Thunder Bay Sisu

Week 14 and Israel!

2009-09-12T05:23:00.001-04:00

“When the Holy Spirit comes on you, you will receive power…” Acts 1:8

I had a great week! I spent the weekend in Seinajoki with the Haapoja’s! I got to go do some shopping in Seinajoki, check out a youth meeting, eat tons of kebab, go to a soccer game, youth meeting, and play some croquet! I had a lot of fun. I met up with Pekka and Neea on Sunday night a drove back to Ruurikkala with them! It was nice to be able to catch up with them and talk!

This week we learned about the Holy Spirit and Holy Living. We had Pekka and Neea come and teach us on it! The teaching was amazing! We did many different games and questions and such. We had a very powerful prayer/soaking meeting! The Holy Spirit came down so powerfully! Praise God! At the end of the week we practiced moving in spiritual gifts! Many people spoke out prophesies, and visions! Later on we prayed for the sick and a few people got healed! Hallelujah!

I also had the chance to meet up with Pekka and Neea for a one-on-one. They know me very well, so it was nice to be able to talk to them. We went talked about some stuff I’m going through and some decisions ahead. It was really nice to have them here. A little piece of home! haha!

We also had a lot of time this to prepare for our outreach! We’re going to be heading to Israel for 6 weeks! As I write this, I’m in Lahti, and I’m going to be heading to Helsinki today. Tomorrow (Sunday), I fly out to Israel! I can’t wait to go and serve! It’s going to be a great time for us to step out of our comfort zone! We also get to go check out a bunch of Biblical places like Jerusalem, Mount of Olives, Dead Sea, and the Jordan River! We are then going to Elat for some diving and water sports. I’m really excited! In less than 48 hours, I’ll be in Israel!

God bless!
Shane

Week 13!

2009-09-07T16:22:00.001-04:00

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” and “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Proverbs 3:5 and 4:23

I had a great week! Harald and Reidun Nyen from Norway came to teach us about Relationships! The teaching was more directed towards relationships in general than romantic relationships. It was very practical and explained very well. There was lots of visuals used to help us remember things. It was nice to Harald and Reidun here! They have been married for 42 years and had lots of experience dealing with relationship issues. Harald had a very good teaching on how a man’s brain and a woman’s brain work. It definitely helped me realise the differences between men and women, and also helped me identify how I think and how I process things. We also discussed the foundations of relationships. It was a great week of teaching!

During the week, we had more free time than usual. We didn’t have an open meeting on Tuesday, so I didn’t have to set up the sound system or practice with the worship team. I spent much my free time walking. I listened to some preaching while walking through the forest, picking blueberries as I went. It was very relaxing. I really enjoy autumn. I love to walk through the forest and enjoy the colours, the cool breeze, the crisp scent in the air. I had a great time just walking. It reminded of home, of walking through around Centennial Park. Many memories there!

On Thursday I was able to lead worship in the morning! I had a great quiet time beforehand and I just spent time soaking in God's prescence and listened to some Jason Upton. I knew the worship session was going to go good! As soon as we starting worshipping, God came down in the room and the whole session went great! I didn’t pick any songs beforehand, and God just lead me the whole time! I really love leading worship!

God bless!
Shane

Week 12!

2009-08-31T09:45:00.001-04:00

“Always be joyful. Keep on praying. No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Wow! What a great week! I’m going to bring it back to the weekend before. We had the YWAM Staff Weekend at Ruurikkala and the students became the base staff. I was able to exercise my Leadership skills and I lead the students and organized the weekend! The team worked great together with no major hiccups and everything ran smoothly! I was able to able to lead worship on Saturday night and Sunday morning as well. It was my first time leading worship on acoustic guitar, and it went really great! I love leading worship! I also got to meet some of the great YWAMer’s from all around Finland.

After the weekend, Mark Erickson stayed with us to teaching about Intercession and Spiritual Warfare! He shared his testimony and how he spent 10 years in Cambodia, and also how he got involved with YWAM Finland. He also told us about how he has seen many successes and breakthroughs come from prayer. We had a great time learning about how big intercession is. God has really been broadening my view on who He is and His Kingdom.

We also had a week of 24/7 prayer. There was a room that always had at least one person praying in it, 24/7, for one week solid! What a great place to be! I loved being able to spend time with God, even in the middle of the night! Many inspirational painting, drawing, and even a punching bag showed up! I had a great time in the prayer room and I’m really learning how to pray and how to enjoy spending time with God.

