Jim and Lynn Jarman 
Stockholm City Team Leaders 
ReachGlobal - Converge Worldwide 
New Life Church Stockholm 
Newsletter #10 - November/December 2015  



God jul från Sverige! 
Merry Christmas from Sweden! 

        What a wonderful season to be in Sweden serving Christ and His Kingdom.  We arrived in country on October 16th and have
hit the ground running.  And it's all because of friends like you who have prayed for us and sacrificially supported our mission.  We are grateful beyond words. 
       We wish each of you the very merriest of Advent seasons!  May the light of Christ that shines in your hearts be a beacon to everyone around you!
       This photo shows Stockholm Central Station.  There are people everywhere in Sweden who do not know Christ.  Less than 1% of Stockholm attends a church of any kind.  May the true meaning of Christmas fill their lives even as it does yours.

With Hearts of Gratitude,  
Jim and Lynn     
Lights in the Dark   
  
     "...the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light...."  (Matthew 4:16) 
   
       In one week, the Winter Solstice will be here - the darkest time of the year.  In Stockholm, the sun will rise at 8:44 and set at 2:49 - giving us 6 hours and 05 minutes of daylight.  The sun will stay low in the sky.
       We're actually doing fairly well with the lack of sunshine.  It's the spiritual darkness that breaks our hearts.  For many Swedes, the SON never rises and their lives remain dark. 
       We arrived in Stockholm 2 months ago, and since the majority of Swedes speak English, we've been able to start ministry immediately.  So many were waiting for us to arrive - for coaching, mentoring, encouraging, strategizing. 
       It's taken us these 8 weeks to get fully legal in the country - resident visas, personal numbers, national identity cards, and just last week - our bank accounts.  We had been living in a temporary apartment in a transitional neighborhood with gang violence, but have now moved to a lovely apartment in the city.  We pray it will be longer term.  In January, we hope to start a one month intensive Swedish language course. 
      During these first two months we began coaching church planters and visited 6 New Life church sites - including Gothenburg - five hours away on Sweden's west coast.  We attended a church leaders conference in Uppsala and a ReachGlobal gathering in Spain.  We welcomed leaders from both Converge and ReachGlobal who flew in to dream with us about the possibilities of Sweden.  We have had the opportunity to meet some key Swedish Christian leaders and listen to their visions and burdens for their country. 
       In November, one of our church partners blessed us with a skilled construction team that served one of the church plants.  In January, another partner church will send one of their site pastors and his family to Sweden for a three month church planter exchange.  We are excited!  We love our partners!
       We've been busy, but happy.  In so many ways, God has shown us we are exactly where He wants us to be.  We've had great challenges and even greater joys! 
       And it is for a time such as this that we have left the comfort of the familiar for a new life.  If you could feel the hugs of our Swedish friends and hear their words - "We're so glad you are here!" - you would know that our journey has been worth every struggle.   What an honor to serve the Lord in Sweden!
      

Please continue to pray for us!
 
Pray that our present apartment will become long term secure housing. 
 
Pray for our language acquisition and cultural awareness.   
 
Pray for wisdom as we lead the church multiplication movement
of New Life Church Stockholm  
and for our dear new friends
as they seek to win their country to Christ.
 
Pray for us as we build the City Team in Stockholm -  
that God will call those He is preparing to join us,  
that the team will be a blessing to Stockholm,  
and that there will be great joy in the city as a result of God's favor!
 

To send a special Christmas gift,   
please click on our name below and go to our profile page. 
The giving link is easy to use. 
Select "Special Gift" and in the comments write: 
"Christmas Gift". 
Thank you for remembering us! 

Jim and Lynn
 
 


Christmas blessings to each of you!