Live report from our City Taking in Tampere, Finland

Greetings to you from Tampere! It is wonderful to finally be here in Tampere where the City Taking project is already in full swing. We are very impressed to see how well the local believers have organized everything! It takes a lot of effort to organize a City Taking project, and therefore we started preparing this campaign together with the Pentecostal church of Tampere already several months ago, before the real action started on Monday. We are excited and happy to have with us such a great group of hard working, committed volunteers who all wear an attractive T-shirt which carries the logo of the event. So you can imagine what it looks like on the streets of Tampere this week! Smiling, friendly people from all ages in turquoise T-shirts loving and serving the community in several different ways and sharing the message of Jesus Christ all over Tampere. We are certainly visible and easy to recognize and with great joy we have realized that the locals are well aware of us due to the outstanding advertising the church did before the event. We are so glad for having already reached thousands of citizens, not to mention the other hundreds who have been watching the night meetings live on the internet or read the reports on the event website. Many lives have been impacted and changed and we expect to see much more during the rest of the week.

The latest news in a nutshell

Children’s program

A big group of happy children was running around the park where the children’s event took place. The workers in their bright blue T-shirts played with the kids and helped them with different activities. Many children enjoyed painting on a massive piece of card board. Three-year-old Mai painted with green, red and blue showing great enthusiasm. She had found the activities together with her mum just by accident.

The Children’s Olympic Games offered five different activities from which the participants got a sticker or a stamp. There were a lot of different activities to enjoy: fishing, bowling and finding animals for Noah’s ark. Peppi 8, Jenna 5 and Kukka-Maaria 9 proudly showed their passes and wanted to try out the whole variety of games.

-”Have you heard of Peter who was taken into prison?”, asked Matias and Teemu from the children, inviting them to come and experience what it feels like to escape from a ”prison”.

The arts and crafts corner was so packed the whole time that children had to line up and wait for their turn. Everyone was smiling and the atmosphere was joyful and happy.

Heike walked around the park conversing with many parents. She noticed that it was easier for the Finns to talk about spiritual things with a foreigner in a foreign language. She was also privileged to pray for many.

Hug point

A person who passed by and received a hug from our team was so thrilled and happy for the attention he received that he began to tell us about the research results of the positive effects of hugging:

According to a research done in Helsinki area, hugging reduces migraine headaches. Those who received seven hugs a day within a one-month-period noticed a clear change saying their migraine head aches got less. Those who received 15 hugs a day said their head aches disappeared completely. Those who didn’t receive any hugs said they suffered from severe head aches. Hugging reduces stress!

Coffee tent

In the coffee tent our women had a wonderful opportunity to talk to other women and pray for them. The beautifully decorated tent serving coffee and cake only for women was welcomed by the citizens of Tampere, catching their attention and drawing the curious closer to see what was going on there. The cafe opposite of our tent also welcomed us to the neighborhood, and as a friendly, little joke they put a sign in front of their cafe advertising ”coffee for men”. The owner of this cafe promised to come to our meetings.

Tesoma

Through the hotline in Tesoma we had an opportunity to tell the good news to many. During one of our visits our team was privileged to lead a mother and her son to Jesus. At our sausage stand people were given roses, pens and Christian magazines free of charge. A florist living nearby wanted to support our campaign and gave us his own roses to give out – all free of charge. People were astonished to hear we give roses and sausages for free. In the Löytö! –bus coffee was served and we had many wonderful conversations, having the joy of praying for many as well. Some of us felt as we prayed on the streets that this suburb really needs prayer. As we knocked on people’s doors the reception was very positive and many allowed us to pray for them.

Street survey

Our street survey team had many opportunities to pray for people. One paralyzed man gave his life to Jesus. It was clear to see that many people are in need of comfort and someone who simply listens to them. Teemu said that the spiritual ”climate” was different every day. Some days we just prayed for people and had talks with them and other days we distributed materials and informed about our campaign.

Program for Thursday:

In the afternoon there will be an Art Workshop at Laukontori. At night, a drama and dance performance called “Heroes of every day life” will take place in the Pentecostal Church of Tampere. Loyto! presents two events during the “Night of Arts” on Thursday, 7. August.

The Art Workshop at Laukontori will be open from 13.00 to 17.00 in the afternoon. In this workshop you can make your own image out of clay. The workshop opened up already on Wednesday and for our great joy dozens of people came to participate and enjoy the fun. The leader of this workshop, Emilia Nieminen said it was news to many that we have been created into the likeness of the image of God – being fearfully and wonderfully made. In addition to the art workshop, pancakes are made and given to the people free of charge.

At night you will have the opportunity to come and see a dance and drama performance called ‘Heroes of every day life’. The show starts at 22.00 in the Pentecostal church, located at Aleksanterinkatu 18. This performance combines different art forms, and has already been shown a few times during the past spring. You may also drop in for a cup of coffee or enjoy it after the performance downstairs in the Loyto –café which is open from 21.00 to 24.00.

A report from Wednesday:

Joy of finding and discovering on the streets of Tampere

The Loyto! –teams went out on Wednesday afternoon and came back full of great news. It was proved once again that giving means also receiving. The teams were constantly asked two questions: “Why did you come to think of organizing this kind of an event only now and not already long ago?” and ”How come this is all free of charge?”. So what exactly happened in the activity points?

Here is a short report from the team leaders:

• Suzette Hattingh, the guest speaker of the event, visited Laukontori together with her interpreter, Juha Ketola

• “ ‘A hug a day, reduces stress’ This is the best way to show people that God loves them”, says the volunteer inside the teddy bear costume.

• Information center: “We handed out water bottles, organized a fun contest and simply talked to the people and prayed for them.”

