挪威CONNECT交流計劃

自2019年起，本會信徒培育部與挪威差會(NMS)和HALD International Centre合辦CONNECT計劃，這計劃有四個目標：

（一）培訓青年領袖對身處的社會發揮正面的影響力；

（二）激勵年青人積極參與所屬的教會或機構，推動事工的發展；

（三）鼓勵教會和當地社會關注全球的挑戰，例如：社會不公義、貧窮、環保等課題，並付諸實行；

（四）在不同文化之間建立交流渠道，並提升全球CONNECT的意識。

這計劃是由挪威政府的機構NOREC (Norwegian Agency for Exchange Cooperation)資助，為要促進四間機構的年青人彼此交流，包括：挪威的NMS (Det Norske Misjonsselskap), 巴西的 Movimento Encontrão, 馬達加斯加的FLM (Fiangonana Loterana Malagasy) 和香港的基督教香港信義會(ELCHK)。

如想進一步認識各機構，可登入以下網頁瀏覽：
NOREC 　https://www.norec.no/en/home/
NＭS　 https://nms.no/the-norwegian-mission-society/
HALD https://www.hald.no/english/general-information

2021-22年度CONNECT 計劃

2021-22年度的挪威CONNECT交流計劃共有兩位姊妹參加，分別是長沙灣堂的黃藝Sandy和鴻恩堂的Kary。由去年八月出發至今，她們在挪威的交流生活已過去一大半，在此與我們分享交流體會，期待她們回港後，了解更多！

Sandy：交流讓我體驗不少人生的第一次，也令我知道世界的大和耶穌基督的奇妙！

參與這個交流前，自己對挪威總感到一份連結，因為幼時就讀的基督教聖約教會堅樂小學及中學就是由挪威宣教士Annie Skau 與其他人士一同創辦，自己也是在上幼稚園時信主。後來亦知道不少挪威宣教士在上世紀末來港協助難民。不過，來到挪威前，對這個國家的認識除宣教士外，就只有三文魚和北極光。

在挪威的這近7個月中，我體驗很多的新嘗試，當中有不少都是人生的第一次。在2022的新一年中，我有不少新挑戰，由於挪威及不少歐洲國家的疫情都輕微了，所以我們都可以參與到不少青少年及群體活動！我們會到挪威的不同城市參與不同的青少年camp，與青少年相處時，我會感受到文化的不同，縱使他們只有12-17歲，但是他們給我的感覺就像一個小大人般，十分之有趣的溝通。而且挪威的營地都像世外桃源般，所以我都十分享受！

在挪威的這一陣子，我的靈修時間都多了和心情都更容易平靜下來；這都是意外的收穫。在香港嘈吵的生活，每天都跟從固有的時間表生活，使我對生活失去了熱誠；故我十分感恩有這一年在挪威交流的機會，讓我知道世界的大和耶穌基督的奇妙。

Kary：一月在挪威確診COVID時，有不同的天使及幫助，毫不孤單，亦能重新整理自己，會好好把握在挪威的剩餘時間！

來挪威前，我已聽過不少關於挪威和芬蘭的健全社會制度，所以很想藉此交流親身了解更多，特別是挪威人民對社會和文化的看法。

到達後，挪威美麗的景色令我看到上帝創造的奇妙，亦幫助我仰賴上帝。

挪威於12月時重新收緊疫情措施，當時有不少的實習活動因而受到影響甚至取消，在面對日短夜長、寒風瑟瑟的聖誕，情緒亦不免受到影響。幸好自己在香港的堂會堅持網上聚會，故仍有香港弟兄姊妹的紀念與代禱支持，是另一種無可比擬的溫暖。而在12月時，我們亦開放自己的家邀請當地的弟兄姊妹共度時光，實是學習開放接待的一大實踐。1月我們亦回到南部的學校作中期檢討，3個月足夠讓我們成長，當中亦有不同的分享，非常寶貴。雖然1月底確診COVID，但病徵輕微，隔離生活中亦得到同學及老師們的支持與幫助，直至現在我經常分享：那陣子是我最應該確診的日子，有不同的天使及幫助，毫不孤單亦給予自己足夠的安靜時間，重新整理。

今天(09.03.2022)距離離開挪威的日子尚餘99天，正式踏入雙位數，期待自己如何好好把握每一刻，亦期待回家後與大家分享之餘亦聆聽你們這年來的經歷。

Sandy和Kary第一次到訪挪威人家庭，獲熱情招待，亦與他們分享自己在挪威交流的體會。

黃藝姊妹2022年3月的相片及文章分享

International new year eve gathering in Bergen

Pizza making day in Fridays club in St. Johannes Kirke

Pizza making day in Friday's club in St. Johannes Kirke

Bon fire night in the NMSU camp

Christmas light walk in the city cerner with Ukirke (youth church)

Youth work in Stavanger, Norway

Sandy, Ngai Wong

I have been in Stavanger for about 5 months. And I have been in part of different youth gatherings and it was so different than what I experienced in Hong Kong’s churches.