On Friday we headed to Pietarsaari for some street evangelism. It was a step out of our comfort zone, but it went good. I tried out “treasure hunting” for the first time, but didn’t meet the people I was looking for. Oh well, I wasn’t expecting perfection on my first try. We were able to speak some people and pray over them. It was a really good experience and it helped prepare us for our upcoming outreach.

Over the weekend we had some team building exercises! It was lots of fun, but quite frustrating at times. We had a “chair bridge” activity which involved 4 people piling on one chair and moving across the room. The “slack line” challenge took some thinking, but we came through great! The “spider web” took a bit of time. It definitely built up our trust in each other and our patience!

That’s all for now!
God bless!
Shane

Week 11

2009-08-24T07:26:00.002-04:00

“Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.”
Psalm 37:4

Relaxing week! We were down in Perheniemi (near Lahti) for the week! We didn’t have to prepare the food or and do any work duties! So it was a very laid back week! We had Bas Rijksen (our fourth Dutch!) come and teach us on “Destiny by Design”! He was a very enthusiastic teacher and a great guy! Lots of fun and plenty of laughs!

We were able to find out what our dreams were. It definitely opened my eyes! We also did a few tests to find out what kind of Soulprint (personality) we have. I always knew I was more of an extrovert, but I found that I learn by speaking my thoughts out loud. This is funny, because some of the biggest revelations I’ve had during this DTS have been when I was asked to speak out. I also took a test and my top gift was Administration! At the end of the week, we were asked to write where we thought we would be 10 years from now. It was really neat to see what everybody’s hopes and dream were! Haha, and out of 10 students, everyone was planning on being married!

This week also meant we didn’t have a scheduled quiet time. So for the first few days I didn’t have a quiet time at all… I REALLY began to miss my them. So for the last 3 days, I got up early and had some time with God! Very great times! It was such a great way to start the day!

I also got the chance to go to Lahti a few times. On Monday I checked out the mall a bit and was able to catch up with Janne and Minna! After I met with him, I had a bit more time before we had to meet up, so I walked around the city a bit. I thought I knew the way. But after a wrong turn, I didn’t know where to go! And on top of that, my phone died. So I prayed! God guided me the whole way to the train station and I was able to meet up with my team. I’m beginning to trust God more and more! He’s so good! I also got to go bowling on Thursday.

God bless!
Shane

p.s. Three weeks from right now, I'll be standing in Israel!

Jyväskylä

2009-08-16T14:21:00.001-04:00

I had such a great time in Jyvaskyla with Ketola's! When I first arrived, I met up with Jarkko and we to his place. Roosa soon came home from work and Jaakko came over as well! We spent the evening talking and catching up!

The next day I woke and made some puuro for breakfast and listened to a few preachings. I didn't even know Jarkko was home, I had thought he went to work. Well, around 2pm, up come from Jarkko from bed! haha! We headed into town and I got a haircut, and we walked around the city center for a bit. Afterwards we went back to his place and BBQ'd some pork for supper! I then had to chance to try out some longboarding! Tons of fun once I got the hang of it! Later in the evening, we headed to a scremo concert (one of Jarkko's friends were in the band). After the rain calmed down, the outdoor concert started. The band was very skilled and played great. After the first song started, me and Jarkko looked at eachother and ran straight for the moshpit! It was my first time in a mosh pit! haha. Had lots of fun pushing my weight around! haha!

The next day we woke up and made some breakfast and headed out to play in a football (soccer) tournament! We were a bit a late, but we played in one scrimage match. We then went to a camp ground. We got to play in a different tournament there as well. We won both of the games and had a great time! They provided us with some supper, then we headed for the sauna! When we went swimming, we discovered a 5m diving platform! After a few dives and some other stunts, it was time to head into town. We caught the movie "Public Enemies". A great movie. The next day I woke up and tried to make some lettu's (Finn pancakes). It was my first attempt to make them on my own. After a bit of struggling, they actually started to turn out ok! Then it was time to head for the train station. As I write this, I slipping through the finnish backcountry on a train headed for Lahti! I'm excited to be spending the next week in Lahti learning about "Desitny by Design." Thats all for now!

God bless!
Shane

Week 10!

