The church in Bolnisi looks peaceful and beautiful in the sun. It reminds me a bit of our church back home, only the surroundings are different.

It was quiet and cozy at the church singing last night. The women and I practiced the troparion for Mary Magdalene a little longer, because her memory is on Sunday. Then Maria treated us to homemade kvass, and I was already thinking about how I would get up and go to work tomorrow morning. My son promised to come too.

The old bells at the top of the belfry look like they have been hanging there for hundreds of years. One immediately imagines the quiet echo that would come from them.

In the evening sky, the golden domes shine as if the light comes from within. It is a calm picture.

On Saturday my husband and I went to a small monastery near Minsk. They were just preparing for the service in honor of Mary Magdalene, the candles burned quietly, and after that we just sat in the garden and drank tea with the sisters. I remembered how in my youth I also loved such quiet trips, now we sometimes repeat them with our grandchildren.

Choir rehearsal went well last night. It was a bit difficult when we were learning the new Irmos, but in the end we did it together, the four of us. When I got home, I made tea and read a book a little.

I went on Saturday to the small monastery above Ptelea. I said my prayer in the little church and then I sat for a while in their garden, next to the flowers planted by the old man. I also remembered Mary Magdalene whom we celebrate today, how she sought the Lord with such simplicity. I came home calm, as if I had gone fishing.

Please keep the people of eastern Washington in your prayers. Bishop Daly of Spokane has asked us to pray for everyone facing these terrible wildfires that have already destroyed hundreds of homes and forced thousands to leave. May the Lord bring safety, comfort, and help to all who are suffering right now.

Yesterday after the service we agreed with three women from our parish to go to the monastery in Yasnaya Polyana on Saturday. I want to take with me the cabbage pies that I baked last night and some knitting so I don’t get bored on the road. Who else wants to join, write in the comments.

Saw this photo online and it stopped me for a minute. The monastery sits quiet on the hillside with the morning mist settled low around it.

The path through the forest leads straight to a small wooden chapel. In that light it looks as if everything is quiet and in its place.

The church was shot in Bucharest. It is a quiet place, somehow it reminds me of our Tbilisi churches.

The church over there across the river looks calm in the evening light. I really liked the stillness that the picture gives.

The Antiochian Order of St Ignatius has opened summer camp season with fresh groups of young people gathering for prayer, service projects, and practical formation in the faith. At the same time the Orthodox Church in America reports that Saint Andrew’s Camp continues its busy schedule of daily worship, games, and quiet talks that help campers see ordinary life as part of their walk with Christ. In Albania, youth camps run by the local Church are described plainly as an investment for the future, with teenagers learning basic skills alongside vespers and talks on the saints. The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch announced open auditions for its archdiocesan concert choir, giving musically inclined young adults a concrete way to serve through sacred music this summer. These separate efforts show a steady pattern across jurisdictions: parishes and dioceses quietly making room for the next generation to meet the faith in ordinary settings rather than waiting for perfect conditions. May these communities and the young people spending time with them be remembered in prayer.

The stars are so clear against that dark dome. Makes you feel small in a good way.

At school I try to keep Wednesdays and Fridays but with breaks and the children's snacks I get confused. I usually take lentils or rice with vegetables, but on days when I have long hours I end up just eating bread with olives. How are you doing at work?

The Antiochian Order of St Ignatius continues its work supporting young people through summer camps across several North American parishes. At the same time the Orthodox Church in America reports that Saint Andrew’s Camp in Michigan is running a full schedule of activities with good attendance this season. In Albania the local Church has described its youth camps as a direct investment for the future, drawing teenagers from different towns for prayer, work, and fellowship. The Romanian Orthodox Church highlighted several retired priests who have spent decades guiding similar parish-based programs for children and youth. These efforts echo the Order’s long-standing focus on forming lay leaders who carry the faith from camp back into their local communities. Many families rely on these weeks each summer for their children to meet peers and experience daily church life away from screens and school pressures. How is your own parish handling summer activities for young people this year?

In the morning everything is quiet by the lake, only the light falls on the wooden chapel. Well worth it.