MANY OF YOU WILL NOT HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT THE MANY IMPORTANT HISTORICAL SITES OF THE FELLOWSHIP OF ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS. I PLAN TO SHARE WITH YOU PHOTOS I HAVE TAKEN OF THEM AS WELL AS PHOTOS I HAVE TAKEN OF SPECIAL MEETING LOCATIONS THAT I HAVE VISITED.
Here are a few photos showing three of the meeting locations that I have attended meetings at here in Vladivostok, Russian Siberia.
The city is beautiful. The first photo below shows Vladivostok as viewed from the church where a meeting was held.
The old, historic church itself is beautiful.
Below is the room in which we held our meeting.
Now we visit another historic church meeting location.
The final meeting location I am going to show in this Post was in a hospital.
Let's all of us not drink just today.
At this point in my life, I have been to, and spoken at, many meetings. Once in awhile, from time to time, a meeting will be very special. This meeting will rank in my top five all time.
To begin with, it was NOT an A.A. Meeting per se. Au contraire! It was a meeting of local people who live in this one district or small individual community of Kyzyl. These kind and gentle folks have real concerns about the major problem of alcoholism and of how it is affecting their youth and their individual lives. I was asked to address this community meeting and to explain to them what A.A. is and how it works.
Do you want special!
Here you have it : A Very Special Meeting.
Right off the bat, I was deeply touched by the humble paper Christmas Trees when we walked up to the entrance of the building where the meeting was going to be held.
These humble paper Christmas Trees are doing their very utmost to be the Spirit of Christmas.
I was ushered into the office of the Administrative Manager of the Community Council. A lady.
Forgive me BUT I could not resist taking the two below photos!
I'm not sure IF I have ever seen a glass slipper as a part of someone's mementos celebrating various awards!
She smiled at my taking a photo of her awards.
"Good boy Captain! You did not single out the glass slipper and ask her about it!"
We arrived early. The meeting room was being set up.
The meeting, all of it, was recorded on audio and video. I mean this was a big deal to the local residents.
The meeting was called to order at around 11am.
Then a ONE hour and twenty minute agenda, presentation, celebration, words fail me, followed.
The passion, and the love, and the humble sincerity with which the lady below sang, brought me to tears. She was dressed-up-to-the-nines! I've never been witness to such vocal passion!
She was about five minutes into her presentation when I said to myself : "If I don't snap some photos of her I'll regret not doing so for the rest of my life!"
She had as beautiful a singing voice as I've ever heard.
Then the below couple began to dance to her beautiful singing.
Then the above dancing lady in blue took the microphone.
In the above photo, can you see the first singer in the background?
The man below came out of the gutter to find and to celebrate recovery.
In between the singers, a number of individuals spoke with passion about the issue of alcoholism.
And another group took the stage.
During the above one hour and twenty minute presentation, I began to think to myself : "Captain. How do you follow this build up?"
Patti, somewhere in the mix my nose began to bleed. A real nose bleed. In front of the audience. Then it went on for perhaps 15-minutes. Been here done this. I had toilet paper / napkins / one of Claudia's nose-bleed-plugs to sop-it-up. Luckily it finally stopped before I spoke.
Finally my time came to wrap-up-the-meeting.
I probably spoke about 30 minutes. I haven't one clue as to what I said but I felt very good and very positive about it.
During the after-the-meeting meal, many people expressed their thanks to me.
Lord God of Abraham .. Thank You for allowing me this opportunity to carry the message you've given me to carry.