2009-08-16T14:20:00.000-04:00

“…let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us.”
- Hebrews 12:1 [NLT]

What a surprisingly great week! The teaching topic this week was “Sin and Repentance”. I thought it was going to be another tough week, a week of deep conviction. But I was wrong! Kel Steiner was a very uplifting man of God! He had a great sense of humour and was a great story teller! He brought us through all the steps and reasons behind sin and repentance. He also shared many stories from his own life. I even got to enjoy the first two lectures in bed…spark your interest?

Well, last week we were in Pori serving. On the last day, I was out in the sun washing car windows all day. I didn’t drink enough water, which was a bad decision. After getting back to Ruurikkala, I wasn’t feeling very good. I went directly to bed. The next morning, I woke up and went downstairs to get some breakfast. I was drinking a glass of water and my vision started to go black. I put down the glass of water, took a few steps, felt my body slam to the ground. I had fainted. I didn’t hurt myself, but I then spent the next 24 straight hours in bed. I didn’t even have the strength to sit up and eat. I spent a lot of my time in prayer, reciting a few Bible verses, and singing some worship songs in my head. The next day I was beginning to feel better, but was still quite weak. When it was time for our lecture, they carried in a bed for me! What a great team! They were a huge help and were always bringing me food and water. Overall, it was a nice time with God during my recovery.

The following day (Tuesday) I was back to normal! Praise God! I had the opportunity to lead the open meeting, and it went pretty good. I spoke from my heart and felt quite natural, but I could always use more practice. Kel spoke a very encouraging message on reaching those around us. Over the next two days, we had few extra teaching sessions, which made the days quite long. This was needed so we could finish a day earlier. On Thursday, we had finished by supper time and Janne, Tiia, and I headed out towards Lahti. I got off at Jyväskylä to spend the weekend with Ketola’s, some old friends from Canada. Until next time!

God bless!
Shane

Week 9!

2009-08-12T14:50:00.001-04:00

“…let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavnly Father.”
- Matthew 5:16

This was a bit of a different week. It definitely started differently anyways! On Monday each of the students got to speak a 15 minute devotional. It was very nice to see different styles of speaking from each of us! I got speak on “Salt and Light” out of Matthew 5. I really enjoyed the time preparing it and also speaking it!

We were then given a surprise…we were going to Pori the next day…by hitchhiking! A distance of about 300 km's! It was going to be an opportunity to evangelise people and trust God that He get us down there! We split into 5 guy-girl pairs. After some preparation, we were all ready to go! Early the next day, Tiia and I were dropped off in Alaharma. With our Etelään (South) sign, our thumbs in the air, and smiles beaming, we were off! It was a bit of a slow start, taking 6 cars to go about 100km’s. I was beginning to get a bit frustrated and prayed to God that He would send the right car at the right time. About 5 minutes later, a white Mercedes pulls up! We hopped in and the driver was a doctor! He bought us lunch and drove us the rest of the way to Pori (over 200kms!). We also picked up another pair on the way! What a blessing! I’m definitely beginning to trust God more and more!

During the week in Pori, we attended seminars on Evangelism. They were taught by Suzette Hatting and her team. They were very practical and informative! We also got to work alongside a DTS team from Argentina! Each of the students then split up into different groups to go serve. I got serve two days at the Lettupiste (making finn pancakes) in the town center and at a kids park. I then got to wash car windows for two days at the ABC (gas station)! It was great to be able to practically show the love of God and serve the city of Pori! I also had a chance to speak some finn! I’ve been a bit slow…ok…quite slow to start speaking finn, but the last week has been very encouraging, and speaking finn is becoming more natural for me.

On Saturday morning, we had a bit of a different meeting. We were encouraged to keep up this spirit of serving others. Then they gave us some advice to keep in worship and spend time with God during the tough times and when we're tired. We each got prayed for and I got hit by the Holy Spirit and heard some VERY encouraging words from God, and saw a few visions as well. These are things I’m keeping in my prayers right now. What a great week!

God bless!
Shane Lintunen

Week 8!

2009-08-03T07:56:00.001-04:00

Verse:
“Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”
- Matthew 28:18 [NLT]

This week was exactly what I needed! After such an intense week and weekend, I needed sometime to recover and recharge my batteries! We had Hans Schut come and teach us on missions. He was a very light-hearted Dutchman that was living in Sweden. He had a great sense of humour and we got along great! He told many stories from his own life and his experiences with missions. The stories were very uplifting and encouraging! I can’t wait to go on outreach! I know that God wants to use me, and I can’t wait to be used by God! I’m really excited to see what kind of people I’ll get to meet and what situations God puts me in.

