Sunday Surprise!

Happiness like this isn't experienced every day.  Let me explain.  My favorite time to go to church is the morning time, for two reasons.  First off, if you have church later in the day, it seems like nothing ever gets accomplished in the morning, you're just waiting for church to start.  Secondly, when you get home after a late church, it seems like your whole day is gone.  Because of that, and another unnamed reason, I decided to go to an earlier branch here in Moscow instead of the usual branch that gets me home around 4:00.  I expected to sneak in just as the meeting started, sit down quietly at the back of the chapel, and be content as a visitor who didn't really know anyone, but I was barely in the door when that all changed.  Right at the front door was one of the most unexpected and fantastic sights I had seen in years, Irina Lisachenko (now Volkovo).  She came up to me and said hi, while I couldn't move my lips, I was so surprised.  I met her about 8 years ago we'd figured, and I hadn't seen her in the past 5.  She's married, a beamingly beautiful 8 months pregnant, and wonderfully happy.  I was so full of joy and astonishment it took my mouth some prodding to start talking with her.  We started chatting and when she introduced me to her husband (who was wearing a pink tie btw, so I knew he was a good guy) she simply said that I was Matt -- her 'first missionary'.  I can't think of, at the moment, any two words which might carry more meaning and explain so much to converts (or to those 'first missionaries') than 'first missionary'.  He instantly knew who I was, because she had told him all about me and my companion. Anyway, we sat together through the first two hours of the service just enjoying each others' company, reminiscing about the times in my first area when I could barely speak a lick of Russian...  Years have passed, and I'm about the same -- barely able to speak a lick of Russian, but so much has changed for her -- she has become so much happier.  I could see it shining in her eyes, and seeing her so joyous made me become indescribably happy, a feeling I won't soon forget.  What a delightful day to wake up early for church.  I guess, for this past Sunday, I now could give THREE reasons why I prefer going to church in the morning :)