I
came downstairs with a travel bag crumpled shirt on, Svetlana insisted on ironing it. Victor and I walked with Pastor Vasily Mondich along the dusty roads, pass a busy gypsy horse market to Khust Church arriving at 10.0 am. It was already full with about 70 people singing beautifully.
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Ukrainians love singing even more than talking and the service has a strong musical component. There were four lengthy sermons by Vasyl Kondratiuk, then by Victor, then by me and finally by an ex-soldier who had been heavily radiated. This was all interspersed with about ten hymns and musical presentations by adults and children. Children are involved and not self-conscious. There were recitations and fervent prayers. The concentration of the round fresh Slavic faces of the congregations was intense. Three and a quarter hours later the service ended and even then everyone wanted to talk. We recognised old friends.
Lunch was at the home of Sasha and Anya Mazhan (Anya is sister to Victor Pavliy). Their elderly parents were present, Vasyl and Anya Pavliy. One Pavliy joked that they were the Khust Mafia with a laugh. "Who is the godfather," I asked. "God," he replied, pointing to the blue sky.
As usual men sit at table while Anya served gracefully, watching for the slightest need.
In Anglo-Saxon, Lord means "loaf" or one who provides and protects, hence the statement, "I am the Bread of Life." Lady means one who serves or nurtures her household. This is the relationship between husband and wife, each is a lord and a lady.
Modern Western values would disapprove to see men sitting while women serve, but it would be a foolish man who insulted a husband's lady.
Women's liberation became necessary because men ceased to know how to behave as Lords towards Ladies. They became either brutes in the home or effiminate and the sad response is the Western woman of today, independent and free, but no Lady in the Anglo-Saxon sense
At 4.0 pm we arrived at the Rokosova church made with stone which looked like marble,
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but is made from concrete at half the price. This time there were only three sermons and the singing, as we have come to expect, magnificent with all the children present involved. Although the service ended at 6:15 pm, we stayed until 8.0 pm to discuss points of common interest.
Tomorrow we head for the border town which has the threatening name of -- Chop!
Sunday 28th June 1997 -- Day 12
12:56 pm Central European Daylight Time
Stop press! We're through the Ukraine/Hungary border to Zahoney and on the train to Budapest. Our grateful thanks to everybody. We'll explain later....