Carbomb exploded just outside our house

Tonight when the kids where doing their homework suddenly we saw and heard a big explosion. Of what all that we can see it is a car bomb.

The car continued out on the playground opposite our house. All its windows, the roof and the right side of the car is all blown out. Please pray for Bangkok.

Update: We are all safe and the kids are now sleeping. The people on the street say that it was a bomb aimed at someone in the government. It seems like he miraculously survived, he was taken to the hospital. The first thing our daughter Jemima did was to pray that no one would die. You can see another picture at http://twitpic.com/kl9s3

Pastor Sawaeng

This week we had a great Sunday. We are growing as a church. Something has happened to our team! Prayer, fasting and planning, God blesses that. Even though we have seen a few come to the Lord during our time here in Bangkok there has also been a struggle to gather the people. But now more and more discover the value of gathering together. Slowly but surely we are becoming more on the services.

On our main service we had Pastor Sawaeng from Prachuab as our guest speaker. He has a special gift of encouraging and praying for people. Many of us was encouraged and served.

This Sunday we also started serving coffee...

Beach party with baptism

What a weekend we have had! Amazing! This Saturday was our LifeCenter trip to the beach. We were playing in crystal clear water, playing volleyball on the white sand, enjoyed good food in the shadows of the trees.

Everyone seemed to have a great time. 39 people had come with us. New friendships were formed and we believe this weekend will effect the rest of this year in a very positive way.

The best part was the worship time. Simple worship, some testimonies and a message illustrated in the sand. All wrapped up with a baptism. Powerful day of celebrating Jesus and his church!
You can see more pictures on LifeCenterBKK's page on Facebook.
Click here.

Toys for my boys

Today we have been in some parts of this town that we have never been to before... We passed the weapon shops on our way to the Instrument shops. So far in LifeCenter Bangkok we have only used a guitar when we have come together to worship.

Today we visited more than ten shops, playing, listening and comparing prices and different models. We had a lot of fun together with the boys of the band:
Chaart - worship leader and guitar
Pop - guitar, base, keyboards
Jean - keyboards
Boy - drums, base
Nut - guitar, base, drums
(What a boy band!)

Music has such a power. Music creates atmosphere and life. Just think of what the right soundtrack can do to a movie. The Bible speaks quite a lot about music and intruments. Worship is a mighty weapon.

We ended the day on Black Canyon Coffee with a long detailed list of instruments, prices and notes. We want to honour God with our music, then the instruments are important. (We need a base guitar, two amplifiers, one keyboard and a drum set. We have already some money to buy this, but not enough. Totally we need around THB 90 000 ( SEK 20 000, US 2 700). This Sunday we do a special collection for this in LifeCenter. Please let us know if you want to be a part of this but can´t come. You can transfer money (marked with "Instruments") to our Thai account:
Account no: 009-0-26784-0
Bank: Bangkok Bank
SWIFTCODE: BKKBTHBK
Branch: 0009, The Mall 3, Ramkhamhaeng
The account owner is Mr Martin Daniel Brolin

2 billion reasons why we do what we do

Wangchuk and Tam were baptised

This Sunday we had a great time together at Dynasty Hotel. Our friends Wangchuk and Tam made the important decision to be baptised. Jesus is teaching us that "Whoever believes and is baptised will be saved..." When someone starts to believe in Jesus there is a party in Heaven. The Father rejoices over every person that comes to Him. In the baptism we confirm our faith, enter a covenant with God and bury our old life to start living for God and His purposes for our lives.
(You can find another picture on this link)

Bringing friends to the Isaan-village

A few days ago we welcomed our friends Inga, Sven and Mathilda from our church in Sweden as they visit us and Thailand for some days. We are so happy that they are here. They love people and to tell other about Jesus. Yesterday we went to visit a village in Isaan part of Thailand. We have been a few times to this village and so far seven people has been baptised. Our hosting family took Inga and Sven to their hearts as they encouraged them in their faith. Our dear friend Jean interpreted. Our kids were really happy to meet some of their friends and not to forget, our Beagle, Bella, who has left the mega-city life for the countryside.

