Holsby Spring Scavenger Hunt
We are well into our two-month spring term, which began with a photo scavenger hunt requiring some thought and creativity from nine family groups trying to capture and complete fifty different photo challenges around campus. As you watch this video of top shots, see if you can check off these different challenges and maybe remember some of your own laughable moments at Holsby.
Something dirty
Something little
Something noisy
An elephant
Your reflection
Your shadows in the air
No feet on the ground
Everyone balanced on a tie
Want to call home? Everyone hop in!
Burn baby burn
Something old and weathered
Salute to the Swedish flag
Right hands on the well
A goatee
Our theme verse (Joshua 1:9)
A toddler not your own
A secret
Picture with Elke
Go back to your childhood and “slide” down memory lane together
Everyone in a scarf
Yummy
Soles with all in
Dance
Your first
Faith
Farthinder (Swedish will help for this one)
A snowman making a sand castle
A candid shot
Abbey Road
Sleeping Beauty’s cottage
Handstands
Kiss the pinky ring of the director—your elder
Spell out HOLSBY
King of Brunnsgården Hill
Something that makes you feel happy
Up a tree without a paddle
Hugging a beautiful Swede
Recreating history
Introducing the Schnizler family
UPDATE: Tobi, Nivea and their two daughters are back home in Holsby! Little Laura Sofie made better progress than the doctors expected and she was released from the hospital a week early. We thank the Lord for this answer to prayer.
When Tobi (from Germany) and Nivea (from Brazil) first approached us about volunteering at Holsby, none of us knew the details of the story that would soon play out in their lives and in ours. In early October they moved into the Holsby community together with their three-year-old daughter, Alícia. She is a vivacious little girl, who communicates freely in German, Portuguese and English. So much fun!
The Schnizler family
When they arrived at Holsby, Nivea was expecting their second child. It was only when they went for one of their first maternity check-ups that they found out that their child had some significant physical and medical challenges. While still in the womb, their child was diagnosed with spina bifida – a serious condition where the child is born with a portion of the spine exposed. It is essential that the baby be delivered by Caesarean section to avoid further nerve damage. All of this was, of course, very challenging to the Schnizler family – especially as they had just moved to Sweden, a country they were not familiar with.
Time was approaching for the scheduled C-section. The Holsby community surrounded the Schnizlers with prayer, and we waited with them to see what the Lord would do. The day before their planned trip to the hospital for the scheduled delivery, Nivea went into labor! They were driven by ambulance first to the local hospital to stop the labor contractions and then rushed to the university hospital in Linköping, where they could receive the specialized care their child would be needing. Lots of prayer accompanied them on that trip, and a beautiful little girl, Laura Sofie, was born to Tobi and Nivea on March 25th.
Tobi and Laura Sofie
Immediately after delivery, Laura Sofie was rushed into surgery to close up her spine. The procedure was successful and it appears that no further nerve damage resulted from the surgery. However, another common issue for spina bifida babies is the accumulation of fluid on the brain, which needs to be drained by installing a shunt. It is basically a valve that is inserted into the skull with a tube that drains the extra fluid back into the body.
On top of all this, at birth Laura was not able to breathe on her own and needed assistance. The doctors suggested that Tobi and Nivea call a priest to have Laura baptized. The situation was not looking very optimistic. Within the first couple weeks of her life, Laura Sofie had at least three major medical interventions. The incision on her spine has been taking a longer time than usual healing; the shunt started breaking through her skin and had to be removed and then replaced; little Laura’s bladder and bowels are not yet functioning properly.
And yet, in all of this, Laura has two major things going for her: she is loved by God, and she is loved by her family. And while Tobi and Nivea have experienced setbacks, challenges and frustrations – their faith remains strong. The Lord has answered prayer and Laura is improving each and every day. On Easter Sunday, Laura began to breathe on her own – a definite answer to prayer and contrary to what the doctors were predicting. She is eating well, her incision is healing, and in a special evidence of God’s blessing, the doctors say that Laura’s legs are highly functional. Very often, spina bifida children have severely limited use of their legs. It appears that this is not the case with Laura, for which we are all very grateful.
