Miscellaneous temporary jobs 1973-76
I decided to go back to work when my money ran out and did not want to resort to social assistance from other Christians. I got the position on a construction technician from Erkki Juva Ky, Tapiola, Espoo. Working there was very busy and people were very stressed.
I drew many layer levels of maintenance for copper flame smelting furnaces at a factory in Phelps Dodge Corporation, New Mexico, USA. In addition, a similar factory in Rio Tinto Patino, Poland. I also calculated strength calculations for maintenance levels to ensure safe movement. This happened between 1.3. - 30.9.1973.
In a shared office, next to me, the corridor on the other side sat a Finnish Jewish girl, alias Rita. She used my sketches as a base, drawing client drawings with India ink pen of them on fiber-based plastic. (India ink, a black permanent dye)
We designers made sketches and second designers inked them on fiber-based plastic. When I placed white knob big pins on my wall, forming a big cross on the blue background, Rita immediately put a star of David on the matching pins on her wall. Religious war broke out!
She was a young, nice and beautiful woman who was afraid of me and I liked her. There was a Free Church member working in this engineering office, a man with a foot disability who was a true believer. I often talked with him of the things of Christian belief during a coffee break.
One time, my boss, a senior employee of IVO Ltd, who worked in this office for hire, Diblomi Engineer alias Martti, came to listen to our conversation.
I still remember how that believing man, alias Paavo, told me what happened when they had moved the moving boxes to their new home. He didn't remember where the dozens of cardboard boxes were inside the coffee maker. SpongeBob prayed, "Lord, you know where the box is. Please, tell me!" Then his eyes were directed toward a box and he heard a voice inside, "It's there." He opened it and there it was! That testimony clearly spoke to my boss and he began to wonder about the incident.
The engineering firm was a large open-plan office with only low partitions that separated the people working in different groups. Even before I arrived, someone Christian had made it possible for every working day through the central at 3 pm to listen to a fine American song: Alleuia, sung by a female soprano choir.
It wasn't a traditional Hallelujah choir, but much better! I noticed that when it started to sound loud in the suitable volume, all people calmed down in their eyes and gained mental strength!
I felt that my time in that job was running out, and I resigned. However, before my employment ended, I had a good day to tell everyone who worked there about Jesus and ask them to believe in him. The number of employees was about 30. For those two who did not want to hear me, I wished a blessing from the Most High.
My boss's surprising question
My boss Martti was not there that day. I had prayed to get the opportunity to testify him too, but I had not got. When he was already last day there and just going on his summer vacation, and we would no any meet at that workplace, I sighed quietly in my heart to Adonai, "Oh my dear Savior, I would have pleased to testify to him, because I like him so much."
Just when he opened the door to go out, he returned and came to me and asked, "Leif, tell me how you got out of stress?"
I understood that Adonai had made a difference in her heart. I prayed for wisdom and said to Martti, “Whenever I have trouble, those worries or others, I listen to beautiful spiritual songs that tell about Jesus and the love of God. Then I get rest and peace in my heart.”
That situation was truly the last and unique opportunity for me to testify to him about the Lord Jesus and the love of God, because I have never met him since then!
Designer at Wärtsilä OY Shipyard
After that I was unemployed for about a month and got a job at Oy Wärtsilä Ab, Hietalahti Shipyard Headquarters, Helsinki. I worked there at two different departments between November 5, 1973 and September 5, 1975.
First, at the Shipbuilding Department, where I was responsible for arranging the cabs and their assembly drawings, shipping equipment and listing them in Finnish, Russian, Swedish and English, depending on the customer. I was also responsible for radio cabins and outher lighting with all equipment.
There was quite a lot of work there. I couldn't speak Russian, but I applied for translations from the headquarters' interpreting service. There was really polite people there! They were Orthodox Christians with whom I sometimes exchanged views on faith.
I was surprised when one of them said that Christians do not need to read the Old Testament at all! I didn't argue, but I was very upset because the Bible is an indivisible whole, including the Old and the New Testament.
I was involved in the design of 3 large and 3 smaller icebreakers that were sold through Sudo-Import and shipped to the then Soviet Union.
After I had made ready the assembly drawings and parts lists with the delivery documents, the Captain Inspector for icebreakers changed and the new Russian "boss" demanded the transfer of several marine equipment to completely different places than the previous inspector. That led big changes to the assembly drawings again.
It did nothing but obey and repair all the assembly drawings and ask the installer to move the equipment to the desired locations. If I remember correctly, the same thing happened twice and my Finnish-Swedish department manager was really upset because the schedule was tight and the ship's late penalty was really high.
