Finland

Christine (Kikke) Klaver

In Finland, Scouting is a great way to work with youth in building their relationship with others, nature and also their relationship with God. It is one of the practical ways in which I’d like to give my faith hands and feet in Finland.

Christine (or Kikke for short) has a passion for the Saami people. The Saami live spread out over four countries: Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. There are nine different Saami languages. Kikke plans to devote herself to the Saami in Finland to begin with.

Kikke has been involved in language research and translation for many years. Since 2010 she’s been doing this while based in Finland. In 2018 she moved to Lapland, in the North of Finland, to serve the Inari-Saami population in particular.

The Inari-Saami attach great value to their own Saami language, which is under strong pressure from Finnish and Northern Saami. Over the past two decades, the community has shown immense motivation to gain recognition of their identity and goes to nearly inconceivable lengths to retain their language. The Inari-Saami, and also many Finns, find it important to be able to use their language outside just their homes and schools (like leisure time activities and church work).

Since 2018, Kikke has been involved in children’s and youth work through Scouting in the Inari Saami language. Scouting in Finland is a great way to work with youth on their relationships with others, nature and God. Kikke is also leading some Finnish-speaking groups. It is one of the ways in which Kikke wants to give her faith hands and feet in Finland.

Kikke has a heart for teenagers in particular, for whom there isn’t necessarily much to do in these remote areas. The area is vast; she also helps e.g. at children’s and youth camps of a church in Sodankylä (200km from where she lives). In consultation with the local churches in Inari and Sodankylä, Kikke hopes to be able to use her talents even more in children’s and youth work.

Kikke is a linguist, but was also trained in doing exegesis: checking whether a Bible translation reflects the Hebrew or Greek context correctly. After intensive language studies in Inari, in spring 2020 she started to help check the Inari-Saami translation of the New Testament. Kikke likes to devote herself to a wider use of the Inari-Saami language, for Bible translation into this language as well as to encourage use of the Bible. Kikke was also schooled in literacy to be able to help with developing literature and school materials in Inari-Saami.

This is therefore a versatile assignment, which you can contribute to by praying - for the inhabitants of Inari (about 7,000 people) and for Kikke. A specific prayer point is that Kikke may find permanent housing. Currently she’s living in a holiday cottage with just a fireplace (in winter, temperatures regularly go down to -30°C). Several times per year she needs to spend 1-10 weeks elsewhere, when the owners come for a vacation. Would you join in prayer for Kikke to find permanent housing, so she’ll be able to serve in her assignment for many more years? Thank you very much!

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Please add as description: Christine Klaver Finland

In case you wish to make a donation to Christine's ministry from another country than listed in the tabs, please  transfer your donation to the ECM Netherlands' bank account, IBAN: NL02 INGB 0000 2549 97 BIC/SWIFT: INGBNL2A, with the description: Christine Klaver Finland.