Saturday, 16th of August

Culture night made all of us really tired so we slept almost till noon. After getting up we cleaned up the house as we are leaving the following day. In the evening we went to Britt-Marie's house as she invited us to crayfish party.

For same of us it was the first time of eating crayfish, but luckily we were given the lesson how to do that. Apart of eating crayfish we could fish and take sauna. It was beautiful ending of great two weeks.

Thank you for your hospitality!

Agata & Jan

Friday, 15th of August

In the morning we started to prepare evetything for the fashion show. We put up the benches and tables. After the luch we all went back to the house to rest a little. At 6 p.m. we came back to Emmaus. Same of us were helping in the kitchen, others were selling books and helping in the shop.

There came about 2000 people, which made same of the models quite nervous. At 9 p.m., after a few music performances, came our time. We had the great fun during the show. Everythig went according to the plan. After the show we could rest cleaning after the Culture Night. We finished after midnight and went home in our Scooby van.

Agata & Jan

Thursday 14th August

Today when we set off for work Rene was not very well, he had a bad headach, so he did not work today.I latter gave him some painkillers that helped.When we came to work Steve,Jan & Evelina were bailing, Gerd & Agata were making the sign for the 2008 summer work camp, and Nico was in the kitchen making the food. In the late morning Steve & Jan went with Mats to get the tables and benches for the fasion show on Friday. Also the stage arrived for the show and Steve & Jan helped to set up the catwalk. At coffee time in the morning we found out that it was Anna's birthday and so we sung happy birthday to her in English. After work in the evening, we had another rehersal for the fasion show and after we went back to the house and relaxed. Also when we got back Rene was feeling a lot better.

Steve

Wednesday, 13th August

After yesterday’s rehearsal we all felt really tired. Luckily, when we got to Emmaus in the morning we found out that we don't have to work in the afternoon. Having eaten the lunch we visited the Åland Islands Peace Institute where we found out about projects and research carried out by this organisation.

In the evening one of the girls from the Institute - Justina visited us and told us what Emmaus movement means to her. She also elaborated on one of the projects concerning human trafficking. The subject of the discussion was getting serious and rather depressing, but everybody cheered up when Steve served delicious hamburgers.

Agata

Tuesday 12th August

Today it does not rain, the sun shines and we are working in the courtyard.Mats and Rene clean rain drainage, it's not so nice work, but very useful and necessary. Steve clean up the herbs in the courtyard.

Agata and Jan finish paint the windows and door of the shop. Nico tries to store the different things we recieve, but the work is without an end. He is very good. Carina has decorated the courtyard with flowers. Gerd made 3 'pie', but one has disappeared. Perhaps the wasps have the dinner?

All participants make the dishes very good taste, it is not the work camp is the restaurant. The evening was the first rehearsal of fashion show.

All are trying the clothes with excitement and listen to instructions of the choreografie. It is quite difficult and is not so funny for me and Rene. But everyone support each other. The evening dinner was quite late with sandwiches and cosy disscusions near the candles.
Evelina

Monday 11th august

Monday morning when we were sitting in the car, Chris decided to go home to Bristol. He was borded among other things. Later on, we found out the he´d lost some money in the house and didn´t want to stay among us anymore. Carina set up a meeting for us to find out what had happend. We all tried to understand and support Chris but he was determind to go home.

We all felt a bit sad and miserable about Chris leaving, but continued to work. Painting windows and doors, gardenwork and like the other days sorting and bailing.

In the evening back at the house we found out that Chris had changed his mind and was staying after all but in Carinas house.

After dinner we watched a film " Katyn" made by a polish producer - Wajda - A sad film on a sad day.

Gerd Holmer

Sunday, 10th August

After the whole week of work everybody awaited Sunday. We all slept a little bit longer. Nico and Rene went on a scooter trip on the island whereas the rest of the group decided to see the highest point in the area. With Jan as a driver and the rest as the pilots we had a lot of fun trying to find our destination point. I must say that cartographers still have some work to do here as there are houses on the roads drawn on maps. But the view from the hill was worth an effort.

Having seen Orrdals klint we decided to go North. The weather was surprisingly nice so we stayed there for a while sunbathing and playing football.

Our Scoobe van didn't dissapoint us.

The day finished with delicious dinner at Carina's place. (picture at the top)

I hope that after the day of fun and good food everybody got new energy to continue our work next week.

Agata

Saturday august 9th 2008

This day was esspacially reserved to make a boattrip to a small island called Kobba Klintar.

With a quick speed-boat we made the overtrip.

The most of us has not real sea-legs, so it was a real experience, to go over the sea with approx. 50-60 km/h.

On the island, the rest was overwhelming. We visited an old tower, with the fire, were boats navigate on.

Strong coffee and fresh salmon on bread went inside as hungry seagulls.

