Nothing makes a first impression quite like the plaid picnic table shirt, and well, that's exactly what i chose to wear to my first day of church. I am a Mormon. I love being a Latter-day Saint with all my heart, and i cant remember the last time i was so excited for church! Seeing the missionaries waiting for us at the metro immediatly put a big smile on my face and gave me this warm feeling inside like i was getting a big ol' hug. The chapel is located on the first floor of this huge blue apartment complex, and upon walking in I was pleasently surpised to see the same familiar walls, the same art work that I have known for as long as i can remember, and if you can believe it, it even had the same smell! (LDS members, you know just what im talking about)
All eyes were on us as we made our late entrance into the chapel (we're bringing the fashionably late thing back in style), and the missionaries sat directly behind us and translated the talks that were being given. The opening hymn was one of my favorites, and the chapel was filled with the sound of sweet Russian praise, and.....the Americans who stuck out like sore thumb with their singing in what might as well have been jibberish.
The first speaker started his talk and one of the missionaries, who was from Georgia, was silent for a moment, cleared his throat, and then said, "Ok...I do not understand that." I totally snorted out a laugh as the other missionary from Ukraine to prophesy into the backs of our heads. At one point during a talk he said, "You guys need to learn Russian." I felt so bad, so i tried my best to give him comfort and just kept nodding my head to make it very clear that i was listening, even when he mixed up the word "salary" with "celery." As the next speaker rose to speak I turned back and asked if he was up to translating another talk, and his reply, "Do i have a choice?" I guess it was a good thing that today's talks were on service and charity.
It really was amazing to see how the gospel unites all the members around the world, one speaker told us that we must be united, with one heart, and one mind, and it just really made me appreciate having the gospel in my life, and how blessed i am to have the opportunity to attend church even when im on the other side of the world. Even when Relief Society was directed by a priesthood holder, it was still a confirmation that things may done a little different, but the gospel is always the same, and when you allow it to have a part in your life you will always have a little piece of home.
After our meetings we made the voyage back to the apartment, my thighs stiff and sore from all our little adventures yesterday (i swear im going to have the hottest, pale, and hairy muscular legs when im done here), and we began to start planning our vacations! During our time here we are allowed to visit Ukraine, Sweden, Finland, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, and if we're good, Poland! It was so awesome and at gave me butterflies to be hearing the words coming out of my mouth about traveling to all these countries, knowing that it wasn't just a fantasy, but reality! And what made it even better was my discovery of my new favorite 8 rubel packet of soup! It tastes like gravy! Now if that doesn't sound good to you, then something is just not right. Of course this is coming from the girl who ate a bowl full of ice cream everyday in middle school and has a picture of chocolate chip cookies saved in her "Eye Candy" folder.
There was one thing that was said in church today that really stuck out to me, "Every sunday can be something special." Happy sunday!
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