Maple Bowl XXXI

Maple Bowl XXXI

Derrick Ford and I in the Velodrome

We made it! We have arrived at what we were working for as a football team, the National Championship Game which is today. We started the season 5-0 in the Vaahteraliiga (The Finnish top division) and then had two losses to the Helsinki Wolverines and the Seinajoki Crocodiles. We played very poorly in those games due to some injuries but on the other hand the Wolverines and Crocodiles played well and we were unable to respond to their challenge.

After those two losses we had a three week break during which many of our players played for the Finnish National Team in the European Championships. I held my breath hoping that our guys would come back healthy after having to play 3 games in 5 days!!! They do things differently here in Europe. Fortunately we only had one injury and that was to our kicker and punter, Kari Hytonen who pulled a calf muscle. The time off also helped our guys heal physically but the long lay off ate at me and our players as we did not have a chance to respond with winning ways and had to live with the losses for over a month.

When we came back together I challenged our players to focus once again. I talked to them about how we had started out 5-0, had an 0-2 slip and now our goal was to finish 5-0. That meant winning all three regular season games remaining and then 2 playoff games. Not only that but we needed to improve each week and get better as a team. Our players responded and after a tough victory 42-38 against the Lapeenranta Border Knights in record heat for Finland (38 degrees Celsius) we continued to improve and won our last two games 33-2 and 48-0. Having finished the season 8-2 we ended up in a three-way tie for first place with the Wolverines and Crocodiles. However due to our losses to those teams we received the third place seed in the playoffs which meant we had to travel last week to Helsinki and the Olympic Velodrome Stadium with its horrible AstroTurf surface to play the Wolverines at their home. Think of an ice skating rink on concrete and you get an idea of the footing. Regardless we came out in the game and jumped to a 28-0 halftime lead and eventually won 42-27, with the last couple of TD's coming against our junior team players primarily. I don't believe in running up the score as is the fashion here in Finland, so once the game was in hand we started subbing players in. I don't believe it is good for the game when scores are ridiculous and it does not help get young players experience when they sit all the time behind the starters.

Robert Johnson Throwing in a shootout against his brother Cedric from the Wolverines (Above)

Iiro Luoto Catching The Ball ! (left)

(Below) The top rated defense in the Maple League gathering after a series.

That game was the start of what I have termed the Butchers Revenge Tour 2010. We want to defeat every team in the country in the Maple League to leave no question that we deserve to win the Championship. Since we won our semi-final game it was then up to the Crocodiles to win their game against the Helsinki Roosters in order for us to complete our revenge. The Crocs and the Roosters played another incredibly close game but the Crocs did end up on top at home. So that has set up the game this week. Finland's Super Bowl -The Maple Bowl. The cup was donated to the SAJL (Finnish American football Federation) by the Canadian embassy many years ago and the championship game was named the Maple Bowl in honor of that partnership.

So here we are, six months after I have arrived and we are in the National Championship game. There will be events all day outside of the stadium in Super Bowl fashion in the area called the Tailgate square. Bands, high diving exhibitions, comedy groups and other events will add flavor to the day. We will not be able to partake of those activities because we have a task to finish. We are so excited to be in this game. We are like a fly on a manure pile!!We are going for a sixth consecutive national title today which would tie a record set by the Roosters in the 90's. If you are so inclined the game will be broadcast on the internet at this link http://www.sajl.fi/media/netti-tv/

On the SAJL site there are also interviews with coaches and players and a press conference from earlier in the week. I hope you will watch the game and support us as we try to pull together as a team and play with honor for Porvoo, our friends, families and fans. Thanks for your prayers and support over this season.
Kiittos.

For more information on the Maple Bowl click here:http://www.sajl.fi/sarjat/miehet/vaahteraliiga/vaahteramalja_xxxi/

Loving People

Post game interview

Loving People!

