FINLAND & PALESTINE Proceedings of a Joint Workshop

About 1.5% of FCA's annual budget is directed to the Middle
East (300.000€).
FCA started to give annual financial aid to the ELCJHL in the
seventies and continued until 2005.
After 2005, FCA supported a project for the protection of the
environment, and gave one-time special help for needy families
in 2006.
As for now, FCA has directed all of its ME funds for development
projects, according Mrs. Outi Behm from FCA planning
office. 4
Overview of Finnish Church Connections to the Middle East in
Five Periods s
1. Mission in Mandate Palestine 1924-1948
A foundation for interest and contacts of Finns to the Middle
East was first laid by G. A. Wallin in his 7-year exploration, from
1842 onwards. He kept a well-detailed diary, and published
books after returning to Finland, which was part of Russia, at
that time.
First contacts of a Finnish Christian organization to the Middle
East were by Rev. Saarisalo and his wife 1924-1926. They were
sent by FELM to Palestine as missionaries. Later Rev Saarisalo
became quite famous in the field of archaeology. He may have
4 www.kua.fi
5 a) I use the term "Middle East" here with a very narrow sense, meaning
only areas of Jordan, West Bank, East Jerusalem and Israel.
b) My sources were limited and, as such, they cannot give a comprehensive
picture of all contacts, developments, and, especially, of all what actually happened,
but my estimate is that they are reliable on issues recorded in them.
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