This week was definitely a week of recovery. I slept lots and took it pretty easy. I actually managed to get to the gym twice. I’ve been meaning to go more, but I was quite busy in the last few weeks. I got to relax this week, and I got a lot of encouragement from the teaching. I think it was a good week for all the students. Most of us really needed a “lighter” week after what we went through last week. I felt I needed to rebuild myself and figure things out again.

I had the opportunity to call home! I talked with a good friend of mine, and some family. It was nice to catch up with them and here how things are going back home. Some of them I had not spoke to since I left home, so they were happy to hear from me! It felt good to be able to speak Nate, he’s not only my cousin, but he’s also my closest friend. I’ve known him my whole life, and he knows me the best. I had the chance to try out some more wakeboarding on Wednesday! I’m getting better! I actually jumped over the wake and tried a grab or two! Lots of fun! Also got to try out a “waterbird”! It was a bit tricky to figure out at first, but tons of fun once we got the hang of it. I also got to prepare my devotion on “Salt and Light”!

This weekend I’m off to Veteli to hang out with a good friend of mine. I’m looking forward to next week in Pori!

God bless!
Shane

Week 7!

2009-07-28T04:08:00.001-04:00

Verse:
Colossians 2:6-7
“…just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.”

Ok. Intense week! We had Ada Bruynes from Holland come and teach us about our Identity in Christ! She had a different style of teaching and would turn our questions back unto us and make us go deeper in our own thoughts and find the root of our thinking. I found out a lot about myself and the way I think this week!

On Monday we were asked to write what we were expecting for the week. I expressed that I wanted to be broken, broken at the feet of Jesus…wow, God definitely answered that prayer this week! We were then required to write “Where are You?”. I found out that I have I’ve been walking along the edge of my call without plunging into it. I know that’s where I want to be, I just need to have faith, trust God, and jump!

Tuesday was a heavy day for me. Ada prodded me with some questions that brought out the sentence “we can strive [to be like Jesus].” I found that I’ve been trying so hard for God to accept me. I knew in my mind that all I need is Jesus, but I didn’t realize it in my heart.

Wednesday was tough for me as well. She taught on “rejection” and I knew it was going to be hard. During the lecture, many old feelings and emotions of rejection came up, and I had to leave. I ran for my room, and broke down crying on my bed, praying to God. I prayed that He would help me with these feelings of rejection.

Thursday was another hard one. We were given a mirror and told to write one lie that the enemy has been telling us. I wrote “You must TRY HARDER in order to be accepted”. The students each shared about what they wrote, prayed, and then SMASHED mirror with the hammer. It was my turn, and I thought I could hold it together but I broke down and began to cry. I shared how rejection had been such a big influence on my life. I then prayed, and grabbed the hammer. I felt I couldn’t just hit the surface so I turned it around, and the plunged the claw end of the hammer through the mirror. I really feel that this is the first steps of getting over this lie.

God bless!
Shane

Where are You?

2009-07-20T08:58:00.002-04:00

Where are you?

I'm walking on the inside edge of a forest. There are trees all around me, but i can
see a great shining field when i through the branches of the trees, out of the
forest. There are beams of light coming in. They shine on me at times, I shine.

During those bright times, my true self is revealed. I feel the "light" is what God
would have for me. This field, this golden vast field...Is my call...my harvest. I
can see it at times, but I live in denial of it. I'm afriad to admit it. I don't want
to see it. My physical being is running deeper into the forest, but my spirit longs
to be in the field. But i feel ashamed, and i hide amongst the trees. Sometimes I'm
brave and i'll put one foot on in the field, only to run back into the shade, into my
own self-comfort. I'm afraid to commit everything to God. I'm afriad to step into my
calling. I'm afraid...

I want to leap out into the field and sprint with everything in me. I want to run as
fast as I can and not look back. I want to leave that foest behind me and never look
back. I want to jump and dance and run and sing in that field...but i'm not there
yet. I'm still here, hiding in my forest, hiding from God's light, hiding from His
call, hiding...

I know where I want to go, I've realised where I am. God, either burn this forest
down, or thrust me out of it. Being in the field will be full of light, I'll be
completely exposed. Exposed to God's refining fire. There's no shade, no "protection"
in a field. I'm be completely exposed to all the light, the rain, the snow, the wind.
God...please...bring me where You are...

I want...