I recently read this article on Leadership Journal's website by Gordon MacDonald in which he looks at  methods of evangelism in our times. In it he relates how we used to determine a persons faith status by whether they had said the sinners prayer. Our goal was always to lead someone to that point through such means as the four spiritual laws or an invitation by the pastor after a service. When someone could point to that time when they were saved then our job was done and we could move on to getting another person to say the prayer and mark that point when they also were born again. While he notes that in the past this was effective in some measure,  he had come to question that process. In this article he relates how he chose a different method with stranger who had visited his church. (To read the full article click on the link)
What to Do With a Stranger | LeadershipJournal.net

After meeting with this man a few times over breakfasts MacDonald decided to ask him to follow him around for six weeks at church on Sundays. "Meet me at church each Sunday at 7:45 a.m. and shadow me until Gail and I leave the church at about 12:45. Sit next to me on the front row, eavesdrop on every conversation unless I have to ask you to step aside, follow my sermon with a copy of my notes that I'll give you. Ask me any question you can think of during the morning. Oh, and I might occasionally ask you to do some little thing for me like getting a drink or carrying a message to someone. Let me know if you'll do it."

The man agreed and at the end of the six weeks asked if he could continue. He did and MacDonald noted that

"His scope of observation increased. He noted Gail's efforts to encourage me throughout the morning. He became aware of the difference between those who were really seeking after God and those who simply came along for the ride. He watched some of us pray for the sick and the suffering, lay hands on those who needed a blessing, and intercede for those whose lives were ruptured by the cruelties of life in the larger world."

 Over the course of the year MacDonald never asked
 about when he had sealed the deal he "just created the circumstances in which he began doing it: giving his life to Jesus." Macdonald noted that

"In one sense his and his wife's view of the Christian life—my opinion—was not that of joining an organization but rather a choice to immerse themselves in the Jesus way, whatever that meant. They liked what they were learning; they were drawn to emulate certain people and attracted to a community of real, not perfect, people who all shared a similar struggle to be faithful to the Lord. A community that fits the description of Jesus, who said, "where two or three gather together in my name, I am there in the midst."

Church in Vassa

Being here in Finland with a very limited grasp of Finnish or Swedish it has been a struggle to engage in extremely deep conversations about faith at times. At others it has been wonderful with those who speak English fluently. Regardless I have begun to understand that it is not really my words or convincing arguments that make any difference. It is my life. Jesus never sat with any of his disciples and went through the four spiritual laws with them and had them pray the sinners prayer in order to follow him. He simply gave an invitation, "come, follow me." These simple words are so powerful in their application. In three years of living, eating, sleeping, traveling, and following Jesus the disciples still struggled to understand fully his mission. I find it humbling to think that I could somehow come to a full understanding of who Christ is just by a simple understanding of spiritual points. Confessing our sins acknowledging our sinfulness and accepting the grace of Christ poured out through his blood on the cross are all essential elements to understand, but following him and experiencing life with him is a completely different thing.

Butchers!

That Jesus understood that and simply asked these men to follow him and to observe him as he ministered to others and take part in that ministry has opened up a whole new viewpoint for me. My calling here has been to live in this community of Porvoo and to love the people Christ has brought into my life. To live out his love in practical ways and try to serve this team and the people I have met in this community is what he has asked me to do.

Do I feel like I have been successful in evangelism? That is for God to determine, but I have done what I can to be open, obedient and to challenge my players and coaches to serve others while trying to live out the gospel in a manner that is relevant and compassionate. In that sense we were able a few weeks ago to have our players help with a ball drive for kids in Malawi, where one of our players mom has a mission that she has established.  We did the ball drive in conjunction with our game vs. the Jyväskylä Jaguars who also brought some balls to contribute. Through a partnership with A Champion's Heart and the Butchers we were able to share the vision that we have as a ministry and send over 50 balls to Malawi. We also were able to live the life of Christ and ask these guys to follow us as we love people for Christ. The openness of players has been amazing and I am so thankful for the relationships that I have been able to establish. I have been able to pray with people in the community over intense personal hurts, with guys on our team regarding deaths in their family, births of children and financial and emotional issues. But even more I have been able to be here and let them know that Christ loves them in a tangible way. Living the life of Christ through the power of his resurrection is a daily event. As Dallas Willard explains "the resurrection was a cosmic event only because it validated the reality and the indestructibility of what Jesus had preached and exemplified before his death-the enduring reality and openness of God's Kingdom. It meant that the Kingdom, with the communal form his disciples had come to know and hope in would go on." (1988, The Spirit of the Disciplines, p. 37)
I hope that we can know that communal sense and find hope in it as the early disciples did.

