Mission America was a success!

Last time I wrote I was still in California together with Brother Cele Monreal from the Ambassadors For Jesus Christ Motorcycle Ministry. We had some fantastic days in Oceanside, California together with Pastor Z and the other Bikers For Christ members. It was Monday evening when we flew back with the small plane from Carlsbad, CA to Los Angeles and it was most likely the worst plane I ever flew with. I had to sit and press the emergency exit door all the way as if I did not press it air was coming in from the outside and I did not know if that was good or bad so I decided to keep my head towards the window the entire trip. We had a short layover in LA and from there we flew back to Houston, Texas. I stayed one night in Houston before it was time to fly to my favorite state, the sunshine state, Florida.

I arrived in Tampa, FL late at night and I thought I was going to have a smooth night as the rental car was paid upfront and my head just told me to pick up the car, drive to Lakeland and check in at my Motel (6). Well, the rental car company wanted a deposit on my debit card so I gave them the card but it did not work. After half an hour I had been able to speak them over to take a 200 US dollar cash deposit instead so I walked to the closest ATM machine. Same thing, my card did not work. I checked on the internet and there were funds on my account but for some reason the card did not work. Well, after speaking to the supervisor at Budget who took very good care of me we agreed on a 100 US dollar cash deposit as that was all I had in cash. I was soon in the car, a Ford Escape on my way to Lakeland, Florida.

I was a bit worried about the card since I had to pay my motel upon arrival but praise God, the card was approved and I got my room. You who know Motel 6 and these cheap US motels also know that it is nothing fancy. As the card worked at the motel I figured I take a ride to Walmart to buy something to eat and something to drink as I do not want to drink the tap water at these motels. Well, at the counter at Walmart my debit card did not work, so did not the ATM, so there I was stranded in a room without anything to eat or to drink. Praise God for my Brother Mike Eicher in Linden, Michigan who had understood what Jesus, Himself said in Matthew 25 helped me out. From Michigan he called in and ordered a pizza and a big bottle of coke to my motel room and I was all set. Later that night when it was morning in Finland I called my bank and asked what's up and they told me they had had some issues with their card servers that night, so that explained it all. Another lesson learned; never travel without cash. Sometimes it is hard to do if you have none.

The next day I spent in Lakeland. During the day I discovered a flat tire on the rental car so I was given a Mitsubishi instead and at night I was invited home to my Brother Eduardo Juarez and his family. We had a wonderful night of fellowship and I did an interview with him for the Live in Him TV program before we went out for a late dinner at my favorite restaurant, Smokey Bones. Next morning I visited another Brother, Skip Frye who is an awesome guitarist and a man of God. We had lunch before I did an interview with him and it became a life touching story about how Jesus changed his life. Literally God spoke to Skip while he was taking acid, listening to Hendrix. You don't want to miss these episodes coming up on Life in Him.

From Lakeland I drove to Port Charlotte where I had the honor and privilege to check in at Brother Mike Eichers mansion. His house was empty so he and his wife let me spend one week there and it was a wonderful time. November 15th I spoke at Bobby Well's God's Garage in Fort Myers Beach and the following two days I ministered at Foursquare Church in Fort Myers. It was the second time I visited the church and it was one of those moments when it felt like coming home. We had some awesome services and I spent a couple of days off relaxing at the house in Port Charlotte. During my stay in Port Charlotte I had a chance to visit some beautiful place as Englewood Beach, Boca Grande and Punta Gorda. Wonderful to see what God have created.

Friday morning I left Port Charlotte for Okeechobee. I visited Fountain of Life Church the first time in March this year before Daytona Bike Week and I fell in love with the church immediately. Now it was time for their first annual Car & Bike Show on Saturday and I had the honor and privilege to minister together with Brothers such as David Evans, known from Hillsong Australia and founder and lead singer John James from the Newsboys. New connections and new awesome Brothers in the Lord. The Car & Bike Show was a success and people came and they could not come without hearing the Gospel. I would say it was a success and all the incomes were going to charity for Real Life Childrens Ranch who does an amazing work for children without homes.

Last time I visited them they had one service on Sunday morning, this time they had two. The church members had doubled and since March they have had 200 first time salvations and 60 water baptisms. I travel a lot and I visit lots of churches but this is something special. Just a sign that they are doing something right and I am honored to be part of Fountain of Life Church as my home church and base in the USA in the future. We are currently working out the final details and this will mean more ministry work in the US in the future and my dream is to enter the prisons for at least three weeks every year. During the Sunday services we had many salvations, I do not have any exact numbers and I am not into numbers but I saw true repentance and people who surrendered everything to Jesus that Sunday. Some of them were people who had been at the Car & Bike Show and they wanted to know more. Now they got to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior and thats what it is all about.

From Okeechobee I drove to Orlando and from there I flew up to Toronto, Canada on Monday morning. There I hooked up with Brother Cele Monreal and we were going there to spend some time with our wonderful Brother Michael Bull Roberts. Before we got that far we had some issues in the immigrations and I was taken aside and asked lots of questions and I answered them honestly. I did not understand that it was "bad" to ask the lady "if there was a problem" so I got yelled at in a way I never experienced before. Well, I might look like a gangster but they finally let me through after having called Brother Bull who confirmed that we were only there to visit him.

We had some awesome three days together with our Brother and the first night Brother Mike Eicher from Michigan showed up as well. We took our Brother Bull up to the CN Tower and had a wonderful meal there and we managed to mess a little bit with our fear of high places. The following night I got to paint together with Michael and it was great fun. Still don't know if art is my thing but I could consider painting a painting every now and then. On Wednesday morning when I woke up in my motel bed I could not keep my tears away. I got very emotional as we had to leave Canada and leave our brother Michael there alone. I cried and cried and it continued all day. This was also the day when Michael became the founding member for Ambassadors For Jesus Christ Motorcycle Ministry Canada and I am proud to have him on board. I am looking forward to have him over here with us in Europe next summer. More about that later.

I flew back to Orlando and drove to Ocala where I slept for a couple of hours before I drove up to Marianna and Cottondale. The following day, Friday, November 29th it was time to visit Heaven's Way Biker Church again. Another wonderful night together with wonderful Brothers and Sisters and as at many of the places this time there has been many "first timers". People have told others from my earlier visits (most likely that I am crazy) so people come out and watch (if it is true). From Marianna I drove to Lake City and arrived there around 3AM. Slept for some hours and continued my trip to Fort Pierce for the last two meetings for this time. Another church that I fell in love with the first time I visited them is Common Ground Vineyard Church. They are also growing and doing a fabulous work for the community. We had two powerful Sunday morning services followed by a nice mexican lunch (as a change).

Now all the meetings were over and it was time to start the preparations for traveling back home to Finland. Monday morning I had a nice three hour breakfast with Pastor Dave from Fountain of Life Church and from there I drove to West Palm Beach for the last night in the USA. Following morning I had coffee with Pastor Petri Kosonen from All Nations Church in Lake Worth and 22 hours later my wife and my son picked me up at the airport in Vasa.

This month I will take as much time off as possible but I will work on the TV productions and do plans for next year. Next year starts with my 7 years celebrations at my church and the event is fo course open to the public. It is seven years since I stepped in through that church door for the first time and it was a night that came to change my life. It is definitely worth to celebrate. End of January we are returning to Sweden for meetings until early February. A PTL Crusade in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia is coming up end of February and early March and Daytona Bike Week and next trip to the US mid March. It is such an honor to serve God. I enjoy every moment.

Stay Blessed!

Love you all!

Check out some of the highlights from the USA dates in

the daily video blog by clicking HERE!