F. RULES FOR ATTENDING CONFERENCES & VARIOUS TIPS
1. If you have requested and obtained a letter of invitation for the purpose of securing a visa to Sweden (because you live outside the EU, USA, Canada, etc.), then we require evidence upon arrival that you have a return ticket and a valid passport as a condition for registering. This is part of our responsibility, in issuing you the invitation, to ensure that you are not planning to use your invitation to become an illegal immigrant. We would not mention this other than the fact that people have tried to use us once or twice in the past and to know that we will not hesitate to report them to the authorities.
2. We would like to know a little about you before you visit with us and to that end ask you to get involved in our ME Discussion Group. We also request a photograph of you before you leave home so that we can identify you upon arrival.
3. As a visitor you are responsible for funding your entire trip, including your return tickets, and to ensure that you have adequate medical insurance in case of emergency. We are not in a position to make any kind of financial loans and the hospital will not admit foreigners without medical insurance (special rules apply for EU citizens). We once had a visitor who 'assumed', without so much as a word or a hint before he came, that we would fund his return ticket to Africa (he hadn't paid for it) - he was stranded in Sweden for several weeks whilst he raised the money;
4. We do not run a tourist agency and cannot ferry visitors around the place, as much as we would love to. We are in the middle of the countryside. If you want to do some tourism in Norway or Sweden, you must make your own private arrangements before you come or after you have left us. We will of course be very happy to make recommendations as there are plenty of things to do and of interest in the area - if you are a nature-lover, we are right next door to a beautiful nature reservation popular with tourists in the summer, with camping and canoeing sites;
5. Please make sure that your flights arrive on days (NOT weekends) and times when connecting transport is available unless you're planning to overrnight in Oslo or take up lodgings in Arvika. You should make allowance for baggage collection and customs clearance in your calculations at the airport too (allow 1-2 hours). Remember you will have a minimum of three connections between the airport and the Conference Center if you intend to travel on the same day that you arrive. Flights that arrive in the morning before 1100 (11 a.m.) enable the easiest connections. Anything later and you are pushing your luck as the best train to catch to Arvika from Oslo is around 1300 (1 p.m.) as this will not only allow you to make easy bus connections but give you time to settle in your hôtel upon arrival. We recommend you arrive at least the day before conference events. If you're coming for a Festival, these always begin around 19:00 (7 pm).
6. We naturally expect appropriate Christian conduct while you are on our premises - observation of MLT dress standards (see Section G below), moral behaviour, clean language, etc.. Please turn off cell phones during meetings and do not eat during meetings (mothers may of course nurse babies). Women should wear headcoverings during meetings, men should not. We are a multi-racial community and expect respect to be shown to all ethnic groups represented. We also expect respect to be shown to any families living plural marriage who may be attending. If you have issues with race or plural marriage, please resolve them before you come so as not to be an impediment to fellowship and the free-flow of the Ruach/Spirit.
Main meeting room
7. We observe the biblical kashrut laws (eating only kosher food). If you have special dietary needs (e.g. vegetarianism, allergies, etc.) you will need to assume a measure of responsibility for arranging and preparing your own food. Get in contact with us well in advance of arriving.
8. If you have medical problems/needs, we need to know in advance. You are also responsible for having adequate medical insurance before you come - we will need to see evidence of this upon your arrival. There is a hospital in Arvika which takes emergencies but you will need to show medical insurance papers before they will treat you, unless you are able to pay cash. The ambulance response time is anywhere between ½ and one hour. Out of consideration for others, please do not come if you have a contagious disease like 'flu!
9. You will need to have some Norwegian (NOK) and Swedish (SEK) currency. There are no banking facilities in Glava, though if you have a bankers card, they will sometimes issue small amounts of cash (~Kr.400:-) if you make a purchase, but don't count on that. If you need access to a bank, you will need to go to Arvika. There are three banks within one or two minutes' walk from the railway station with automatic tellers. Postage stamps and post cards can be purchased from the main ICA store in Glava. Banks and shops do not usually open before 1000 (10 a.m.) and may close as early as 1530 (3.30 pm.) - most food shops are open until 1800 or later.