Finnish Sunset

Summer adventures Finland 2010

I thought that you may want to see pictures of some of my experiences and where I have been so I made this video the link for it is here: Summer Adventures Finland 2010

Keeping My Head Above Water

Often when asked "how are you doing" we respond with a common phrase "just keeping my head above water." This usually denotes the fact that we are swamped with work, worry, and obligations and the image is that we are trying to survive, to not drown in the sea of cares and concerns. I have been feeling that way lately. Our team, the Butchers, after starting the season 5-0 has lost the last two games to very good opponents and yet for defending five-time national champions to lose two in a row creates a bit of a buzz around the country. It has put our backs against the wall and we will have to play great football for the rest of the way to be able to defend our title. Obviously as a coach and the one responsible for the sinking ship I have to find ways to right it and to set our course once again in a positive direction. And truth be told I think we are on the way to that. But it is a challenge I would rather not have had at this point in the season. Adding to that was the news from home that my dad had undergone a couple of surgeries to restore circulation in both legs. He almost lost both legs and was struggling in recovery from the surgeries and the waves around me seemed to be getting bigger and the idea of keeping my head above water seemed overwhelming.

After the losses we have entered into a three week break in the season to allow Finnish players to train and compete in the European Championships which are a qualifier for next years World Championships to be held in Austria. Many of our players are on the National team so we will not be having practice so I actually have a break which is good and bad. Good in that I have some free time but bad in that I don't have people around to spend it with. So this will be an extremely alone time for me. So the idea of all of these stresses and three weeks of being alone was a bit daunting. But I decided to make the most of it and travel around the local area a bit. It has been extremely hot here, "hella" is the Finnish word for hot and that has been appropriate so I decided to go to a lake called Venjarvi and cool off. The lake was beautiful, surrounded by birch, aspen, fir, and pine trees. And there was a nice little sandy beach. However the beach was a bit hectic so I decided to swim to the other side of the lake. When I got there I found a log that was partially submerged in the water and sat on it to rest. It was so peaceful and still and I reveled in the peacefulness. I have been trying to figure out where God wants me to go and trying to deal with some very painful emotions regarding my relationships, both past and present, which have roots in some issues of abandonment and trust from being adopted.  As I sat there I just asked God to help me clear my head and heart and refocus. God spoke in his gentle way "keep your head above water" and simultaneously my attention was drawn to these flowers which were all around me poking their blossoms up out of the water.
They are a type of water lily with a beautiful yellow kukka ( flower in Finnish) and they were there right next to me . They are not particularly ostentatious, they  blended into the entire scene in a magical way. As I looked around the lake I began to see more and more of them with the blossom just poking up above the water level and surrounded by Lilly pads which helped to dissipate waves. I was amazed at how deep these plants were rooted into the water. The bottom was deep enough that I couldn't touch and these plants were rooted in the lake bed and had made their way to the water surface where they seemed to revel in a state of worship to their creator.
As I sat there admiring these plants I realized that God has a different meaning for keeping our heads above water and he was trying to communicate that to me. Whereas in my mind it is a mere act of survival, however brave and heroic I may make it out to be, it is more than that in Gods plan. He does not just want me to survive but to thrive even in those conditions. And here was the evidence; these kukka thriving in this lake.  They were beautifully arrayed in the water emitting their fragrance for anyone to see. The blooms of these kukka were just above the water and yet they were poised with a sense of affirmation of life. It was as if they were in a state of worship lifting their heads toward God with pride and purpose.

With God's grace and strength I hope that I may be able to hold my head above the water with the same pride and purpose as these kukka and live a life of worship.

Therefore, I urge you brothers in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God -which is your spiritual worship. Do not conform any longer to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is- his good, pleasing and perfect will.  Romans 12: 1-2

What I Love about Finland

Often times as Americans we get into the habit of comparing everything to home and usually everything comes up as a distant second place. This begins to display itself as negativity towards anything that is not familiar and comfortable. It is easily understandable as we are indoctrinated early on that the American way of life is the best of all worlds present or past. "America, love it or leave it" is often the rallying cry. I really don't want to get into the debate on "the best" because I don't think that there is a true answer to that other than pure opinion. It's kind of like the BCS in college football, fun to argue about if you don't take it too seriously but ultimately an argument that has no true relevance to life.
Secondly as a Christian I am a sojourner in any land as my true allegiance is not to any earthly king but to the true King of kings and Lord of lords. I am a Christian first and an American second and unfortunately at times those identities do not run on parallel paths.
But I digress, my intent on writing this week is to get beyond the comparisons and focus on why I love being in Finland. I challenged the Butchers last week before our game against Turku to heed the words of Paul in Philippians 4: 8  "Finally Brothers whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about these things." I have realized that we needed to think about the good things going on with our team, the way guys have stepped up and answered the call when others (many of them) have been injured. We ended the game last week with no replacements at any position on offense, but we needed to not focus on those problems but on how we would and could respond to them by focusing on the good, the right, the admirable, the noble and the lovely. Sometimes that is a difficult task.
I know that I can by nature begin to be overwhelmed and dwell on problems, but I have tried to not do that here. This verse in Philippians has been such a strength for me over the last few years as difficult times seem to hammer home with the regularity of the waves on the Oregon Coast. So as I thought about it I was challenged to not dwell on missing home and my family (which I do terribly)and issues with the team and my future. Instead I thought about what do I love about Finland and these are my conclusions.