What I have done in Norway and how I feel:

In these 5 months, I have been to two youth camps held by The Norwegian Mission Society Youth (NMSU). I would not say I enjoy it so much but I experienced noticeably big cultural difficulties in the camps. How we discipline the youth in a Christian camp. I remembered how the youths ruined the talks and devotion. Then, how Norwegian leaders bring their concentration back. It is hugely different between Hong Kong and Norway. In Norway, the leaders would more respect them by just looking at them. I would say it was rarely happened inside Christian camps in Hong Kong.

Secondly, I am also participating in confirmation class held by a local church (St. Johannes Kirke) in Stavanger. I more like an observer at the beginning and I was so glad that the priest asked me and my partner to take part in one class. And we found that youths here enjoyed the interaction more than listening only. Therefore, churches here offer some interest groups for the youths instead of only having bible lessons. They encourage more vivid way to learn Christianity. That is a great inspiration for me to think about how Hong Kong churches could include more youth by knowing what youths want.

Feelings and thoughts for Hong Kong

Being in Norway for 7 months, I met so many kind people, especially the youth! They are friendly and willing to speak English to me which is so warm and quite challenging for them (they seldom speak English in daily). After backing to Hong Kong, I hope we could include more youth and listen to their voices in making a better church.

Society, dressing and self-confidence between Norway and Hong Kong. Could we appreciate ourselves more?

Sandy Ngai Wong

What clothes did you wear today? What dressing style do you belong to? Has your dressing style ever been commented on by others? I am a 24-year-old Chinese female and grew up in Hong Kong, a city in East Asia. I was educated by Confucianism and collectivism deeply from my parents, schools, even society. We have been disciplined from many aspects; this article will focus on the dressing of women. I arrived in Norway in August 2021 and stay in Hald International Skole for 1.5 months. I came to Stavanger in October till now. I have been experienced the summer, fall, and winter in Norway observed how Norwegians dressed. It impressed me a lot of how women dressed among all ages.

After few months in Norway, I could see that the gender stereotypes are not that serious by my observations of hairstyle either on men or women. People here rarely comment (whatever is verbal or nonverbal) on others' styles or looks. Society is trying to develop a gender-equal environment here. The spectrum in body image and dressing style in Norway is wide and colorful. I saw how Norwegians appreciate their body image. The obvious example is on TV shows: celebrity women show they are different but not just thin. At the same time, people are also confident about putting on many types of clothes. Therefore, we can see that there are so many dressing styles on the streets to build a border society. One more shocking thing I found; the elderly here usually wears Demin clothes. In Hong Kong, it is rarely to see an old lady to have Demin jeans.

Back to Hong Kong, what we dress is more conducted by gender stereotypes. We would consider more about so-called social value. The society always advocates ‘thin is beauty’ so women in Hong Kong see ‘keep fit is their destinate career.’ It is sad that we could not have self-appreciation. Therefore, I would like to start with my social circle to promote ‘body appreciation’ and empower our own. Since the body confidence shall not be given by others but yourself!

When we talk of gender equality, most of the people just emphasized the rights only but not the invisible thought or cultural conception. That is why women in Aisa still must be aware of their dressings, they would not dress what they want. Culture is the biggest barrier to gender equality. Gender equality is not only letting people have social rights but also respecting each other and getting the same number of choices. I am expecting people to freely choose what they would like to wear soon.

徐家慧姊妹2022年3月的相片及文章分享

Being invited from our contact persons family Christmas gathering

Being invited from our contact person’s family Christmas gathering

Christmas Lunch with Ukirke’s pastor, daikon and Ucrew members

Ukirke (Stavanger Youth Church)’s light walk before Christmas

We opened our home during Christmas and having warm fellowship with our friends and classmates

We opened our home during Christmas and having warm fellowship with our friends and classmates-1

We opened our home during Christmas and having warm fellowship with our friends and classmates

Kary Tsui

After a fruitful beginning of the internship, a strict corona measures came in December. Under the strict corona measures, there are huge impact on our internship, since different activities and future program had been changed, cancelled or postponed. There were schedule empty on late December, which including Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Apart from the affecting from the corona measures, there are different factors attributed to this situation as well. For example, Ukirke used to hold different activities between Christmas and New Year’s Eve, yet most of the youth went back home in Christmas. Although outdoors activities can still be hold under this corona measures situation, not many youths took initiatives for those activities to be taken. Therefore, the official internship work kind of have been suspended at that time. In order to tackle the situation, we have took initiative to occupy our time, including inviting Ucrew to our home and celebrate Christmas Eve with them and receiving different guests, in order to utilise our home.

