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In Stockholm, 1982-85
An introduction
I lived, evangelized, studied, worked, and finally went to AMU-Center for a 12-month refresher course for mechanical engineers. Of that 12 months, it took 5 months to study Swedish. I spent almost 3 years in Greater Stockholm, July 1, 1982 - April 30, 1985. AMU-Center stands for Labor Market Training Center. It was located in Liljeholmen, Stockholm.
Short-term temporary works
Initially I moved to a large rental apartment of 4rooms + kitchen + bathroom. There lived my Christian friend Jaakob and his wife Katariina with their son Daniel too. In the evenings I worked as a cleaner at Bollmora Center Domus for 2 months, and at Svenska Filadelfia srk for 13 months, continuing Jaakob' work after he and his family moved to Hämeenlinna, Finland in late 1982.
I also worked for Hedströms Fabriks och handels AB, a plastic factory in Norsborg for 1 month. I joined the great Swedish Filadelfia congregation in Stockholm, where my membership number was 23,001. During that time, however, I went almost exclusively to the Finnish Filadelfia congregation in Stockholm, along the Högbergsgatan, and sang tenor in the choir.
Those congregations belonged together in terms of membership. Before moving to Finland, Jaakob arranged for me to share a second apartment with a male pianist in the Swedish-speaking Free Church (Frikyrka) member in Granängsringen, Bollmora, the suburb of Stockholm. It was an apartment with 3 rooms + kitchen + bathroom.
He was a very smart bachelor and a true Christian, alias Tomas Svensson, who had a maternal relationship with Finland. Tomas had already started dating a charming Spanish lady, Maria, and shortly before they got married, Lars had helped me to rent a small rental apartment in Huddinge, Västra Flemingsberg. It was located in the suburbs of Greater Stockholm.
Maria' move to Lars was the reason for me to get a rental apartment in the City of Greater Stockholm. My apartment was located at Röntgenvägen 3, 12th floor. It was close to Scandinavia's largest hospital, Huddinge Sjukhus. During that time, I had the time to complete the required volunteers for 240 hours of supervised free course in Swedish and received a certificate.
Then I quit my job because unemployment was the only way to get to AMU-Center schoolning. I also took the risk. I did it with prayer and trust in Adonai Yeshua' help. I thought it would not have been wise for myself and for the Swedish state to remain a cleaner.
I managed to get to the AMU-Center
When I applied for that college, I was invited for an interview. A smart woman was reading my work and school certificates, which I had myself translated into my weak Swedish language, and she wondered why I wanted to go to the AMU-Center, even though I already had about 7 years of work as a graphic designer in various design assignments (?)
I replied that I did not speak Swedish well enough and that it was therefore impossible for me to get the kind of job in Sweden, which should corresponding to my Finnish education and working qualifications. I said I had already been looking for it.
I mentioned that if she allows me to take an AMU-Center course, I promise to work in Sweden for at least 5 years. She smiled, thought a while carefully, and accepted me for the course! I pulled the right cord! HalleluYah! As the sequel shows, I did keep the promise even though I was close to break it.
I mentioned that if she allows me to take an AMU-Center course, I promise to work in Sweden for at least 5 years. She smiled, thought a while carefully, and accepted me for the course! I pulled the right cord! HalleluYah! As the sequel shows, I did keep the promise even though I was close to break it.
I just made money by praising!
Before I got to that AMU course, I had been only short time at job and my money run out three times. When it first happened, I remembered a counsel given by a Christian woman named Lahja Hursti. She had experienced a following advise to help her in times of financial distress:
"Do not be discouraged then, but begin to praise the Lord Jesus with all your heart in faith that he will come to help you!"
"Do not be discouraged then, but begin to praise the Lord Jesus with all your heart in faith that he will come to help you!"
When my money ran out and I had to pay a month's rent the next day and eat something, I took my guitar to hands and started playing it and singing some the best songs of praise and worship with all my heart. In the middle of singing, my doorbell rang and a familiar believer popped in and brought me a brown envelope with SEK 1,200! He came at the right time!
That was enough for me to pay a monthly rent of SEK 800, food SEK 200 and a travel card SEK 200. That brother knew nothing of my financial plight. He said he had been praying with his wife in Finland and asking about the subject of their tithing. Adonai had said, "Give them to Lefa!"
Making money with praise repeated twice more
When I entered the AMU-Center, the participants were only paid by the Swedish government about a month after the course began. Because of this, I was twice more in a situation where I needed to pick up the guitar and the second time, in the middle of my song, the letter dropped from the door-hatch. It was posted from Finland and contained SEK 1000, which was enough at that time.
