The much awaited...SuviSeurat 2006

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It's true that words cannot describe the feeling one gets from experiencing Finland's summer services. For those not familiar with the Laestadian Lutheran Congregation, or LLC in America (SRK in Finland), you can visit www.laestadianlutheran.org to learn more. Summer Services is an annual event held in America and Finland, and is a time where people of the Laestadian Lutheran faith come together from many places in the world. However, any person is welcome to attend. It is usually held the first weekend of July or last of June, and is about 4 days long. Each year the event is held in a different city, both in America and in Finland.

Hard to get all 70,000 in the photo. =)
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Because there are less laestadians in the Americas and in Canada than there are in Europe and other eastern countries, the event in America is usually made up of under 5,000 people, yet still much looked forward to. In Finland, it is a massive event, and around 70,000 people attend.

This year the summer services were held in Sotkamo, Finland, on a farmer's field. The entire area, from one end to the other, was nearly a mile long. The area is always prepared 3 years prior to when the event is held. Because there are so many people, there must be temporary services available such as bank, post office, hospital, grocery, etc.

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When we finally pulled into the fields...the first thing I heard was the singing from the many speakers placed throughout the area. There were thousands of motor homes and tents. People walking everywhere. Little kids selling ice cream from styrofoam coolers. It was an amazing weekend of hearing God's word, singing with thousands of other voices, meeting old and new friends and relatives and just being with other people from the walk of faith. Each night, the youth stayed out in the main field until the early hours of the morning. The sun never set on us. =D When the service day would officially begin at 8 AM, you could hear the opening hymn from where you were lying in your tent or motor home. It was just beautiful.

Every night many of the youth would socialize until early morning. This is a 2 30 am sunset (though the sun never fully set before it rose)
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Overall, the experience surpassed every expectation I had. I'm already looking forward to next year's summer services, held only an hour away from Helsinki. =D