At about 14.00 h we left the island with the same speed as we came.

For the people which are already a little bit sea-sick, there was a small lowerspeed boat arranged to bring them back.

The rest of the day we rested in our own house and eat a little bit, sleep a lot, and watch TV

Nico

Friday 8 th august

Sorting and loading..

This friday started with a poring rain. Biking 2 kilometers for work wasn´t possible, so we got picked with cars. Outdoor planned work for the day had to be canselled and we all worked indoors sorting and bailing.

Responibel for the kitchen were Agata and Jan. They served a delicious gulachsoup for lunch.

People in this island seems to be willing to give away lots of things. 27 000 inhabitants in the hole island and almost 50% living in Mariehamn comes in an endless line to fill in our layer.

Todys work is mostly sorting and bailing. Nico, weights all the bags before sorting books, electricity and textiles.

My work is sorting cloths in boxes; male, women, children, textiles, toys and for the shop only the very best quality.

I find a lot of boxes about 80 centimetres long and with a lid. In Finland and Åland the government gives every newborn child this box with diapers and babycloths for the first month.

It is even possible to use it as a bed for the baby.

Most of the things are being bailed to be sent to Poland and other projekt Emmaus Åland works with. Evelina is here bailing the small bailes and Steve is making the big ones together with René.

This afternoon we went to visit two other projekts;

The building material projekt and the Katapult.

The building material projekt is a projekt for longterm, unemployd people.

They are taking care of and selling recycled building matierial given from people or from houses that should be torn down.

Katapult is a projekt for young people without

work and fed up with school. They are working

with furnichers selling, repairing, remaking ( see the photo) etc.

Marcus, their teamleader is having lesson about selfconfidence, studies etc. Last year 80% went back to school. Thats good results I´d think.

I the evening we were invited to Birger and Margareta for dinner and sauna in their very special house close to the sea. The rain had finelly stoped

and the sun came through. After a lovely meal we went out with the canoes before having sauna and pancakes.

Gerd Holmer

Thursday 07.08.2008

It was so hard to wake up, because the weather has become worse. Before lunch half of as were cleaning after The Hiroshima Memorial. Agata, Evelina, Britt-Marie, Jan and Nico were picking up the candles by a long stick and boat as well. The others were ending reconstructing of the platform.

After lunch the rain fell so we started to do inside works.
In the evening all of us went to the harbour for a pizza. After we wanted to see some movie, so Nico, Rene, Steve and Chris went to borrow some. They chose Spanish movie without English subtitles so nobody could understand it.

Jan

Wednesday 6th august

The weather at the moment is not really nice. A lot of rain.

I´ve heard it never rained this hard during the summercamp before.

Today some of us started to reconstruct the platform with a little bit of help from Matte.

Already it´s starting to look very nice.

In the afternoon we started preparations for the Hiroshima

memorial, wich started at 9 o´clock pm.

A lot of islanders came to see this memorial.

There were a couple of speakers and there were two guys who played some music.

We sold candles to put out at sea.

Afterwards there was a chinese dancer.

She danced in this barne. I couldn´t see her, too many people or the place was too small.

René

Tuesday 5th August

This is Jan and Steve preparing to knock down the platform (was old and damaged ). Was hard work for them as the weather was bad but they had help from all of us. Later on we all had 2 take part in making more bales of clothes to be sent away, this time Poland.

It was mine and Steve´s turn to do the cooking and washing up (not good :-( , as i can`t cook ). We all enjoyed a chicken curry, thanks to

Steve !!

Here is Gerd sorting threw loads and loads ( and loads ) of books to be sold here in the shop. Gerd has special skills that none of us have ....... She is the only Swedish speaker.

Chris Grewcock

Monday 4 August, 2008

The huge job of loading the container to Peru started in the morning. It is a very heavy and hard work. But we made it. The weather was fine. No rain, no sun. Just perfect.

We recieved the final participant on Monday morning. Chris from Emmaus Bristol. He had missed to get off the ferry in Mariehamn on Friday night, so he had to make a long trip to Helsinki and back before he arrived again to Mariehamn.

Carina

Sunday 3 August, 2008

Steve and Evelina where the first to arrive. We went shopping and started to prepare dinner for the other participants that where supposed to come during the afternoon. Jan and Agata from Polen turned up and we also started to prepare the bikes. We only found very old and broken vehicles. The good bikes had disappeared.

Britt-Marie and Matte came to the welcome-meeting and Gerd from Emmaus Björkå was picked up in the harbour. When the dinner was over and almost all information was given two guys from the Netherlands came walking in the rain, Nico and Rene. Only one more participant was to come. But he forgot to get off the ferry from Stockholm. Chris came Monday morning.

Well, there is not much more to do. Welcome dear Emmaus friends from all over Europe. Let´s start the summer camp 2008.
Carina