Hald 370 km fra Kristiania

As I left the south-west express bus on August 13^th of October I crossed the road and walked towards the white buildings at the other side of the road. The buildings are Hald. The last home many young norwegians have before they leave Norway and travel abroad into countries far away from where only strange rumours reach the shores of my island. Hald is also the first norwegian home for people speaking different and strange sounding tongues.

When sailing was still an usual way of transporting food and goods across the world oceans Hald was built as a recreation place for a wealthy family. Since then the houses and grounds have been used for celebration, bible schooling and as hostel for people who need a place to rest their bodies after long days of travelling. Today it is having several functions. One is of importance to me and my story. It is the physical location of Hald international centre. In itself that is nothing more than a long and fancy combination of words.I guess that the phrases would need some explanation. Most importantly it is a way of exchanging young people. That is people who have a desire for leaving the comfort and saftety of their home place and do some small or great work in a different society to change the world and make life better. Of course those people also have to be within defined age limits and they should also fulfill other official requierments. This year two Ugandan girls have travelled north to work for and togehter with christian students in Trondheim and two Norwegian boys have travelled south to Uganda to do the work for the Kingdom as people here would say when someone is doing one or another ministry in an christian setting.

I happen to be one of the two boys in Uganda and I intend to post small stories from my life in the pearl of Africa, fun facts about norwegian or ugandan society and other things related to my work, life, Fellowship of Christian Unions in Uganda or Hald. The name of this place at the southern end of Norway brings alive the memory of approaching the entrance where an erected stone were rised with the inscription: Hald 370 Km til Kristiania