Fortunately, we have time to make changes in time. The Russian bosses wanted to show him that they had power!
I was able to have a shocking sight for those Soviet bosses when I was wearing a white safety helmet with a red cross and the text "Jesus is Lord." You see, I often had to visit those ships to see what changes had to be made to update all the documents. I remember how those bosses were staring at me as if I was a strange revelation, but I just smiled.
None of my superiors dared to say a word to me. As I pondered the reason for this, I received a response in my spirit when I made a list of luminaries, their names were White Cherub, Yellow Cherub, etc. Apparently there were several cherubs around me and I felt the powerful presence of the Holy Spirit daily!
Reorganization of planning departments
In the middle of my period there was an organizational change and I was transferred to the Steel Equipment Department, where I was responsible for designing various steel structures for ships, such as stair railings, deck structures, etc.
During that time were manufactured, besides the six icebreakers to Soviet, two other icebreakers for Sweden, the bigger Atle, the size of the Finnish Urho class, and the smaller Ale, were planned. Then the big icebreaker Urho was built in Finland.
Other vessels were included the luxury cruise ship called Song of Norway to Norway and to Finland the ferry Finnjet.
In that steel equipment department, I sat next to a designer devoured by an evil spirit. It was clearly manifested in one context when I was in a Christian meeting this weekend and experienced the powerful fulfillment of the Holy Spirit. When I got to work that morning, that devilish man, alias Heikki, came to work a little later. I greeted Tapani and started my work.
I noticed how Heikki began to stare at me and said to the whole department, "Wow, now Lefa is so full of the Holy Spirit that I have immediately to go to smoking!" He did so. It was a good example of the fact that demonic spirits know where the Holy Spirit is and in what power! When he returned to his desk, he snaked in his chair as if he were sitting on a stone.
My boss in that department was a respected man, Esko Porkola. That character was revealed by the fact that once I went to give him my finished design work. After checking it, he said, "You did it quickly and well. It's what I've heard about you, it is not true." I replied, "Starting my work depends on my receiving of the predata for the construction, which others must first give me. I don't always get that on the right time. Then my work is delayed if I can't even start it."
It was great to be recognized for the work I did with the skill! At that time, it was customary to first build a scale model of wood from each vessel to a scale of 1/50. Many different types of marine equipment were fitted to it and it was then discovered how they fit into the whole. That's why I also went to that ship model room to make sure the equipment was in the right place.
At that time I lived on Vähätuvantie in Helsinki, Konala, as a tenant of a neatly dressed, middle-aged, good-looking man. He was homosexual. His sexual orientation came as a complete surprise to me. I got that rental room through the Housing Service Office for Christians.
I told him in the beginning that I am confessional apostolic Christian and I believe in the Bible, and that I have a high morale. He realized what I was striving for and left me alone.
At that time, I saw a group of young boys aged 3 to 6 in the yard of my apartment building. One evening when I came home from work and saw those boys, I said to Adonai in my heart, "Oh, how cute boys. I wish someone would tell them you." I immediately heard the answer, "Leif, tell them about me because you love them too!"
So it was the time start to talk of Jesus to them right away!
I said to the boys, "Come over to me and I'll tell you some cool stuff." All the boys came to me right away. I was sitting on the floor in the lobby of a block of flats and the smallest boy, about 3 years old, with big brown eyes, came into my lap.
He touched my throat with his small fingers and asked. "Uncle what's that?" I told him it was called Adam's apple and that many men have this size. The answer pleased the boy.
Then I told them about Jesus, the Good Shepherd, who loves all people and especially children. They were interested in hearing more and I told them as they should be told at that age. I found them believing every word and felt the Lord was clearly and lovingly present.
The next afternoon I returned from work. I was expecting the same bunch of boys in the yard, about 6 people. They wanted to hear more about the Good Shepherd. Within me, I heard a call to teach them about prayer. So I told you that Jesus now has all the power in heaven and on earth and that we can pray to him for many things and he will give them to us.
I told them, however, that we should not be greedy, but reasonably ask for the things we need. The boys suggested we pray for something. I received an invitation to say to them, "Now let us each secretly pray in our hearts to one thing we earnestly hope for, and afterwards let us thank Jesus for hearing and answering that prayer. Do not tell after that anyone what you asked for, but wait for Jesus to respond."
