The year began with a trip to Sri Lanka
where the highlight of the trip was the wedding of Magnus and Vasanti.
Stefan had had a hand in the matchmaking of this pair when Magnus had been
working with Stefan in Sri Lanka the year before. The couple is now
living in Herrljunga, Sweden.
Anna-Greta came to Sri Lanka over 30
years ago to marry Jacob. Together they have built up Fredsro, near
Kandy. What began as a small home for children has now expanded to include a
hospital and a school. We hope to return to Sri Lanka this year to make
a film about Anna-Greta and this place that the Lord has blessed and protected
through 20 years of civil war.
Back in Sweden again. We spent two weeks in Dalarna
where we are working on a film about the relationship between people and
bears. Stefan is working with the Scandinavian Bear Project documenting
when they radio collar the bears.
It was nice to be able to go with Stefan on a trip
this time. The kids enjoyed seeing one of the places that Daddy has
spoken so much of and time spent around the campfire brought us all closer
together.
We became friends with Fred "Sky" Roberts, a registered hunting
guide. Stefan and Fred climbed the mountains of Kodiak in search of
mountain goats.
When the rest of the family had gone back to
Colorado, Stefan went back to Kodiak and spent time out in the refuge filming
the bears.
Later he flew up to Kobuk, to Boris who
is a hunter. We have been working on a film about Boris from Russia who
came to Alaska to be a fur trapper.
On October 1st we all flew back to Sweden, but Stefan was only
home for two weeks and then he flew back to Kodiak. He spent a weekend
at Katoi, a cannery/hatchery where the bears like to come. Stefan got in
the water with his cameras and filmed the bears swimming and fishing.
At Larsen Bay he visited the dump where
the bears congregate to eat the trash. This bear caught a whiff of a
deer that, unbeknownst to Stefan, was in the back of the van that he had
borrowed. He came running on his hind legs and Stefan had just enough
time to snap this picture before jumping back into the van and slamming the
door.
Later he went with Sky Roberts to film a
hunt. Unfortunately the weather turned so cold and all the bears fled up the
hill to hibernate. They did get this beautiful Sitka buck.
Boris came home with Stefan in
November. They were in many places in Sweden showing slides and film
from Alaska.