Prophetic Bangkok Post

Today a headline of Bangkok Post Business edition says "Thailand must brace for revival" That sure is prophetic. The article is about finances, but the headline is still prophetic!

Enjoying nature and wedding

We are enjoying the Swedish summer. Last week we went with Daniels father to Våtnäs in the Swedish archipelago. Wonderfully quiet and refreshing! During these days the kids were able to enjoy some woodwork, rowing, fishing, playing games and reading a lot of cartoons.

Today we celebrate Midsummers eve and Jemima and Josef has gone with their cousins back to Våtnäs. Jonathan and Jasmine celebrate with their second cousins and Paulinas parents.
Daniel and Paulina are on their way to speak at Nyhems conference. On Sunday we will speak at Filadelfia church at Öckerö in the morning and then NXT Church in Gothenburg in the afternoon.

The highlight of last week (and the summer) was offcourse Paulinas sister Erika and Douglas wedding. What a party! More than 200 guests from many cultures (a small foretaste of heaven). African food and Swedish smorgasbord. People from Iraq, Congo, Netherlands, Sweden, etc, no one could resist dancing to the African rythms.
In one of the pictures you can see the flower girls and the page boy getting ready in the car, another one is a snapshot from the photosession.

Sweden is fantastic

Cold. Fresh. Beautiful.
Silent. Clean. Green.
It was six degrees Celsius and a bit rainy when we arrived at Arlanda International Airport early in the morning last Thursday. We have met our dear relatives and some precious friends. The kids have had a lot of fun with their friends. We have celebrated the Swedish national day. We have been to LifeCenter Västerås church. Paulina has been to the hen party for her sister and Daniel has been to the stag party of her husband to be. On Saturday there will be a big, fun wedding. We enjoy life and are having an overdose on Scandinavian oxygen... Sweden is fantastic.

This picture was taken at midnight at Våtnäs, where we go for a few days tomorrow.

On the way to Sweden

We have had a few busy days. Sorry we haven´t updated this blog as we should. In a few hours we are leaving for Sweden. Hopefully we will be able to update you on some things in a few days. We are excited about what God is doing in Bangkok and we look forward to come back in the middle of July. However it is going to be nice to have some weeks in Sweden.

Today we celebrated Josef´s K5 graduation. One day early, but on the dress rehearsal Josef got his diploma, Yey! We are so proud of our kids and what they have accomplished this year! We thank God for International Community School and all the friends that our kids now have in town. The rest of Josef´s class celebrate tomorrow, but then we are in Sweden. Have a great day!

Freedom weekend

Every day counts! This week some of our new friends asked us if we could do something over the long weekend (this Friday was a red day). So we decided to hold an encounter, a "Freedom weekend" as we call it in LifeCenter. So on Friday morning we started and what a weekend we had! Totally seven people people have been with us. We have had a lot of fun and food and we have been teaching the Word and praying together. This is such a great way to get to know one another and at the same time help these precious people find the liberating life principles in the Bible. (The picture above is from the bookshop when they got their own Bibles.)











On Sunday we went together to the Jaisamarn Church at Ramkhamhaeng Soi 68. This is the first Thai church that we visited when we came to Bangkok in 2007. When we, for the first time, saw hundreds of Thai worship Jesus, we had tears in our eyes. This time we had the honor to share the Word. We were treated like royalties but had to leave directly after the service. We had to press through the traffic jam to our own LifeCenter service at one oclock. So far there has been new people every Sunday and we feel like we have got a family of youth in Bangkok. Thank you Jesus!

100 calls, 8 stitches and 3 baptisms later

Yesterday we sat up our office at Starbucks, MBK and then we worked with spreadsheets and phone calls. Together with our two Thai friends we called over a hundred people. It took a few hours than we moved to the "Red Mango" and continued a few more.

