Chapter 29 - Visited Sweden for 17, Joins Rev. Olof Lindstrom in North, Central and Soutthern Sweden in 7 Days

                                         Chapter  29   

  

            Visited Sweden for 17 days ,  Joins  Rev.  Olof    Lindstrom  in 

               North,  Central and Southern  Sweden in 7 Days  

                                      

In June 1989, I received a letter from Rev. Olof Lindstrom that  two churches in Sweden were   inviting  me to go there  for  a 17-days visit,   September 19  to October 6, 1989.

During this time, the Baptist Convention  was under the leadership of Mr. Wilson Guanzon,  President and Rev. Delbe Dianala, General Secretary.

With the coming of new  leadership, under  Mr. Wilson Guanzon, BUS decided to re-start relationship with CPBC.   Rev. Olof Lindstrom, during the 3 years when the relations was cold,  made sure a  continued dialogue between  BUS and some CPBC leaders were  made.  Whenever, he visited Manila, Rev.Lindstrom  took time to come to Iloilo City and visit  CPBC National Office. He was preparing for a renewed relationship with the new CPBC leadership.  

My trip was sponsored by   Bromma Baptist Church and Farsta Centrum Kyrkan, both members of BUS.  The trip  was  my second trip outside the Philippines. It was my first  in Europe.

I arrived in Sweden on September 19.  Winter has not fully come. Temperature was 9 Degrees Centegrade.    Hearing that winter was really cold in Sweden,   I put another  wallen trouser and shirt under my trouser and shirt.  That  way, I will not feel  extreme coldness   when  I arrived  with snow.     Rev. Olof Lindstrom met me at  Arlanda Airport in  Stockholms.    He was incharged of  my exposures in  major places – northern,  central  and southern Sweden.

This visit to Sweden was  one  great  learning opportunity for me. Before going¸ I made researched on how cold winter was and its effect on the Filipino body, used  most often to  4 months of hot weather and dry season.   I  also studied the maps of Scandivnavian countries, where  Sweden lie.  It was a big country,  surrounded  by Finland, Norway and  Denmark. It  has a  sparse population. In 1989,  it’s whole population was only  about  10 million,  nearly the same as the   population of Metro   Manila.

I learned that in  Sweden, married couples   mostly  have  only two children. There were couples with  only 1 child and some with 3.   Few Swed have 4 or five children.  I think, that   was  one reasons for the   progressive life of most  Swed .  They have mastered the beauty,  arts   and  methods  of family planning, including the  use of pills and other methods of birth control.

I am glad, I was nurtured in a Baptist faith and Protestant traditions, where freedom was stronger and new methods for living were being taught and practiced.  Most of us in the Baptist and Protestant faith, now  have 3-4 children, because we practiced  family planning. 

 God   enabled  the Scandinavian people to   learn the wisdom of family planning in their countries,  years before  Family Planning was introduced by our government to our people.

I saw this  on my visit,  where most  families I  met have only 2 children, others    3,  and some with only 1  child. Few families I met have 4 children.  Their were couples with no children at all.   

I  arrived  at the   Arlanda  Airport,  about  5:00  PM.   It  was a very good and long  flight.  We were moving between 33,000 feet to 36,000 feet above sea level.   Rev. Olof Lindstrom met me at the airport. We proceeded to their home where I met his wife, Ann Marie. We have dinner and after some sharing, we have our night rest. I am glad I met again Ann Marie. She had visited  Iloilo and Bacolod.

That  morning, we have breakfast with Olof’s sons.    Staffan, the eldest wasa a teacher, guitarist and musician. Urjan,  a mechanic and entrepreneur. Hakan, the youngest was a computer expert. They were still unmarried. But have their girlfriends. They joined me for breakfast.  Something new, I discovered among big and strong Swedish men.  

Several years later, Staffan, a singer and musician went to the Philippines. He held music  workshop and concerts  in 4 cities in Panay and Negros, the Dr. Eric Lund & Pastor Braulio Manikan Memorial Concerts. 

Each  drunk nearly  a pitcher, about 4 glaases  of  fresh milk. It was the first time  I saw,  young men,   drinking fresh  milk at  breakfast. In the Philippines young men    drunk pitchers of coconut tuba, beer  and  whisky starting  at 10:00 A.M.

The next morning   Olof  brought me to several places in Stockholm, visiting some of his friends in  the seminary.  There, I met some teachers  in the seminary and  saw the   library. While I was looking at some of the  English books,  the head teacher told me. “Sir, you can get any copy of  books you like in this area.”  I can get any copy of the books,  which I  like and  bring home to the Philippines. I took some 15 volumes.  But I found it difficult to bring home. It was too costly. Olof brought it later, when he came.

