Returning to Finland from Israel 1977
I watched the lights of Jerusalem farther behind the bus window and remembered Adonai Yeshua saying, "The city on the top of the mountain cannot be hidden, and the lamp will not be lit and placed under a stable."
Back then, very long ago, there were no streetlights like today, and even houses didn't shine that amount of lights at night, so the verse from Yeshua and his teaching is emphasized even more nowadays. How right Yeshua was in that statement! There were several Israeli passengers in the bus and the driver was a bushy-beard man named Ezekiel.
The return flight to Finland was partly shaky and sketchy with interest in how Adonai Yeshua would guide me (?) I forgot to mention that I had sent a letter from my kibbutz to my mother in Sweden about 2 weeks before my deportation. She lived in Borås and we had correspondence from time to time even though I had not met her face to face for over 10 years.
About a week later she sent me so far the only telegram I ever received. It read: "Leif, come here to Sweden right away if you can't find a job in Finland because living in Israel is life threatening! Regards, Your Mother". I thought after receiving it, that was a typical mother's concern for her child. It was only after I was expelled from Israel that I realized it was truly the influence of the Holy Spirit and I decided to move to Sweden.
I didn't have the money to travel to Sweden
I had already learned that when Adonai Yeshua opens one door for us, it is easier for our human sheep to be led by him. I arrived at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport early in the morning and spent the night at the airport terminal, sobbing and sometimes snoozing.
I had only enough Finnish money to go to Helsinki the next day and from there to the Jesus House in Vartiokylä (Guard Village). There, I told my friends about the different stages of my trip and also that I had received a request from my mother, Sweden, to travel to her. The mother's assumption was also correct that there were over 200 unemployed machine construction technicians in Finland during those years. I was one of them.
Since I was 1.5 years absent from work similar to my education and had done other jobs, it was very difficult for me to get any work from Finland, because I was homeless and without money. At the Jesus House, the same believing brother, to whom I had given my brand new winter jacket just before traveling to Kibbutz, came and greeted me by shaking my hand.
He had in his hand small scrunched bank note of FIM 50, which he gave to me whispering, "Leif, you need travel money. Here's a little help for you." The reader can only imagine how grateful I was to Yeshua and my friend, who was himself unemployed, but at least gave me so much. It was genuine brotherly love!
He didn't know I was without money! I told him of my financial situation until after he had already given me money. I told it to him to confirm his faith that he was under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. It has been my principle to trust only my beloved Heavenly Father and to share all my concerns only with him.
I said again goodbye to my friends at Jesus House in Helsinki and traveled to Turku. There I went to City Library, where I remembered to have a book explaining the whole of chapter 11 of the book of Daniel and copied it with a pen writing on the wide, big preacher Bible on its margins. I had seen that book there, while quoting other books with the aforementioned missionary Antti Hartikka.
I stayed overnight at my good friends. They were Veikko and Kerttu Laaksonen at street Vanha Tampereentie 12. In the morning we prayed together and read the Bible. I got my heart traveling in the evening by car ferry to Stockholm. It was then a very harsh winter and severe frost time. Fortunately, I wore a long light brown winter overcoat that I really needed now!
I had bought it earlier, before Israel' trip, from the Salvation Army' Second hand shop for a few FIM. That was my size. I traveled by car ferry to Stockholm and at that time got a free shuttle bus from the Viking terminal to T-Cenral, where I arrived 30 kg (66 lb) suitcase and my smaller luggage about 9 kg (19 lb) with me. I could not foresee what kind of adventure was waiting for me at that time!
I couldn't even speak Swedish, so all the things had to be done in poor English. As I sat down with my stuff at T-Central, I began to pray saying, "Oh my dear Heavenly Father, now I am asking you for wisdom in the name of Jesus to know how I can go forward and get to Borås. You know that my money 44 SEK and 30 øre is not enough for a train ticket costing 112 SEK. Thank you! Amen."
After waiting for some minutes for help and wisdom, I got a great thought straight from Him: "Send your big suitcase by train to Borås and travel by hitchhiking there." Then I went to an office outside of T-Central at that time, where I had to weigh the suitcase and pay for its freight inside T-Central.
As I walked towards the office, I thought, "What if my money isn't enough for freight rate of my suitcase?" So I took the winter hat from my head to my hand, raised my hand to Adonai, and prayed: "Oh my dear Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus, if my money is not enough, still help me to send it. Thank you! Amen."