Today we took the family to the Dynasty Hotel for our second Sunday service. Our kids were so happy for some of their friends would come. They prepared some things for the kids to do during service. They helped out with the flowers and the fruits that we had bought. Then our dearest Jasmine tripped, dropped a glass and fell with her elbow on it. Just a few minutes before the service Paulina had to take her to the hospital. Jasmine was so brave and endured the pain. She got eight stitches.

As soon as Jasmine were finished at the hospital she wanted to go back to church. They came back just before we were about to go down to the pool and have a baptism. One girl got saved tonight. Two girls and a boy got baptized. Every heart is so precious in God´s eyes.

We weren´t that many today but everyone was in a good mood eventhough we missed the teams that have been here and given so much joy and excitement. We, however, are very happy as we can see who seems to be able to be in the real core group. Hugs to you all!

We need your prayers like never before

We have 98 newborn babies to take care of. These last two weeks 98 people have decided to give their hearts to Jesus.

Last night we packed the room and had a great Jesus party. And when we did the altar call people flooded to the front. As we have been praying for the start of HiGH LiFE and the GOD LOVES BANGKOK festival we have been praying for 50 new people. Now we have almost the double and another 50 or so have given us their contact information because they want to know more about the life with Jesus.

We thank God for the LifeCenter team and the MissionSOS/MCM team that has been serving, sharing and showing God´s love to the people of Bangkok. Today the MissionSOS/MCM team is leaving. Thank you guys for coming! You have made an eternal impact!

As we believed for a supernatural harvest, we now believe for a supernatural way of taking care of all these precious people. Please lift all these new believers in prayer.

Mission SOS visiting HiGH LiFE

Yesterday the team from the Bible collages of Mission SOS (Märsta, Sweden) and MCM, (Pittsburgh, USA) arrived in the morning. During the day we were out on the campus area inviting people for the HiGH LiFE-event. And the evening was full of creative ways of breaking down barriers and presenting the message about Jesus. There was a lot of laughter, especially when part of the team played air band to a popular radio hit here in Thai (see picture).

They also performed a great and hilarious drama called "Give Your Heart to God" before the sermon. The event ended with nine precious people giving their hearts to God.

Today another nine did the same! What a privilege it is to serve the living God. Tomorrow night we have our last event in this GOD LOVES BANGKOK festival. Please pray with us that a lot of people will come and connect with Jesus and LifeCenter Bangkok.

Enjoying ministry ;-)

Here comes a video greeting from our Saturday off with the team. Early in the morning we took a minibus and headed for Ko Samet. For some of our Thai friends it was their first time ever on the beach. It was so fun for all of us. The kids loved it and we had a great team building experience. Just relaxing after a hard working week in the heat and the beat of Bangkok.

Then on Sunday we had a good service with some of our new brothers and sisters in the Lord. Passionate worship, preaching of the word, good food together and then four friends where baptized in the rain. Such a good time!!! Loving Life. Loving Jesus and loving his church.

After the service the LifeCenter team took off for a few days in China before they go back to Sweden. Thanks for coming guys! You are a great bunch of heroes! Isn't it a priviledge to be part of serving the church of Jesus among the unreached!

Now we are preparing for the second week of our GOD LOVES BANGKOK festival and tomorrow we recieve a great team from MissionSOS and MCM... Stay tuned and keep on praying for us.

The First HiGH LiFE Event.

Last night we had our first HiGH LiFE event here in Bangkok. So far we have just had LifeGroups... but now we have started with our gatherings!

The LifeCenter team has been on the Ramkhamhaeng Campus the last three days handing out invitations and doing evangelism. What would be the result? Would anyone come to the event? The band that was supposed to play cancelled a few days before and we had just a guitar. Still we had the verse "Be still and know that I am God" ringing in our head. (Jasmine brought it home on a piece of paper in the afternoon.)

The LifeCenter team had taken up postions to help people find their way to the "Upper Room". 6 pm when the event was supposed to start just a handfull of students had come. We tried to serve them some snacks while we were waiting but the atmosphere was rather tensed. After a few minutes some more came and 40 minutes later we started with a bunch of people filling one third of the room.