2009-07-20T04:04:00.001-04:00

I want to know who I am in Christ.
I want God to reveal himself to me.
I want to be broken. I see myself as a vase, one I’ve created.
I want to fall at God’s feet, smashed and broken.
I want God to pick out the pieces He wants to keep.
I want Him to put me back together, the way He would.
I want to be a man of God, and truly know who I am as a man.
I want to know how I should BE, who I am, what I am, everything in me.
I want to see what God has for me, who He wants me to be.
I want and long and yearn to be broken at the feet of Jesus…

Week 6

2009-07-19T08:54:00.000-04:00

“How precious to me are your thoughts of me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand…”
Psalm 139:17-18 [NIV]

What an amazing week! On Monday we headed for Lapua for a day of paintball! We split into two teams and played many different games. Games full of firepower, fun, laugher, yelling, screaming, and a bit of pain, haha! We encouraged eachother and built up our teamwork, trying with everything in us to take the victory! At the end of the day, we were all covered in dirt, paint, bruises, and smiles! We all had a great day and headed back to pack, and left for the beach!

We spent three days at the beach near Pori! God has been teaching me how to relax, so most of my time was spent laying on the beach, thinking about NOTHING! truly relaxing! I had a great time sleeping in a tent and preparing my food over an open fire. Many walks down the beach for my quiet times, in awe of God’s creation! I spent a lot of time meditating on Psalm 139. This chapter was very impacting for me this week. I was able to try some kite boarding (minus the board, haha). I had a great teacher and had lots of fun. Played by the beach with some other students, which lead to an un-planned late-night swim…oops! We spent the day on Thursday in Pori, walking the streets, and kayaking in the rivers. Got to see the city from a different angle while rowing down the river, alongside yachts, by the streets, and even under a fountain!

On Friday were rolling by 5am and drove for 5 hours up to Kuusamo. Once arrived we prepared ourselves for a day of river rafting! Splitting into two boats, we were able to conquer a level 2, 3, and 4 rapids! We truly felt like a team that accomplished a great task! What a great on the river! Afterwards, we climbed back into the cars for another 5 hour journey home.

God has shown me so much this week! I’ve also been able to see a different side of the students and get to know them on a deeper level! Seeing eachother in different extreme environments, and having great talks on the beach, and in the cars! What a great week! Praise God!

God bless!
Shane Lintunen

Week 5

2009-07-19T08:53:00.000-04:00

Psalm 139:23-24
“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends You, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.”

We had a great week! Carolyn Ros was here to teach us about the Fear of the Lord. She’s truly a wonderful woman of God, and has a big heart for teaching! She always related everything back to Psalm 1, which was a nice way of keeping everything together. On Wednesday, we split up into two groups to discuss the fear of the Lord. In my group, we mainly talked about being obedient to God, and how what seems small to us might be HUGE for someone else. Its important to be obedient in these things, especially when we go into outreach. As soon as we returned, God convicted and told me that I needed to ask forgiveness from a student…in front of everybody. It wasn’t easy, but I felt that God wanted to use me as an example of how we should be with eachother. The following day, one student openly confessed some sin from her past, and everyone started confessing and asking forgiveness! The openness and brokenness in the group was amazing! We finally hit a break-through as a team! I humbled myself and asked for forgiveness from one of the staff members as well. Overall, an amazing week!

I’ve had a few brief moments when I miss home a bit, but nothing major. I’ve learned that the students and staff are here to support me, but I shouldn’t rely on them. God has been showing me a lot lately. But mostly on how I need to relax. I need to just take time and sit back, relax, and enjoy myself. Otherwise I fear God might force me to relax by letting an injury occur…so yeah, time to relax! I’ve managed to finish “Heavenly Man”. It was a great book that showed me a lot of things. With that behind me, I hope it will relieve some the pressure, and I can actually teach myself how to relax. The last four years in university have been so busy, that I always needed to be productive, down to every minute!

I really look forward to spending the next week with the team in our “Extreme Week”.

God bless!
Shane

Week 4

2009-07-19T08:51:00.000-04:00

“Work with enthusiasm as though you were working for the Lord…Remember that the Lord will reward each one of us for the good we do…”

It was definitely an interesting week, We spent the week in Koivumäki working at another DTS base. We got to know the staff from the base and enjoyed some time together. We also got to work as a team, which went very well. It’s nice to see the other students outside of the classroom environment. My team (Tanelli, Roope, Kaisa, Tytti, and I) worked on re-sealing the windows, and preparing firewood. On Thursday we had a chance to prepare a small program for a kids camp. On Friday we enjoyed a “love feast” with the base staff. We had a great meal and got to know everyone better. We enjoyed an outreach presentation, a time of worship, then an intense “Karate” game. The following day we went into Kuopio for some shopping, then headed back home.

