Beautiful San Francisco Saturday... drew, david and me. Biked across the Golden Gate and all around the city. The Blue Angels put on a show in the afternoon. In' n ' Out was a superb lunch. Watched Stanford football at a little pub. Home for leftovers in the evening. What a day!

Exploring Huskvarna

Since the season has been over, I've decided it's about time to get out and see some more of this special little town and its surroundings! Thanks to Frida's mother, I now have a bike to get around on. I've been skipping the bus when its not too rainy, and using two wheels to get into Jonkoping and around town here in Huskvarna. There are many paths through nature. I specifically love the one that rides along the border of Lake Vatten. Sometimes a bit windy with waves actually crashing against the shore; on calmer days, the ride proves to be quite peaceful with a welcome sense of majesty.

On Thursday I visited the Match Stick Museum... Sweden is the proud inventor of the first safety match. Back in the 1800s and early 1900s, Jonkoping was home to the most bustling match-making factories in the world! They supplied matches for millions of people and continue to make matches today (though with the advent of electricity, the demand for matches greatly decreased). Within this museum, a bonus exhibit was displayed: "China Girl." China Girl is an exhibit completed by a Swedish artist that serves to reveal and heighten awareness about today's problem of disappearing girls in China. Due to a number of contributing factors, millions of girls are lost by abortions, abandonment, or murder. Across the planet, the normal ratio of boys to girls is 105-to-100; however, in certain provinces of China, the ratio is 130-to-100. Wow! A Chinese saying goes like this, "Having a girl is like watering your neighbor's garden." What?! This is crazy sexism, and it is not stuff of the past. This is happening now. TODAY. Much much much life is lost. How can this be? If you link through the title of this post, you can reach some photos, one of which captures the text of the "China Girl" exhibit. Worth a read. Please.

I also had the chance to explore the Husqvarna Fabriksmuseum (http://www.hkv-hbf.f.se/husqvarna/inf_sv.html). Beginning in 1689 and continuing successfully to this day, Husqvarna produces or has produced a diverse range of items including firearms, ovens, motorcycles, chainsaws, bicycles, mopeds, boat motors, sewing machines, and more. The 160m tall waterfall outside the factory and museum was one of the original reasons why Huskvarna was chosen to be location of the factory. Using the great force from this water, the water power enabled great productivity. Today the company has over 16,000 employees, though the majority of the manufacturing is actually now completed in the U.S. On my way out of the museum I met a man that has worked with Husqvarna for over 50 years. He is now retired, but provides factory tours to interested groups. When he was young he worked in the manufacturing division of the company and then eventually moved over to help direct buying and selling; his father worked at the factory too. A really nice guy full of lots of Husqvarna stories. He has a trip planned to Nashville, TN - he loves country music!

Well, that's a little recap of my most recent adventures around town. In a few more days I will be headed to Ireland! I cannot wait to reunite with some of my fellow counselors I worked with this past summer, but I too am enjoying my last few days in Huskvarna, Sweden. Gimme a shout and have a super weekend!!

New Photos

Look at the fun that's to be had...

basketball, bodies, and hmmm hockey!

Gränna

Happy Sunday to you! Yesterday we had a tough loss at Norrköping... tough because though we were the underdogs and not expected to win, we played a great team game and put up a solid fight, but fell short by six points nonetheless. We are still in the hunt to make the cut for playoffs. About five different teams are in the battle for the last two playoff spots. We practiced this evening - some weights, some basketball, and a team jump rope workout (like in the playground growing up... with one long rope... and everyone working together to jump in unison in the middle... except I never did practice these playground games so much while growing up... so tonight at practice, I was definitely the weakest link! lol. my teammates found it quite entertaining ;) ).

In addition to these court adventures, Tatsiana (my teammate from Belarus) and I visited an historical town called Gränna. The title of this blog links to the town's website - its especially known for its polkagris, "peppermint rocks" (sort of like candy canes of all different flavors, but much more tastier and carefully hand-made). It was a windy day, but we enjoyed walking along the old stone streets, in-and-out of candy shops, and down by the water. The best part of the morning for me was that we went to church. Neither of us speaking or really understanding Swedish, much of the content of the service was beyond us... however, there was song, reverence, meditation, community, and time just to reflect, pray, and praise God for all the wonderful gifts He has blessed us with - struggles and joys - that grow us in our desire to serve and know Him better every day.

