So, today was super fun!
I woke up and went on an adventure to find a Nazarene church that my friend Vitalik in Ukraine told me about. The Google Map directions lied.
After a few buses, metro rides, and input from +5 kindly people on the street, I found it! And it was fantastic. I was welcomed by the pastor, who I had messaged yesterday, and he introduced me to his English speaking friend, Alexandrina, who then translated for me when I was confused.
There were only about 20 people there. They sang American 90s worship songs in Russian, so I knew the songs. And then there was a short sermon and communion and community prayer. It was just wonderful. They invited me back again. I said yes and regretted that I couldn't stay for tea.
I took the metro and met my friends on Nevsky Prospekt.
There we met Maria. (Yes, everyone here is named Maria/Marina). She's going to be our guide to all things St. Petersburg. And thank goodness, because she is so nice and knows everything. She took us for a very long walk down Nevsky Prospekt (the main street in Peter', if you didn't know) and then to the Peter and Paul Fortress.
It was beautiful there.
Because it was so warm today, many people were out sunbathing. Naida and I just got ice cream and sat and talked for a bit. It was nice.
Later, I talked to Marina, my host mom, about my day. When I tried to explain the church that I went to, she got very worried. I was quite confused and frustrated because what I could understand was that she thought any church that wasn't a state ordained Russian Orthodox or Catholic church wasn't a good church. She told me that the church I visited wasn't a church at all, but a sect. It wasn't until her daughter Maria came home that it was explained to me.
Apparently there were sects that were bringing people in off the streets to a sort of house-church and then hypnotizing them. Thus, house-churches have been banned in Russia. Marina and Maria were worried that I'd get hypnotized. It's kind of funny, but I'm glad they cared. I reassured them that I have many friends in Ukraine who know this pastor and have been to this church, that they didn't just pull me in off the street, and that it was a legal church. They were relieved.
Excellent. Now, perhaps, they won't think I'm a completely incompetent, naïve, and easily-persuaded young traveller, which seems to be the opinion they had after todays excursions.