1) The people-While Finnish people can be a bit reserved, I have discovered that they are a warm and generous people. They have received me with such grace and generosity and I am truly thankful for the blessings. I have found them to be a very straightforward culture where hyperbole is uncommon and flattery unnecessary.

2)  Three to four hour sunsets! Yes the sun starts going down around 9 pm but never really goes down till after midnight now, so the sunset is spectacular for the entire time. Amazing!
3) Active people. It is so inspiring to see so many people out walking, running, nordic walking, biking, bird watching and just enjoying the outdoors no matter what the weather conditions. Combine that with the late daylight hours and it is an inspiring combination. I came home the other night after practice at 10 pm and saw so many people out that I decided to go for a run as well. I got back at about 11:30 pm still in daylight!
4) Kids playing! Kids here are always out riding their bikes, playing games, kicking soccer balls, throwing footballs and hanging out with one another. And without helicopter parents hanging around in close proximity. It is refreshing to see active kids developing friendships. I know that many of the guys on our team have been playing football together since they were juniors, some for about 20 years now! those relationships are so strong and have been built through playing together.

5) Sauna's-yes the sauna is a refreshing way to relax and sweat out the toxins in the body, even if there are naked people with you.
6) Trails Trails Trails! Bike trails, walking trails, Nordic skiing trails, they are everywhere and it is amazing. If there is a road there is a bike trail next to it. The ease of getting around on a bike is amazing and refreshing. I am constantly amazed at the friendliness of alternative transportation modes here.

7) Slow pace of life. Life is lived here at an slower pace. Vacations are abundant, lunches are relaxed and filled with conversation, people avoid the rat race of life as much as possible.
8) History-this country has been such a midpoint of conflict through the twentieth century and beyond. Battles over sovereignty between Sweden and Russia, Finnish independence from those two neighbors, battles and alliances with the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany and the constant tension of the Cold War between the Capitalist West and the Communist East in which Finland was squarely in the middle ground. In addition the ability to travel to places such as Sweden, Norway, Russia and  Estonia all so close with such rich histories is incredible.

9) Lakes. Wow! There are over 187,000 large lakes in Finland! Driving anywhere you pass a multitude and it is truly spectacular. This is a country steeped in beauty and yet relatively unspoiled.

10) The Butchers! This group of people has welcomed me and all my crazy ideas about family times, "A Beautiful Day drill" and crazy games at practice and given me great effort and support. They have also listened to my philosophical and theological ramblings without sending me to the psychiatric hospital! http://www.porvoonbutchers.com

We have a huge game this week against the Helsinki Roosters who are also unbeaten right now. It will be a great contest, but I know that no matter the outcome we will weather the storm and appreciate the gifts that we have been given here in Finland and soldier on toward the next challenge together. Thanks for your prayers they have sustained me and helped me to stay focused on the true, the right, the noble and the lovely.

Contradictions

This week has been one of contemplation and reflection on a major question; What are you living for? This question has been one that has haunted me all week as I have observed life here in Finland and it has led me to discover a number of what I refer to as contradictions of life as seen from my perspective. Let me first of  all explain that my impression of Finnish culture is that it is very reserved and people rarely display emotions of any kind. There are not many displays of joy, sorrow, disappointment, frustration or anything. People are generally quiet and polite as opposed to loud mouthed Americans like myself. In fact from the coaching side that has been one of my greatest struggles is to get our players with the Butchers to communicate and make calls on defense. I ask them to call out strength calls, pass routes, ball calls and other common calls that will help us become a more coherent unit and I have to constantly implore them to be loud. I have communicated that I know it is against their base instincts but that they are playing an American game and so they have to be a bit more like Americans, loud and obnoxious when playing this crazy sport.

