Friday, February 28, 2014

Gospel Coundown Friday


If my life had a soundtrack what songs would be in it?

What a great question.

In my childhood it would be old Finnish Christian children's songs.

The songs I sang in Sunday school, at church camp and in school.

Songs I would hear at my home after my parents had money enough to buy our first record player and then after that a cassette player.

Very peaceful, even sedate and uneventful songs in minor.

Most of Finnish songs are in minor and Finland is one of the few countries that sings about early death and graves in their cradle songs.

5. Ystävä, sä, lapsien - virsi 492 (You, Friend of Little Children)


You are Friend of Children. 

Where ever I go in the world, there You are with me.

The luck may change in this world but Heavenly Father is always my safety.



We moved around a lot when I grew up.

I was 20 when I came to Ecuador and I had moved over 30 times before that.

I never had very long roots because I knew I would need to get them up, shake the earth and move on.

It was a hard way to grow up but on the other hand I had a chance to experience a lot.

I saw different things and ways to live, from cities to countryside.

And learn about life in a way I could not have if we had always lived in the same place.

What was always the same in my life was the church.

There was always a church; there was always Sunday school, Scout or Youth group.

Later on, there was always a choir to join.

When I was in Junior High School I went to a mission to Estonia with our youth choir.

At fifteen I went to mission trip to Germany.

It was just after the two Germanies were united and I had an opportunity to talk with a pastor from East Germany who had been in prison for his beliefs.

I was able to visit the church and the church members and hear how they life had been under the communist rule.

And I was able to visit Buchenwald, a visit that changed many things for me, forever.

Here one of the songs we used to sing in choir.

4. Pekka Simojoki - Herra Kädelläsi (Lord, on Your Hand)


Lord, on Your hand, I can live, it is the safest hand in the world.

It is my joy to be close to You, I can only trust in You.

I want to sing Your deeds.


When I was in High School I moved to my own apartment.

It was a big thing for me, I became independent.

I lived in an apartment above our church, right next to my uncle and his family.

Not so independent but for me, I was on my own.

My apartment become very fast the unofficial meeting place for our church's youth.

We would talk, watch movies from VCR (yes, I'm that old, record players and VCR, LOL), talk, and listen to music from my cassette player.

One of the groups that would always be playing was Guardian, and this song brings me back to that little apartment with big windows and thick walls.

Aparment filled laughing friends.

Or on my own in teenage angst, wondering if I will ever really know what love is. 


3. Guardian - Do you know what love is?



Then I came to Ecuador and my musical distress begun.

It was also literature withdrawal because there was no way to get books in Finnish.

And I could not even speak Spanish, learning to read books in Spanish seemed like a very far away dream.

Finally I got some books in English and was able to read them.

Just like I was able to get few Amy Grant CDs when the cassettes I had brought from Finland with me fell apart.

I just didn’t feel comfortable enough listening to music in Spanish, it was too new, too different.

Those few books and Amy Grant CDs were my lifeline to the world I knew of.

2. Amy Grant - Baby, baby



It's been more than 15 years since I came to Ecuador.

I don't want to do the math and count the exact number.

Because it is such a long time and I'm so old.

It has not yet been half of my life but it won't take many years for my life in Ecuador to have been longer, than the life I lived in Finland.

I speak Spanish, I'm able to read books in Spanish, give speaches in Spanish and dream in Spanish.

I also feel latin rhytms.

They are part of who I am now.

And I have learned to love the music.

It is part of my life.

1. Alex Campos - Sueño de morir (Dream to die)

Tears and blood all mixed up, it was Your dream to die.

Blood and silence was the price, the price of my life.

Forever I will be Yours, an offering to You.

22 comments:

  1. It sounds like even though you moved around a lot, your parents did an excellent job at giving you a good Christian foundation to stand on, when you couldn't plant roots. :)

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    1. That is very true, Heather. I never suffered from instability the same way I have seen other children suffer. There were always the constant of knowing that God loves me. No matter where I am, I am with Him.

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  2. I would love for my kids to be exposed to finnish music!

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    1. There is a lot of Finnish music online today. And a lot of it is actually very good :)

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  3. And i thought i moved allot.. wow 30 times or more.. That is allot of moving and experiences.. My kids like Top 40 stuff, me i like 80's, and 90's music.. mixed in with the 70's

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    1. It is a lot, both moving and experiences.I am glad to have had those experiences, and when I was a child, I could not understand why everyone else did not do the same thing, lol. Good musical decades you like, by the way, lol

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  4. Wow, you had me crying with one of the music. I don't know what it meant but it moved me and reading made me so emotional. Gosh, I like that Amy music, I used to listen to it on the radio. How funny. You sound like someone I can listen to of all the wonders of life. Very interesting how you have matured and giving so much to others. Thank you!

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    1. Thank you for your wonderful and raw comment. I'm guessing the song that made you cry is the number 4, Herra Kädelläsi? It's a very emotional song about the sacrifice our Lord did for us. It usually makes me to cry also.

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  5. Great songs and videos.

    Michelle F.

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  6. You have had an interesting life with a strong foundation of Christian belief. I find this interesting since I have a friend who was a missionary in Finland for two years and returned without having made one Finnish convert to the Christian faith.

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    1. Finnish people are very hard to convert. Most of Finns are members of Lutheran church, so they have been baptised, and confirmed. But besides that, and the weddings and funerals, they really do not have contact with faith. Most of the people believe that there is a god, or universal force, or something, or they might not be, but you have no right to tell anyone how to believe it. Relativism is everything, and you need to accept everyone and everything.
      People are totally cool about you being a Christian, as long as you don't try to convert them or tell them that your belief is better than theirs. Then they will not be cool about anything anymore.

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  7. I'm so inspired by your story! How wonderful to be able to travel the world and do all these service missions as a youth! Thank you so much for sharing!!!
    :)
    xx Crystelle
    Crystelle Boutique

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  8. I haven't heard "Baby, Baby" in years! I also remember VHS tapes. We're not old! Just experienced. =D

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  9. Love Amy Grant! Very inspirational post!

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  10. Wow you have moved around a lot in your life! I thought I'd moved around a lot but not nearly that much. I'm sort of afraid to settle down anywhere completely.

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  11. It sounds like even though you moved around a lot, your parents did a great job at giving you a good Christian principles! I personally love music from different countries. Loved reading your post!

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  12. I love how you have seen so much of the world! You are very blessed to have seen her beauty. I love the nature of this blog. Music is such an amazing way to your soul and memories. I too have a soundtrack of my life that is quite different than your music, but the beauty of music no matter what genre is wonderful to everyone. I am half Mexican so I know a bit of Spanish although my entire family speaks it fluently I never completely got it, but I can sing some old Spanish songs and have no clue what I'm saying lol. You've actually inspired my song of the day. I always enjoy reading your posts!

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  13. What a beautiful post. I love music. Music is a language that transcends language barriers.

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  14. Wow, what a journey you have been on. I hadn't heard the first three songs. I especially liked the first one.

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  15. Wow, this is the first time I've really understood your journey. I come by for mixtape, but there are so many to listen to I couldn't hang around for long. Your life is so fascinating, and I love how you tell it through your music.
    That last song is so hauntingly beautiful. I know your life has been hard, but it also seems like a blessing and that you have been able to bless so many by being where you are.
    Thank you for sharing this with us.

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