We visited also the Philippine Solidarity group. These were groups from different countries who were struggling with their governments. Many of them have fled their country.  The Solidarity group, provided  opportunity for  sharing and strengthening. I met some  Filipino members of the National Democratic Front  of the Philippines (NDFP)   in Stockholms.

That afternoon,  I accompanied Olof to the Office of the Baptist Union of Sweden.   The Development Committee was meeting that afternoon. When Leo Liljengren came,  a  close friend,  and saw me,  he went to me  immediately and exclaimed:  “Oh, Rudy!  Is this  you?”   He hugged me. His big  and tall body  of  nearly 7 feet,  towered  beside  my  5  feet tall  figure.   It was a great feeling to be with Leo again, after about three  years that we did not met. I was introduced to all the members of the Committee.

 It was a  great  moment to met the Committee members.  They worked together, and served as partners,  helping   struggling people and communities in different parts of the world,  including  the  Philippines.  I was given a heartful welcome.  And given the chance to bring my message to the Development Committee of the  Baptist Union of Sweden. I told them.  “Thanks you,  my sisters and brothers for your support for our ministry in the Philippines.

“The Baptist Union of Sweden  came to us, the second time  in 1984, and for some 6 years assisted us with several projects to help in the   educations, skills training,   labor education and organizings  to help  build the capacity of our people “

“But a great Swedish  minister and evangelist,  first came to our country in 1899,  and   preached,  God’s message of salvation and development to the Filipinos  in Iloilo and the Philippines. Dr.  Eric Lund was the gift of Sweden to the Philippines.

“Thanks for your support in some communities and churches in Aklan. Bromma Baptist Church has supported many project in our country. Our Farners Associations, was  able to reforest   some 74 hectares of government barren lands in the mountains, which we planted with trees  on stewardship basis, the government providing funds and we provide labor. The reforested areas now  helped much in controlling soil erossions of the mountains sides and lessen distructions of our farms with landslides.

Thanks also for Farsta Centrum Kyrkan  for assisting us in our Radio Ministry, enabling us to reach wide circle  of people from several islands through messages on the air, via radio. Thanks for your assistance.” 

The Development Committee was incharge for many projects that provided  livelihood, training and technology to some  people in  Asia, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East/

After the committee meeting,  I left with Rev. Olof Lindstrom for home. I bid good bye to the Committee,  expressing hope, we  will have  a chance  to meet    again someday

I slept well that night. The coolness of the coming  winter,   was soothing to me.

On my 3^rd  day, Olof, brought me to a public high school. I met one of the classes  with about 30 young  students that morning. I was given time to speak. They were 3^rd year high schools.   I was requested to tell them about the Philippines, I told the students.   “I came from a small country, the Philippines.  Our country was colonized by Spain for nearly  400 years.  Our grandparents fought the Spaniards some 200 battles and wars   during that time, including the Revolution against Spain in  1896.

“We were already winning the war against Spain. But the  United States  who dreamed to build an empire in Asia   came.  They took  our freedom.  We fought  the Americans.   It was a  war  that lasted for nearly 13 years.  It was a deadly war.  It  cost some 2 million Filipino lives,  killed by American bullets and  diseases and sickness brought by the war.

“The Americans colonized us again for  nearly 50 years. Then, they  gave us  freedom. They gave us a semblance of political freedom.  But they controlled our lives and economy  with treaties and agreements. These one sided treaties and agreemets were imposed on our government.  It favoured  greatly US interests and buried  most Filipinos in poverty and hard life.

“We are a country with great resources. But the wealth and resources of our country were owned and controlled by the few Elites, the very rich and powerful and the oligarchs.  They owned and controlled  almost everything. While the 70 percent Filipinos were suffering from poverty and oppression.

“In  1972, after ruling for nearly 8 years,  President Marcos  declared Martial Law and ruled our country with iron hands with support  of the United States. It was the most brutal and deadly rule in the country by any Philippine  President.  He put the  country under his thumb. Our people resisted and fought. Thousands and thousand were put in jails across the country. Thousands have fallen. Our people resisted and fought.

“We gained a little  freedom  in 1986, when Marcos  was  overthrown by the people.  But  the  Americans took him and sent him to Hawaii, in the United States. And the US ruled the country  again, under a new President,   still, under the control of US imperialism and the bureaucrat capitalist. We saw  no substantial change coming.

“With the  limited freedom, we worked to help  build and improved the lives of our people with new practices –we have Bible reflections and social analysis, we learned  new methods of farming and animal raising technologies. We also helped strengthen the social and  political  lives of  our people  with organizing and mobilizing them for political power.”

