CHOIR MISSION TRIP
On Thursday, June 12th, Pastor Roff led 28 people on
a choir mission trip to Ukraine. They traveled by bus throughout the
country, singing in concert halls in six different cities to promote
the visibility of the local Ukrainian Presbyterian churches. A highlight
of the trip was singing at the dedication of the church building in
Belgorod-Dnestrovsky, a building the congregation has been working on
for ten years! All the anthems they sang were translated into both Ukrainian
and Russian and printed in the programs. Along with comments during
the programs from Pastor Roff, this enabled the choir to preach the
gospel through the music!
Lake Osborne travelers include Valerie Tate, Carl and Marie Ashley
(along with Carl’s mother, Norma), Judy Lehtinen, Judy Morgan, Kwang
Yang, Andy and Audrey Blanzole, and Larry Roff.
Mission Trip Pictures
1) We arrived in the capital city of Kiev (population 3 million) and sang in the morning worship service at Holy Trinity. 3) On Sunday afternoon, we sang a full two hour concert at Kiev's prestigious Mogila Academy, the oldest university in eastern Europe. 4) Mogila Academy, the oldest university in eastern Europe. was founded in 1615.
5) On Monday, our bus took us two hours south of Kiev to the City of Bila Tserkva. The name means "White Church," . 6) We took a leisurely walk through a beautiful forested city park covering several hundred acres before singing that night. 7) We shared the concert with the resident community chorus, dressed in their colorful folk costumes.
8) The first of three overnight bus rides (these were not easy!) brought us to Lviv, just 70 mils from Poland. 9) We stayed in a magnificent 15 room hotel, which used to be a private mansion.
10) It was an easy three hour bus ride to Rivne where we met Pastor Vassili Pilipienko.
11) We sang our concert that evening, once again with translated words and commentary. 12) Thursday brought us to Odessa, after a 12 hour overnight bus ride!
13) We were ready for some "down time" to relax that day and enjoy the sights .
14) The church is located adjacent to the main city park, where summer flowers were in full bloom.
15) On Friday evening, we presented a concert in Odessa's Evangelical Presbyterian Church. 16) Featuring just our vocal and organ soloists.
17) MTW team leader Clay Quarterman (and his wife, Darlene), described the history and strategies if the missionaries' work. 18) Pastor Roff raised funds to purchase the organ, which is used in community concerts several times a month. 19)The church was organized in 1804. The building dates to 1896. Communists turned it into a puppet theater.
20) After dinner, we enjoyed another wonderful dinner in a local restaurant, complete with Ukrainian folk musicians. 21) We were greeted by Pastor Sergey Betin and his wife Lyuda.
22) In the evening we sang our concert to a full house of very responsive people in the newly completed church building.
23) We arrived in time to witness a fabulous outdoor pageant about its history.
24) We sang a number of anthems as we participated in the long-awaited dedication of the church building in Belgorod-Dnestrovsky. 25) Sunday morning was the highlight of our mission trip.
26) The church was an unfinished furniture store building the church bought ten years ago.
27) Final day was a day to relax as we toured the beautiful sights of Kiev.Our final day was a day to relax as we toured the beautiful sights of Kiev. 29) While 50,000 churches in Ukraine were dynamited by the communists, there are many that survived. 30) Here is St. Volodymyr Cathedral (with a service underway inside), the newly reconstructed blue St. Michael of the of Archangels, and St. Andrew's. 34) Some of the amazing architecture in the city, including the oddly decorated "Chimera House" with its strange menagerie of animal sculpture 35) The golden domes of the immense Lavra monastery and cave system.
1) We arrived in the capital city of Kiev (population 3 million) and sang in the morning worship service at Holy Trinity.
MUSIC
CDs Pastor Roff has recorded three CDs of organ music.
These are available for purchase ($15) at the Welcome Center table each
Sunday. Here is a sampling of the selections on each CD.
- 1. Hymn arrangements played on the organ in the Odessa Evangelical
Presbyterian Church.
- Lift High the Cross
- When I Survey the Wondrous Cross
- Majesty
- Before the Throne of God Above
- Amazing Grace
- The Old Rugged Cross
- When Morning Gilds the Skies
- The Lord’s My Shepherd
2. Favorite melodies played on the organ in the Odessa Evangelical
Presbyterian Church
- Londonderry Air
- The Lost Chord
- After a Dream
- To a Wild Rose
- Adagio for Strings
- Calm As the Night
- Polovtsian Dance
- Fountain Reverie
3. Hymn organ and piano duets in live performance at Pastor Roff’s
previous church (Ohio)
- There is A Balm in Gilead
- His Eye Is on the Sparrow
- Victory in Jesus
- O for a Thousand Tongues
- What Wondrous Love Is This
- Be Thou My Vision
- O Worship the King
- Christ, the Lord, Is Risen Today
|
|
View More Pictures of the last Visit...
