sweden's best PT (Personal Trainer) in 1999 and today his company Mind Over Matter has many PT:s on-board. He helps people in Stockholm of all ages to life a healthier life focusing on a healthy diet and regular functional training. During the day you will find Omid at Sport Life's premises either at Odenplan or on Karlavägen 100. Omid is also a passionate dancer with a four year degree at the Ballet Academy in Stockholm, with added courses during the years... Omid teaches Hip Hop, Jazz, and Street Dance at the Ballet Academy and travels to teach and coach on diets and training both in Sweden and Scandinavia... Omid is also a dietitian. I could go on with his CV but this is enough for you to understand that the seminar on Saturday is well worth attending...


Omid began to seriously seek God in January and came to believe in Jesus at a café during one of our conversations this past winter – we prayed the sinners prayer at the café table. He buried his old life in March when he was baptized and has since been an eager and hungry Bible reader and disciple of Jesus.

Now Omid wants to help everyone in SOSto life a healthier life and has volunteered to speak about a good diet and to pass along tips and advice for your work out at home during two Saturdays this fall. Omid is a well paid consultant but is donating these two Saturdays to the church;
- I want to do something for God and my church using what I have, he says... Thank you Omid! Generous! Instead, Omid wants everyone that shows up this Saturday to give 100 SEK to the homeless of Stockholm. Bring cash or your card to make a donation! Omid will have two Saturdays, Part 1 on Oct 3rd and Part 2 on Nov 21st – but you can join in on one of the occasions as well... This will be fun and beneficiary for all the SOS people! This is also a great opportunity to bring friends, colleagues and neighbors that you want to introduce to church!

Welcome!

See Ya!

At Home in My Kitchen in Tullinge...

Well, I am back in my kitchen in Tullinge again, my nostrils are still filled with the dust from Harar – a happy missionary filled with joy... During the three service in Harar Church of Joy this past weekend we prayed with 55 people to salvation – Hallelujah! Today I am trying to have a day off... Maria is taking Adam to the dentist and Alicia is in school... soon all my loved darlings will come through the front door and the unusual and almost mystical silence in our house will be gone as soon as the car pulls up on our driveway... I am not used to the silence... I am an immigrant and missionary that has always lived with a big family and at the moment not even the family staying in the basement are at home...


Tonight I know people are coming over – great fun! Tomorrow I will throw myself back in to building our church in Stockholm again! Yes! That will be so much fun!

See Ya!

Days of Victory in Harar!

I trained hard with the guys yesterday morning. Two very sweaty hours under the African sun. Jogging, belly and back in the grass and at last biceps, triceps, breast and shoulders at the yard of the team house...

Our church in Harar was totally full last night again! We have now prayed with 37 people to salvation in two services and last night there were both healings and strong baptisms in the Holy Spirit with the speaking in tongues as sign! I enjoy doing the gospel's ABC just as much every time...

Ethiopia is wonderful - the cafés, restaurants, scents, hyenas, homeless people, the minarets, camels, the Somali, colorful clothes of the Oromo, chat chewing bus drivers, donkeys, red mud, the markets places!

Harar...

Addis Abeba...

The team is doing so well under Samuel's leading and now with Gabby by his side it will be even better... Maja, Katherine, Filip, Erik, Muhammed, Senaboa, Ahagre and more have really stolen a big piece of my heart this time...

The entire base, the church and Bible School only breathes harmony and joy!

Today I preach at 9:30 AM and I will officially ordain Gabby as Pastor's wife to Samuel in Harar Church of Joy. After that I will get on a mini bus about 10 hours to Addis Abeba and fly home to Stockholm late tonight with Ethiopian Airlines...

Emma Gustafsson is preaching at home in SOS Church Stockholm this afternoon and from what I understand we are baptising again - I would have loved to there... It will be great, I can promise you that - there's such a "go" and momentum at the church plant at home - thank you Jesus!

See ya!

Harar Church of Joy

Harar Church of Joy (SOS' church in Harar) was filled to the breaking-point last night! 220 people inside the building and 30 standing outside. Altogether 250 people, no exaggeration - every head was carefully counted... The record before was 130 people, so we advanced greatly last night and the church was rejoicing! About 15 people responded to the salvation invitation and one deaf ear was opened, eyes, knees and hips were healed! Everyone was dancing like crazy in pure joy at the end of the service - Ethiopia at its best... The church was launched in September 2008 and have since then baptized 76 people! It looks like its about to take off to a new level now, starting this week!