10. Universal Currency Converter - convert US$, Euro €, Swedish SEK and Norwegian NOK, etc.. Rates are constantly changing!
11. We live in a border area so most of the bigger shops will accept Norwegian crowns (NOK). You will need Swedish money/cash or a banker's credit card for public transport - to buy special Bus Cards (available at Arvika Bus Station when you arrive - you cannot use cash on board buses) and for railway tickets (make sure you buy a return ticket when you arrive in Oslo or Gothenburg) - there is a ticket machine for trains in Arvika Railway Station which will accept bankers cards). Remember, busses accept Bus Cards - you can buy tickets from the railway station office using a bank card or cash during opening hours on weekdays (see #9 above). Make sure you pick up timetables from the railway and bus stations when you arrive.
12. The cost of living is higher in Norway than Sweden so it usually pays to buy things on the Swedish side of the border as Swedish goods are a lot cheaper. Even so, you will find the cost of living in Sweden very high indeed compared to the rest of Europe and USA. Postage for a postcard or 20g letter abroad costs SEK 12:- (2011 prices).
13. There is a petrol/gas station in Glava which is right next door to the Glava Gäst Gård (GGG) hôtel. Payment may only be made using a credit card.
14. In Scandinavia we do not wear outdoor shoes inside homes. It is customary to remove shoes and (if you wish) wear slippers. We recommend you come equipped with a pair of slippers and bring them with you to all meetings! House temperatures are usually 18-20°C so if you are accustomed to warmer indoor temperatures, come equipped with thick wooly jumpers in the spring and autumn!
15. Smoking and alcohol possession or consumption are not allowed in either the Conference Centre, on the grounds or during MLT-sponsored or organised activities.
16. No non-prescription drugs (narcotics) are allowed in either the Conference Centre, on the grounds or during MLT-sponsored or organised activities.
17. We do not allow visitors to bring their pets with them for a number of reasons - people with allergies (our own dogs are hypoallergetic - they don't shed hair and so won't cause difficulties for people with allergy problems), noise, hygiene, domestic routines, etc.. Please do not turn up with pets. Thank you.
G. MLT DRESS CODE
To avoid embarrassment, please follow the rules below while you are visiting with us.
1. General: Dress modestly with a view to giving Yahweh glory and not to get personal attention. Avoid all sexually-explicit, tight clothing. Keep skin exposure to a minimum. Dress as though you were going to meet Yah'shua personally. We prefer clothing that does not have advertising or other worldly expressions (as T-shirts with captions, etc.). Avoid offensive symbols. Keep jewellry to a minimum, no piercing (nose, tongue, lips, eyebrows, etc.) unless you are an investigator who has not yet made a decision of Messiah and/or the Torah lifestyle. If in doubt, keep it plain.
2. Men: We do not usually follow the suit-and-tie code here but you are welcome to dress in that manner if that is normal for your culture or if you prefer it. Trousers or long robes are perfectly acceptable. No tight pants and no shorts. Short-sleaved shirts are fine, but not sleeveless vests. Men should not cover their heads in meetings, so no hats, skull-caps or prayer shawls on the head, please.
3. Women: We prefer women to wear long, loose-fitting dresses but if you wear pants they should be baggy (not tight-fitting) and should be worn together with a long, loose-fitting shirt, blouse or pullover/jumper that extends well below the hips. No low-neck or tight-fitting tops. Head-coverings should be worn at all meetings (this does not extend to girls under 12 or those who have not yet taken Bat Mitzvah) or when prayer is offered (such as at meals). Head-coverings are preferred, but not obligatory for guests, at all other times and occasions.
4. Swimming Attire: If you go on swimming trips with members of MLT (to the nearby lakes in summer), please be modest and cover as much as possible. Women/girls should not wear bikinis or thongs but full one-piece bathing suits that minimise form and cover up as much as possible. See Aqua Modesta, Junee Suit Bathing SuitHydrochic & Princess Modest Swimwear for maximum coverup ideas and Modest Swimwear for minimum coverup ideas. Men/boys should wear baggy boxer-type bathing suits. Use your common sense!
Bon voyage and a happy visit to Sweden!
