November 14, 2005

Dear Friends,

This is just a follow-up of our previous mail concerning the St. Katrina Lutheran Church in St. Petersburg, whose property was recently returned to the church by the city government.

There was a special worship service to celebrate the transfer of the church building after seven decades of being used as gymnastics school. It was an ecumenical worship service attended by about 150 people, including Swedish dignitaries and people from different churches such as the Russian Orthodox Church, the Anglican Church, and other Lutheran churches. It was a historic and very moving service. Next Sunday Joe is going to preach at the 11:00 worship service of the Anglican Chaplaincy.

It is really joyful to witness this kind of progress in the freedom of religion, although there are a number of things we are still concerned about.

Yesterday was a long day but a day full of joy and thankfulness. Hannah and I had to get up at 6:00 in the morning to go to the seminary as a favor to Dmitri, one of the third-year students, who transferred to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Russia and Other States (ELCROS) from the Russian Orthodox seminary. His parents are still Russian Orthodox Christians. Joe was asked to drive Dmitri and his bride to the official wedding place (a court) for their legal wedding ceremony. After the official ceremony, he drove them to have their picture taken in different historic locations—this practice is quite Russian and very traditional. This picture tour took around one and a half hours before ending up at the Lutheran church for a wedding ceremony at 1:00 in the afternoon. From the church, Joe then drove the wedding party to ELCROS for a reception beginning at 3:00 in the afternoon. We had to leave in the middle of the reception for the special 5:00 p.m. worship service at St. Katrina Lutheran Church.

We were so grateful that it was not so cold (8 degrees Celsius) although it was raining and the car was messy. It was a twelve-hour job and exhausting, but was full of joy, jubilation, and gratefulness. Our sleep was sound and deep in preparation for another busy day of teaching and hosting visitors from ELCA.

May the Lord keep you, your family, and your ministry blessed and fruitful! Again we convey our seasonal greetings to you all.

Joe and Hannah

The 2005 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 187