Josef, our LifeCenter team leader, took the guitar and sang two songs before we started to preach. No fun games... just the simple message of God´s love. And that´s all we need. As we preached the atmosphere got easier and easier. Then we handed over the microphone to our Thai friend, Maem, and she shared her powerful story how God changed her life. After that Josef sang another song and then we did the invitation for those who wanted to be saved.

The evening ended with a joyful chaos in the "Consolidation room" where we followed up those who wanted to be saved and those that wanted to know more. 25 people made the decision to give their lives to Jesus for the first time! That makes a total of 30 this week!!! All glory to Jesus! Another handful of people wanted to know more.

People that we met for the first time and people we have been praying for during nine months went home shining with joy carrying their new Bibles under their arms. Now we need to get new Bibles for next week.

Hunger in Bangkok

Today a man called us. It was a taxi driver that had given us a ride the other day. He just called to say that he now had read the New Testament we gave him and that he had a new telephone number. He has read the whole book in just a week. When we gave it to him, he said that he always wanted to read the Bible but had never seen one in his entire life. He also said he wanted to come to our church to get to know Jesus more.

The people of this city are hungry for God and his word. The harvest is ripe. We pray to God for more workers. Tonight 14 heroes from LifeCenter in Västerås is coming. They are going to work hard for a week. Pray for them.

A few days ago Paulina gave a NT to a begger at the Skytrain station. Suddenly a man approached her and asked if it was a Bible Paulina had given the begger and if she knew how he could get hold of more. He had been looking for some and had not yet found any. People are desperate for the message of God and his love. If you feel led to support this "God Loves Bangkok"-festival that we have this week and next please contact us. Click here. We need support to print flyers, rent fascilities, follow up materials, etc.

Black Song Kran is over, calm returning

This week has been turbulent in many ways here in Bangkok. Instead of the partying and water fights of Song Kran (the Thai New Year), there was demonstrations and riots. Last Saturday we happened to be in the middle of the red shirts marching from one site to the other. A bit scary. But otherwise our part of town has been calmer than usual. Now however things have calmed down. Thank you for praying.

These days we have had the privilege of having our pastors from our hometown Västerås here with us, Per-Johan and Ulrica Stenstrand. Today we are going to show them one of our favorite places here: Ramkhamhaeng University.

On Monday our team from LifeCenter Västerås arrives. They will work with the "GOD LOVES BANGKOK"-festival and start up our HiGH LiFE events on Thursday. We believe it will be the starting point for weekly events to present Jesus and God´s lifegiving principles for the students in that area. Please remember us in your prayers the two coming weeks.
HiGH LiFE events: 23rd, 28th & 30th.

Pray for Sengidoji

A few days ago we got a beautiful gift from the minister of defence of Bhu*tan. We got a belt woven in nice colours - a gift the kings of Bhu*tan usually gives to those they want to show honour. This man is the father of "Our God given friend". This young man was to be baptised on Easter Sunday but now he has to return immideately to Bhu*tan because his father has been in a terrible car accident. The three other men in the car didn't survive.

Sengidoji is now in respirator and we want to encourage you to pray for him. God hears prayers. We believe God has great plans for this man and his nation. Pray also for this new believer, our dear brother, Wangchuk, who now travels to be close to his dad. Pray for Sengidoji's healing and that also Wangchuk would be able to share about the forgiveness of sins and God's love in Jesus with his father.

The Upper Room

It´s time to set up LifeCenter Ramkhamhaeng Campus!
From the 22th of April we are renting this place, we call it "The Upper Room"... It´s on the 15th floor in the Dynasty Hotel, just opposite of Ramkhamhaeng University. (Soi 35, just behind Major Hollywood theaters). After a few weeks of praying and looking around for the best location yesterday we decided to take this step of faith. We sat down with the hotel manager and when we shared the message of Jesus and that we wanted to use the room for teaching Life principles from the Bible she said she wanted to join us.