Street life a regular day in Harar...

The level of expectation is very high now for the continuation, Saturday and Sunday. What will the Holy Spirit do? I am personally sooo proud of our young Pastor and Field Director, Samuel Strandberg (25 years old), and now married to Gabby it will be twice as good!

Our 11 Ethiopian Bible School students prayed with people to salvation and healing last night - so wonderful!

See ya!

The People of the Desert Cries Out!

I wake up early pray between 5 and 7 AM... The minarets of Harar cries. Ishmael is longing for the living water - quench my thirst, he prays... Cracked Muslim lips and a dry throat need fresh Jesus-water now! I am so glad and thankful that we finally have a Bible School here at the Muslim front that train pioneer missionaries! 11 students! We'll soon send church planting teams from Harar north towards the Afar land and east towards Somali territory... We just have to have some classes graduate first. But we will soon answer the SOS signals from the unreached peoples of the desert. Afar, we'll soon come! Somali, we'll come! Hang in there! SOS is on its way to you! We came to Ethiopia because of you and we will not give up until the mission is completed!

Afar woman...

Somali woman...

We start a three day mini-festival here in Harar Church of Joy tomorrow! Pray for us!

See ya!

The Horn of Africa

I landed in Addis Abeba yesterday morning. Gabby and Samuel Strandberg met me (they are newly married - 5 days old), our Field Directors here at the Horn of Africa and soon Pastors in Harar Church of Joy! We had a great morning together in Addis at a traditional Ethiopian restaurant. We had Injera and drank Ethiopian coffee (all the traditional Ethiopan way...). We had deep conversations about marriage, the future for them both as newly married and pastors/missionary couple in Africa... Oh, how I love them!


Then I flew domestic to Dire Dawa and was met by Maja and Filip, two of our missionaries - so fun! Dire Dawa awakened a lot of memories. We had a wonderful festival with all churches in Dire Dawa during the spring of 2005, gathered over 20,000 people the last festival meeting. Many precious people were delivered from evil spirits, saved and healed! We worked with the EHBC church for a little more than than three years and was part of baptizing 500 people!

So many people gave their lives to Jesus during the festival in DD...

The car ride from DD to Harar is so beautiful (a serpentine road through mountains and desert), I enjoyed myself like a king - back in Africa - hallelujah!

In Harar we of course had Injera again (no problem , I love Injera) and then we had a gathering with our Ethiopian Bible School students and the entire team - so fun!

Today I went up at 5 AM to pray. I prayed for Stockholm, Somaliland and the Afar people! Since then I've had a Bible studie with the team, and tonight I teach the Bible School students and the team.

There will be a party for Gabby and Samuel as well! The team has bought two goats that I guess I'll have to slaughter soon. They have spray painted them with bright red letters - Samuel loves Gabby and Newly Married - not so Swedish, but fun and a little bisarr at the same time!

See ya!

Baptism Down Town in Mälaren!

After a wonderful service yesterday at SOS Church, a service where people were saved and transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit, we gathered together and walked down to Rålambshovsparken and baptized three precious souls in Mälaren! Börje, Daniel, and Diana buried their old lives in Down Town Stockholm and then rose again with Jesus as new creations! Raw joy and celebration! Our children's pastor Andreas Jensen had the honor to baptize – we are so proud of our great children's work, but he did great baptizing as well!

Congratulations to Gabby and Samuel,our Field Directors in Ethiopia who are Just Married and showed up at service yesterday! We were a couple of families that decided to bless them with a night in the city, ie a hotel room, a romantic dinner and unlimited rides on the metro. We also told the church that they were strictly on DnD – Do not Disturb;).

Now I am on my way to Ethiopia... will fly out tonight... I will begin writing on my forth book, preach, and encourage the team on the Horn of Africa! Pray for me... Perhaps I will take a slight break in my blog writing due to very flaky Internet connections in Ethiopia...

See Ya!

House Church, Baptism and Sunday again!

