Upon arrival in Sigtuna folkhögskola, I suddenly felt like I’m home seeing the program coordinators and my companions in this exchange program. The gathering signaled the end of my stay at the first congregation in Stockholm Diocese. Mixed emotions, was the phrase that best described how I felt throughout the day. As expected, the feeling of…

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Pilgrimage is described as “a journey to a holy, special and unusual place.” Some may name places like Jerusalem in Israel, Taize in France, Santiago de Compostela in Spain or Fatima in Portugal where pilgrims normally flock to enrich their faith. My stay here in Sweden is a faith journey and experiencing how the Church…

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“Glad Påsk!” For a week now, I have heard for a couple of times people greeting each other: ““Glad Påsk!” (“Happy Easter!”) I was a bit surprised with the exchange of greetings when for me it was yet too early because before the Resurrection day, Christ’s death will still be commemorated on Good Friday. In…

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I arrived in a castle-like church to attend a gathering of young people from Stockholm Stift (Diocese). Upon entering the majestic Sofia Kyrka, located on a hilltop, I began to hear an unusual sound from the church’s interior. The sound was familiar and it was the type of music played in party houses back in…

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The cold weather woke me up one rainy morning and as I looked on my schedule for the day, I realized that it’s been a month since I stepped in this land where the Vikings originated.  It was in high school when I first heard about the Vikings through my World History class. They were…

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Despite the challenges of a declining membership along with countless problems arising due to its existence in a highly individualistic society, the Church of Sweden has become stronger in its commitment to share the bounty of resources to people from other nations. Through the work, it has realized the real purpose of being the Church…

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Three weeks after I arrived here in Sweden, I’m starting to love one of its traditions relating to food. “Fika” (fee-ka) is said to be a social institution for Swedes of all ages and it simply means “drinking coffee.” The word is both a Swedish verb and noun. Fika takes place normally after the three…

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On a snowy Wednesday afternoon at half past two, kids began to arrive for choir practice. Aside from the fact that it’s about the middle of the week and with a very unlikely weather, it was unusual for kids to spend time for church. They could have chosen to go home straight from school and…

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When I was a kid, I used to marvel at rainbows that normally appear in the sky. I thought this childish thought would have disappeared through time and maturity but as time gradually passes, I come to realize that my appreciation of the rainbow was just the beginning of my understanding and belief that when…

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