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 3rd 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 3rd 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 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 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.
Part of the series The Ministry Years (chapter 30 of 48)
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