How...

2009-07-03T07:30:00.000-04:00

How can you be surrounded by friends, yet feel all alone?
How can you be fully clothed, yet feel naked?
How can you be in a sturdy home, yet feel exposed?
How can you work so hard, yet see it fall to pieces in front of you?
How?

I feel like I'm lying on the floor, helpless, defensless, useless.
God is finding all the little things inside my heart that I rely on,
He is finding my crutches, my safety blankets, my protective walls,
And plucking them from me, leaving me feeling alone, naked, exposed, and broken...
There is nothing left but myself.

For the first time, I feel as if I can't contribute,
I can't help, I can't lead, I can't do anything.
God is teaching me to rely ONLY on Him, by whatever means necessary.
He's getting quite blunt with me, exposing things that shouldn't be there...
I don't expect I shall be the same person after this...wrecked for Jesus.

Shane Lintunen
July 3rd, 2009

One Month in Finland!

2009-07-01T16:09:00.001-04:00

One month!

Well, it's been one month since I've landed in Finland! And what a month it has been! I'm really enjoying Finland and my DTS. Here's a short list of things I've been able to do in the last month:
- hung out in Seinajoki for a few days
- tried out some "slack-lining"
- tons of beach volleyball
- many sauna's
- my first savusauna (smoke sauna)
- did some wakeboarding
- spent a night on an island
- met up with MANY people at Keuruu
- Went to the beach and swam in the ocean
- spent one week at a camp facility
- spending one week in Koivumaki working

Also! They've announced where we will be going for our outreach! We're going to be going to ISRAEL!!! WOOHOO!!!! I get to go check out a bunch of Biblical places, AND get baptised in the Jordan River! Can't Wait!

Thats all for now!
God bless!
Shane

Week 3!

2009-06-29T09:42:00.002-04:00

“…that you may be filled [through all your being] unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presense, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]!”
- Ephesians 3:19 [AMP]

What a great week! We discussed “The Father heart of God”! Jani, Carita, and their newborn Teresa taught us many things! They opened up a new perspective to view God…as Father. I always heard that God was my heavenly Father, but now I believe I understand it much more. I mean, He’s my Dad! It’s so simple, yet so true. I laugh everytime I think of it. I’ve complicated things too much in the past, and it’s the simple things that give me a big revelation. We also lead worship on the open meeting and it went great! There are was a great Presense of God, and such unity in the worship team!

We had tons of fun this week! Fired up the savusauna, and I got try out some wakeboarding! I also celebrated my birthday, and the team was great! They sang to me twice, gave me some chocolate, coke, cake, and even a “Suomi” shirt! We also went to kalajoki and headed for the beach! Had a great time playing around in the sea, and on a sandbar. Also played some beach volleyball, I wasn’t really on my game ;). Afterwards we went to go see “Slumdog Millionaire” and went for some Kebab afterwards!

God has shown me so much this week! I had a big breakthrough on Friday! We were praying after the teaching and the Holy Spirit just hit me! I was filled with the Spirit and God have me some VERY important visions! Things that I’ve been praying about for a long time! What a great birthday gift from God! haha!

Now I'm up in Koivomaki (Silinjärvi) for the next week to work at the DTS base up here and give them a hand. Until next time!

God bless!
Shane

Week Two! Camp grouds and Confa!

2009-06-21T10:34:00.001-04:00

Hello Everyone! Week Two!

What a great week it's been! We spent a week at Evijärvi Finn Pentecostal's camp ground. We were joined by a youth group from Helsinki and a travelling worship team for Oral Roberts University (from Oklahoma). We spent alot of time getting to know each other. I spent my quiet times with God walking along the lake, onto islands, just listening to God's guidance. What a great time with God this week! We had some very powerful times in worship together! Kimmo (Zico) Pollari taught us on the subject of "Wroship". He was very practical in his teachings and was big encouragement to what God can accmplish! After four days of teaching and spending time with the other two groups, it was time to pack up.

