The best is yet to come!

It is Christ(mas) time and we are rejoicing here at home together with our family. We have been looking back at this year and it has been the best year in the history of our ministry. Now I am definitely not talking finances as that is not our driving force. Our heart is to be out where the people are letting people know about the love of God that is in Christ Jesus. God has been good as always and we have been busy. God knows that we love being busy and when we say busy it does not necessary mean like being ”busy” in this world. God has opened new doors and also closed doors. During this year we have been on the road for almost 250 days and here is just a desperate attempt to try to describe this year in only a few words. The best is yet to come!

In January we started the year with speaking to 600 worried parents and adults and over 700 young people on the same night in Jakobstad, Finland. The best way to start this year. We also shot the HOPE MUSIC VIDEO. We continued with a couple of weeks in Sweden where we saw God move in a mighty way and the last weekend of January we were together with Church on Wheels on the 2016 motorcycle exhibition in Gothenburg, Sweden.

The second month of the year is always a ”home month”. We did a few meetings locally and ended the month with some meetings in Arvika, Sweden.

From Arvika, Sweden we flew to the US where we spent five weeks. We ministered locally in our US hometown, Okeechobee, Florida at the Detox Clinic of South Florida as well as in our home church. Of Course we visited the children at Real Life Children’s Ranch. We spent some time with Music for the Soul Ministries at Daytona Bike Week and made some new connections. Something totally new for us where when we ministered at a few Drag Race events with Team RFC - Racers for Christ as well as at Daytona Spring Turkey Rod Run in Daytona Beach. We did not have much time off in the US as we visited different youth facilities and prisons as well and as we can’t do anything in our own strength we got to witness Jesus do miracles in peoples lives.

We returned back home from the US early April. When we are home, we are home and something that has been a big part of this year has been being in the garage working on our project cars. As we have decided to start to race at some level at some point we first have to learn to fix a car ourselves and we have gone from knowing nothing about cars to welding, fixing engines and even doing smaller paint jobs. You learn as you live! The best is yet to come! End of the month we started our spring tour of Germany.

For two weeks we traveled around in Germany and we were really blessed as several churches had seen the value in going out where the people are. We were invited by different local churches to come and help them with outreach and for us that is something natural, something that is on our hearts. We even did some concerts at some rock clubs where we joined forces with local rock bands and we had the privilege to sit in with them and share the Gospel with the people. Thinking back about this trip brings good memories. When we were done in Germany we drove up to Sweden and had a few meetings there before we came back home.

We were not home more than 7 days before it was time for another trip to Sweden. We started in Rydaholm at the annual Bike Night where we had the honor to play live music and talk about Jesus for over 600 people. Our first trip to Sweden was a two week trip with lots of things taking place. June also involved a missions trip together with Pastor Tommy Lilja to Africa.

We started with a few meetings locally before we took of to be at the Big Power Meet in Västerås, Sweden the first weekend of July. Big Power Meet is considered the worlds largest American Car meet and brings around 20000 US cars to this small Swedish town. We had a stage outside one of the local churches and delivered live music and a bold message of HOPE to the multitudes. From Västerås it was time for another crusade in Africa with Pastor Tommy Lilja. We had two weeks off end of July but still we had plenty of things to do. Most important of all to be with our family but also in the garage.

We spent the entire month of August in Sweden and we were busy. We had some spare time as well but we decided to stay over there instead of driving back to Finland as it is not a fun drive and it cost money to take the ships between the countries during the summer time. We had the privilege to be part of many wonderful events and meeting and after all it was a wonderful month on the road. We saw God do miracles in peoples lives! That is what counts!

We had another two week period at home before we first attended a wedding and had a meeting at the Pentecostal church of Avesta, Sweden. From there we drove down to Germany where we spent the rest of the month. We started in Wetzlar where we attended ERF TV and at the same time we launched the new HOPE album. Now it was ready and it was time for the official release date. Again we had the great opportunity to work together with several churches outside the church. We did a few town festivals as well as meeting at different facilities with people in need. Another wonderful time in Germany.

We started of locally and also prepared our cars for the winter. We have spent quite much time in the garage as we are in the learning process and next summer we are going to attend more car events than ever. October 24th we left home for another trip to the US and we based out of our home church Fountain of Life Church in Okeechobee, Florida.

We spent the entire month in the US and we were busy. The Carlisle Auto Fest 2016 and Daytona Turkey Rod Run were two major events. We were part of a wonderful Thanksgiving outreach in Fort Pierce and every week we visited the Detox Center of South Florida. Every week we saw people receive Jesus and even if we were battling a financial storm during our last trip we can now see how God was with us and how peoples lives were forever changed. That is what we believe. When someone takes the step and receive Jesus into their lives the life is forever changed and will keep changing.

We returned to Finland December 2nd and we have now spent some quality time at home as well as in the garage. The year is coming towards its end and it has been good to go over this past year and thank God for what He has done.

The new year starts with the 10 years anniversary at Ritz in Vasa. A concert with special guests to celebrate 10 years of sobriety together with Jesus. Our goal and hope is to get people who not yet believe to come as we have something to tell them. It is now 10 years ago and this ”Jesus thing” does work. Over the years we have heard people say ”it won’t last” or ”he will soon be back on the street” but Jesus is alive! Without Jesus we would not be where we are today and the best is yet to come. The best is yet to come is the title of the 2018 release and 2017 will be a special anniversary year where we are going to put focus on that the best is yet to come. When we follow Jesus things are starting to change and we go from victory to victory. Life is necessary not easy but when we look back at the ten years that has gone we can see a pattern. It gets better and better and the best is yet to come. It is the same way in your life. It does not matter what mountain you have in front of you. Jesus will take you over it or He will remove it as long as you follow Him, so count on that the best is yet to come and all of us who believes in Jesus Christ knows that the best is yet to come.

With these words and this greeting we would like to wish you all a Blessed Christmas and a Blessed New Year 2017!