This morning as I was reading, these particular verses very strongly stood out to me:

Hope does not disappoint,
because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts
through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
For Christ, while we were still helpless,
died at the appointed time for the ungodly.
Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person,
though perhaps for a good person one might even find courage to die.
But God proves his love for us
in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.

AMAZING, PERFECT, SELFLESS LOVE! That is the love of our Lord!

Have a wonderful end to your weekend and a restful night sleep in preparation for a new week ahead with wonderful opportunity to live fully :)

Here

So the town where I live... it's spelled with a K. H-u-s-K-v-a-r-n-a. But, more well known and world-famous than it's spelling with the "k" would be the spelling as you see in the picture... with the "q"! Here I am, outside of one of the famous Husqvarna factories (you're not let much closer than this, due to a guarded gate - but perhaps they have factory tours that I should inquire about). In this photo you can also see the primary means by which mail is delivered... via bicycle-riding post people :)

Copenhagen Adventures

Fun-filled weekend in Copenhagen. Made it back to my apartment by 2am, just in time to watch the second half of the Super Bowl. It was televised here; I was pleasantly shocked. GO GIANTS!! Clink on the link above to view some photos from the weekend. The photos do not cover all of the weekend's activities, but the album is a start for now. It's almost 5am. I best be getting to bed :) And, once again, GO GIANTS!!

Return to Stockholm

So we didn't exactly win the game against 08... but it was great fun to reunite with former teammates and friends. I was able to hang out with teammates on Saturday night, go to church at Immanuel International the next morning, eat some really delicious Indian food for lunch on Sunday with Jasmina as my date, and then meet up with Joanna and Manne for fika at the Kulturhuset before heading onto the bus and back to Jonkoping. Reconnecting is such a precious opportunity. I am very thankful for the time I had last year in Stockholm; I know I will have friends for life there!

Radio Jönköping

Today I stopped by the Brahe basketball office to see Christina... she is sewing me some curtains for my apartment - isn't that the sweetest! Well, why I was there, the phone rang and it was for me. Suprise! It was some man from Radio Jönköping. He requested that Frida (my teammate) and I be on his show this evening. I just happened to be in the office while he called, so it all worked out well. Thanks God :) And then, Frida "randomly" showed up at the office too... anyway, we made it to the radio station this evening and had a brief moment to shine on the airways for Brahe. If you click on "Radio Jönköping" (the title above) you will get a link to the radio station. You can listen to our little interview and see a photo - Frida looks cute; I look like I have a black, shut eye and am sickly... lol, none of these symptoms are true of me - I feel great, really!... just wasn't a good day with the camera!! Enjoy listening :)

Brahe Downs Visby

Tonight was a great team win for Brahe. Everyone who played had an important role and it was the first time this club beat Visby by so many points (at least, that what the coaches told us!). Very exciting for our team. When they were recruiting me to come and play, I think Brahe may have been 10th or 11th in the league. After today, we are 7th. There are some very tough games coming up - including next weekend up in Stockholm against my former team - but it is an exciting time for many of these girls... some of whom have never won 3 games in a row with Brahe. Now, it is not to get ahead of ourselves, but rather be thankful for the opportunity to play, work hard, make the club proud, praise God through our efforts on the court, and just have some good ol' teamworkin' fun! Here is where you can go to see the standings of our team in regards to the rest of the league: http://www.basket.se/Table.asp?TournamentId=48922. Thanks for cheering us on :) I like being the underdog!

P.S. The American who plays on Visby played basketball in college in Arizona with Jessica Starkey... just an interesting fact for those of you reading this and knowing of the "Storm days"!

Adventures with Little Ballers

Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. -Luke 18:16

Today I was blessed with the opportunity to share smiles and laughs with a bunch of little ones who, along with their families, have taken refuge in Sweden and distanced themselves from the strife in their home countries of Somalia and Iraq. From countries wrought with disorder and war, these families flee to Sweden for safety and with the hope of a better life. However, this culture and life here is all new. They come speaking no Swedish or English. They come with little more than a heart of hope and a willingness to serve. Today the children were as precious as precious can be. Huge smiles, bouncing heads, jumping legs, flying bodies. They were light. Those that have been here a few months speak some Swedish, others having more recently arrived speak little or no Swedish at all. In an environment unlike any they know, the wonder and joy of life abounds. Myself almost brought to tears in being allowed to shoot, dribble, and play with them, I praise God for His wondrous gifts. For children, above all, know and show the freedom and light that God offers us all!

