Footprints Diary » Sweden

Praise for this Week

Jillian — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 07:34:00 +0000

And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also:
knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
And hope maketh not ashamed;
because the love of God is shed abroad
in our hearts by the Holy Ghost
which is given unto us. Romans 5: 3-5

Praise You, Almighty Father:~

That my blog page is up and functioning once again. I don’t remember praying for patience recently, but it has been well and truly tested during the last few days. Praise God that Stephen was able to fix it, and a big thank you, also to PSD2CSS for migrating the files across properly. I also praise God that there are good friends, such as Susan, who are willing to offer their help in fixing the problems.

For friends, who make this world a much better place to live in, friends who build us up and encourage us to look inward at ourselves, to see what God sees.

For my husband’s relatively pain-free knee – he has been able to cut many loads of firewood recently, so that we don’t go cold this winter.

For our children – in particular, my son, who rode three kilometres to bring my husband home with the car, and the nebuliser during a severe asthma attack. I praise Him also for my daughter’s help in cutting and collecting firewood, for she shifts all of the loose sticks so that my husband doesn’t trip over.

For our home, which is safe, warm and comfortable and is a refuge in the times of trial.

Psalm 62:8 tells us that we need to trust in God at all times,

that we need to pour out our heart before Him,

and that God is a refuge for us.

For warm, autumn weather, enabling us to prepare for the cold winter ahead of us.

For farm-fresh goats’ milk, which enables each one of us to have a regular intake of calcium ( I wonder why it’s not called goatcium, when it’s goats’ milk???), and enables us to make delicious home-made goats’ milk ice-cream.

That we have homeschooling freedoms within Australia that many countries don’t. For instance, did you know that homeschooling is illegal in Germany and Brazil, and that Sweden seeks to introduce a law stating that the only way that you can homeschool there is under “exceptional circumstances“? Please continue praying for Dominic Johannson and the swift reuniting with his parents, Annie and Christer.

The HSLDA are currently looking for families to host persecuted homeschoolers, and while we have the room, we don’t have a vehicle capable of transporting extra people, and living out here, they would need a reliable vehicle. Does anyone want to take on this important role in helping the persecuted homeschoolers? If you do, please contact the HSLDA here.

Praise You God with my Whole ♥

Jillian — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 05:41:41 +0000

I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore. Psalm 86: 12

for:~

Answered prayer for my husband – his spots are healing, and his pain relief seems to be working this time. Praise You, heavenly Father that You have heard the prayers of Your people and that you have been swift to respond. Your Word says that You will never leave us nor forsake us, and God never lies.

Our children, who have been a tower of strength through the difficult times – milking, feeding animals, doing dishes, cooking, ironing and generally helping whenever help is needed, but especially for the hugs and words of encouragement and affirmation that mean more than anyone could ever know.

Friends – blogging friends , internet friends and real-life friends who are true prayer warriors, picking up the challenge and being prepared to pray for my husband – from the bottom of my ♥, I thank you all.

A good hospital and doctors in our local area – this is so important at times like this.

Our church – praise God that our church building will be going ahead – thank you Lord, once again, for answered prayer.

Our home – warm, comfortable beds; food on the table, protection from the elements, fresh goat’s milk and a place where we can say that we truly feel close to God, as He brought us here.

The ability to be able to homeschool - In Germany it is illegal to homeschool, and Sweden seeks to introduce a law stating that homeschooling will only be allowed under “exceptional circumstances”. Please pray that God will work with the authorities to block this law, and that Swedish homeschoolers will have the ability to be able to homeschool openly. I pray that God will open the eyes of the authorities to the benefits of homeschooling. Praise God that we, in Australia, have the freedom to be able to homeschool openly!

Homeschooling in Sweden is Set to Become a Whole Lot Tougher

Jillian — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 06:11:14 +0000

There are moves afoot in Sweden to make homeschooling a whole lot tougher, and the amendments are currently going through finishing touches before they are presented to Parliament. Under the new laws home education would only be allowed under “extraordinary circumstances”.

In only one year, homeschooling in Sweden has gone from being totally acceptable to authorities being much more aggressive this year. In 2008, Jonas Himmelstrand, president of the Swedish homeschoolers association (ROHUS) received permission from the local school to homeschool, but this year families are being fined, and the new law would allow the imposition of criminal sanctions.

Lisa Angerstig said that the authorities had acted very aggressively toward her family, and they have been fined $1,400, and the Swedish authorities are seeking to enforce the fine. Some of Lisa’s children attend the local Christian school, but Lisa’s second son was bored at school, and asked to be homeschooled. Lisa agreed, as she had homeschooled their other children.

It is important that the HSLDA fight for the right to homeschool so that parents can provide the best education for their children. Homeschooling works well, and is a valid form of education for many parents. How long before America has its first wave of homeschooling asylum seekers from Sweden?

Please pray that the HSLDA and ROHUS can work together to achieve harmony in Sweden’s homeschooling sector once again. ROHUS also have a petition for people living outside of Sweden, to preserve the right to home education in Sweden. Please sign this petition to keep homeschooling legal in Sweden.

Could you also please continue to pray for the reuniting of Dominic Johannson with his parents, Annie and Christer? This little boy has been separated from the love of his parents for far too long – imagine the anguish that both he and they are going through. Dominic and his parents are only allowed a one hour visit every five weeks. This is an atrocious infringement of basic human rights, and what right do the authorities have to separate a loving family and their seven year old son? What was the parents’ crime? They chose not to vaccinate their son and delayed minor dental treatments. Watch out – who’s next?

Sweden to Follow Germany’s Lead in Homeschooling

Jillian — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 20:20:58 +0000

Homeschooling is legal in Sweden, although you wouldn’t know after reading the HSLDA post about the forcible removal of Dominic Johansson from his parent’s custody after they had boarded their plane, ready for take-off.

The couple had sold all of their belongings and were planning on ministering to the poor in India, as it is Annie Johansson’s home country. Christer and Annie Johansson are both Christians and have been treated abominably said Mats Tunehaga, President of the Swedish Evangelical Alliance.

Annie is qualified to teach at university level, and Christer had been a teacher before, but when they approached the Swedish Ministry of Education, as their son approached compulsory school attendance age, they were informed it was the local principal’s responsibility to assist them with home education and that he would provide materials.However, when they approached the school, they were told by the principal that the law required Dominic to attend school.

Christer Johansson has been in deep despair, and so has his wife, Annie Johansson, who has been taken to the hospital emergency room – again, suffering from severe trauma, and unable to comprehend why their son was taken from them and put into foster care. Why??? – simply because they chose to homeschool him, and even though this is not illegal in Sweden, he has still been forcibly removed from their care.

J. Michael Smith, from the HSLDA has written a letter to the Swedish officials asking why Dominic was removed from the parents’ custody, especially when homeschooling is legal in Sweden. The United Nations Declaration of Human Rights states, in section 26 that, “parents have the prior right to determine what is the appropriate form of education for their children.”

The Johansson’s have always expressed their willingness to cooperate with the authorities, but despite this, their son has been removed from their custody, and the family has been literally torn apart.

The United Nations Conventions on the Rights of a Child, in Article 7 states that, “the child has the right to be cared for by his parents.” Homeschooling in Sweden is legal, but you would never know – the loser’s in this case are the Johanssons, but specifically a little boy called Dominic who has done nothing wrong, but who is being denied his basic human rights.