As a teenager, Lisa Enqvist decided she would never be a missionary, never return to her father’s Gospel ship “Ebeneser,” never marry a missionary, never have kids who might feel as rootless as she was. And, she prayed, “Please, God, don’t ever send me to India.” But God knew Lisa better than she knew herself and gave her what her heart truly desired: all the things she asked Him not to give her, healing her heart more and more through the process.
Lisa is a co-founder of a Children’s Home in Thailand. She grew up in China and Sri Lanka as a missionary kid. She now lives with her husband in a small town on the West Coast of Finland. She and her husband adopted four Amerasian children in Thailand. They have given Lisa and her husband Håkan eleven grandkids.
Today, Lisa writes personal and family stories based on saved letters, documents, and personal memories. Since receiving her mother’s old letters in 1983, she has written four memoir books in Swedish and one in English: MISSIONARY MOTHER – Around the World with Five Kids. Rheumatoid Arthritis has challenged her since writing her first book.
Lisa is a registered pediatric nurse. Her earlier writing experience consisted of newsletters to sponsors of children at the Bethany Children’s Home and regular letters to family and friends scattered around the world. She has saved numerous family letters.
She attended several Swedish writer’s seminars in Finland. After reverting to English in 2011, she completed a course in writing for children and youth at the Institute for Children’s Literature and a Memoir Writing Course at Creative Writing Now. She also wrote articles for FaithWriters Challenge.
She is a member of Everything Memoir Private Group and West Coast Christian Writers. She has attended two Online conferences with the WCCW.
Her book MISSIONARY MOTHER – Around the World with Five Kids, is available from:
https://booklocker.com/books/8211.html
https://www.amazon.com/MISSIONARY-MOTHER-Around-World,
and other online bookstores.
Lisa blogs at: https://lisaenqvistroots.com/
I love this sweet poem of Lisa’s that expresses so gently the power of listening! Thank you, Anna, for connecting my path with Lisa’s and joining us together on this journey of following Jesus. I pray that you both will be so blessed this week as you share the stories of God’s writing within your lives.
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Isn’t it beautiful, Bettie? Just like the heart of Jesus in our friend Lisa. I am so thankful for how He weaves His Body together, oceans apart and yet in Spirit One. Thank you for your love and prayers for us both, Bettie. May God continue to overshadow you and your family in His mercy also and publish more stories to His glory.
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Thank you, Anna, for weaving this little poem into your blog. And thanks for inviting me to join in a fellowship with many friends, who also are listeners, though we are scattered around the world.
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Isn’t our family in the LORD such a balm? So blessed by His weaving the world over and the gift of His heart in you, Lisa. Honored to share the gift of His listening heart through the poem He gave you. Love you
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Beautiful poem and what a precious memory of Lisa’s aunt who listened and encouraged her. And the song you linked to “As the Deer Panteth for the Water.” It’s one of my favorites and the verse was in the psalm I read this morning for my devotions. Blessings and love to you and Lisa. xoxo
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Isn’t it? It so moved my heart. Even her photo speaks volumes to the love of Jesus present in her. And oh how I love how He affirms His Word to us. Blessings and love to you too xoxo
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