These reserved Finns however come out of their shells with alcohol on the weekends and it is a radical transformation. People of few words suddenly will spill their guts out to you and talk incessantly. After our victory last Friday night against Lappeenranta 31-21, I went out with some of our players to Wilhelm, a riverfront cafe and bar and met some locals who recognized me from the newspaper. I had a great time talking with them and getting their impressions of the Butchers, Finland, the United States and many other topics. Later we moved to a club called Amarillo where more of our players were at. As usual at clubs like this the venue was loud, people were drinking heavily and Finns suddenly became gregarious. This contradictory personality shift is a common theme that we Americans have discussed often. While the evening was enjoyable in one sense it was also a disconcerting time. Since my ride home left me at some point, I walked home and had an opportunity to reflect upon the emptiness of the bar scene that I left.
A few days later I ate at Seireeni, a very nice restaurant that sponsors us and where we get a meal every day during the week. Since I am there almost every day I have begun to get to know the wait staff a bit and I asked one of them, who I knew had the weekend off,  "how was your weekend?"
She replied "great!"
My curiosity was aroused by this very positive response so I asked "what made it so great?" to which she answered "lots of drinking!"
Once again I was struck by this perspective that life is about making it to the weekend and then getting as drunk as possible. This seems so empty, not to mention expensive as a beer at a pub costs about 5 Euros or $7. So I began to reflect on what is there that people live for here. This reflection really hit home when our junior team was impacted by the death of one of their friends and a former player on the team. The young man had disappeared about a month ago after disturbing phone calls to friends and family which were cries for help. His body was discovered this week in the Porvoo river. He had apparently become disenchanted with life and committed suicide. He had found no reason to continue living.  I realize that this same situation exists around the world and is common as well in the U.S. but it seems more acute here as we in the U.S. will often fulfill our lives through our work or careers whereas work here is a means to provide a lifestyle. In the U.S. we also have many more people searching for meaning to life whereas here in Europe secularization is so deeply rooted that that question is not even considered anymore. Life just is, it is as if the question is a moot one here because life is about existing as comfortably as possible and meaning is irrelevant.

From a faith perspective this brings up another strong contradiction that I have observed here and that is the role of the church. In Finland 92% of people are Lutheran and belong to the church. While this may sound like an impressive figure it is a pure statistical anomaly. As I have been told repeatedly, people are members of the church but do not attend. I responded to one friend who told me this by saying "oh, I get it so they go twice a year, Christmas and Easter, we have many people at home who do that as well." He laughed and said "not quite, they go maybe two or three times in their lifetime."
The purpose of joining the church in Finland is so that your children can be Christened and you can get married and buried in the church. In fact if you are a member of a church in Finland you pay taxes to belong. Part of your income is taxed and given to the church. Not exactly a marketing tool that would go over well in the U.S. for church growth. I have gone to an International church in Helsinki and one of the pastors of this congregation of about 30-40 people told me that during the war years here people's faith really blossomed as they called out to God for help and he answered. However as the affluence of the country continued to grow, people didn't seem to see a need for God and began to take credit for the blessings in the country.  As a result, he felt that people have forgotten the God who rescued them and answered their prayers when they were oppressed. He was saddened by this as he has lived through the changes and yet he is hopeful that God could still reach his people in someway.

This contradiction of a Lutheran church supported by the Finnish government where people belong but don't attend as religion is a private affair is startling. Especially since Luther's reforms were in part about allowing people to reconnect to the church in a more organic way and establish a community of believers rather than a bureaucratic organization. There are beautiful cathedrals here that people take pictures of and worship the architecture while they are almost empty of true worshipers inside.
Another major contradiction that amazes me is with our players who work so hard to train and play football at the highest levels in Europe but then continue to smoke. This is 2010 and I am constantly amazed that people who are concerned with their health and fitness will continue to smoke after working that hard when they know that the action will cause harm to themselves and those around them. It's not just our players either it is all kinds of people who come off the practice field after playing field hockey, soccer, or bandy and then light up. I have to admit that our players don't do that. But I hope that they will come to the realization that it is not enhancing their performance.
All of this pondering has also caused me to look at the contradictions of my life as well as I am acutely aware of my many shortcomings and  inconsistencies. Sometimes it is when we get out of our comfort zones that we can see more clearly our own idiosyncrasies and failings. My hope is that I can begin to answer the question "what am I living for?" more clearly.  Jesus stated that  he came to bring life abundantly and it is my hope that my life will reflect that abundance and that I can experience his fulfillment. I see these contradictions not in a condemning spirit as I recognize my own need for a contrite heart. As George Buttrick wrote,

"contrition is not easy work: it is surgery, it is not an end in itself: the wise prayer of confession always leads to an acceptance of God's pardon . . .God does not wish us to remember, except as a reminder of our dependence, for he is willing to forget anything." From Devotional Classics. pp101-102.