Then the boys mumbled quietly and prayed for something. Soon one of them asked, "When will Jesus answer my prayer?" I asked Adonai quietly in my heart, "Adonai, when will you answer them?" I heard a voice inside me, "In three days."
I told the boys they would get a prayer answer in three days. When I got home from work the next day, the boys were waiting for me in the yard and said, "Hey uncle, we haven't got anything yet."
I was smiled by the firm and sincere faith of the children and I said, "Wait two more days." On the other day, too, the boys ran to me again when I came home and they said me, "Uncle, we still have not been getting anything." I replied, "Just wait and you'll get tomorrow."
On the third day, disbelief struck me and I deliberately came home two hours later than usual because I was afraid of the boys and if they didn't get anything. When I got home after 6pm, I saw one of the boys on guard around the corner of the house. When he saw me, he cried out, "Now that uncle is coming, get the boys here right now."
He had a stick in his hand and said me, "Stop, uncle I'll draw a circle of sand around you. Don't step outside until you've told us why we haven't received the goods we were praying for."
Then I said quietly in my heart to Adonai, "Oh Adonai, have you just not deceived those children?" I heard the answer, "No, I'm not."
Then I answered the eldest of the boys and to other too, "Remember carefully, for you have received the goods you prayed for!" Then they all began to list what they had prayed for and everyone had received the item they had prayed, just on that third day!
Then the eldest of them said, "But we were so expected that Jesus Himself would come down from heaven and bring them to us." I was very touched by that deep desire of the children to see Jesus and said, "Yes you will still see him, but now he uses people, animals, and circumstances as his intermediaries in answering our prayers."
The natural explanation for the prayer answers was that that very third day had been the closing day of the preschool club for the children, and therefore their relatives had bought these gifts for their little ones. I had no idea about those closing ceremonies. I only found out when the children said they had received gifts at that time.
That case described above was a good lesson for the children and also for me. The Bible does not needlessly say Heb. 11: 1-2
>>1. Now faith is assurance of things hoped for, proof of things not seen.
2. For by, the Elders obtained testimony.<<
To that I can add that even today, the essence of faith is just that, and that the promise also applies to children.
Around that time, one Saturday night, at a friend's request, I went to a youth meeting in Salem. The choir sang too loudly and I didn't like the loud noise, especially the drums, even though the message of the songs was good. We young people are also different in our musical taste. I was still young then. The very next night I saw a clear prophecy. It was as follows:
In summer, I walked on a sandy road in an area I didn't know. It was a beautiful detached house area and the road curved to the left. I had a little Bible in my pocket and I was very short of breath. I saw the signpost "Arrow Road" and as I walked forward, the Spirit said, "Go to house number 6 and ring the doorbell. There lives a woman who needs me."
When I went to the door of the house and rang the doorbell, an elderly woman who looked a lot crying came to open the door. She told her husband recently died. The dream ended there.
I remembered my sleep in the morning and started wondering where that road "Arrow Road" might lie?
I used logical reasoning and thought it was in Helsinki. I looked at the road on the phone book map and it was found in Pitäjänmäki, Reimarla in Helsinki. I decided to go to that address the next day, which was Sunday. I took the Bible with me and went. Although I saw it in my dream in the summer landscape, now in the winter landscape that road curved just as I had seen in my dream.
Soon I arrived in front of house number 6, I rang the doorbell, but nobody came to open it. Soon, the other front door of the house was opened and the woman I had seen in my dream said, "My tenant no longer lives there because she died a week ago and my husband died two weeks ago."
I replied her: "I have a thing for you. I am a Christian man, and I have important things to you from heaven." She replied that she just then had not time to talk, because she ought to go to buy a wreath on the tomb for her husband, but we agreed that we will meet a few days later, in the evening. So did we.
The woman, alias Helvi, had put the fire in the fireplace, made coffee and made pastries. We sat in the living room and she started telling me how horrible it was to see her beloved husband suffer and slowly wither away, and eventually die in her lap.
The man had had lung cancer, although he had never smoked, but was completely sober and had been sporting his whole life. The man finally weighed only 30 kg (66 lb) and Helvi asked with a weeping voice why her husband had to suffer so much(?) I also had tears.
I replied that we can't understand why so many great people are suffering so much and I told her how much more Jesus suffered for us on the cross at Calvary. He also atoned for the sins of Helvi's make.
I gave examples of other great sufferers, such as Christians and martyrs. I also told how we humans receive peace and salvation only through grace through faith in Jesus Christ's substitute death for us at Calvary.