When that money ran out, I got SEK 600 again while singing the worship song for Adonai. Although I'm pretty bad to play the guitar and to sing, so Adonai Yeshua loves them, who worship him with all their hearts! The crow sings with his voice, not to mention the pheasant rooster. To get free money three times just in time was amazing! HalleluYah!
At AMU-Center
The course ran from February 27, 1984 to April 4, 1985. The course consisted of three periods. Initially, there was a 5-month course called “Sweden as a Foreign Language and Social Integration”. It ran between 27.02. - August 17, 1984 except the holiday month July. There were about 15 students and we were from many different countries. I and one woman were from Finland.
I was studying Swedish hard and wanted to learn it so well that I could properly proclaim the message of salvation in Swedish. Through the Försäkringskassan, the Swedish state paid us a good salary throughout the course: about SEK 4,400 per month minus tax. According to my tax documents, it was approximately SEK 3,500 per month net.
In addition, student lunches and snacks at the AMU-Center school cafeteria were on tap for almost half-price from the normal price.
What a difficult situation
It was spring 1984 and was coming for a 3 day weekend. I had planned to visit Post on Friday to withdraw 400 kr from my PostGiro account before 3 pm, because the dator mainframe will be shut down then. I walked over to the post office at about 2pm along the AMU-C lobby, but there I heard someone inviting me by name.
The college headmaster shouted my name and asked if I had a moment to talk with him? Even though I didn't really have one, I still kindly replied that of course we could chat!
The topic was very important!
As the Rector, a middle-aged man, started telling me what the topic was about, I immediately realized how important the topic was and I was grateful to Adonai for teaching me patience and courtesy in a situation like that, even if without that SEK 400 I would have had 3 days without food because I had run out of money and food. Otherwise I was underweight because my lifestyle was to eat regularly but little and pray a lot.
Rector said he was planning further training just right for me and said it was machine engineer based but that I need to get at least an EF-level in a future Swedish test. It corresponds almost to the native language proficiency level and sufficient capacity to follow all kinds of teaching in Swedish, even at university level.
I warmly thanked him and promised to try my best and said I believed I would reach that level. HalleluYah!
Big disappointment
When our conversation was over, I ran to the nearest post office and, to my disappointment, did not arrive until 2:50 pm and when I picked up the shift number, I received the number 960, but it was only 186 that was served! The post office was packed full of customers for some reason and I realized that I would by no means reach the cashier before 3pm!
I left the post office profoundly disappointed and said to Adonai: "Listen, Adonai, now I'm disappointed in you. You did know in advance what shall be happen to me today. Why did the principal asked me to talk with him just today? It should were been easy to arrange that meeting for another day!" It was a shame to admit, it was a typical 35-year-old Lefa-baby' bitter complaint to his Heavenly Father.
Adonai responded me with the same measure!
I was already out in front of the Post when I heard a clear voice in my heart saying, "Listen Leif! You are a Christian and you must fight and not give up so easily! Go back to the Post Office immediately and take that money!" I was shocked to hear it and immediately went back to the Post Office.
As I stood in the middle of the hall and saw a large crowd staring at me as if I were a fool. Then I said in my heart to Adonai, "Well Adonai, how do I take that money, as you know, at least I'm not going to rob it?"
Quiet wind
I felt a gentle wind breezing in my legs and as I looked at the floor, seeing the abandoned queuing paper in front of me as if brought by the wind. I heard a voice inside me, "Take that queuing paper!" I took it. The number was 190 and that was when 189 was served and I heard the bell ring for 190!
I ran to the checkout like a cruise missile and said I would withdraw SEK 400 from my account and told her my account number. My passport I showed to her too. The woman said the clock was already 3 pm and the central computer would always be closed on Fridays at 2:58 pm due to rush hours, but added she would try once!
I smiled at her then and was sure she would succeed. She said surprised, “What a miracle! I got really connect to the central computer and you get your money!” I was with feeling like to exploding of joy as I got the money. When I left the post office it was feeling almost like I was flying in the air! HalleluYah!
The devil' ambush was waiting for me
As I walked along the park path and thanked with the new tongues singing to Adonai in my heart, I heard a clear commanding voice, "Stop Leif, don't take a step!"
I stopped instantly and just then I saw a car whose windows and roof had been pulled down. Four men sat in it. They drove very fast and wildly, from behind me, on the right side of me, and almost hit me with their car so that it slightly swept my pant leg.
>>The angel of Yehowah encamps round about those who fear him, And delivers them.<<
Adonai knew in advance about the devil's ambush and warned me!
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