I am studying to become a bachelor of social services and have been doing a three-month internship at the Aurinkorannikon seurakunta on the Costa del Sol in Fuengirola. During the internship, I had the opportunity to engage in various tasks. My classmate and I both worked at Aurinkorannikon seurakunta and for example organized a family club together. We also arranged different kind of happenings for the people of the church and hosted a digital clinic for elderly people who have difficulties with phones and computers. We were also involved in the church daily activities. Church was a meeting place for Finns, where the atmosphere was very warm and welcoming. There were regular visitors, but also many tourists passing through.
In our free time, my roommate and I explored Malaga and got to know a little bit of Spanish culture. We visited various tourist destinations, enjoyed good food and went shopping. We also spent some time with the other interns from the church. We also organized our own student event for the interns.
Working at the church wasn’t particularly different from working in Finland, except for the more relaxed atmosphere. Of course, legislation and some practices are different, but we didn’t encounter these much during our internship. The fact that we were only working among Finns likely contributed to the lack of any real culture shock. Fuengirola is also known as the southernmost city in Finland, which I can definitely agree with. Overall, the experience was excellent, and I would gladly go back anytime.
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