Jussi and his wife Marjukka ala are my hosts in Helsinki. They have three children, 12, 15 and 17.

Jussi heads up Further Education in the Finnish Lutheran church. With 4.1 million members, (76% of the population of Finland), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland is one of the largest Lutheran churches in the world. Jussi’s main task is to look after the many university chaplains.

Marjukka ala works in the Ministry of Finance.

We have breakfast on Saturday morning which continues in conversation and coffee until lunchtime, when it is time for Jussi to take me to the western city of Turku. There we have a lunch until 5pm. Mia, who is translating my book, and was to host me tonight, is ill, so Jussi helps me find lodgings in a monastery for the night. It is now 9pm but outside it looks like Australia at 4pm! Tomorrow I will take the day ferry on the Viking Line to Stockholm.