Mother and daughter
Although Laura Sofie and her family will continue to face physical and medical challenges, the new life of a child is always a blessing to celebrate. And Laura is so privileged to be born into a family that loves the Lord and loves her. Her sister, Alícia, will be a huge support for her and has already shown evidence of a mature love and compassion for little Laura. And, of course, the entire Holsby community will continue to surround the Schnizler family with our prayers, love and support. We ask that you join us in blessing this precious family through your prayers.
Tobi, Nivea and their two daughters hope to return home to Holsby by the beginning of May. It has been a long and trying period in their lives, but they remain anchored and sustained by their faith in a sovereign and loving God. They wanted to share a few words with you, the readers of this blog, with the request that you would pray for them in the coming weeks and months:
Dear FikaTime readers,
It is all about love, because God is love.
“God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.” 1 John 4:16
How precious it has been for us as a family to experience love in such a practical way! Before we came to Sweden, John Poysti assured us that the Holsby community was a loving and caring one, but could we have ever imagined that he really meant it?
We have been feeling God’s care for us through prayers, cards, phone calls, emails, grocery, gifts and visits. We know that we are not alone, we feel very special! Love is more than beautiful words and nice feelings. Love is very practical.
“After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church – for we are members of his body.” Ephesians 5:29-30
Tobi, Nivea, Alícia and Laura Sofie
In memory of Justin Priebe (1986-2013)
Update: This post has already been seen by well over 4000 people and testifies to the impact that Justin has had – and continues to have – among so many people.
We were all deeply saddened to hear that Justin Priebe – our brother, friend and Holsby alum (2004-05) – went to be with the Lord after an unexpected heart attack last Saturday night. He was only 26 years old.
Justin (center) and his family
The entire Holsby family joins in expressing our condolences to Justin’s parents, Phillip and Susan, his brother Andrew and sister Amy, and the other members of his family and his many friends. The outpouring of memories and expressions of love on Facebook from his fellow Holsby students are a small indication of the impact that Justin had in his all-too-brief life.
In the very last issue of the NewsUpdate, edited for so many years by Donna Schoon, Justin shared his testimony with our readers. We thought it would be fitting to include his words of encouragement once more – this time as a tribute to Justin and to the Lord he loved and served. As you read his testimony, please remember his loved ones in prayer.
Written one year ago by Justin Priebe:
Torchbearers in Sweden changed my life! I would say the only requirement for having a life-changing experience at Torchbearers would be going with an open mind and allowing the Spirit to soften one’s heart. My heart was hard. I didn’t show emotion, much less have many emotions. These are all the lies preached to us daily in the world in which we live. Taking a year away from the lies, away from the world, which we are told is ruled by Satan, the prince of the air (Ephesians 2:2–3), was incredibly vital for my spiritual and physical well-being, both at that time and right now in my life.
[As a student], I was very much out of place for the first month or so, but the tight-knit Christian community was exactly what I needed. No television or movies was the rule when I attended in 2004. This meant no secular gospel. It took me a while to adjust, but after a little while there was not a single person, student or staff, that I was not friends with, nor could I have a deep conversation with. Out of 65–70 people, I thought that was pretty amazing. I was hit over the head with so much truth, some of which I had heard before, but for whatever reason it only then took root. I rededicated my life to God. I enjoyed Holsby so much I stayed an extra 3 months and worked in the ropes course. When I got home, it was obvious to everyone I was a different person.
Justin (2nd from R) and some of his Holsby classmates
I started attending a Christian college when I got back, but I was looking for the community I had at Holsby and could not find it in this larger school. Once again the secular gospel of this world occupied so much more of my time and life than did the Gospel of Christ. As a result, I started to slide. It starts very slowly, but once it builds momentum it is very hard to stop.
