The Go(o)d Seed Project

By Sarah Medhat I had never really stopped to think about the meaning of the word Solidarity before.  In March I went to Stockholm for a training connected to the European Solidarity Corps. During the program, the twelve of us volunteers were asked to go out into the school’s backyard and choose something that, in our own eyes, represented solidarity. Then, one by one, we were invited to place what we had chosen at the moment we felt was right. Each person chose something different. Some picked twelve leaves, others picked twelve small stones, someone brought a plant pot, and someone else chose a tree branch and a rope. Everyone expressed the idea in their own way. As for me, I chose a large, strong tree trunk. At that moment, I found myself asking: "What makes something like solidarity possible in the first place?" And the answer that came to my heart was this: "Solidarity needs a strong foundation." That foundation can only be love and acceptance. When Jesus came ...

av Sarah Medhat One day, I said to myself, “Stop running.”  I was just working. My life was waking up for work and sleeping for work. Sunset at Sundet  (Photo by John Elhami) I know how hard life can be, and how difficult it is to quiet my mind for a few minutes, whether I am thinking about the future or the past. But then I said to myself: I am not in a race to see who wins. I am only creating my own mental race.  I tell myself: I must do this. I must achieve that. I must reach. I should change my life. And that will never happen without money. Even achieving my goals no longer brings happiness, because I have lost the sense of value. I am always looking for more.With all these self-imposed duties, I forget things far more important: God, others, the world around me, nature, and enjoying life simply. I recall a line from the movie "Soul", when the pianist dreamed of performing on stage. When his dream came true, he asked his supervisor, “What will we do tomorrow?” S...

  av Egle Davydovaite Choosing the Green way: A Sustainable Journey from Kaunas to Luleå Boat trip from Tallinn to Stockolm My journey from Kaunas to Luleå was a way to experience travel slowly, moving through the world with care and intention to reduce my carbon footprint and to acknowledge the beauty of traveling by land and sea. The trip began on January 14th, early in the morning. After saying goodbye to my family, I boarded a bus to Tallinn. The ride felt calm and peaceful. Instead of rushing through the sky in a plane, I allowed myself to move slowly, to watch the scenery shift and to feel the emotional weight of leaving home. From Tallinn, I took a tram to the port and boarded an overnight ferry to Stockholm.  Egle fixes her bike Traveling by ferry is not only more climate-friendly than flying, but it also offers a more unique way to experience travel. It gave me time to breathe, to rest, to listen to the soft rhythm of the waves and enjoy the calming motions of the Bal...

By John Elhami If you had told me a few years ago that I’d trade the bustling, sun-soaked streets of Ismailia for the snowy, freezing landscapes of northern Sweden , I probably wouldn't have believed you. Moving to a place like Luleå is a massive culture shock, but it’s also an incredible adventure. Sweden is famous for IKEA , ABBA , and meatballs , but when you actually live here especially coming from an Egyptian background you start noticing the little, unique quirks of everyday life that truly define the country. Here are the most unique things about Sweden that caught me completely off guard. 1. The Art of Fika (The Swedish "Ahwa") In Egypt, sitting at an ahwa with a tea and shisha (Hookah), talking over each other late into the night, is a staple of life. Swedes have their own version of this, and it’s called fika. But fika isn't just a quick coffee break; it’s an institution. It’s a dedicated time to sit down with a coffee and a sweet treat (like a kanelbull...

 By  Josh Armfield (project coordinator) " Build houses and settle down; cultivate gardens and eat what they produce..." (Jeremiah 29:5)  God spoke to his people through the prophet Jeremiah while they were living as prisoners in Babylon. " Promote the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because your future depends on it´s welfare." (Jeremiah 29:7) What is it like to live as a people in exile? Who among us can say they have this experience? Maybe not so many of us privileged Europeans or "westerners" can say we have much exile experience. But surely our many refugee sisters and brothers living in Luleå can enlighten us on the subject. Nonetheless, immigration, exile, home and hospitality are recurring themes in the Bible. Where is our home? Even the Son of God himself lived as a refugee and " had nowhere to rest his head" (Matt. 8:20). The apostle Peter addressed the readers of his first letter as "...

By Mariam and Josh The Go(o)d Seed Project has concluded it´s second project with young volunteers from the European Solidarity Corps. We said goodbye to our three volunteers at the end of June and we miss them greatly already. What a huge impact they have made here! Palina left for Poland where she plans to study Music Therapy at a university there. Oussama left for Morocco where he plans to spend the summer and then travel to China to work as an English teacher. Mariam returned to her home in Tblisi, Georgia where she is working, volunteering and speaking out for the human rights there in Geogia. Such amazing things have happened in the lives of each one of them during their time here with us. They have grown in their faith, in there understanding of their calling in life, and in their interpersonal relationships, how to work as a team and even to show hospitality to strangers. They have each persued with fervor the goals of The Go(o)d Seed Project as well as their own personal learn...