Nikolaev - Thursday evening

As I write this it's already Monday morning and I have to catch up.  On Thursday at 18:00 we gathered in the small conference room.  On the table in front were colorful Ukrainian cloths, a huge fancy loaf of Easter bread at least 2 feet across and a carafe of wine.  We were going to celebrate a wedding of two women: Julia and Svitlana.  Edwin was in his full police uniform but Ellie was going to be delayed because she was being interviewed.  They were going to be honor guards for the couple.  We had 50 or 60 people in attendance.

I had sent the text of the ceremony to Andrii who would serve as my translator.  He and I have a really good working relationship and we can work together without being very formal.  I regret to say that I, as yet, have no pictures of the ceremony but I will post them when I get some. (EDITED Wedneday - here's a pic:)

It was a beautiful ceremony including the exchange of rings.  When it came time for the vows, Edwin stood beside the couple as a witness.  Did I mention a few times how hot he looked in his uniform?

After the wedding was finished.  I spoke to the gathered folks about church and about communion and told them that I understood that many of them were estranged from the church because of the church's institutionalized homophobia.  I explained what communion was, not the theology of it but rather the meaning of it.  I then asked them if they wanted me to celebrate communion with them.  They were kind of shocked to be asked.  A young red-haired woman with whom I had had a great conversation the night before stood and said clearly "yes, we want this."  There was general agreement that they wanted this.  When I issued the invitation to communion, I spoke of how Jesus and his friends used to eat a little bread and drink a little wine together because that's what friends do.  I invited them to eat a little bread and drink a little wine with me.  About a third came to receive communion.  I received after they did.  Imagine my shock when I drank the cup and found that it was not wine but grape juice.  The general joke of the evening was that I had performed a reverse miracle and change wine into grape juice.

After the ceremony, we signed certificates for the couple just married as well as for the two couples from last year.  Edwin and Ellie signed as “official” witnesses for all the certificates.  We then went back to the office for a little party for the international guests.  There were platters of various kinds of varenyky.  Awesome.  After we ate, we celebrated the 10 years together of Oleg and Andrii and again we signed a certificate for their renewal of vows.  I finally could take off my stole and be unofficial.
Friday morning, I got up at 5 and got ready to leave at six.  Marisia, Joel and I were driven to the airport (two hours by car) and then Marisia and I flew to Kiev while Joel waited for a much later flight to Brussels.