Friday night the entire Amritzer family was at the Willkanders and enjoy the evening together with our house church! The Willkanders are great house church leaders and we felt so welcome and cared for! Had a chance to meet and get to know their neighbor a little and then we enjoyed hamburgers, guitar playing, spontaneous singing – old Austrian folk songs, Beatles, children's songs etc... We then tried on hats of all kinds for quite some time (Samuel sells hats and caps in his work) – cozy... We prayed to God together for the dream job that one had applied for, a Muslim friend that we all believe will be a disciple of Jesus very soon. We shared life together an ordinary Friday night, Swedes, a Lebanese, a Swiss and an Austrian... The Book of Acts in Tullinge. I am looking forward to the next house church meeting!


Today, straight after service we will baptize again in Mälaren at the Rålambshovsparken (just under a mile walk from the church) Well, we have to see for how long we can continue to baptize outdoors this fall?! So far it works great!

Baptism in SOS Church earlier this summer...

Otherwise I am so looking forward to church later today! I will be preaching part 3 of my fall series on the Holy Spirit. Samuel and Gaby, newly weds, three days ago, will be in Stockholm for just a day on their way to Ethiopia... Gaby and Samuel are our base leaders on the Horn of Africa and our pastors couple in Harar Church of Joy! They will be at the service – so we get to say congratulations as well!

See ya!

Fellowship With God When the Devil's Servants Are Asleep...

I love prayer – the early morning prayer... I always wake up very early, I hardly need to set my cellphone alarm any more... The Spirit wakes me... 5 am is the best time of day – alone in the kitchen, the kids and the entire house are asleep... Coffee, Bible meditation and whispered declarations of love from the depths of my heart straight to the wonderful Spirit of Jesus... The Jews gathered manna (angelic bread from Heaven) in the desert early, before dawn,,, It is so calm in the heavenly realms and in the spiritual world at this hour – all the devil's servants are sound asleep... Satan does not have any bodies to manifest in or to work through – they are sound asleep. The prayer warriors are instead awake as they seek, listen, cry out, cry, worship, whisper, groan, pant and do warfare...

Often when I wake up it feels like the angels say: Good morning Hannes and the Spirit of God hovers as a thick welcoming mist in the kitchen... It is hard to explain how much I love prayer! Prayer is my life and I breathe, get new oxygen, ideas, creativity and visions when I lift on the wings of the Spirit and touch the hem of God's robe... Cherubim, Seraphim and holy cleansing fire all around God's own throne...

It has been an intensive work day – need to get some rest... Am already longing till dawn. Will I meet you before the throne of God tomorrow?!

See Ya!

Parent Teacher Conference and Moose hunt coming up...

The kid's school...

Last night I was at Adam and Alicia's school for parent teacher conferences... It is a small cozy school with only 180 students... Their teachers are very ambitious (Cornelia and Gittan), great parents, chocolate cake and a lot of coffee... Naturally I succeeded in the ambition of signing up for the school's PTO... We will work for a better future school together with the principle ;). I guess it was a combination of trying to make a good first impression on both teachers and other parents as well as a bad conscience over not engaging enough in the kids education... well, well... I laugh at myself – will be interesting to see if I will have time for this as well – I so little to do... ;).


Other than that, I am planning a moose hunt with “the boys” as well – moose hunt in October, somewhere between Jokkmokk and Boden in northern Sweden! Hunting buddies from the States, Denmark, Norway and Sweden will gather together for this masculine, beard clad fellowship in the northern forests of Sweden... I long for this as the scent of fall fills the air and the air just seems clearer... Coffee thermoses, camp fires, fall leaves and hunting stories...

See Ya!

"Behind the Scene" People in SOS Sweden!

I am teaching both year 1 and 2 today. That is SOS Mission Bible College and the School of Leadership in the topic "Priest for those who don't go to Church", or Evangelisation that works - whatever you want to call it... So fun! Further three more students have started the School of Leadership since we started two weeks ago and if there's anyone else that is considering joining, this is the last week to jump on that train...

Call Principal Daniel at +46 703064964...

I am so happy because it looks like we will baptize again on Sunday night after service! If you have new disciples that need to be baptized, register them to one of the pastors or your House Church leader, and you'll baptize your friend on Sunday night!