This week I look forward to seeing beyond contradictions and  to bring hope to friends who could use it as one blind beggar telling another where to get food. I also look forward to our game against the Jyvaskyla Jaguars as it poses another contradiction: a renewed Northwest Conference rivalry here in Finland as they have three players from Willamette University on their team. So here's to an old Whitworth Pirate overcoming some former Bearcats in Finland, who would have imagined?

Transitions

This past week has been a period of transitions.Not subtle or gradual but sudden monumental shifts that leave you wondering, did that just happen? The first major transition that occurred her in Porvoo was the change from winter to summer. Yes that's right,  forget spring, that is a waste of time here in Finland, lets just get to the point and go straight into summer, after all it was a long hard winter. On Tuesday of last week the high temperature was 4 degrees Celsius or about 40 F  with wind that was bone chilling. At practice we were layered up with gloves, stocking hats and all the clothes we could wear. The trees showed no sign of life, not a green leaf to be seen. No flower dared poke its head out of the ground. But within two days, boom, the temperature had risen to 26 C the trees all greened and leaves suddenly appeared and flowers were everywhere. By our game on Saturday the heat was sweltering at 29 C and we were baking under the sun's heat on the field turf.  The change was amazing. It was as if the world awoke from a slumber and decided it was time to go and run a marathon. The world went from black and white to blu-ray technology in one fell swoop! The pictures below are from our balcony on Tuesday May 11th and Thursday May 13th!

The weather has not been the only major transition however. While the warmer temperatures brought added color and renewed energy to the city our game last week did just the opposite. Going into the Eurobowl game against Berlin Adler we had an incredible amount of hope, optimism and energy at practices. The possibility of being the Eurobowl champions was an euphoric sensation that has driven this team for over a year. Unfortunately, the way the Eurobowl tournament is set up we ended up playing Berlin in our opening game of the season as we had a bye into the quarterfinals after being seeded 4th after last season in Europe. Berlin came into the game having already played three games against quality opponents as they had already defeated the Czech and Swedish national champions as well as  the champions from their southern division in their German league opener. The experience showed as we made many first game errors and they were clicking on all cylinders. They were a good team and played much better than we did on the day.

The devastation for our team was enormous and once again in a matter of a few hours our spirits sank from an optimistic peak to a depression rarely felt. For many of our players after one game into the season they felt like everything had been lost. The season for them was over. They have won five straight national championships and so for many the motivation is lacking towards another national championship run. It is hard to imagine but we found ourselves at a crossroads after one game. At practice on Monday we had the lowest turnout of the year and I began to wonder whether we could restore the motivation. As this week has gone on we have slowly come back together, bruised egos have been healing and a renewed sense of mission has been evolving each day. We have our first league game on Friday night and have quite a few nagging injuries that will hinder us, but I am hopeful that we have adjusted to the transition and that this group of men who have faced adversity many times will again rise to the challenge and move forward.

My personal transition period also came this week in that as I was doing my devotional I was was again reminded that I am nothing apart from my devotion to God. I realized that I had also pinned many of my hopes on the Eurobowl game, thinking that maybe if I could win a European Championship that someone back home may care, be impressed and that it may open more opportunities for employment. I realized that hopes in anything other than God is wasted and that I am here not to win a European Championship but to mold men and live the life of Christ in a tangible servant leadership fashion. Anything else becomes self serving and a distraction. I have to focus on loving these guys where they are and helping them deal with the disappointment of our failed hopes in a positive manner and adjust to the changing landscape of abrupt transitions with as much grace as possible.  That is difficult when the transitions and changes in my own kids lives become apparent as well and they suffer from my absence and homesickness creeps in. And yet there is peace in my heart that God has brought me here to do a work with the limited set of skills and talents I have and my focus must remain there, my hope in God alone!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkGSmpd1e90

Suomi Traditions

Last week I was able to experience some Finnish traditions and they were fascinating for me being from a very different culture and so I had many questions and observations. Fortunately I had some great guides to help me through the traditions and answer my questions. Thanks go out to Ari, Linda, Simo and Pasi in particular for their patience in trying to explain to me what was going on. As a disclaimer, any misconceptions are not due to their information but to my feeble attempts to understand these experiences. So let's get to the adventures!!

