I must say that today has been a wonderful day. Vladika Lazar suggested that, if the pain is too intense, I should perhaps not come to church, which I did anyway. Thanks to Andy, I managed to walk across to the main building, although a chair had to be brought out so that I could rest a bit before climbing the stairs. The Divine Liturgy progressed splendidly and there were so many communicants. As usual, there were many regular parishioners, those visiting from other parishes, and new people, many of whom stayed for the Agape meal and the Meleti spiritual talk. Many positive remarks were made concerning the area that had been cleared to repair the sewage line, as some shrubs had to be removed, for they had become too dense and the pathway was becoming ever narrower. Measurements were taken for an extra shelf in the storage closet where all the plates, cutlery, etc are kept and other plans made for the future. When Vladika Lazar returned to the cottage, he phone Father Moses to come over to capture a little bird that had flown in. Father Moses has a talent for catching birds and bats that somehow end up indoors, but this time he could not find it. Later, when I went there I got a glimpse of the bird but it is still hiding somewhere and I hope that we can capture it tomorrow to release it outside. By this time I felt absolutely exhausted but, at the same time, I was overcome with a feeling of great joy in being with our spiritual family once again and appreciating the love they have for one another—may it ever last this way!