Helvi said she had sometimes attended a Pentecostal tent meeting in her youth and liked the beautiful choral songs that were sung there, but she didn't understand what the pastor said. I also said that I like songs like this and that it is difficult to understand the message, especially if the speaker is using too difficult words and too theoretical talk to normal hearers.
Reorganization of planning departments
In the middle of my period there was an organizational change and I was transferred to the Steel Equipment Department, where I was responsible for designing various steel structures for ships, such as stair railings, deck structures, etc.
During that time were manufactured, besides the six icebreakers to Soviet, two other icebreakers for Sweden, the bigger Atle, the size of the Finnish Urho class, and the smaller Ale, were planned. Then the big icebreaker Urho was built in Finland.
Other vessels were included the luxury cruise ship called Song of Norway to Norway and to Finland the ferry Finnjet.
In that steel equipment department, I sat next to a designer devoured by an evil spirit. It was clearly manifested in one context when I was in a Christian meeting this weekend and experienced the powerful fulfillment of the Holy Spirit. When I got to work that morning, that devilish man, alias Heikki, came to work a little later. I greeted Tapani and started my work.
I noticed how Heikki began to stare at me and said to the whole department, "Wow, now Lefa is so full of the Holy Spirit that I have immediately to go to smoking!" He did so. It was a good example of the fact that demonic spirits know where the Holy Spirit is and in what power! When he returned to his desk, he snaked in his chair as if he were sitting on a stone.
My boss in that department was a respected man, Esko Porkola. That character was revealed by the fact that once I went to give him my finished design work. After checking it, he said, "You did it quickly and well. It's what I've heard about you, it is not true." I replied, "Starting my work depends on my receiving of the predata for the construction, which others must first give me. I don't always get that on the right time. Then my work is delayed if I can't even start it."
It was great to be recognized for the work I did with the skill! At that time, it was customary to first build a scale model of wood from each vessel to a scale of 1/50. Many different types of marine equipment were fitted to it and it was then discovered how they fit into the whole. That's why I also went to that ship model room to make sure the equipment was in the right place.
The young boys really believed in me!
At that time I lived on Vähätuvantie in Helsinki, Konala, as a tenant of a neatly dressed, middle-aged, good-looking man. He was homosexual. His sexual orientation came as a complete surprise to me. I got that rental room through the Housing Service Office for Christians.
I told him in the beginning that I am confessional apostolic Christian and I believe in the Bible, and that I have a high morale. He realized what I was striving for and left me alone.
At that time, I saw a group of young boys aged 3 to 6 in the yard of my apartment building. One evening when I came home from work and saw those boys, I said to Adonai in my heart, "Oh, how cute boys. I wish someone would tell them you." I immediately heard the answer, "Leif, tell them about me because you love them too!"
So it was the time start to talk of Jesus to them right away!
I said to the boys, "Come over to me and I'll tell you some cool stuff." All the boys came to me right away. I was sitting on the floor in the lobby of a block of flats and the smallest boy, about 3 years old, with big brown eyes, came into my lap.
He touched my throat with his small fingers and asked. "Uncle what's that?" I told him it was called Adam's apple and that many men have this size. The answer pleased the boy.
Then I told them about Jesus, the Good Shepherd, who loves all people and especially children. They were interested in hearing more and I told them as they should be told at that age. I found them believing every word and felt the Lord was clearly and lovingly present.
The next afternoon I returned from work. I was expecting the same bunch of boys in the yard, about 6 people. They wanted to hear more about the Good Shepherd. Within me, I heard a call to teach them about prayer. So I told you that Jesus now has all the power in heaven and on earth and that we can pray to him for many things and he will give them to us.
I told them, however, that we should not be greedy, but reasonably ask for the things we need. The boys suggested we pray for something. I received an invitation to say to them, "Now let us each secretly pray in our hearts to one thing we earnestly hope for, and afterwards let us thank Jesus for hearing and answering that prayer. Do not tell after that anyone what you asked for, but wait for Jesus to respond."
Then the boys mumbled quietly and prayed for something. Soon one of them asked, "When will Jesus answer my prayer?" I asked Adonai quietly in my heart, "Adonai, when will you answer them?" I heard a voice inside me, "In three days."
I told the boys they would get a prayer answer in three days. When I got home from work the next day, the boys were waiting for me in the yard and said, "Hey uncle, we haven't got anything yet."
I was smiled by the firm and sincere faith of the children and I said, "Wait two more days." On the other day, too, the boys ran to me again when I came home and they said me, "Uncle, we still have not been getting anything." I replied, "Just wait and you'll get tomorrow."