Finnish Sauna's:
Last week I introduced a new tradition for the Butchers in that we had our first family night. One of our players, Marko Luoma graciously opened up his families lake place for the event. Many of our players, their wives or significant others and kids showed up for a feast of Finnish fare. I decided to add a different touch and brought some Hawaiian shoyu chicken with sticky rice and macaroni salad, which went over very well I might add. (Thanks Mitch for the recipe years ago, it has served me well.) Marko then made pancakes for everyone from Pasi's moms batter on a round pan that is used in camping settings over a wood fire. They were excellent and I had never seen anything like it.

It was a great evening and I was amazed at how many future Butchers were on the way! God has blessed the team with many moms to be. Proof that it was one of the hardest and snowiest winters on record in Finland I guess! Throughout the evening I was repeatedly asked if I was going to take a sauna, which I shrugged off with a  half-hearted  "we'll see."

I will get to my apprehension in a moment, but first I must explain that I have been repeatedly questioned on whether I have ever had a sauna before, which I always answer with a yes and then get the inevitable response "a real sauna?" They then explain that it is only a real sauna if you put water on the rocks that are heated. I assure them that I have had those types of sauna's many times which amazes them somehow.
I guess in the Pacific Northwest we must have some Finnish immigrants who established saunas where we put water on the rocks, I never knew it was so rare or such a source of national pride here. In our house here we do not have a sauna which, when people find out is met with dismay. It is almost as if we told them there is no indoor plumbing. To put it simply, saunas are serious business here and more than just a part of life they are an art form. There are whole aisles in the stores that carry sauna accessories.

Now as for my apprehensions, many years ago I have a recollection of watching the Winter Olympic Games  on TV where there was one of those travelogues during the coverage about saunas and the training methods of the Finnish athletes. Why would I remember that? Because they emphasized that the Finns participate in Saunas au natural. As Americans we have an aversion to being naked with other people. We struggle with European women going topless on beaches. I remember when I was playing and coaching in England when I discovered that the English don't have showers in locker rooms they have huge tubs where they all jump in and bath together. It was more than I could take (and the other Americans as well) and I never could hop in with all of the other players on the team in a communal tubby! I knew where some of them had been and hanging out naked with a bunch of guys is just not something we do in the good old USA.


As I was contemplating this sauna invite all night I kept thinking that no one told me to bring shorts in case of going into the sauna which heightened my apprehensions and began to affirm that this was a naked endeavor. At that point my heart was racing as in the Olympic video they showed  men and women in the sauna together. The stakes were raised with these thoughts and I began to wonder who is going into the sauna? As people slowly left my heart rate slowed a bit after realizing that all of the females were leaving and everyone wished me a great time in the sauna. With that hurdle overcome I then had to deal with the fact that I was still going into this sauna with other guys in the buff, no shorts, no towels just the democratizing factor of our skin. I tried not to let my apprehension show but I have to admit it was an uncomfortable feeling. I also have to admit that my fears were unfounded and I got over the strangeness of the experience. In fact for my first Finnish sauna it could not have been more perfect. The sauna itself was an old outbuilding on the edge of a lake powered by a wood stove with a dock going out onto the lake in front. After dumping three buckets of water on the rocks we had to retreat out to the dock where we were greeted by a quickly rising full moon on the horizon. The solitude and beauty were incredible and the chill of the air was a welcome respite to the heat of the sauna.

We went back into the sauna numerous times (note: a Finnish sauna is not a quick affair but an experience to be savored) and I felt refreshed and exhilarated. Yes, despite my apprehensions a Finnish sauna is as good as advertised especially in this lovely setting. A tradition not to be missed.

Vappua:
Last week also happened to be the national holiday Vappu which is officially labor day but is much more than that. It is celebrated on May 1st and hence also incorporates some traditional May Day flavor. In Suomi though this is also a day that celebrates graduation from higher education. Those who have graduated from high school (which is actually closer to our junior college level) wear their caps which sort of look like sailor caps and University graduates wear coveralls that symbolize their area of study and have patches that they sew on that display various large parties that they have attended.