We asked if we could take some of our friends upstairs to pray in the room. One of the students who where not yet saved was with us as well. As soon as we started praying, our dear friends Jane and Jean lead her to the Lord. She prayed a prayer dedicating her life to the Lord. The church is not about a building or a room, it´s about people finding their purpose in life. So we can´t think of a better way to dedicate this room for Jesus and his church!

Please pray with us concerning the rent and the outreach events we are planning the last two weeks of April. Contact us if you want to be a part of this.

Life Group

Life Groups is when we meet in homes, coffeehouses or wherever to encourage each other and share the victories and struggles of life. Most of the time we snack or eat on something, have a lot of fun, talk about Jesus and life and pray with one another. It´s a great time.

This time just a few showed up, but every individual is so valuable in God´s eyes. Paulina shared about the life with Jesus. We are praying that we will have a baptism soon.

Right now most of the students we have got to know at the university have their exams. Sometimes life feels like we are going through an exam as well. Then we just have to keep on doing what we know is right, then we can be sure of that we will come through to victory and success the way God sees it. Psalm 37 is great. This is 3rd and 4th verse:

Trust in the LORD and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
Delight yourself in the LORD
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

A God Given Friend

A few months ago we were on our way to do some errands and came fifteen minutes too early to the mall. To be effective we decided to walk over to the super market. On the way there both of us sensed that we should go back and see if there were anyone we could talk with. When we came back to the mall a well dressed young man stood there on his own. He didn't look like a Thai so we asked where he came from. He shared some of his life story, that he was from Bhu*tan and that he had worked here in Bangkok for the last three years. When he asked us, we told him that we are here to start LifeCenter International Church and immediately he said he would like to come some time. A year earlier some missionaries had given him a tract about Jesus on the skytrain.

Since then we have met a just a few times but yesterday we had a wonderful time together in our living room. We prayed a prayer together where he received the forgiveness of sins and gave his life to Jesus. He is a talented and very humble man. He has already become a dear friend to us. Right now he is going through a tough time in his life. He has spent the last days on the hospital with his Thai father-in-law who has blood cancer. Please pray with us for him, his family and that the father-in-law would be healed in the name of Jesus. God hears prayers!

Celebrate Marriage!

On Valentine´s Day (in Sweden we call it "All Hearts Day") we had invited some friends to "Celebrate Marriage" with us. We had a great evening at Rossini´s restaurant, enjoying a first-class Italian dinner and good fellowship. Thank God for friends! All these couples are our valuable friends and we believe we all were encouraged as husbands and wives this evening.

When Jesus shows up

The two guys on the left came looking for us at the university today. The reason: They wanted to be saved. They have gone through some tough crisis and among other things they have lost relationships and jobs down in the south of Thailand. (The financial crises is affecting Thailand as well.) They came to Bangkok a few days ago in search for a new job and a new start in their lives. They ended up in our friend Chaart´s one-room apartment. He has been sharing Christ with them and last night one of them had a dream of how Jesus came to him.

So today we bought them a lunch and shared about God´s love. With tears in his eyes one of them shared his dream and then we just prayed together. Isn´t it wonderful how Jesus comes to us when we are in the crisis, and how he offers to carry all our troubles?
Please pray for Suu and Hard as they start their new life with Jesus and that they will get the right jobs. Pray for Chaart as he will guide them in their new life and that he also will get a good job.

Ice Cream Party

This afternoon we had an Ice Cream Party for some of our friends at the Ramkhamhaeng University. So fun! We had our kids with us and they enjoyed the Ice Cream as well as the company of these wonderful young friends. Please pray for them. Some of them have already decided to follow Jesus but all of them are eager to learn more about Him.

House of Grace

On Thursday, Daniel had the priviledge to go with Rev. Jörgen Algesund to an orphanage. Rev. Jörgen is a Swedish missionary who has been serving in this country in almost 50 years. Many of the Full Gospel pastors know him and regard him high as he has been a pioneer in theological training in Thailand. We are always encouraged to meet him and his wife Inger.

