we are still called hirviniemi

It's time to open up. The last three months changed basically everything in our life, except the name and the blog... new town, new house, two new jobs. So, it's the time to give you a major update.

We now live in Lieto, a little village by Turku, south-west coast of Finland. The reason for moving was my new job as the Pastor for Young Adults and Families in Turku Pentecostal Church. The church made the decision this Sunday, and now we are in process of discussing with the church' leadership the starting date and other details.

The other job is my temporary job as an assistant to my brother in law who builds stone patios etc. Basically I carry stones, make cement, shovel grit and sand. It's quite not like my life time calling, but for a month are two I can't think of more relaxing job. Eight hours days, meeting nobody, thinking nothing and worrying even less, no planning, no working out the plans, no meetings, no nothing. Just picking up stones in a good company of fun bro-in-law - who, on the contrary, does a lot of thinking and planning and all other difficult part of the trade. I'm just the assistant.

However, it's a good way of re-orientating for the new challenges that come along with up-coming job. It looks like really exciting thing, and centers around many themes that have grown important to me over last few years. The bottom line of the job is uniting the church 25-40yearers better together, and bringing their perspective into church leadership. Which means like a lot of challenges, but in very interesting themes. So, while still acting Obelix for few more weeks, I'm getting more and more eager to start with the new office.

All this has happened since May when we made up our minds that we are leaving Kotka and looking for a new set-up for our life. We knew back then that if things are to work out, they should work out at once, and we gave it a change. What we saw, was God helping us with every detail, and now we're feeling peace to settle our life around here.

I'll post some pics sometime soon.

Birthdays

Olivia turned two this week and on yesterday Joonatan had the party for his upcoming 7th birthday. Here are pictures of them at the cakes and candles.

Katarina Park

We took the kids down to Katarina park in Kotka. It's the south-most tip of Kotka island that went through a major transformation from abandoned oil harbour into a gorgeous park just a year ago. Here's some pics.

Last week an expert from the USA was interviewed in the local free paper. She had come over to check out the labyrinth that's laid out in the park, and told that walking it through fixes basically all your worries and by balancing your energies... ...perhaps we did not have right kind of worries to start with, but the effect wasn't earth shaking. Nevertheless, the kids had fun and ended up running - surprisingly - a nearly kilometer of path way.

sweet summer days

A couple of photos from the last few days.

Olivia asked to be shot by the flowers with her new pants and skirt.

the 10th Anniversary

We took our 10th anniversary trip to Tallinn, Estonia. We have developed a habit of visiting a new beautiful city on each anniversary. Previously always in Finland, but since our marriage goes on and on, we are running out of beautiful Finnish cities... =) (We are open for recommendations if you have one in mind - it has to be one that neither one of us is previously too familiar with ) Besides this, the 10th anniversary was a good reason to stretch the qualifications.

We had three relaxing days in Tallinn, eating nice, shopping and seeing the beautiful Old City - and enjoying the great company of just the two of us. Here are some pics.

Graduation banquet

Sarita's sister, Heidi, graduated from high school, and the families got together for a celebration. We had a great time seeing the extended family and some friends. The weather was beautiful - luckily so, because just the families counted over 120. Congratulations, Heidi, and thank you for a great banquet.


Here's the whole tribe - Sarita's family - the parents, their four daughters and a son with their spouses and kids, missing only the oldest of the youngest generation, Aleksi, who had to leave early


The kids, the cousins and second cousins - of which here's a fraction - had a more of a sporty party. It surely wasn't the most phlegmatic and mute reunion, but they got along great.


Here's the two girls of the ten cousins, Sofia and Olivia.

way to go, brotha B!

Benjamin beat the beast and forsook the training wheels. A half an hour training in two occasion made it and here goes the hero.