Picture 1: Decorations, the bread is traditional Russian for celebrations.
Picture 2: A hand carved watermellon that looks like a bouquet of roses. A young lady in our church made it.
Today our church met for the first time in our new building. We still will not be having our normal services there because the building is still not completed but today was special. Today was our harvest, or thanksgiving service. The sanctuary was decorated beautifully and set with tables and chairs and everyone brought food. This was nothing like an American potluck. People brought cookies, cakes, candies, bread, fruit, veggies, and drinks. We dropped them all off at a table by the door. The ladies distrubuted the food evenly to every table.
We started out the service with singing and prayer. Then each table was supposed to share arround how God has blessed them this year. Of course this was difficult for my table. Half were Americans and half Russians. We managed some how. Then we were free to eat the food on our table. After a little while they brought plov to every table. Plov is a traditional Russian rice and meat dish. It is wonderful.
While we were eating different people got up to share testimony of God's blessing this past year. Children recited poems. Different groups performed songs. After two hours of festivities we still had church. We sang again, took the offering, and then listened to the sermon.
The sermon was on the prodigal son. One of the main points was that the Father was the real hero. Which son are we like? The father waited for both sons and patient and loving towards them. How are we towards The Father?
It was a wonderful service and it also made me feel more at home. I have struggled feeling conected to my church. Today many Russians, that I know, came up to me and hugged and kissed me and talked to me. I finally felt a part of the church here.
On a side note: After church a friend and I went walking downtown. She is engaged and asked me again today to be her maid of honor. I have to wait and see if it will work out. We did looking at a few wedding dresses today. Perhaps my wedding experiences are just begining.
2 comments:
That watermelon is seriously incredible. Glad to hear you're finally well enough to enjoy some food, and that you're getting closer to your church as well.
Every time I look at those pictures, I drool a little more...seriously, that picture on top looks like a magazine cover or something. And that watermelon...must be a fake. No one can actually do that! It sounds like you had a lot of fun; and I'm glad the whole sickness ordeal seems to be over (that was some story though).
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