Then came the third day
On the third day, disbelief struck me and I deliberately came home two hours later than usual because I was afraid of the boys and if they didn't get anything. When I got home after 6pm, I saw one of the boys on guard around the corner of the house. When he saw me, he cried out, "Now that uncle is coming, get the boys here right now."
He had a stick in his hand and said me, "Stop, uncle I'll draw a circle of sand around you. Don't step outside until you've told us why we haven't received the goods we were praying for."
Then I said quietly in my heart to Adonai, "Oh Adonai, have you just not deceived those children?" I heard the answer, "No, I'm not."
Then I answered the eldest of the boys and to other too, "Remember carefully, for you have received the goods you prayed for!" Then they all began to list what they had prayed for and everyone had received the item they had prayed, just on that third day!
Then the eldest of them said, "But we were so expected that Jesus Himself would come down from heaven and bring them to us." I was very touched by that deep desire of the children to see Jesus and said, "Yes you will still see him, but now he uses people, animals, and circumstances as his intermediaries in answering our prayers."
The natural explanation for the prayer answers was that that very third day had been the closing day of the preschool club for the children, and therefore their relatives had bought these gifts for their little ones. I had no idea about those closing ceremonies. I only found out when the children said they had received gifts at that time.
That case described above was a good lesson for the children and also for me. The Bible does not needlessly say Heb. 11: 1-2
>>1. Now faith is assurance of things hoped for, proof of things not seen.
2. For by, the Elders obtained testimony.<<
To that I can add that even today, the essence of faith is just that, and that the promise also applies to children.
I got the Gospel mission through sleep vision
Around that time, one Saturday night, at a friend's request, I went to a youth meeting in Salem. The choir sang too loudly and I didn't like the loud noise, especially the drums, even though the message of the songs was good. We young people are also different in our musical taste. I was still young then. The very next night I saw a clear prophecy. It was as follows:
In summer, I walked on a sandy road in an area I didn't know. It was a beautiful detached house area and the road curved to the left. I had a little Bible in my pocket and I was very short of breath. I saw the signpost "Arrow Road" and as I walked forward, the Spirit said, "Go to house number 6 and ring the doorbell. There lives a woman who needs me."
When I went to the door of the house and rang the doorbell, an elderly woman who looked a lot crying came to open the door. She told her husband recently died. The dream ended there.
I remembered my sleep in the morning and started wondering where that road "Arrow Road" might lie?
I used logical reasoning and thought it was in Helsinki. I looked at the road on the phone book map and it was found in Pitäjänmäki, Reimarla in Helsinki. I decided to go to that address the next day, which was Sunday. I took the Bible with me and went. Although I saw it in my dream in the summer landscape, now in the winter landscape that road curved just as I had seen in my dream.
Soon I arrived in front of house number 6, I rang the doorbell, but nobody came to open it. Soon, the other front door of the house was opened and the woman I had seen in my dream said, "My tenant no longer lives there because she died a week ago and my husband died two weeks ago."
I replied her: "I have a thing for you. I am a Christian man, and I have important things to you from heaven." She replied that she just then had not time to talk, because she ought to go to buy a wreath on the tomb for her husband, but we agreed that we will meet a few days later, in the evening. So did we.
The woman, alias Helvi, had put the fire in the fireplace, made coffee and made pastries. We sat in the living room and she started telling me how horrible it was to see her beloved husband suffer and slowly wither away, and eventually die in her lap.
The man had had lung cancer, although he had never smoked, but was completely sober and had been sporting his whole life. The man finally weighed only 30 kg (66 lb) and Helvi asked with a weeping voice why her husband had to suffer so much(?) I also had tears.
I replied that we can't understand why so many great people are suffering so much and I told her how much more Jesus suffered for us on the cross at Calvary. He also atoned for the sins of Helvi's make.
I gave examples of other great sufferers, such as Christians and martyrs. I also told how we humans receive peace and salvation only through grace through faith in Jesus Christ's substitute death for us at Calvary.
Helvi said she had sometimes attended a Pentecostal tent meeting in her youth and liked the beautiful choral songs that were sung there, but she didn't understand what the pastor said. I also said that I like songs like this and that it is difficult to understand the message, especially if the speaker is using too difficult words and too theoretical talk to normal hearers.
I read to Helv some verses from the Bible and gave him a good Christian book on the subject of "When one of your beloved ones has moved to eternity." Finally, we prayed and I blessed Helvi. When I left, I gave her topical meeting program for the Saalem Church in Helsinki.
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