OM and Salvation Army partner to change young lives in Sweden

By April 3, 2013

Sweden (MNN) — Operation Mobilization (OM) asks you to pray for spiritual fruit from UNIFIED.

It may sound like a strange request, but Jesus talked about spiritual fruit and spiritual growth in Luke 8:5-8. He told His followers a parable, saying, "A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up.

"Some fell on rock, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants.

"Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown."

An OM short-term mission team is praying that the "seeds" they planted in Sweden last week will grow and bear spiritual fruit among the immigrant teens they met.

According to OM, about 15% of Sweden's population are immigrants; another source reports approximately 200 different nationalities are represented among Sweden's 9.6 million people.

High unemployment and social isolation mean that integrating into Swedish society is difficult for many. This results in a widespread sense of hopelessness and desperate need for the hope of Christ. To this end, OM partners with the Salvation Army on a project called UNIIFIED.

UNIFIED is a Christian outreach to immigrant boys ages 15 to 20 who are refugees or seeking safe haven in Sweden. Some boys have been in the country for about a year and have gained refugee status, while others are only there for a short period of time.

An OM team spent Easter week on a UNIFIED trip sharing Christ without words. Team members learned about the boys' cultures and what each boy enjoys doing. They also played sports and music with the boys, and ended the week with an Easter party.

Pray that the boys will be touched by the love of God and will place their faith in Christ as their Savior.

Learn how you can serve in Sweden with OM by clicking here.

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