I know it has taken me awhile...(part 1)

But as they say better later than never! Though it will be hard to remember all that happened last sunday, especially considering I am feeling tired from my rest days :) at the beach with my Finnish friends (this is for another post). But I guess it will mean that the important stuff will be talked about, the stuff that has touch my heart and is now a part of me!
I have to say that my mind was a bit distracted at the start of sunday morning as I was concentrating on something that I was going to do for my Finnish friends, Maarit and Antti. I will get to that later, but I have to say that the worship at the beginning of the service, just blew me away. The passion and the power of it was just amazing, two songs and we were straight into the throne room. I can't try to explain it as that would diminsh it as it is something to be experienced. I felt guilty, as I felt that I was interupting something special and powerful, when mum (the worship leader) started to introduce me, but what happened next was just as powerful, but in a different way.
Now I was going to introduce the finns (easier to type that than my finnish friends Maarit and Antti :)) to the church. But I had something more planned, which was what I was concentrating on. As it was on my heart to bless Maarit and Antti, for them to feel like this is home, that they are loved, that they belong, you know all that good stuff. As I know that they don't really get that in Finland.
So I had decided to give them an "old" finnish traditional welcome, which I have learned is not that old! It is where you get new people to the group to stand up and for everyone else to come in and give them a big group hug. So I was concentrating how can I get this done in a church context, and by God's grace it worked out. Which I am so grateful for as I think I would have been devestated if it had worked out.
I can still remember Antti's body language as people were come out to welcome him. It was like a child trying to hide in a corner but having no corner to hide in. And I can remember one of the woman in my church coming up to Antti and kissing him on the cheek in a loving motherly way, it was beautiful and very special to me. It gives me warm feelings just thinking about it. And it had a real sense of family about it, so as I said it was powerful but in a different way. To see this mass of people all close together as family and to see my dear friends in the middle of that. It was great! Thankyou Jesus!
I think I am going to have to leave it here as a part one and write I think another 2 parts.