Woke up early and showered before everyone else on this rainy morning and got ready for our time of worship. Sat inside the apartment with the balcony windows open letting in the cool breeze and smell of rain. Shared communion together and took some time to reflect on the experiences of the past weeks. I had scheduled a meeting with Uliana and Olga this evening, two friends whom we met at Camp Smena in 2004. Both were two of the very few counselors that spoke English, so our connection with them came naturally. They befriended several from our team that summer and I wish the rest of our group (Brent, Austin, Cass, Brandon, Erika, Rosalyn, Mize, Ashley, Micah) could be here to see them and hang out too.
Not gonna lie, I was sort of anxious about meeting them, unsure if they would had changed, but when they found me in front of Krishadek Metro Station they were exactly as I remembered. It was so crazy that I saw them and spent an evening hanging out--very surreal, like something you think could happen but probably never will. Well it did and I praise God becuase of it...
I'm not sure how far we walked but that is basically all we did for most of our 6 hour adventure, stopping only for pictures and ice cream, all the while talking like friends who needed to catch up. I was excited to tell them about Emily and our story and they were very happy for us (and I pray that somehow they might meet Emily someday because they would get along great). Spent a lot of time filling them in on everyone else's life and they told me all that had marked the past two years for them: graduating, job changes, heartaches, and how different life had become. From what I could tell it seems like the 3 of us had been in similar places, fresh out of college with big dreams yet so much uncertainty of tomorrow or even how to live each day. I suppose the same is true of this interesting season of life I'm in for people everywhere, regardless of culture or language.
Uliana and Olga really are two of kind--smart and funny girls with tons of personality and ability--the kind that make for great friends. And I realized that's what they are; though us Americans only knew them a few weeks and hadn't seen them in two years, they are really great friends, quality individuals.
It is still bizzare that I am seeing and talking to people who crossed my path a few years back and for such a short period of time, yet left such a lasting impression. Our God is a purposeful God, one with a perfect will and the master of time. I can only believe that he led me back here for something, perhaps not for me though, possibly for the sake of others. And though I am not exactly sure the what or the who or the when or even the how, I do know the why--to show my love to him by loving others the way Christ does; to lift up the name of our Lord; to live and experience the entirety of his faithfulness. And boy did I ever today...
- - - - - - -
pic of the day:
No comments:
Post a Comment