I'm thinking of, and praying for all SOS' "behind the scenes" people that are working so hard here at home. Maria and Ante Evermin, Jonatan and Anna Kvist, Jens and Kristin Charliesson, Algot and Lina Israelsson, Elin and Simon Tullberg, Sarah Brännberg and many more... They are working unweariedly with building SOS Church Stockholm and give both time, energy and money to the ministry way over their capacity! God will reward you! You'll soon be attacked "Big Time" with great blessings! Maria and I love and admire you! Without you we could not have done this!

See ya!

Sleep in, Bible Breakfast and Work Out...

I slept in today - for the first time in a very long time... Day off Johannes?! Yes, as a matter of fact, it's true, I have a day off! Got up at 9:30 AM, made a big breakfast for my darling Maria and my little sister in law Anna with baby... We had oatmeal, sandwiches and many cups of coffee... We sat at the breakfast table a long time, read the Apostle Paul's letter to Titus together, "Bible-talked" and ended up in church planting... A really great morning!


What a great after taste of our second service in our new church at Kungsholmen yesterday afternoon... We counted to exactly 100 adults and so many kids (no number, sorry...)! SOS Kidz had their first service yesterday - wild and happy kids! Everything was the way you want it to be! Many new visitors, sooo many different nationalities - I do believe the rumour is spreading throughout Stockholm that there's a regular English-speaking service taking place every Sunday... Five ran to the front at the salvation invitation and several were healed during the long prayer time! We sent out two missionaries to Thailand - raw joy!


I am heading to a gym in Flemingsberg now to work out hard. My 36 year old body needs discipline and to be held on a tight leash... You see, I am planning on doing many more festivals, plant many new churches, write many more books, produce TV in the future etc... :). I have to watch that I don't become an "old man", but keep on being hungry for Jesus, ministry and life! I hate comfortable and apathetic cynical attitudes! I want to be pure, eager and starving for life! Have to run!

See ya!

I Love Norway!

Harvest Cry no 2 this fall has just come to a spectacular end! his was the forth time in Kristiansand! Around 75 youths were saved and many were baptized in the Holy Spirit! The American bands Listening and Worth Dying For rocked for Jesus as is due the King of Kings! If Jesus is to be preached then it must be Rock n Roll! A great team from SOS Sweden led by Daniel Elvelyck together with a wonderful and skilled Norwegian team led by Ari Matiesen have worked around the clock! SOS loves Norway! Last night close to 500 youths gathered for the final night in the sports arena! Today Daniel Elvelyck preached at Betania Church in Kristiansand (one of the partner churches) and Worth Dying For led worship – so they probably had a blast!



SOS Norway has built a festival rig for 600 000 NOK for our unreached peoples festivals – we have used this rig these past two weeks! After New Year we will buy all the tech gear for 1.5 million NOK and then we will at last have out portable festival equipment! Five years and then the vision became reality and in 2010 we can begin to use it on the mission field!

Will have a bite to eat, then a power nap before I head in to SOS Church for our Sunday service with missionary ordination! Hallelujah – life is wonderful!

See Ya!

Pastoral Team Prayer and SOS School of Leadership

Last night I was together with some of the people that I love most in the world - the pastoral team of SOS Church Stockholm and together we prayed for our church... Wow, what a great time we had... They are always so full of vision, so positive and alert! Jesus was there as well – I love him – but I suppose that you already knew that ;)













Today we had a “team building day” with SOS School of Leadership. After an hour of wild prayer for Stockholm we drove out to the woods to do some trap shooting, ie we shoot some clay pigeons on a meadow and grilled some hot dogs – what great people and the next generation of leaders in SOS. Tomorrow the students will have their first exam in Leadership and then we will continue with three lessons on Church Planting... I enjoy all the conversations with them and love them more and more for every day we are together! Tomorrow evening I will fly to Kristiansand, Norway for Harvest Cry part 2!

See Ya!

First Sunday in our Fascility on Kungsholmen!

Harvest Cry in Arendal, Norway was a success! About 70 youths ran to the front at the salvation invitation Thursday to Saturday night and about 25 were baptized in the Holy Spirit and started to speak in new tongues for the first time! I estimate that 45 of the salvation decisions were for the first time which is sooo great for an area with only 30,000 inhabitants! Amazing hospitable churches to work with - Arendal, thank you from everyone in the SOS team!


