Faith On Every Corner - April 2022

from Faith On Every Corner - April 2022

Road Trippin' April Throwback! by Karen Ruhl

For lo, the winter is past, The rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth; The time of singing has come, And the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. -Song Of Solomon 2:11-12 NKJV

I live in Scotland UK where I enjoy photography, the Scottish landscape and wildlife. God’s creation is wonderful! I also enjoy travelling. A couple of trips to East Greenland have been a wonderful experience. A flight from Scotland landed us in Iceland from where we later flew to Kulusuk in Greenland. The village is about 1.5 miles from the little airport. They have only recently been able to have running water in their homes due to the difficulties caused by the frozen rocky ground. Hitherto a freshwater reservoir has provided water to a few taps in the village.

From Kulusuk one takes a 10-minute helicopter ride (or find a hunter with a boat who might be willing to take you) to Tasilaq, the main town in East Greenland. There, as in Kulusuk, brightly colored wooden houses nestle in hollows or perch precariously on rocky ground. The backdrop of mountains and sea or fjord in which there are varying amounts of ice floe makes a delightful sight. Both times I have been fortunate enough to be there when a confirmation service has been taking place (the main church there is Lutheran). The young people have opportunity to confirm their faith when they are about 14 years old. For this special occasion they wear their colorful beaded tops and seal skin boots. Although Christianity is established in Greenland, the Inuit animism and shamanism still has a hold amongst many, especially in some of the settlements –– bringing its own darkness.

Boat trips amongst icebergs and glacier, whales and seals, visits to other settlements and making friends with local people all made for an unforgettable experience.