I put fur hat on my head and went to the office. I was the only customer and there was only one gray-haired male worker sitting there. He weighed my suitcase and looked at the cargo price in the list. It was 48 SEK. I opened my wallet silently in my mind, praying and saying,
"I am sorry, but I only have 44 SEK." I put all the money on the counter and showed my empty wallet. He looked first to the left and then to the right. Since we were the only people in the whole office, he write with pencil two lines over the marking for 30 kg. Then he changed the marking to 20 kg, for a price of 44 SEK. Then he smiled me and I thanked him. I also thank Adonai Yeshua, who influenced mercy in his heart.
When I had successfully shipped the heavy suitcase by train, I set off on a walk to find out a way out Stockholm to the southwest. I had no local knowledge of Stockholm at all, as I had been only on a day cruise with my parents Paulus and Siiri and my siblings once in my youth, and at that time we only used the subway.
I looked at the map of directions, but in the winter scenery, when the afternoon was already over, it was difficult and laborious to navigate in the right direction while walking. I only had money for 30 öre (2 pennies). I was drawn to a young man with an exceptionally colorful scarf. He walked to meet me on the other side of the street.
After the trip walked about 1 km ahead came the same young man nearing me the same side of the street! I asked him the way out. He advised where the subway station is and which bus to take. Instead, I asked him to tell me how to get there on foot.
He realized that I was moneyless, as no normal person would walk many kilometers with such a cold, because it would be fast and warm on public transport. He was a friendly British and we spoke English.
He took a piece of paper and drew the route for how to walk and gave me 10 SEK money saying it was enough for travel money and also for coffee. I thanked him warmly. I continued my journey and went to the Café along the way. After coming finally to the motorways E3 and E4 starting points, I lifted my thumb to got a free journey.
After a while I got a shorter trip to Södertälje. I thought the Swedes were a friendly people, and my opinion has not changed since then, as will be seen in the follow-up to this travel report.
Before I did wait for free car ride, I had prayed the following prayer:
"My dear Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus I plead with you to help me arrive at Borås tomorrow Friday before the Sabbath begins.
I also ask that you give me food as requested by our Father's Prayer and that I will have a warm bed for the night. Trusting that you will do all this to me, I promise you that I will testify of Jesus to anyone who offers me a ride. Thank you! Amen."
After that, I got several short car rides until a long break, when I didn't get a single ride even though several cars passed me. The devil whispered in my ear, "You're going to starve there and freeze to death, you fool." I decided to silence his voice and sang all the walk time praise songs to Adonai.
Finally I got a ride. The driver was a dark-haired, middle-aged man who didn't like me telling him about Jesus! However, he drove me to the gas station refueling his car's petrol tank and said, "You are breaking the law while walking on the E4. Therefore, it is wise for you to wait here until someone comes to refuel and ask him for a ride."
It was otherwise wise advice, but when it was late at 11pm no one came to the gas station after that. I was cold and hungry. Then I sighed to heaven, saying in my heart, "Oh dear Adonai! This is hopeless!"
I heard a quiet whisper, "Abraham hoped, though there was no hope." I realized that the speaker was the Holy Spirit, who reminded me of Abraham, the father of faith. I replied to him, "Thanks for the advice and now I'll walk back to the highway 4, because no one will stop here this night to refuel."
I did so, even though it was illegal. Distress does not obey the law and that is good to remember when we are in distress!
I had only enough Finnish money to go to Helsinki the next day and from there to the Jesus House in Vartiokylä (Guard Village). There, I told my friends about the different stages of my trip and also that I had received a request from my mother, Sweden, to travel to her. The mother's assumption was also correct that there were over 200 unemployed machine construction technicians in Finland during those years. I was one of them.
Since I was 1.5 years absent from work similar to my education and had done other jobs, it was very difficult for me to get any work from Finland, because I was homeless and without money. At the Jesus House, the same believing brother, to whom I had given my brand new winter jacket just before traveling to Kibbutz, came and greeted me by shaking my hand.
He had in his hand small scrunched bank note of FIM 50, which he gave to me whispering, "Leif, you need travel money. Here's a little help for you." The reader can only imagine how grateful I was to Yeshua and my friend, who was himself unemployed, but at least gave me so much. It was genuine brotherly love!
He didn't know I was without money! I told him of my financial situation until after he had already given me money. I told it to him to confirm his faith that he was under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. It has been my principle to trust only my beloved Heavenly Father and to share all my concerns only with him.
I said again goodbye to my friends at Jesus House in Helsinki and traveled to Turku. There I went to City Library, where I remembered to have a book explaining the whole of chapter 11 of the book of Daniel and copied it with a pen writing on the wide, big preacher Bible on its margins. I had seen that book there, while quoting other books with the aforementioned missionary Antti Hartikka.
I stayed overnight at my good friends. They were Veikko and Kerttu Laaksonen at street Vanha Tampereentie 12. In the morning we prayed together and read the Bible. I got my heart traveling in the evening by car ferry to Stockholm. It was then a very harsh winter and severe frost time. Fortunately, I wore a long light brown winter overcoat that I really needed now!
