CHRISTMAS LETTER 2013

CHRISTMAS LETTER 2013

Dear Friends!

THE YEAR BEHIND

Thank You everyone for this blessed year! Our God directs and brings us up. Sometimes we think things are not easy and sometimes even difficult, but God, who we believe, is almighty. And He knows what is best to you, even when life is not easy. Victories and adversities are often connected. So dear friend don´t give up!

1 Cor. 15:57-58 “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”

During this year we have with joy and gratefulness been able to inaugurate the worship hall in our church building in Heby, Sweden. This beautiful hall is a worship and praise to God. As local pastors we are so thankful for all our collaborators who have their heart in church and work so hard. And our church is joined in bigger context in Salt & Light International and Body of Christ in Sweden.

We are also much engaged in the development work of the local community. Kiell is leading the restoration work of the big lake Tämnaren. Gertrud is working in the local handicraft center. Both of us are interested in local history, and we are researching and writing the history of local community.

OUR FAMILY

The year started with 70 year celebration for Kiell, and that our 11th grandchild Victor was born. Emilie (19) got “student-examen”. Our grandchild Hannah was married to Viktor. During the summer we made some travelling to the Baltic Sea, days with the family. Our home and farm needs some work. During the autumn we participated in Salt & Light meeting in Finland, and made a study journey to Turkey. Kiell has had problem with his stomach, and Gertrud with her back. Yes, we are old, but we don´t give up. We are grateful to be in full labor in God´s kingdom. Last week in this year our youngest daughter Rebecca will be 35 years of age. 

COMING YEAR

In Centre Church Heby it will be an intense year with prayer & fasting, services, conferences, 25-years jubilee with Dave & Chris Richards, more construction work, and visit by pastor Beckie Baraka, Kenya. Petra´s husband Pär-Inge will be 50 years of age. And 8th August Gertrud will be 70! But Gertrud will go on working in her sewing workshop, producing beatiful things in leather and textile. 

Merry Christmas & A Blessed Coming Year!

KIELL & GERTRUD TOFTERS

VISIT FINLAND

During the autumn 2013 Gertrud and Kiell Tofters travelled to and in Finland. Finland was a part of Sweden from year 1150 to 1809, so we have many relations. Swedens last war ended 1809, when Finland was a Russian principality until 1917. From 1917 Finland is a sovereign republic, and has fighted heroic in the wars during last century. We don´t understand the unique Finnish language, but along the Baltic coast half a million speak Swedish. The photo above shows the Baltic Sea between Finland and Sweden at Jakobstad, Österbotten, in the north of Finland. In Jakobstad we have many friends.
We travelled by fairy to Finland and then by car. First we went to Ekenäs at the South coast, where we stayed in the beautiful place called Sjömansro, conference center of Mission Church Finland. We studied in the archive of Mission church and visited Mission church Ekenäs. This church has many new-born Christians and is vibrating full of life. 
Then we travelled towards the north, and stayed in Närpes, where the great evangelist Frank Mangs was born. In Jakobstad we met the Nordic Team of Salt & Light International for deliberation. The place is called Pörkenäs, where we photographed the Baltic Sea. It is a great team and our work is growing in all Nordic nations. We are a family of churches establising God´s kingdom together.   

SUMMER 2013

After a long and hard winter and a short spring we now have a wonderful Scandinavian summer with much sunshine. We (Kiell & Gertrud Tofters) live two hours by car west of the Stockholm archipelago and we have had the possibility go there a couple of times during the summer. In June we stayed in a Bed and Breakfast house a couiple of nights outside the little town Waxholm at the Sea. During the days we could be on the water in big boats. 50 years ago Kiell made his military service outside Waxholm in the archipelago. He was a woodman and a male cook. He had said no to use weapons.
     Now in July Gertrud, Kiell and their daughter Petra visited the sailing boat of Andreas (brother of Petra) & Anette Tofters during a couple of days. In the ship was also 6 months old Victor, son of Andreas & Anette. We had a good family time together and it was a joy to go sailing. The Stockholm archipelago is so beautiful. And this is a sabbath rest for all of us!

BLESSED WITH A BIG FAMILY

In our place, Bragdebo Gård Östervåla, in the middle of Sweden, spring is coming but very late this year. Still we have a lot of snow in our garden, but we see and hear some migratory birds. Yesterday we saw a couple of bullfinches. On the fields we now see waders and starlings. We are waiting on the spring flowers. Because the winter has been long and the temperature has been low, we have had som problems with the heating indoors. We have used pellets from the Swedish forests, but this winter we have installed an air-heating pump.
       As you see in the photos above we have four children and eleven grandchildren. In January Victor was born, son of Andreas & Anette, and he is growing well. His oldest sister Emily received her driving license a month ago. In March we visited the home of Marcus & Linda, their son Gabriel was one year of age. So we are blessed with a big family!
       Our church, Centrumkyrkan Heby, bought another church building a couple of years ago, and we are renovating it. March 5 we will open the worship hall and inaugurate it. There are much work, but many members of our church are making a lot. We have also built a baptist
 pool, and 5th May we will baptize several people. Our church is a charismatic baptist church.

BRAGDEBO WINTER 2012-2013

BALANCING OF THE BOOKS AT 70

The year 2012 has been very intense for me (Kiell Tofters) and my wife Gertrud. We have been engaged in the watercouncil of the lake Tämnaren. During the year we have increased the work with several seminars, workshops, and visits. We have now also good cooperation with the three municipalities Heby, Tierp and Uppsala, the County Government Board, and both Universities in Uppsala. Together with Birgitta Olsson we have produced three brochyres about our work with restoration of Tämnaren. "Living water and countryside", "Cooperation for better water", "Who decides about Tämnaren?".
     Gertrud and I are also pastors and overseers of the local church Centrechurch Heby. We work close to our sister church Centrechurch Sala, where our son Andreas and his wife Anette are pastors and overseers. Gertrud and I are principals of Centre Church Leadership School, which develops next generation of church leaders. We have 24 young people as students, which we equip, make skilful, empower and encourage to pursue their calling to leadership in the church and ministry. This next generation will lead the congregation, planting new churches, be preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God.
     We have many internationally friends all over Europe and Africa. For the 15th time I went to Africa this fall together with my pastor and mentor since 23 years, Dave Richards England, to Zimbabwe and Kenya. In Kenya we also met David Oliver, an old friend since 1986, when we started to work together in Tofters Printing Company. Together with David I have had seminars in England, Germany, and Ukraine. David is a successful businessman, and a Christian prophet with a big loving heart. By Dave Richards and David Oliver I got the advice to concentrate coming years in the local work in church. So I will not go to mission in Africa the coming year.
     Family is very important for us. During the spring 2012 we got our 10th grandchild, a boy Gabriel. His parents are Marcus (our son) and Linda. Earlier we had nine grand daughters. The 4th January 2013 Anette, wife of our son Andreas, gave birth to a son, Victor. So now we have 11 grandchildren. It was a miracle Anette could give birth to a child, because she last year was so ill in cancer. Now she is well and also mother of a new little human being. During the Christmas we met all the family.
     The 10th December I was 70 years of age. Yes I am old but will go on together with Gertrud. Still we live in our home Bragdebo, which you see in the photo during this winter. The 6th January our oldest daughter Petra organized a banqet for me with more than 100 guests. We are so blessed with many friends.