Home for Now

Here's a glimpse into my immediate surroundings here in Huskvarna. On the 10-15 minute walk to the Sport Hall, where the team practices most days, I cross two small bridges that cross over streams teaming with ducks. I live on Idrottsgatan - which translates to "sports street" in Swedish. Many futbol fields and an ice rink are located on this street. The view through the tress of the ice rink is what I see when I walk up the stairs in my apartment building. My apartment is on the 3rd floor and I have a small balcony. It's a quiet, peaceful, lovely place to live.

Back in Sweden

I made it! Think I'm over jet lag... mostly that is. Exploring my new home. Huskvarna. It's a very nice place.

Amsterdam

With four minutes left on my internet-voucher... here I go: So, on my way to Huskvarna, Sweden to play for Brahe Basket in the Damligan League again. I've made it to Ansterdam, having left from Hartford, CT - but my flight from the Netherlands to Sweden was cancelled... no aircraft available to take us... so, onto a new light - during the wait - played a little guitar (tried to!), ate some tomato soup, and sent a couple emails to whoever is supposed to be picking me up at the airport in Sweden. Alrighty, times gonna run out on this computer. Talk soon. Email me! Yay for new adventures. Happy new year too!!

Write to Me!

I made it to Ireland and its is RAINY and COLD!! lol. i know the weather will turn better. boy, is it beautiful though. green green green. and, of course, the other counselors are terrific. the first group of kids don't arrive until the 5th of june. just training until then. if you feel so inclined... write me a letter! you can address it like this:

Krista Rappahahn
c/o Barretstown Camp
Barretstown Castle
Ballymore Eustace
Co Kildare,
Ireland

would love to hear from you! (emails would be great too). have a happy memorial day!

Thoughts

May 21, 2007 3:00pm

Perhaps I should start by saying that for over a month now, I’ve been in at least one different time zone every week and then I’ll tell you about the very diverse, yet uniquely beautiful places I’ve visited… however, the exact places to which I’ve visited haven’t been the most exciting parts, but rather my mind has been both busy and seeking rest about answering some pretty big questions: what really makes me happy? and, for whom am I living?

Without a doubt, the last month has been amazing for a number of reasons. Don’t get the idea that I haven’t been happy or excited to be to Turkey, road tripping to Wyoming, babysitting in Mexico, or reconnecting with friends and family in California. Certainly I have found different joys in each of these adventures, but all have also made be really consider who I am and what makes me tick.

As many of you know, my experience in Turkey is surely the catalyst for my moving heart and active questioning: the day I arrived to Istanbul three men were tortured and murdered in eastern Turkey solely because they were Christian. As expected, following this event the entire Christian community of Turkey (and beyond) was visibly shaken. Obviously. But, the strength with which the body of believers stood strong and grew closer together here in Turkey, among a nation that is over 99% Muslim, was like nothing I have ever seen or experienced before. Our team attended church the Sunday following the Wednesday murders; being witness to the absolute love and passion with which the members were worshipping and praising God was crazy. Crazy. Crazy, but oh so real and oh so very awesome. I learned much on this trip and could go on and on with stories, but in summary… through the people we met (believers and non-believers; Turks and non) and the different circumstances with which we were witness to, the Holy Spirit was working hard on my heart and those of my teammates… challenging us to really think on a few things: are my fears greater than my faith or my faith greater than my fears? Would I be willing to die for what I believe? Am I ready to give my life for God? And, will my life change on a very practical level given that I’ve been witness to such intense love, devotion, and sacrifice for God?

My return from Turkey to the United States, also happened to be the first time I was back to the States since playing basketball in Sweden (aside from a short trip to Connecticut at Christmas). Returning to Palo Alto was a huge blessing, but also challenged me in different ways. While away playing basketball, I knew I missed my friends and family, though the extent to which I longed for this community welled up so strongly when I returned home. Being able to just hang out, to talk to people face-to-face, and be back with those I love was really more amazing than I ever expected. Being back made me miss it all the more and desire to be here for good.