After some cleaning at the camp site and Ruurikkala, it was time to head toward Keuruu for the Finn Pentecostal Conference. Daniel, Karo, Janne, and myself we went to Karo's camp (on the way to Keuruu...kind of). Beautiful camp on an island! Enjoyed some food, and went to bed. The next day we woke up, had some puuro, a sauna, and lunch. Then after we headed back to land, it was off to Keuruu!

The weather wasn't really with us for the weekend. Most of it was quite cool and with spurts of rain. We set up our tent and went and mixed with the other 30000 or so people there. I ran into SO many people I know! People I hadn't seen for YEARS! Just off the top of my head, I saw: Janne and Minna Ylankö; Matti Haapoja; Sam Arra, his wife and kids; Pasi and Suvi Silimpaa; Karoliina H, Joona, Danni, and Markku Tuppurainen; Wellu, Elina, and their kids (bucky peed in a puddle, hilarious); Jaakko Mörsky; Iida T; Juha and his wife, Jarkko, and Rossa Ketola; and many more! Sometimes the world feels so small! Lots of great worship meetings and got to hang out with some great people.

Today (Sunday), we headed back to Ruurikkala from Keuruu. I finished the book "Is That Really You, God?" by Loren Cunningham (I would totally recommened it!). Now I'm listening to some of ORU's worship music (recommend it as well!). I think I'm going to go do some laundry, we'll see. Week three starts tomorrow!

God bless!
Shane

p.s. Happy Father's Day Dad!

Week 1!

2009-06-14T03:20:00.001-04:00

Wow! How do I sum up the last week?

We had a teacher Jonathon Lemmenti, a Finnish-Australia. We had some amazing teachings on "the Character of God" and "Hearing the Voice of God"! Very interesting topics, and definitely helped alot in my prayer times! God has been showing me SO much this week! Seeing visions of Finland being a stronghold for Christ and waken up, seeing scriptures and words of knowledge! What an amazing time with God this week!

I've spent alot of time getting to know the students as well. Playing lots of volleyball, slack-lining, frisbee, and hacky-sack. We had our first "open meeting" on tuesday and I got to play bass with the worship team! A great meeting and people from the community came out! We did a few skits to go along with the teaching and bring it alive a bit more. Lots of sauna's through the week as well. I'm really enjoying my time in Finland!

We have some Russian Messianic Jews staying at the base for a week, and they invited us to their sabbath dinner on Friday. We all got dressed up and had a great time! 4 course meal of salad, soup, fish, and strawberries and cream for dessert! As usual, the youth table was TRYING not to cause a commotion, but it failed a few times. After the food, they struck up the band! Wow, do Jewish people know how to have a good time! Everyone from the ages of 20-80 got up and danced! I even danced with a 75 year old russian man, lots of fun! Afterwards we went over to Evijärvi and hung out with the youth a bit.

Yesterday was good as well. It's a free weekend, so some of the students went home. I got my laundry done (thats right, I can do my own laundry now). And did my weekly DTS Journal. I spent the rest of the day catching up with an old friend! It has been 6 years since seeing her last, but I got to catch up with Iida! Met her family, and had dinner. We went to her friends place, and he built a barrel-style sauna, all by hand. Cooled off in a river near by! Then headed over to Veteli for their youth meeting. The band was really good and I even got to share a quick testimony! Then back to her parents place for some smoked salmon, pulla, coffee, and all sorts of other things!

Now i'm about to head over to the Evijärvi Finn Pentecostal church. Heading out to a camp ground for the week, then to Keuruu for Confa! Until next time!

God bless!
Shane

And it begins...

2009-06-08T01:28:00.001-04:00

Hello Everyone!

It’s been a lot of fun at the DTS so far! Lots of free time to get to know all of the students! There are 5 guys, 6 girls, and 3 staff. We’ve had a great time in the sauna, “slack-lining”, break dancing, volleyball, jogging and all sorts of other games! We’ve all shared a testimony, and spent some time in prayer, praise and worship, and getting into the swing of things.

While jogging with a few of the guys, we were discussing why we came to this DTS. Most of us wanted to build a good foundation. I told them I just finished my school, and I’m here to see how God wants to change me and use me. I spent the first 21 years of my life in school and “preparing” for the career phase of life…
“Today is the first day of the rest of my life”
No more university, no more formal education. Just God, and whatever he has for me on the horizon!

Teaching starts today! I’m very excited to start the 12 week lecture phase of the DTS! This is where it al begins!

I’ll be giving updates, at least on once a week, thanks for following me this far, and thanks for your prayers!