The orphanage we visited was a few hours drive from here. When we got there I was really moved in my heart for these children's situation. House of Grace is an orphanage for AIDS-affected children whose parents has died of this terrible disease and who have no one to take care of them. 30 girls and 27 boys. A 2-year-old boy had just arrived there, as old as our son Jonathan but already with this death sentence over his life.

Thank you Jesus for House of Grace and pastor Kitisak and his wife, who give their lives for these AIDS-affected children and widows. Read more at their website: www.houseofgracethailand.com

The invitations has been sent

On Valentine´s Day we are arranging the party: "Celebrate Marriage". Now these invitations has been sent out and we expect around 15 couples to come. Every couple invited are precious friends that we have got to know in this city. Our prayer is that they will be encouraged to build great marriages and inspired to find out more of God´s principles of how to do that.

We've got a great deal with an award-winning (and very exclusive) Italian restaurant and the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit has promised all the married couples who wants to a complimentary hotel room! We really sense God´s favor when we are preparing this. At the same time we experience that we are in a war when we deal with something so important. The Bible teaches all of us to hold every marriage high. So please stand in prayer for this party and all these marriages and families represented.

A two year old miracle

I thought my wife was just about to give birth when the midwife yelled to the nurse to press the alarm button. The midwife jumped up on the bead and pushed back the baby. The naval cord had come first. Within a minute my wife was rolled into a room where I could not follow, she was knocked by the anesthetic and surrounded by doctors. I was left in the corridor, put my hands on the wall and started praying desperately for my wife and child. I knew the situation was serious but also sensed holy faith rise up within me. A worried nurse told me to sit down. After a few minutes we heard a baby cry. "Oh, your child is alive..." said the nurse with a smile. But her facial expression changed as we both realized it was from another room.

A doctor came running with Jonathan´s lifeless body, they put him on a small bed and started to give heart massage and oxygen. I grabbed my son´s hand and prayed aloud that my son would live and be a strong and healthy boy. The levels were not good at the start but I knew God´s life giving breath was coming into his body. After a few minutes things were looking better and then he peed on the nurse...

Every child is a miracle. We have four. Today is our youngest son´s birthday. He had a miraculous start and today he is a healthy and strong boy. Last night he told me he wanted "brumbrum and namnam" (cars and candies/cookies/goodies) for his birthday. And so far he has not let go of his new car this day.

Yes, I am a very proud father of this miracle boy and a very proud husband of my super-wife.

Friends in high places

This year is going to be special. On Sunday there is gubernatorial election here in Bangkok.

This weekend we went to Chatuchak-market. As we sat down and had a cup of coffee one of the candidates walked by. Waving, smiling and picking up small kids and being photographed. There was a big team of people walking around him handing out flyers. He took a brake and sat down at the same coffee shop, the table next to us. We exchanged a few sentences (in Thai that is, he probably knows English better than I do, but I didn´t think about that). I (Daniel) told him I am a pastor and that I pray for this city every day and that I would gladly pray for him as well. We then exchanged business cards. Please pray for him and the elections on Sunday.

New beginnings

This is our city. This is our slogan. This is the first day of this year. This is our first blogpost in english (it might not be the best grammar or spelling... please send us corrections).

This is the view we woke up to this morning. Last night we found a "last minute deal" on a hotel downtown so we could get a good view of the fireworks and the celebrations. We actually managed to keep all our kids awake until midnight (four kids under the age of eight) and they all got up to enjoy a great hotel breakfast. What a great start of 2009!

We love this picture of Bangkok. It speaks of the new face and the new phase of missions among the unreached. (We´ll be back on that subject.) It speaks about the masses in Asia and its mega cities. It also speaks about a new season in this part of the world. A harvest season. The lovely Thai people is among the least reached people groups of the world. But there is something on the horizon. The power of darkness is losing its grip, "the sun of righteousness will rise".

Trust God for your best year ever. We do. We are expecting many people to come to the Lord this year in this city. We are expecting a church, LifeCenter Bangkok, to be born this year.
Please stay tuned, we need your prayers.