After the infield, there are different activities had been arranged, yet there was a camp still got to be cancelled. In 12^th February, all corona restrictions had been cancelled, it was a good news to me that our last part of internship can be filled up with different fruitful activities.

Also, we have received new challenges as well, including helping Ukirke in OnsdagApent, helping Ukirke to have a time-framed religious sharing group and attend new church to share our Christian experience. Therefore, I am looking forward to these coming days of my internship.

Observation: Space for children in Norway

Kary Tsui

My Norway journey begins with…

When I got a chance to join the exchange program to Norway which organising by Det Norske Misjonsselskap (NMS) and The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hong Kong (ELCHK), I was already intrigued by Norway’s social system. NMS, a voluntary organization rooted in the church of Norway. It is dedicating in sharing the faith in Jesus, eradicate poverty and fight injustice. ELCHK, one of the influential church in Hong Kong, follows the commands of the Lord Jesus Christ. Our missions are proclaiming the gospel, administering the sacraments, edifying and nurturing believers and serving the community. The entire exchange program last for around 10 months, I have been stayed in Norway for 5 months, 5 more months to go. That is how a Hong Kong 24-year-old girl observes something about Norway in these 5 months.

Why Norway?

Norway is a well-known welfare state in Europe, this specifically attracted my attention and observation from a social worker perspective. As I worked with families with SEN kids in Hong Kong (SEN represents Special Educational Needs.) before I came to Norway, also I have committed to working with family. Therefore I would like to know more how Norway’s society and government attitude towards child’s policy and the children being treated. If there are any crises, a family violence or abusive situation happen in a Hong Kong family, the official regulations of the social workers are prioritising the great interest of the children and protecting them. However, several abusive cases were being reported until the tragedy had already happened to the child. Therefore, I believe how the care and concern to the kids are being delivered in ordinary days is an important indicator of a nation doing how well in child’s policy.

Macro perspectives and daily experiences

When I was undergoing my quarantine in the quarantine hotel, I checked the quarantine rule in Norway for updating purposes. Then I noticed HelseNorge, the website stated that the child and young people should have the opportunity to play, also accompanying children for outdoor activities at least a day is encouraged. It is fascinated! Despite the conducting on the actual policy, the courtesy towards children is respective and see the difference between European and Asian government.

Besides, I am aware there are several public spaces for children as well, including the rest area outside the washroom, also in the mall, parks with enough space and different playing facilities. These facilities are well-emerged with the neighbourhood, and it performs the significance of how a city focus on the well-being and the existence of children. Moreover, there are churches and restaurants not only offer nursery rooms, but also free diapers. I noticed there is a museum in Stavanger that offer maternity meeting every Tuesday, which allowed stay-home parent who has to eye-on-eye take care of their babies to have a social gathering and provide a social platform in removing the barrier, including providing mats and toys, free baby food. This is very innovative from an Asian perspective since the offered platform not only takes care of the physical need of the babies but also addresses the social need of the parents. Since it is always being ignored in Asia.

Micro perspectives and daily experiences

Apart from the hardware for children, the software: attitude in parenting and teaching also important in reflecting how the society concerning the upbringing of their kids.

From my observation, the important parenting attitude of the Norwegian family is caring and pressure-free. To compare with a Chinese family, the majority of the Chinese parent has high expectation towards their kids, the future-oriented target is the significant pressure source of the kids. While the parents in Norway care for the mental well-being of the children and focus on the multi-aspects in children’s growth. Besides, the teaching in school aspects focuses on self-management, including packing the toys after playing time, cleaning falling leaves with the teacher and cleaning the room after use. This addresses the basic ability rather than academic achievement.

Conclusion

There are two perspectives in focusing on the growth of children, one is seeing children as human becoming, another one is seeing children as fully human beings (Qvortrup, 2009). For me, it is hard to judge which one is better, since these two perspectives are being applied all the time, and it always reflects different children’s policies. Yet the measure from both Norwegian government and the Norwegian society do inspire me a lot in different ways, including how they plan the common area, how they regulate a law in balancing the difficult Pandemic times and aware the daily need for the children and how Norwegians being educated and experienced the equal attitude towards children. As an Asian, we can easily lose our focus to the current need and the being of the children, there are different expectation towards the next generation. “Do the right thing at a wrong timing” always being describing some policy on seeing children as a future human being. Therefore, I believe respect and inclusiveness in right timing are important values that society demonstrates to their children.