I was back in Palo Alto for less than 48-hours before I set off again on another mini-adventure. This time, I embarked on a road trip with Harriet to Laramie, Wyoming. This trip provided great opportunity for conversation, the chance to drive on the loneliest road in America and fun times in rain, snow, and sleet. Ben and Barry did great. The drive was a long one, but a trip worth doing at least once in a lifetime : )

Flew back to San Francisco via Denver and was blessed with a longer chunk of time in Palo Alto this time – what was it? five days I think! Again, being back made we want to be back for good. I fit in a trip to Cancun to babysit for some sweetheart kids and then I had one last wonderful weekend in Palo Alto before being where I am now… on the plane to Connecticut to visit my family before heading off to Ireland on Friday. Wow. Yes, all over the place. Perhaps I will share some more thoughts now.

For one, basketball: do I want to keep playing? I don’t really know. I think I could find another team somewhere, perhaps go back to Sweden, explore another country, return to Turkey? There are lots of different options here, but I don’t know if playing basketball is what I really want to do next year. At the moment, I’ve been pretty okay with not having picked up a basketball since Turkey. This is a definite change in heart, but not necessarily an unwanted one or unwelcome one, but definitely a change nonetheless. We’ll see how this continues to change or not.

So, if I don’t play basketball what will I do? God knows?! : ) I could certainly see myself being back in the Bay Area starting in the fall. Whether I am in Palo Alto or actually living in San Francisco, I see desirable features in each. However, the question really is what would I do? Again, I ask myself, what makes me most happy?

I want to serve God. Be a student of Him. Really get to now Him better and better. How does this play out in life? How can I be bold in my faith, gentle in spirit, and humble in action?

Right now I know I am going to Ireland at the end of this week and will be there through the beginning of September. I am so excited to learn what camp is all about and really to get the chance to spend time with these precious kids (check it out at www.barretstown.org). I also pretty stoked to be applying to medical school right now too (to enter in the fall of 2008). I feel like I’ve been awaiting the application process for sometime now, and it’s great that I can actually start telling schools that I want to be their student!

Once I return from Ireland in September, I don’t know what I will be doing. I love being with kids; I feel especially drawn to sick kids, but I love pretty much all kids! Perhaps I could get a job on campus with a ministry group, the alumni association, student affairs, athletics… who knows there?! But, I think I most aggressively (though we all know it won’t be all that aggressive) want to explore different ways in which I could be with children. I’m pretty open here. So, if you have any ideas… Ronald McDonald House, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Bing Nursery School, Art Therapy Institute… these are ideas that have been mentioned to me in different setting and all have a certain appeal. So, really, if you have any ideas at all – if you know me and think you can figure out what I’d like to do ;) then surely shoot me some thoughts. I’d love to hear from you.

Lastly, I’d be most thankful if you would just pray for me: pray that I trust in God, pursue disciplined quiet time and prayer, and rest in His awesome grace and peace.

Hopefully I’ll blog again before heading off to Ireland, but if not, I will hopefully have internet access (klrappahahn@gmail.com) there and I will get a mailing address to you as soon as I have one. Thank you for all your support, love, and encouragement. The last several months, but especially the last one, has been life-changing, life-giving, and challenging in new and different ways. I’m so excited for what lies ahead!

Fırst tıme ın Asıa

Im ın Turkey Im ın Turkey Im ın Turkey.

You can fınd out team.s blog at AIA.com somewhere :)

It ıs AWESOME! I am learnıng SO much and wıll have great storıes to share.

Fırst tıme ın Asıa

Im ın Turkey Im ın Turkey Im ın Turkey.

You can fınd out team.s blog at AIA.com somewhere :)

It ıs AWESOME! I am learnıng SO much and wıll have great storıes to share.

Good-bye Sweden, Hello Turkey

Off to Turkey today to meet up with the Athletes-in-Action team there! Could use your prayers for safe travels and good times there :)

Don't know how much access to computers we'll have while playing games and doing bball clinics, but hope to maybe get some updates in?!... at least when I get back to the states I will tell you how the trip goes!

I think I might meet up with Seb tonight too!

Have a great end of April!

SM-Guld

08 Stockholm Human Rights won the Swedish National Championship on Saturday evening!! Hoorah. Hoorah. Hoorah!!

SM-Guld, SM-Guld, SM-Guld.

More to come... but, we are the champs. I love my team and am so proud of everyone involved. It's been an awesome ride. So very thankful and feel very blessed.

Tonight was celebration number 2; now it is time for bed.

Långfredagen

"With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last."

Mark 15:37