I had bought it earlier, before Israel' trip, from the Salvation Army' Second hand shop for a few FIM. That was my size. I traveled by car ferry to Stockholm and at that time got a free shuttle bus from the Viking terminal to T-Cenral, where I arrived 30 kg (66 lb) suitcase and my smaller luggage about 9 kg (19 lb) with me. I could not foresee what kind of adventure was waiting for me at that time!
Prayer at T-Central, Stockholm
I couldn't even speak Swedish, so all the things had to be done in poor English. As I sat down with my stuff at T-Central, I began to pray saying, "Oh my dear Heavenly Father, now I am asking you for wisdom in the name of Jesus to know how I can go forward and get to Borås. You know that my money 44 SEK and 30 øre is not enough for a train ticket costing 112 SEK. Thank you! Amen."
After waiting for some minutes for help and wisdom, I got a great thought straight from Him: "Send your big suitcase by train to Borås and travel by hitchhiking there." Then I went to an office outside of T-Central at that time, where I had to weigh the suitcase and pay for its freight inside T-Central.
As I walked towards the office, I thought, "What if my money isn't enough for freight rate of my suitcase?" So I took the winter hat from my head to my hand, raised my hand to Adonai, and prayed: "Oh my dear Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus, if my money is not enough, still help me to send it. Thank you! Amen."
I put fur hat on my head and went to the office. I was the only customer and there was only one gray-haired male worker sitting there. He weighed my suitcase and looked at the cargo price in the list. It was 48 SEK. I opened my wallet silently in my mind, praying and saying,
"I am sorry, but I only have 44 SEK." I put all the money on the counter and showed my empty wallet. He looked first to the left and then to the right. Since we were the only people in the whole office, he write with pencil two lines over the marking for 30 kg. Then he changed the marking to 20 kg, for a price of 44 SEK. Then he smiled me and I thanked him. I also thank Adonai Yeshua, who influenced mercy in his heart.
Hitchhiking from Stockholm in freezing cold night
When I had successfully shipped the heavy suitcase by train, I set off on a walk to find out a way out Stockholm to the southwest. I had no local knowledge of Stockholm at all, as I had been only on a day cruise with my parents Paulus and Siiri and my siblings once in my youth, and at that time we only used the subway.
I looked at the map of directions, but in the winter scenery, when the afternoon was already over, it was difficult and laborious to navigate in the right direction while walking. I only had money for 30 öre (2 pennies). I was drawn to a young man with an exceptionally colorful scarf. He walked to meet me on the other side of the street.
After the trip walked about 1 km ahead came the same young man nearing me the same side of the street! I asked him the way out. He advised where the subway station is and which bus to take. Instead, I asked him to tell me how to get there on foot.
He realized that I was moneyless, as no normal person would walk many kilometers with such a cold, because it would be fast and warm on public transport. He was a friendly British and we spoke English.
He took a piece of paper and drew the route for how to walk and gave me 10 SEK money saying it was enough for travel money and also for coffee. I thanked him warmly. I continued my journey and went to the Café along the way. After coming finally to the motorways E3 and E4 starting points, I lifted my thumb to got a free journey.
After a while I got a shorter trip to Södertälje. I thought the Swedes were a friendly people, and my opinion has not changed since then, as will be seen in the follow-up to this travel report.
Before I did wait for free car ride, I had prayed the following prayer:
"My dear Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus I plead with you to help me arrive at Borås tomorrow Friday before the Sabbath begins.
I also ask that you give me food as requested by our Father's Prayer and that I will have a warm bed for the night. Trusting that you will do all this to me, I promise you that I will testify of Jesus to anyone who offers me a ride. Thank you! Amen."
I got a bad and a good advice at the gas station
Finally I got a ride. The driver was a dark-haired, middle-aged man who didn't like me telling him about Jesus! However, he drove me to the gas station refueling his car's petrol tank and said, "You are breaking the law while walking on the E4. Therefore, it is wise for you to wait here until someone comes to refuel and ask him for a ride."
It was otherwise wise advice, but when it was late at 11pm no one came to the gas station after that. I was cold and hungry. Then I sighed to heaven, saying in my heart, "Oh dear Adonai! This is hopeless!"
I heard a quiet whisper, "Abraham hoped, though there was no hope." I realized that the speaker was the Holy Spirit, who reminded me of Abraham, the father of faith. I replied to him, "Thanks for the advice and now I'll walk back to the highway 4, because no one will stop here this night to refuel."
I did so, even though it was illegal. Distress does not obey the law and that is good to remember when we are in distress!
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