God bless!
Shane

DTS begins!

2009-06-05T07:52:00.003-04:00

Hello Everyone!

I'm writing this at the DTS Base! (sorry no pictures yet)

I'm having a great time in Finland and at the DTS Base! The students are all very nice. They can all speak english and speak to me just fine in English (with the exception of one student). Things are going well over here! I'm learning finn SO fast, and they're all helping me along. I hope to learn alot in the next month or so, so I can talk to them in finn. There's 11 students and 3 staff. We spent the first little bit settling in and getting to know eachother. Then we shared a quick testamony (only took 3 hours!), prayed, and did some praise and worship.

I'll be posting up pictures and videos sometime soon, but I have not had the time to take any yet! They keep me pretty busy :)

I'll be updating as often as possible.

God bless!
Shane Lintunen

Oops...

2009-06-03T08:39:00.001-04:00

So, instead of spending a day riding around Seinäjoki, my body decided to sleep 12.5 hours (i guess i needed it). So I woke up 15.00 (3pm). Although, I had a very nice Finnish breakfast! Cold cut sandwich's on Ruislapat bread, and some Presedentti coffee! Time to get ready for the 7pm prayer meeting!

God bless!

Arrival!

2009-06-02T19:12:00.004-04:00

Hello Everyone!

I've now arrived in Seinäjoki! The trip went well, no missing luggage, limbs, or brains, although, I did loose some sleep. Things are going good, and I can't wait to start my DTS! Tomorrow I get to go explore Seinäjoki a little bit on bike, and go check out the wednesday night prayer meeting.

Heres a quick video I came up with:

Leaving on a Jet Plane!

2009-06-01T12:09:00.002-04:00

Hello Everyone!

Well, the packing is finally done! I had to figure out clothing for 3 seasons! But its complete. Outfitted with my new Current Reality "Free Spirit" shirt (thanks again HWY!), my blazer with a freshly sewn on Canadian flag (to indicate my lack of foreign languages), and my luggage, i'll be heading to the airport soon!

The "Good-bye" party yesterday went very well! Lots of people showed up to send me off. We enjoyed some great food (prepared by my mother), sauna (heated by my father), and enjoyed some music provided by Matti and Nate! (great song again guys, that was awesome!). We played some beach volleyball while it was SNOWING, a true Thunder Bay send-off! Looks like another June-uary for you guys! We then went for a sauna to thaw out our feet. I thank everyone who came out yesterday! Thank you for your cards, your gifts, your support, and most of all, thank you for coming out!

It's time for me to put my carry-on together and go find some lunch, so I'll bid you good-bye Thunder bay! I'll be updating as often as possible!

God bless!
Finland or bust!
Shane Lintunen (a.k.a. Chain)

iBethel.tv

2009-05-22T09:52:00.001-04:00

Hey Everyone!

You HAVE to check this out: http://www.ibethel.tv/watch/292:3:4

Live worship from Bethel Church. It's absolutely amazing! Very anointed and a very heavy presence of God!

God bless!
Shane

p.s. 10 more days!

11 more days!

2009-05-21T09:44:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone!

I'm creating this blog as a way for non-facebook-er's to keep up with my travels! I'll be updating this as often as possible while I'm in Finland taking my Discipleship Training Course with Youth With a Mission!

It's been alot of paperwork to get to this point. Getting my finn citizenship, Canadian passport, travel insurance, delaying OHIP, getting a physical, my vacination, wiring bank stuff, etc. . It's becoming more and more REAL everyday that i'm going to be leaving soon. In 11 short days, I'll be boarding my plane to Finland, leaving my friends, family, and everything I know behind.

It's been a long haul getting through Engineering, and after 4 years of 16 hour days, I feel it's time for a well-deserved "break" and have some God time. Time to just soak in His presence and take in some amazing teaching. Time to grow in faith. Time to go into missions. Time away.

The next few weeks will be pretty exciting! I get to speak at youth (for the first time! woohoo!). Camp clean-up on saturday (something I've always enjoyed). Golfing with Bombardier next Tuesday. Leading worship at youth on Friday 29th, my last youth meeting :(. Walking across the stage on Saturday the 30th. Attending my going away party on the 31st. And finally, boarding my plane on June 1st.

I hope what I have written has helped you understand a little bit of whats going on right now, and I look forward to giving you guys updates from the Mother Country! haha!

God bless!
Shane