It was nearly 5 pm and time to head back to Löfstad church. I grabbed my backpack and put only the necessary items in it. Video camera 1, video camera 2, audio recorder, webcam ,laptop, batteries, extra batteries. Check!
I strolled down the hotel staircase and the moment I stepped out onto the sidewalk, the wind cut right through me. It didn't really matter. I was too busy thinking about what I might be doing when I got to the church.
The walk lasted just five brisk minutes and suddenly I was at the door. I hung up my coat and scarf and walked into the kitchen. Then, an incredible thing happened. I was a stranger to them - some woman from the US they knew nothing about - yet they ushered me into their world and gave me a place at their table. Literally. It was refreshing and quite humbling.
We jumped into the preparations. We stood at a table just outside the kitchen and prepared sandwiches. We buttered bread, added ham, veggies, cheese, and a little dollup of seafood spread to each sandwich. And as we stood there, we learned a little something about each other.
Other volunteers were elsewhere creating centerpieces for each table in the cafe. A candle, flowers, leaves, and apples were being put together to create a colorful Autumn touch for everyone to enjoy while they ate their sandwiches and drank coffee after the program.
The sandwiches were finished and stored in the fridge, so I was given a second job of pulling out the coffee mugs and placing them on the table. There was still a lot of life happening in the kitchen. People were brewing more coffee, pulling out plates, placing food into the fridge, cleaning up work stations, etc. It was like a choreographed dance, with people weaving in and out in perfect sync.
I felt like I was in a travel show where the host visits a wonderfully unique and open place with real heart and soul. A place tourists may pass up, but in reality is the best place in town to be. I was here with people who had welcomed me in and treated me like family the moment I walked in.
Jenny would later talk about how she saw God's voice and guiding hand in moments like this one. As she spoke those words, my thoughts were immediately directed the people who make up Löfstadkyrka. And there it was. That feeling, that understanding that the Kingdom of Heaven is here and now. Among the people in this place.
The all-volunteer kitchen crew was preparing to seat about 150 people in the cafe after the performance. Ten minutes before the start of the show, 140 tickets had been sold.I had finished up what I could in the kitchen, so I decided to take my seat in the church. Just a few minutes before showtime and the place was packed. There were a few benches in the back and some small spaces here and there. I walked up one of the rows, scanned the room, and saw a little lone seat at the front right side of the room. I asked the gentleman beside me if the seat was taken. It was free, so I sat beside him and saw he had a camera, a pencil and a piece of paper. As I pulled out all my recording equipment in preparation, he joked with me about everything I had.
The program itself was quite moving. It grabbed me like no other program. The character and atmosphere was different than the previous day. It almost seemed like the program was set to go one direction with a general program, then went a different direction entirely. Jenny raised some profound thoughts and ideas, which struck a chord with a lot of people, including myself. The longer description of the presentation will be up on The Jenny Source as soon as I get the opportunity to write and send.
Some pictures from the cafe even after the program:
(Also some video in the Bambuser feed of people enjoying the evening)
Four hours had passed from the time I opened the church door until the time I started walking back to the hotel, but it felt more like four seconds. It was the most amazing, most incredible, most heartfelt, most wonderful, fantasic time I've had in a very, very long time. See, I told you I'd need those superlatives! And not one of them was overused or unnecessary.
A mighty thank you to everyone at Löfstad for all the hospitality, the great company, and the wonderful event! It was a real blessing to be with you all tonight. You are all a true treasure in Tranås! If our paths don't meet again here on Earth, we'll meet again in Heaven - where there will be "No More Nights".
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