In 2007, I was working as a carpenter, not attending church, and very much in sync with the world. (That isn’t a good thing). On my way to work one morning, a car turned right in front of my motorcycle and my life as I knew it ended! Five vertebrae were broken, and I suffered nine skull fractures and a moderate brain injury. It’s been nearly five years, and I am still dealing with the results of this accident daily. But God is good. I should not be alive, let alone walking and talking. I thank all the people from Torchbearers, Sweden, and around the world for the many prayers, which I firmly believe saved my life. Even the surgeon was amazed.
Justin and his sister Amy
To this day I still cannot do the things, which I loved to do. But God in His grace and mercy has given me new things. Dealing with chronic pain and depression has been a struggle of the sort I had never known. I don’t just lean on the strength of the Lord; some days He carries me. I cannot explain the importance of the knowledge and wisdom of God, which I soaked up in my year in Sweden. If knowledge is power, then wisdom is armor. And without that power and armor, I would not now be in the position I am — working in a church — much less alive. God is using me in ways I may not ever have had time or motivation for before my accident.
Justin in Sweden
I admit I have made many mistakes, and you or your loved ones may never go through these exact experiences. However the fundamental truths are the same. We are all being preached to constantly and are affected by the things of this world. To take a year out of your life and out of the world might not save your life immediately. However, there is no telling the importance that it may serve at another point in your journey. God is always faithful even when we are not, and I believe investing in your faith will pay dividends not only during that time you’re investing, but throughout the course of your life. Biblical truth and experience will change your life! When you re-enter your world, or over a period of time, you may be led away from God and the truth. This is what happened to me. But no matter how hard the enemy may try, he cannot make these roots disappear. I cannot stress the importance of a foundation built on the Rock. It will anchor you, both now and for the future.
Holsby’s 40th Anniversary Retreat is just around the corner!
If you are a former Holsby student, staff member, or volunteer, we’d like to extend a warm welcome to you and your family to come back and retreat at Holsby.
Come and celebrate years of God’s goodness as we enjoy rich fellowship with friends and family, enjoy Bible teaching, worship, great activities, a delicious banquet, and the beautiful surroundings you remember at Holsby.
All of the former directors (Fred and Sharon Wright, Wally and Donna Schoon, Ulf Andersson and Ric and Keli Schoon) will be here!
There are still some spots left to register at a very reasonable price. Get creative and call up your old friends from your year at Holsby and get a group together!
If you’d like more information about the schedule and prices click on this link to open up a page on our website: http://www.holsby.org/about_alumni_and_friends/anniversary-re/
Spread the News! We look forward to seeing you next summer!
Holsby Staff
Winter Retreat 2013
Over the past month I had the privilege of organizing Holsby’s 1st Annual Winter Retreat. Last Saturday this awesome event took place and what a great success it was! This opportunity for the whole student body and staff to come together for a day of fun and games on a frozen lake came at a good time during the term when winter fatigue really starts to take its toll.
Credit to Payton McSwain for catching the Winter Retreat through her camera!
After brunch on Saturday, all the students piled into a bus and vans and headed over to a nearby lake house 40 kilometers away. The day was filled with competitive group games out on the ice with a hot dog fika in between. A male-staff versus male-students Tug-O-War battle, incidentally won by the students, highlighted the ice activities. When the sun had set and the stars came out, everyone assembled around the fire pit to raise songs of praise to our awesome Creator.
After the time of worship I shared a devotion reflecting on what we fill our lives with; using sky lanterns as my object lesson, every family group got to light and send off their own lantern together. A day, which was highlighted by snowball fights, encouragement, slipping and sliding, laughter and more snowball fights created a memorable day; a token to our God.
“TeeBee” Arrivals
It is always a joy to welcome new life! Yesterday it was my privilege to meet two new members of the Holsby family. We’d like to introduce them to you as well. Both babies were delivered by C-section.