I realized  that quite a number of  high school  Sweds   knew the  Philippines.    A  few questions were asked me by the students.  “Sir, I read  that President Marcos has stolen billions of dollars from the Filipinos and kept it banks in the  Unites States  &  Switzerland.  Will these money be  returned  to the Filipino people”.

 I told the student.   “Three (3) years after President Marcos was thrown out of power, the investigation on his stolen wealth continued to be reported by the press. But   no money was yet recovered and  returned to the people.”  That  was four years after President Marcos was overthrown.

The  following day, we   we went to   Northern Sweden by car, where Rev. Olof Lindstrom visited his parents and their home church. There, his younger sister was the pastor.   We visited the forest   which their parents owned. There in the forest,  I saw wild  red and blue berries. I gathered a lot, for it was the first time, I ever saw wild red and blue  berries. And it was  free. I met his parents. We visited the Municipal Hall.  I was  interviewed by some newspapermen in the local newspapers. I have seen the rural life of Northern Sweden. 

They were progressive people. In the villages, the people  have higher incomes. There monthly salaries were ten   10 times more than  a Filipino workers earned  monthly. There children were  in school, given free education up to high school, technical  and vocational schools. And to make sure their bodies and minds were well developed,  they were provided  two  snacks  and lunch daily while attending school.  And all residents, from young children to adults, have free medical cares,  including  free hospitalizations and surgeries.

That afternoon, I kept thinking. What’s the difference between the people and government  of Sweden and the Philippines. Why there governments can provide the basic necessities of the people –free education, snacks and lunch for all students attending school, free hospitalization, including surgeries and higher pay for their workers? Why were these  basic necessities in among students in Sweden, were available  only to the rich students and people  in the Philippines? 

We visited, Olof sister and her husband Sture. They were farmers. They have  more than 100 milking cows  for their dairy business. They have also about a hundred female cows they were raising as replacements to the older cows.  They took care of the  cows in the barn, with their 2 young children who helped them  some ways before going to school and after school.  The couple worked together feeding  their  cows, cleaning the barn, preparing the feeds.  They  milked the  cows  every morning. They used   Automatic Milking Machines.

I think,  they  have about  5 or 6   Automatic Milking  Machines,   which  they attached to the tether of the cows when milking.  In 3 hours, the milking  of about aa 100 cows were  finished.   And at 9:30  AM,  a big Containerized Vans, came and brought the  fresh milks to the  factory  to  be pasteurized and produced  into   different milk products. The milking process was,  untouched by human hands. The  fresh milks reached  many countries of the world.

I have seen how technology, enabled a family of four, raised about 200 cows, 100 for  milking and another 100 cows, being raised and prepared for milking later. The cows were raised in about a  half hectare farm. They raised cows in confinement.

In Iloilo and in the Philippines, some  farmers  have cows, mostly 1, or two or three cows.  But we do not milk  the cows. We   sell the cows for the meat. And we buy milk   from Sweden, Denmark,  Norway,  the Netherlands, Australia,  USA and other countries who sold us fresh and powdered  milk.

After the trip to Northern Sweden, we returned to Stockholm. Along the way, we passed Orebro Mission, a Protestant denomination in Sweden. It was founded   in Orebro in 1892  and was part of the Baptist Union of Sweden until 1936.  Then, the   denomination became part of the Evangelical Free Church of Sweden.

In Orebro Mission, I visited their library, their theological school and got some ideas of their  ministry and mission works. Orebro Mission was a strong church, consisting of more than 300 local churches with about 31,000 members. They shared with me their missionary efforts and their works among women. As we bid good bye, I told the minister, I looked forward to meeting him again.

Some years later,  Rev. Rev. Per Axel Sverker, from Orebro Mission came to the Philippines. He held a lectures  on women and liberation in different churches, institutions and  ministries in the Baptist Convention.

On  the way to Stockholm,  we passed a river. This river also   passed the the town of Dalicarlia,  the birth place  of Dr. Eric Lund,  the Swedish  Baptist missionary who came  to the Philippines  in 1899 and first preached the gospel of Jesus to the people of Panay Island, in  the Philippines.

I  went down  car to the  bridge. I  stood  on its beautiful railings and looked down on the   water below. The water was not  moving now. It has started froze.  About  60  kms.,  away  on the eastern side,  was  Dalicarlia. I   sat down for some minutes.  I  looked  up on the eastern horizon.

