Finally, after waiting for so long for some rain, I walked to church carrying an umbrella. The rain has not been heavy, but enough to moisten the soil and to gladden our hearts. When I announced that I was going to read prayers for travelling, I thought that only one or two people would come forth, instead at least a dozen came up to the front of the church. It felt as if everyone was leaving and we would be left with no one, yet on the other hand, many visitors were present today, so in two or three weeks, all will be back to normal. We served an akathist to the newly acquired, but ancient, icon of Christ the Great First Hierarch, as he is robed in hierarch’s vestments.By five o’clock everyone had left and, just as I was about to leave the main building, I heard someone calling out, so I went out to see who it was. A couple from Moscow had just returned from a trip to Alaska and were on their way back to Seattle, as they are flying back to Moscow tomorrow. They came to see us and to do some aerial photography of the monastery. It was a pity that they could not stay long, but their visit was most interesting. If you are interested to see their work, go to: http://www.aerialphoto.ru and you will find a fascinating site.