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| OAMC staff member Bonnie Stathem |
By Louise Craig
A day off! It’s Monday in Sibiu. We are staying three nights
in the Impâratul Romanîlor, touted as the oldest hotel in Europe. Johannes
Brahms was a guest here at some point. Did we ever need his lullaby last night!
We arrived late last night after singing in another
beautiful cathedral setting in Alba Iulia. An immense Catholic cathedral stands
next to an equally immense Orthodox church. We had the privilege of going into
the Orthodox church. It was every bit as beautiful as we could have wished.
As in 2009, Romanian churches in the area have provided us
with wonderful food. In Arad and again in Alba Iulia, we were fed delicious,
nourishing and very generous meals. Between yesterday’s rehearsal and concert,
we had over one hundred boxes of pizza brought in. They were larger than the
small individual pizzas we see in the US, more than enough for two or three of
us to share, unless you were young and still growing (or not so young and still
growing?). We left several boxes of pizza behind.
We spent two and a half-hours in rehearsal and logistics set
up, leaving the cathedral to run to a nearby church for our pizza party and a
quick change. We needed to leave the church so they could have their mass. We
returned with just enough time to line up and start.
Virginia again had the fun of playing a wonderful majestic
pipe organ. There was a really old organ, but she played the ‘new’ organ, built
in the late 1800s.
The length of the cathedral and location of the organ bench
made for challenges coordinating between conductor and organist, so we reverted
to relay conducting, with one of our staff standing in the organ loft,
mimicking the conductor. A little nerve-wracking in moments but successful
overall.
From the loft, we could see one man way back in the
cathedral who was enthralled, directing, swaying, and just being one with the
music. Ron Pestes got some great video, but you’ll have to wait to see it.
Lennon finally joined us from South Africa. The South African
contingent struggled with getting visas to Romania and then with transit visas
in London. Lennon was the only one who managed to make it all the way by coming
via Dubai.
Tomorrow, we finally get to welcome Lev Vertylo and Viktor
Bega from Ukraine. If there is one thing we have learned, it is that being
flexible means so much more than, well, being flexible! Expect the unexpected
and don’t be surprised at anything.
The singers deserve medals for going with the flow as
schedules flex. For the most part, they have not experienced much of the stress
of rethinking what happens next because the staff have handled changes so well.
Special thanks to Donna Schmidt, who has managed the project with grace,
determination, and huge doses of prayer. Rhonda Tilley has helped make the men
look great and professional moving in and out of the platforms, even if she had
to change nearly everything at the last minute because extra seats were added
down the center aisle to accommodate the standing-room-only crowd last night.
I don’t want to leave anyone out so I won’t mention names,
but ladies, you know who you are! Except for Bonnie Stathem, you are all
learning on the job and doing it with aplomb.
Bonnie has been under the weather, so please, folk at home,
send up prayers for Bonnie.
And speaking of prayers, kudos to our prayer team, led by
Corleen Johnson, Brooke Stafford, Joan Fuller (I hope I got that right, Joan!),
and joined by other travelers and local church members as they are available.
There is worship on each bus as we travel, all of us hearing the same messages
so that we are united in spirit. That unity is coming through in each song.
Today, we have a day off to get even better acquainted with
Romania and with Romanians. There is much to see in Sibiu, but there is even
more to see in the hearts of our new and old friends. Everywhere we go, we get
to share our mission with people, inviting them to the concert. And each night,
the attendance is higher than the night before. As gratifying as it is to see
full houses, the best part of each night is watching faces moved by the Holy
Spirit. And many of those faces are in the choir.
Thank you for supporting us in prayer. We can feel it.