I tried to reflect on the early years of the man, Eric Lund, who first came  to Iloilo City and preached the gospel of Jesus to our people. He,  with Pastor Braulio Manikan  baptized the  first 20  Baptists  in the   Philippines.  I meditated in silence.   I whispered a prayer. I  thanked  God for the privilege of seeing the river near Dalicarlea. The place with Eric Lund lived, studied and played

We arrived in  Stockholm.  The following day,  we   visited  Diakonia’s Main Office. It was in this office, that plans, decisions and actions  were  made for Diakonia’s   involvements in development, education and advocacy  works in some countries of the world –  in  Africa, Latin America, in Eastern Europe, Asia, including  the Philippines.  I have a very good sharing with international staff of Diakonia, including  Dr. Bo Forsberg, Director. 

He shared with me Diakonia;s works in the world including Vietnam, after the US-Vietnam War, a war that killed  about  4,000,000  Vietnamese  fighting on both side of the war  that perilous times. 

A year later, Dr. Bo Forsberg visited the Philippines and Iloilo City. He  visited CPBC with three Diakonia staff. He was also with us at home, with  my wife Hesther  with our  simple dinner. Dr. Bo Forsberg,  spoke over “Hour of Discovery” radio program at   DYRI at 2:00 PM Sunday  and DYFM-Bombo Radio  at 5:30 PM, both In Iloilo City. It was during this time, that a possible new program were planned that will be  jointly undertaken by Diakonia with CPBC and some NGO’s in Panay.

 I thanked   Olof for showing me some of Stockholms and Northern  Sweden. It was a new  learning  experience.

The following day, Olof sent me to Uppsala University. He requested Mrs/ Agneta Magnusson to meet me at the bus terminal and accompany me in some visits. Mrs. Magnusson was member of  BUS Development Committee.  I would like to see some books at Uppsala and some writings of Dr.Eric Lund. I would like slso to see the  Museum, were some important documents and  pictures were kept  for posterity. I have seen some 30 books written and published by Dr. Eric Lund.  Only 2 books were in English. Dr. Lund was one of the prolific writers  of his time.

Two days later, we took  plane flights to Southern Sweden,  in Hilsingborg. I looked at the sea, and the   mountains. On the coast, I can see the shores with some houses and smokes from factories. The place was  part of Denmark, which was about two hours by boat from the city of  Hilsingborg.

We visited the church, we met with the pastor and the leaders of the church of Hilsingborg.  I was interviewed in two radio stations,  one owned and operated  by the church. They used it for the teachings, evangelizations, education, broadcasts and entertainments. The other stations, I was interviewed was  a commercial radio station. The station did  not play,  Singles and Long Playing musics.  They use a small, quite transparent gadget, to play musics.

I asked the Disc Jockey,   what he calls that beautiful thing.  He said, these are CD’s and VCD’s. “Yes, it was the  first time, I saw CD’s and VCD’s . In 1989, there were no CD's and VCD's played in radio stations/  And it brings lovable musics and sounds.”

One thing, I found. Unlike in the Philippines,  Sweden  do not advertise on radio  liquors, beers and lotteries. The political and business  leaders saw the power of  mass media and tried to  lessen the negative  impact of beers and liquors among the youth of their  country. 

Over the radio,  during an interview. I shared something of our lives in the Philippines and the struggle of our people for social, economic and political changed.

I shared, unlike in Sweden, where you can hardly see very, very  poor Swed,  in Philippines slums and countrysides, the poor were too many living in abject poverty. Many lived in subhuman conditions in city slums. The  poor in the Philippines were just  too many.  The  rich  and very rich were too few. But they controlled  the lives of 75 per cent of the people. 

In the Philippines, in 1989,  few finished college education. Only 7 per cent finished 4 years college education recognized by the government. The elites and oligarchs  send their children to the best  universities  in the country and  abroad. They have the best education that money can buy. They always hold top business position. And the top political position.  They  controlled  the country. And buried the poor  and most  uneducated, in the hardest life and  poverty  imaginable.  

There were too many slums in the Philippines, with most people living in the hardest situations in life. I have seen, in my visits to different parts of Sweden, that they have no slums. The government made efforts to really educate the people by giving free education, including lunch and snacks,  from primary, elementary, high school to vocational and technical schools.

Corruptions in  Philippine government  was  very, very rampant.  I asked myself,  why?   These is a country where  70 per cent of the populations  were  catholics.  Why corruption was  so powerful and rampant in a country,  whose leaders   were mostly of the catholic faith?  

The following day, we returned to Stockholm. In a week, I  have seen a little of Sweden, from north, central and southern Sweden. It left some impressions in my mind. Perhaps one  reasons, why Sweden  is  one of the progressive countries in the world.  

It is  a country, like the other  Scandinavian countries, with less corruptions in government and in private lives.  Most Swed, were of  the Episcopal Church. They were from the faith traditions of  Martin Luther, the great Protestant religious reformer of the  previous century.