In addition many other people wear funny hats and dress up in costumes for the occasion. Kids get mylar balloons that are everywhere. In addition there are concerts in parks and much consumption of alcohol. It is an interesting mix of sights and sounds of celebration that is difficult to describe to Americans.The night before Vappu our team had a promotion at a night club to promote the Eurobowl game. I went down to provide support to our players who were participating in the promotion and to see what the event was like. While bar scenes are very similar in every culture I had a couple of opportunities that night to have great conversations with some of our players about faith as they had questions for me which was fantastic. God not only works in strange ways but sometimes in strange places!

The next day I had the great fortune to go with friends to Helsinki and see Vappu there. It was a brisk day but very beautiful. We took the Metro in to downtown and walked around to many of the tourist areas of the city.

It was absolutely amazing to see all of the people out and about in celebration and something I will never forget. Helsinki is a wonderful city as well and I look forward to exploring it again. All in all it was a great week to celebrate Finnish traditions and I learned an amazing amount about this country through the experiences. Next week we start our season. Go Butchers!! 

Butcherland

Porvoo, Finland. This lovely little town just southeast of Helsinki is where I have landed to coach American football and continue to develop the ministry of A Champion's Heart. Thanks to all of you who have supported me in prayer and financially, your continuous prayers are welcome. The team I am coaching is called the Porvoo Butchers and are the five time defending Maple league Champions (the highest level of football in Finland). The team is composed of a great group of guys who are committed to making themselves better and also to competing at the highest levels. This season we are currently ranked number 4 in Europe and have a quarterfinal game coming up on May 15 in the the European Football League for the Eurobowl Championships. GFor those of you who are soccer fans think of the Champion's cup and this is the equivalent in American football. We will be playing either Berlin or Stockholm as due to the volcanic eruption in Iceland the game between Prague and Stockholm had to be canceled and with the tie and a loss to Berlin, Prague was effectively eliminated. We have been practicing every day and twice a day on weekends so it has been busy in the build up to our first game. We will be having a family time instead of Practice this Wednesday to give everyone a day off and to celebrate the families of our players who give up time so these guys can play this crazy game.
We also want to develop a real sense of family within the team and the organization so this hopefully will be the start of that.

It has been a difficult time for me being away from my family but skype has helped ease the burden a bit. It is also hard to be in a situation where I am unable to communicate clearly all the time. Many people speak English quite well so that helps but I am unable to join in on converstaions and it is a frustration that I am trying to rectify by learning some Finnish but this is a tough language-WOW! I know a few words now and have a couple of guys on the team who introduce a new word to me every day, yes they are good words! I think? HMMM?!

With the inability to communicate clearly I am reminded of the words of St. Francis of Assisi who said "Preach the gospel constantly and when necessary use words." I find myself in a situation where my actions are my words when language fails me. So I have determined to do little things out of kindness to help out in this community. Today I was on a run and went by a high school where kids were playing catch with an American Football of all things. It was not a pretty site and as I was running I felt God telling me to go and help them. So I went up and asked the teacher of the class if I could help show them how to throw the ball. I don't know how much she understood but I demonstrated how to throw the ball and helped out as they tried it out. I was only there for a few minutes but in that time an exercise in futility that was showing signs of frustration for the students turned into a time of success in a new activity and smiles from the students as they were able to throw the ball to one another. I left feeling like I had done a small thing using a gift God had given me to lighten some kids moods for the day. They are probably wondering who the crazy American is who interrupted their PE class but oh well.


Yesterday as I was sitting by the river having a quiet time a young girl came over and asked me if I knew anything about engines. I laughed as I am the most inept mechanical human ever created but I said I could try. Her moped was not working well and would not run. Amazingly a miracle occurred and as I looked at it, i realized that it was something I could fix!! The distributor cap was off and so I was able to fix the moped so she could ride off with her friend. again God just placed me in a place to be able to help someone and I could actually do it!

The day before I picked up litter on a run that I was on just to be able to serve the community. No one will probably ever notice but that is not the point. I want to serve people here, the team through coaching them and helping them develop skills and abilities and my community of Porvoo through acts of kindness and love. In these ways I can preach the love of Christ and demonstrate the heart of a servant. Thanks for your prayers again I hope that God will continue to open doors verbally and non-verbally for me to serve.