I took the first flight home via Copenhagen and landed Sunday morning 9:20 AM at Arlanda Int Airport. It was my boy, Adam's eight birthday so we celebrated him. He got his long longed for Mountain Bike! Imagine that my little one is already eight years old and in second grade!

Adam skiing last winter...

At 4 PM our service started at SOS Church and everything was far beyond expectation from the beginning! We counted to 130 adults, upon that we had lots of kids! Two were saved and three baptized in the Holy Spirit and someone decided to be baptized in water! I started off my fall series about the Holy Spirit, part 1 of 11 and the title of the day was: The Holy Spirit, You and Holy Places... Elvira Åsmus was MC, Maria Evermin gave her testimony of her first meeting with the Holy Spirit and Martina Almqvist spoke for the offering - wow, what people and talents! Julia and team was, as always, outstanding. But it wasn't really the program but the "spirit" and atmosphere through the entire evening that was so special- family-like, relaxed with a strong undercurrent of the Holy Spirit... Feeling of home! Raw and pure joy! Miracle expectation! What's gonna happen next week?! After we had a paus of about 15 minutes and then "Prayer for Stockholm" started. We will have "Prayer for Stockholm" the first Sunday of every month after the regular service! About 60 adults stayed for worship, the Lords supper and wild prayer! Happiness!

The church's vision...

See ya!

On The Way to Harvest Cry, Norway, part 1 …

Tomorrow morning I will take the commuter train to Stockholm Central Station at 5 am and then Arlanda Express to the airport... My flight to Oslo departs at 730am. I am so looking forward to Harvest Cry in Arendal! Our Norwegian staff are a bunch of wild, professional people and full of initiative, with Ari Mathiesen as the spear head! Daniel Elvelyck, principle for SOS Mission Bible College and the SOS School of Leadership has already arrived with a team from SOS Church, after making the trip yesterday by car... We have several bands this year (click here for more info...) and I am standing in faith for a strong presence of God in all the concerts and gatherings, a great response to all the altar calls and a breakthrough in every service, with miracles and baptisms in the Holy Spirit! God my prayer is for you to send more Norwegians to attend our Bible College and then on to our mission bases for the sake of the unreached!

Next week it will be time for Harvest Cry, Norway, part 2 in the Southern city of Kristiansand! Wow, how SOS is growing! Thank you Jesus! Ari Mathiesen, Kenneth Thorsland, Aslak Bestul and Terje Govertsen and others are outstanding leaders and warriors for the Kingdom of God and some of Mission SOS strongest covenant partners!

Ari Mathiesen with familj...

Besides all this, I am at the moment working a lot on my leadership teaching... The School of Leadership and my gatherings with the pastor team in Stockholm demands more and more of me – a pressure that forces both myself and our leaders to grow – hallelujah! Today I have taught from Tommy Barnett's teaching… Tommy Barnett (Phoenix, AZ) has been in full time ministry for over 55 years now...

Pastor Tommy Barnett...

A short summary from today's teaching:

1) Focus on “soul winning” is the only thing that gives a department of the church the right to exist.

2) The miracle and all the knowhow that we need is already in the house, ie the church – so search among the sons and daughters.

3) Dream big and dare to dream again.

4) The church must reach out to the homeless and hurting people.

5) The church will cooperate with local artists and celebrities in regional charity events.

6) Illustrative and creative sermons.

7) Serve God together with your family – Tommy's entire family is in full time ministry along side dad.

8) Many departments based upon a need and a possibility for every one with a dream to be given the opportunity to see it some to pass under the umbrella of the church.

A quote: "Find a need and fill it. Find a hurt and heal it."

See Ya!

The Bible School and Leadership School

I've taught two days at the Leadership School now... So fun! Strong, hungry and mature students and interactive lessons - I'm so enjoying it... This morning I lead prayer school for both the first and second year - what power! Just imagine being at our center together with our new recruits from so many different nationalities! Heaven on earth and the Kingdom of God.

Otherwise I am working out hard with my personal trainer Omid at the moment. This fall I'll raise the bar from two to three workout times per week. My thighs and shoulders are sore now...

Walter and Linda are staying with us - we are going to watch a movie now. I'm getting up early tomorrow again to teach at the Leadership School.

See ya!