Religion | When Californian Amelia Aurelio’s parents suggested a week at a Finnish camp center, she wasn’t enthusiastic – In a few days, her mind changed

“That’s it a paarma”, someone squeals on the hot sandy field.

A few young people’s ball game is interrupted. One of the young people runs away, running away from the paarma, who is trying to make a closer acquaintance.

In Pieksämäki, the Partaharju camp center is hosting an international rippling camp. In the camp center, the happy talk of young people is bubbling up. Conversations are held in Finnish and English, sometimes in a sweet jumble.

71 young people from almost 20 countries have gathered at the camp center. In addition to Finland, there are, for example, from Belgium, the Cayman Islands, Spain, Great Britain, Austria, Canada, China, Germany, Singapore, Switzerland and the United States.

Some young people have lived their whole lives outside of Finland in one or more countries. In addition, there are young people living in Finland and returnees.

Young people have started seminary last fall in their home countries by doing remote tasks and participating in the events of the nearest Protestant congregation. The ten-day camp period in Finland ends with confirmation in Partaharju.

“This is a normal boarding school, but in two languages, Finnish and English – and of course taking into account the cultural backgrounds of the young people,” says the designer Elise Kytta From the center for children and youth.

“Some young people don’t know Christianity at all. Some of the young people, on the other hand, have attended a Catholic school, and their knowledge of Christianity is almost better than that of pastors. Then there’s everything in between.”

With several young Finns abroad have strong connections to Finland. Every year, many go on vacation in Finland with their families.

According to Kytä, several expatriate families want the young person to attend a Finnish boarding school so that he can learn Finnish culture and traditions. Many parents have good memories of their own boarding school, so they want a similar experience for their youngsters.

Not everyone who wants to can join international rip camps. Due to the already subsiding corona pandemic, there are slightly more young people over the age of 15 in the camps this year than usual, who could not travel during the pandemic.

in California resident Amelia Aurelio says that he came to rip camp because it is important to his family, especially his grandparents.

“At first I wasn’t really excited, but in the end I ended up here to have fun,” Aurelio says in English.

For many young people, the camp period in Finland is an effective language bath. This is the feeling, for example, of someone who arrived in Partaharju from Colorado in the United States Andi Guerrero.

“This has been pretty good grammar. At home, father speaks Spanish and mother Finnish, but my brother and I usually answer in English.”

Finnish speaking Laura Kivelä again says that he came to the camp in the footsteps of his mother and sister. Kivelä lives in Finland after spending four years in Dubai.

“It’s been really fun here. Here you can put the phone away for a bit and it’s nice to just be with friends. There are a lot of people here from different places. And it’s nice that the camp is multilingual,” Kivelä says in Finnish.

“It’s been nice to swim in the lake,” says the resident of Brussels Viggo Masset In English.

“And it’s been boring… Can I say this? Well, the Bible lessons have been a bit boring, but otherwise it’s okay.”

in Qatar lives with a Finnish father and Slovak mother Maija-Nea Ilvestie heard about the international frip school from a friend and wanted to join. He became interested in the Lutheran Church some years earlier.

“I am also baptized here before confirmation. I am the only one baptized then. I have decided that this is my religion [uskonto]”, Ilvestie says.

A 17-year-old living in Malta Daisy Cochrane is already at the camp in Partaharju for the third time. In 2020, he attended an international religious school and the following summer he was at camp as a grown-up. This summer he will be big for the second time, and now there is also a little brother at the rip camp.

“It’s wonderful to meet new people and learn new things. I like this environment and this internationality. I love this place and the people here. It’s a wonderful feeling here.”

The popularity of boarding schools has remained in Finland

in Finland seminary schools have maintained their popularity, even though the number of people belonging to the church has decreased for a long time.

According to the Church Board, last year approximately 91 percent of the 15-year-olds belonging to the church, i.e. 74 percent of all 15-year-olds, went to seminary.

According to Elise Kytä, the popularity of international religious schools has also remained steady.

“After all, the Finnish religious school is a very unique way, especially the camp format.”

In a large part of Protestant churches, seminary is already attended at the age of 12–14, says Kyttä. In many countries, the priest – who is often the only paid employee of the congregation – conducts seminary on Sundays for two years.

In other Nordic countries, there are religious schools similar to those in Finland, but in Sweden, for example, less than 50 percent of the age group attend religious schools.

“For example, in Britain, a religious school is really a place for adults and young people who profess their faith. It’s a completely different spirit. In Finland, the religious school has remained in the youth culture,” says Kyttä.