Dear Friends,
A new year has started and we are excited. While we are having our ”time out” after I gave up during our last missions trip to the USA we have been working on future visions. What I realised after I gave up was that my decision was necessary. I had to make something and by ”giving up” I also gave everything to the Lord. It was a very emotional time for me as last year we celebrated ten years in full time ministry. These years have been the best years in my life. On the other hand I felt a relief when I gave up and I always knew that if God wanted us to just drop everything right there and then He would not have kept me doing this, neither kept me alive.
The main reason I gave up was all the energy that went to raising funds for our missions trips. Every single trip has its own challenges and it has been hard. People say to me; America is the riches country in the world. Why would we help you go there reach people for the Lord? Well, for some reason God called me to America 11 years ago and what we see God do in peoples lives over there is totally different than over here. In America we also have many wonderful partners who are in ministry themselves and we can co-operate with them in a very good way. Co-operation in this area is almost impossible.
I also saw who truly were on our side when I gave up and who just were there when they needed our or my help. Honestly I feel that I have been used and taken advantage of by many. I do not mind helping others but when I need them I wish they would think the same way and be there for me. Now I know who is who and who is where. I have cleaned out people I have been working with for a long time and it hurts to see how people more and more only care about themselves. Is this the heart of God? I do not think so!
New Year and New Visions
After we came home from the USA we decided to sell some of our project cars that we had planned to restore. We sold two cars and right away the very same van we used as a tourbus for many years came up for sale. It is a 1994 Volkswagen Transporter that originally was a Finnish police car. We made an offer and the car came back to us. This car served us in the past while touring in Finland, Sweden, England, Germany, France, Belgium and Estonia with bands as Skinny Molly, Erocktica, Graaf sisters and many others. I always loved that car for some reason.
It was Sebastian who came up with the idea to paint it in the same colors as Air Force One. I loved the idea and took it a step further and decided to use it as a mobile rock show called Rock Force One. Since we have a big sound system I thought we mount everything in the van. We connect everything and set everything up so that we can stop and start a show in less than 15 minutes after arrival. This has created a great interest at different places and my heart has always been to be out where the people are.
The car is now painted and it has passed Finnish inspections. We have some more work to do but it will be used for the first time when we return to Germany end of April this year. This is very exciting and currently we are recording backing tracks with cover songs so that we can mix those with the originals. It is easier to get involved at different events if you say you play rock and roll covers mixed with own songs and tell stories from your life. My life story is not a story without talking about Jesus. This is like a dream coming true. We are looking forward to tour with Rock Force One this spring, summer and fall.
USA 2019
End of February we are getting out on the road again. We are returning to the USA and we are going to be performing at a Finnish Festival in Lake Worth, FL. We are going to be at Gatornationals in Gainesville as well as at Daytona Bike Week. We are currently booking the recovery centers, detox clinics and prisons. It will be a five week journey and we are looking forward to return to the USA.
Our budget for the coming tour is less than last tour since we already have our flights covered. We are looking at raising 4000€ for the five weeks and that should cover our expenses. Since we started our ministry in the USA it has been an increase of doors opening and every time we are reaching more and more people. This is something we do TOGETHER and we hope that YOU want to be part of it. Donations can be made through PayPal at: donate@rockpastor.com, our international bank account AKTIA FI3649700010005435 Swift:HELSFIHH
As this new year has started, I have also started my 12th year as a new creation in Christ, clean and sober. Without Jesus I would not be here!
Happy & Blessed New Year 2019
Pontus J. Back