NAME: Ember Kate Thomas
PARENTS: Luke & Cheryl Thomas
BIG SISTER: Emmalise
DATE: 19 February 2013
TIME: 8:39 a.m.
WEIGHT: 3270 grams (7 lb. 3 oz.)
LENGTH: 47 cm. (18.5 in.)
Little Ember is doing fine, but Mamma Cheryl had to undergo unexpected surgery following the delivery. Thanks for praying especially for her that her recovery will be complete without complication. Cheryl’s parents will be joining the family next week, which we know will be a big encouragement.
Our prayer for this little one could be expressed in paraphrased words from Deuteronomy 30:19-20. Ember, we pray that you will …
Choose life, so that you may live,
And that you may
Love the Lord your God,
Listen to His voice, and
Hold fast to HIM.
[When you do that, you will say,]
The Lord is my life!
** ** ** **
NAME: Tobin Emmanuel Strohm
PARENTS: Brad & Cece Strohm
BIG SISTER & BROTHER: Kayley & Oliver
DATE: 20 February 2013
TIME: 9:08 a.m.
WEIGHT: 3945 grams (8 lb. 12 oz.)
LENGTH: 53 cm. (21 in.)
Tobin was already surrounded by his siblings when we first met him. They were still a bit awed by this little one who was only a few hours old.
When we belong to the Lord, we can walk in His promises every day in all aspects of life. For you, Tobin, we trust you will learn early on that …
God wants to shelter you with His wings.
His faithful promises are your armor and protection.
Psalm 91:4
May both you families – Thomases and Strohms – sense the Lord’s loving arms around you as you walk through these days of learning new aspects of His sufficiency! We rejoice with you in these new gifts of life entrusted to your care. We here in the Holsby community want to be encouragers alongside of you as you bring your children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord!
God’s Gifts
Holsby’s “Teebees” are a growing group once again!! Who are they? They are our little Torchbearers – children of our Holsby staff families. Currently there are 8 of them, but by the end of spring this year, they will number 12 (ages 4 and under).
The staff wives gathered together recently for “fika” to celebrate Cheryl Thomas and Cece Strohm, who will give birth by C-section this upcoming week (February 19th and 20th respectively). Thanks for sharing in prayer with us for safe arrivals of these little ones, and for uncomplicated recovery for the moms. Our other moms-in-waiting, Nivea and Danielle, are due in April and May.
Children are a gift from the Lord;
they are a reward from him.
Psalm 127:3
Children are indeed a precious gift from our Lord! And we have the opportunity to be reflections of the life of the Lord Jesus to these young ones as they grow up in this extended community of the Holsby family!
Wally in Latvia
Three times every year, Wally Schoon flies over to Latvia for ministry – particularly amongst the public school teachers of the country. A weekend conference is held every October, January and April. Along with the educational seminars, much is shared from the Word of God, and teachers are coming to know Christ. Every new teacher attending each conference, also receives a Bible.
Last October, 10,000 Latvian Bibles were dedicated (purchased with gifts sent in to the Latvian Christian Mission for that purpose). All boxed and ready to go, all but 2,000 of them have been distributed in these three months to public schools around Latvia, finding their way into classrooms, principals’ offices and some into the homes of students! In view of the fact that His Word is living and active, this means there should be many positive results to His glory.
As Wally travels around Latvia (and he does speak in a number of the public schools), he says he sees Bibles in just about every classroom where he teaches. The doors are still wide open for the Gospel.
While teaching at the Baltic Pastoral Institute this past month, Wally had many good individual conversations. He commented: “They were beginning to grasp the fact that enjoying His indwelling life precludes any and all other aspects of the calling they may have. There is a critical need for pastors in Latvia who know Him as their life and joy.” In fact, one student said in the last class, “If I understand this correctly, it means that I cannot live the life of Christ in my own strength but He must live through me!” Yes, His Spirit truly gives understanding.
