Meet us

Meet our volunteers! We are so honored to have these three wonderful people here in our community and project. Here is a short presentation from each of them. 

Palina Tupik - Current volunteer 

Hej-Hej!

My name’s Palina and I’m from Belarus. I like herbal tea, flowers, doing yoga, reading poetry, singing folk songs and creating cozy atmosphere. I'm fond of different kinds of art and I plan to study music therapy in near future.

Few years ago I had a dream to go one day to another country to volunteer. I was really excited about this thought: helping to society in some sphere of life which is important to me, living in new culture, improving English. And after it I dreamt to use this experience to help my own country to grow up in some way :)

So, my dream came true and I turned out here in Luleå! When I found this project, I immediately wanted to apply for it, because it was maximum bingo! Scandinavia, Christian project, gardening, cooking, leadership - everything inside me resonated to go here. Especially I was excited about living in Christian community, practicing in sharing love, peace and compassion, and also about the opportunity to join worship team playing the cajon and growing in the faith.

My dream for now is to have such kind, full of love eyes which I see every day in people that surrond me. And I hope this project will help me with that dream too!

Mariam Tsutskiridze - Current volunteer 

Hey there!

I am Mariam Tsutskiridze, 23 years old, originally from Tbilisi, Georgia. Having grown up surrounded by the rich traditions of the Orthodox Church, I have recently embarked on a unique volunteering adventure in the peaceful town of Luleå.

My journey here is not about legal work; This is the path that led me to volunteer at EFC Church. The decision to leave Tbilisi was influenced by a deeper calling, a desire to contribute to a society that values love, compassion, and spiritual connection.

In the heart of Lulea, between the sea and the forest, I found unexpected peace and a chance to care for people. Volunteering here isn't just about tasks; It is about people, society and the common pursuit of good.

At the age of 23, I ended up in a small town that I didn't even know existed. Each day reveals more about who I am, where I come from, and the spiritual journey I take as a volunteer.

Oussama Echchalim - Current volunteer 

Hej! This is Oussama from Morocco. I finished university about two years ago, majoring in English Studies. I've always had a deep desire to volunteer in Europe, and I feel like this project is the perfect opportunity for me.

Coming from a Muslim background, I made the choice to leave the Islamic faith when I was 20. It was then when I decided to study more about Christianity. Most of my knowledge about Christianity came from the internet, and I reached a point where my learning peaked. Consequently, I decided to explore options for volunteering in a church abroad. This decision has proven to be one of the best I've ever made.

Not only am I getting to know God, but I am also immersing myself in a new culture and meeting inspiring people—opportunities that were limited for me in Morocco. I genuinely believe that this experience will shape my entire life and remain with me forever.

So far, I've spent two weeks here in Lulea, and even in this short time, I've managed to learn a great deal. I can now introduce myself in Swedish, I've gained some understanding of the Bible, and I've accomplished a personal milestone - I've learned how to ride a bike, something I'm very proud of.

These achievements have been accomplished in just two weeks, leaving me eager and excited for the journey ahead and the personal development that will undoubtedly come with it.

Maksym Kinash (previous volunteer January - July 2023)

Hej. My name is Maksym. I come from the city of Lviv. I am a student of Ukrainian Catholic University. It was my starting point: my values, interests, and beliefs come from there. Also, there I got the idea to go on a volunteering project. Thus, my dreams were realized 3 times more than I could expect, for I did not see UCU for precisely one year already.

Luleå community believed in my coming here, even though it was delayed for four months. I would say that me, who was applying for this project, does not exist anymore. But another me was born and came to Norra Sverige. This me was already amazed by the atmosphere of love and acceptance in and around the EFS Luleå community. I will try to become part of this love and sharing.

Living by the sea and near the forest, seeing snow and being cold, hearing and trying to talk Swedish, and having meals together bring me inner peace. Usually, I go out in the evening for a few minutes to feel nature and put aside my thoughts. But they come and what they say is that I have already seen this in Ingmar Bergman’s works…

 

Alicia Köhler - (previous volunteer September 2022 - June 2023)

“Enjoy life. There’s plenty of time to be dead.”

Aside from starting university, I wanted to be a part of the Go(o)dSeed Project to experience something new. But who am I?

I am Alicia, nineteen years old and I am from Germany.  In my hometown, I enjoyed playing volleyball, going out with friends, and having social interactions. I enjoy being active and learning new things. One aspect of the project is working in the garden, but to be really honest, I have never actually worked in the garden before, so I am really looking forward to this experience. Then, perhaps, you started to wonder why I selected this project. The project Go(o)dSeed allows me to grow personally in different priorities. If you want to know which aspects, you are welcome to take a look at “About the Go(o)dSeed project” on the side of the blog. Additionally, I am 

able to discover the northern part of Sweden and improve my English as well as learn Swedish. But these are not the only things I can strenghten, my faith in God can also rise. 

Until now, it was the best decision I could have made.

 

Valeria Elsholz - (previous volunteer september 2022 - June 2023)

Hej! Jag heter Valeria och jag är arton år gammal. I live with my family and my cat in Germany. In my free time, I dedicate myself to these activities: Drawing, reading, skateboarding with my sister or friends and fencing. 

When I received the approval of the project in Luleå , I knew that it would be a hard goodbye for my family and me, and so it was. I am a pretty family-oriented person. Family is one of the most important things in life for me. So is the Nature, because it makes me feel closer to God. Those things are pretty much the main things that give me peace.

But on the other hand I was pretty much excited for my time in sweden: I was conscious that I would find these things in sweden too.

I knew my family would expand because I would be living in a community. I knew that I would get to know new natural areas (and maybe see some reindeers, lynx or moose).

And I also knew that this year would be a year in which I could strengthen my faith in God, the faith that I had been unconsciously abandoning for quiet a time. Furthermore, I´m eager to learn more about the swedish culture and language.

Those are the main reasons why I wanted to be here. And also because I wanted to do something good for other people who maybe might need an additional hand or a listener. So I am really looking forward for my time here in Sweden!

Josh Armfield - Project coordinator

HI! My name is Josh and I am the project coordinator for the Go(o)dSeed project. I am one of the lucky ones that gets to work alongside these amazing volunteers and see the all the positive things that come from this project. I truly believe that we all have a calling and a purpose in this world, and each of us has an important role to play in making this world a better place. I believe that the Go(o)dSeed project can have positive affects on social justice, environmental justice and youth ministry in Luleå. The Go(o)dSeed project is just what it sounds like, we are planting seeds of peace, compassion, justice and goodness, the seeds of God´s love that will spread like a wild mustard tree in first century Palestine! 
 

So please feel free to read and leave comments on our blog posts if you want to follow along on our adventure. We look forward to hearing from you!