• Laukontori: “It was wonderful to meet people and invite them to enjoy our pancakes. The atmosphere was relaxed and friendly and it was such fun to chat with those who came.”

• Keskustori: Water for thirsty. We were asked “How much do they pay you for this?” Well, our reward will be in heaven one day.

• Hameenkatu: Coffee and cake was served for about two hundred women. We heard following comments: “It is wonderful that you have come out of your church building to meet the people and impact the society. This tears down the walls of prejudice against Christians”

• Tesomantori: Sausage and roses for all. “A local flower shop owner saw us and was so impressed about our campaign that he brought us more roses.”

Many people heard about the truth in our activity points and accepted Jesus into their lives.

At night, Suzette preached a fiery message of salvation and dozens of people responded to the altar call giving their lives to Jesus for the very first time or rededicating themselves to the Lord. A representative from the city council attended the meeting and shared an official word of greeting from the city. He was impressed by everything he saw and heard, being very touched by Suzette’s preaching, stating he had never in his life heard the message of salvation preached as clearly and straightforward as last night. As a present, Suzette gave him her book, which has just come hot off the press in the Finnish language.

The activity points will be open again on Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 13.00 to 17.00.

A short report from Monday and Tuesday:

The Beach Party

There was a Beach party that drew quite a lot of people to enjoy the activities. Many organized activities were offered for those who came: kayaking, the Olympic games, darts, volleyball etc, to name a few. A local DJ played music and sausages were grilled and given to the people free of charge. The leader of the Beach Party says “I am very pleased. Everything worked out so well and it was a lot of fun. Jesus himself did not only preach to the people but simply hung out with them, doing just normal every day things. As it says in Matthew 7:12 ‘Whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them.’ A water bottle on a hot day or delicious sausage in between the sports activities would make at least me very happy.”

Report from a nursing home visit

A couple of hundred elderly people - dozens of them in wheel chairs – gathered together in the yard of Koukkuniemi nursing home on Wednesday afternoon as Mika Karola and Lasse Heikkila band began the music event. Many of the residents sang along with the band as they played famous melodies and popular songs which brought back many memories from the childhood years. These songs tell about heaven, angels and the white washed garments of those who will spend their eternity wih Jesus. In between the songs Mika talked to the audience receiving back many enthusiastic responses.

"The blood of Jesus is a miraculous detergent: only by this blood can we cleanse ourselves in order to get ready for heaven", Mika stated. After the concert, the elderly had a happy smile on their face and thanked the performers for the wonderful time together.

Here are a few comments:

-Such a wonderful event! We should have these more often.

-Beautiful, familiar songs!

-I have not heard songs like these ever before.

The team members helped the elderly to come to the concert and sang the songs together with them. Some of the elderly wanted to receive prayer and one wanted to buy Mika’s CD. At least one team member was honored to lead a lady to the Lord in her own room after the concert.

"Löytö!"

This is the Finnish theme for the special Tampere outreach week from Monday 4th August to Sunday 10th August 2008.

Theme of the week

"Löytö" is not so easy to translate into English, but perhaps the best description could be "Lost and Found!". This theme refers to the Bible verse from Luke 19:10 "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost".

Intention of the week

Our intention is to serve the Tampere city people by many different ways and give opportunities for them to find Jesus - or for Jesus to find them!

Program - during the days

From Wednesday 6th August to Saturday 9th August between 1:00pm and 5:00pm, different teams will serve the Tampere people in their very practical needs:

• Taking care of the kids: games, exercises, painting..in the parks of Tampere
• Taking care of the older people in Koukkuniemi elder house
• Arranging free concerts for different audiences, e.g. RAP music for younger people in Kirjastotalonpuisto (Friday 8:30pm), Mika Karola & Lasse Heikkilä for Koukkuniemi elder house (Wednesday 1:00am)
• Simply showing love by giving out water bottles and roses in Tampere city centre
• Offering refreshments for free: sausage at Tesoma Länsitori, panncakes at Laukontori, coffee and cakes for women next to Stockmann
• Offering small household services for free for Tesoma people. Tesoma people will have opportunity to call into Hot Line number between 2:00pm and 8:00pm from 4th to 5th August and request help for e.g. cleaning

Program - during the evenings

Our intention for the evenings is to serve people by offering the opportunity to hear the good news about Jesus Christ and giving people the opportunity to find Jesus as their Saviour and Healer.

"Löytö!" / "Lost and Found!" evening events contains worship, music and testimonies.

From Wednesday 6th August to Saturday 9th August - 7:00pm to 9:00pm:

• Place: Tampere Pentacostal Church, Aleksanterinkatu 18
• Translation into english is available
• Special program is arranged for the kids in the same building during the evening events, so that families can participate into events as whole

Sunday, 10th of August, contains 2 special events:

• 11:00am-1:00pm Sunday Service
• 6:00pm-8:00pm Healing Evening
• Place: Tampere Pentacostal Church, Aleksanterinkatu 18
• Translation into english is available
• Special program is arranged for the kids in the same building during the evening events, so that families can participate into events as whole

Special program: Beach Party

Monday 4th August and Tuesday 5th August:

• Place: Rosendahl Beach at Pyynikki
• Time: Both evenings, from 6:00pm to 10:00pm
• Program: canoeing, park aerobics, beach volley (Monday), beach olympics (Tuesday), music (DJ)..

More Information

Tampere Pentecostal Church is responsible of the event: Tampereen Helluntaiseurakunta.

There are tens of volunteers who are serving and arranging the "Löytö" event.

More information:

• General information: Project secretary Kalle Niemi This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
• Prayer requests: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
• Sponsors: Henna Hurinki This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
• Media materials and relationships: Tarja Jääskeläinen This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
• Internet editor: Lea Kiiski This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

All events are free of charge