Less Is Often More
Less is often more, right? Well, not if I consider that this winter term we are glad to have four more students, or how we as a family look forward to adding one more child come February… which will mean a lot more of just about everything.
However, there are times where less is more. This thought came to mind during Christmas break as I finished reading through the Christmas story and went on to read the only recorded information we have of Jesus as a boy. Talk about a period of time that we would have loved to have more, but instead God gave us less! Although in giving us less, He may have actually given us more. You see, we want the “more” of how to raise children, how to survive as a teenager and how to make those life changing decisions when one is in their twenties. I’m sure God could have given us some insightful stories, but I’m actually thankful that He gave us one solitary story, much less than any bestseller would have done… Oh wait, the Bible is a bestseller, and maybe because with much less God has communicated much more by informing us of what is most important in life.
The “less” is the solitary story of 12-year-old Jesus staying in Jerusalem to sit amongst the teachers in the temple, while His parents return home under the assumption that He is with them. The “more” of the story falls between two parenthetical statements about Jesus growing in wisdom and in favor with God and man. How? He told Mary and Joseph, upon their finding Him three days later, that they should have known He would be in His Father’s house. As a young boy, Jesus was aware of the unique relationship He had with the Father, and made it the priority of His life. It was a priority that shaped what He did as a 12-year-old and who He became twenty-one years later. He grew in wisdom because He lived according to the promises of His Father. He grew in favor with God and man because He lived according to the “finished work” of His Father, letting it be realized through His humanity. It’s no wonder He went to the temple to meditate on the Word of God. What more do we need to know? If Jesus made this relationship with the Father the priority in His life, how much more do we need to make our unique relationship with Him the priority of our lives, based on His finished work?
This past Christmas our daughter received Play-Doh with a set of tools for cutting and shaping. One of the tools was a rectangular contraption, hollow on one end with interchangeable shapes on the other. By putting the dough into the hollow end, one could then push it through – and out came the particular shape. Whether we realize it or not, we are like Play-Doh, being shaped by the priorities we set up in our lives and then pushed through. At the beginning of this new term and new year, I challenged our students to think of at least one change they could make in their lives that would give priority to letting God shape them.
As you take one last swig of coffee and finish off your fika time, think about the priorities in your life and try writing down one or two ways this week, month, or year you can prioritize letting God shape you because of what He has done and finished in Christ.
Scene@Holsby…
The music was magnificent, the simplicity of the message most moving. God So Loved the World … shared in eight different languages represented by our international students. Prayer in a huge circle spreading all around the huge sanctuary, trusting God to bless the evening and let HIS truths be known.
Yes, we were back once again in Alseda Kyrka for our traditional Julkonsert (Christmas concert). The students were awestruck when they first entered the high-ceilinged sanctuary with its inimitable acoustics. The choir, under the very capable leadership of Kristi-Anna Eldridge, shared four songs, the first (“African Alleluia”) while walking with lit candles down the aisles of the church.
Besides musical presentations by both students and staff, a black-light hand drama depicted with strong affirmation how much we are valued by the Lord of all the earth – not because of who we are, but because of Who He is and what He has done!
The Julkonsert is always a brilliant performance. But we come away from there with a special joy when we know the message of the love of God our Father sending Jesus to this earth for the salvation of all mankind has been communicated! Mid-point in the concert, John Poysti shared about this great and unlimited love.
God so loved the world
that He gave His one and only Son …
John 3:16
A wonderful fika with fellowship was held afterwards in the dining rooms of Brunnsgården. The surrounding community was well represented.
Tables filled with delectable delights surprised the students a few days later – Holsby’s traditional “Julbord.” It’s always fun to hear the initial responses as the doors to the dining rooms are opened and they walk in to see what has taken all day to prepare! John opened the evening by declaring, “Let’s sing Happy Birthday to Jesus.”
May we take this opportunity to wish you and yours a blessed and meaningful Christmas!! JESUS is the greatest Gift ever given!!
