Good Music and Lesser Details

Locals who missed the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols tonight missed a wonderful presentation.  Most of the songs were unfamiliar, but I thought to myself during the program and said aloud to Linda afterward, "There are so many lovely Christmas songs."  To hear them in a worshipful atmosphere in choral arrangements, with many familiar faces up front is a great pleasure.

Beachy folks dominated this Reno County Choral Society event, making up 30 of the 55 names on the roster of singers.  The director, Lyle S. is an additional member of this group.

I noted several other groups within the bigger group:

Golden Rule Travel--Hutchinson office:  David S., Jared S., Mary Beth R., Eldo M., Hannah M.
Shenk Family:  Harry, Edith, David, Tim, Andrew, Brenda, Anna
Shetler Family:  James, Anthony, Ryan, Jared,  Darren, Travis
Lowell M. Family:  Hannah, Christy, Joseph
Joe Y. Family: Twila, Eunice, Ruthie
Eldo M. Family:  Eldo, Caroline, Rachel, Matthew
Three generations:  Verna Mae M., daughter Doris, son Gene, Grandchildren Kristen and Jessica
Students from our high school:  Brenda, Darren, Andrew and at least four students who are homeschooled but attend at least one class at the high school.

Arlyn M.  accompanied one song on guitar, and LaVerne M. read one of the Scripture passages.

Hannah M. sang a soprano solo to begin the presentation.  There was no accompaniment--only her clear and lovely voice singing "Once in Royal David's City."  Eldo M. sang a tenor solo on "Holy is the Lord."  His daughter, Rachel was a flute accompanist on this song.

************************

Plainview Mennonite Church gave three presentations of "A Cricket County Christmas Cruise" last week.  It was a fundraiser for the operation of King Street center activities.  Admission was by donation.

Hiromi and I attended one night, mostly to see Grant perform.  He was a country bumpkin pretending to be sophisticated, until his cover was blown.  Clarissa helped backstage.

Someone asked me afterward if I knew Grant could "do that" [act].  I don't remember what I said, but I thought:  of course I knew that.  I'm glad his abilities are being discovered, and I hope people keep asking him to contribute in ways that come easily for him.  I don't know if the Plainview people know yet that he sings well too, but  I know that.  He sings bass.  I'm sure he won't volunteer any such information.

The play was long on fun and shorter on inspiration, although not totally devoid of it--quite well-done all around, to a very appreciative audience.

Uncle Fred had brought a load of Amish people from Yoder and visited with Mom and Dad nearby while the play was underway.  By the looks of things, quite a few other people had also brought a load of Amish people.

************************

David Y. led in the dedication prayer this morning at church for his newest grandchild (and ours, as well), Arwen Elizabeth.  If she made any crying noises during church, I didn't hear her.  She's a very placid child most of the time when I see her.  This was her first time in church.

One of Arwen's features is two "swirlies" at the back of her head.

The last time I heard anyone talk about a child of hers with that characteristic, it was Eli Edna from Ohio.  She told me that her daughter Mary Irene was that way, and someone told Edna that it meant that she would give birth to twins the next time.  She didn't take it seriously, but lo and behold, David and Daniel, the red-headed identical twins I taught later were her next children.

Hilda laughs about it too, but I think she might be a  little worried if she put any stock in the prediction.

************************

The Center men had a "Spark" event at the Arlington school building Friday night and Saturday morning.  I don't know much about what transpired, but it was apparently a mix of recreation and inspiration.  Several men from our church spoke.

************************

Lydia Yoder is home from the hospital again.  Hospice is helping provide care.

************************

Mandy Nisly spoke up this morning in church (She's brave that way.) and talked of her sister's death last Sunday morning during church.  Today she is alone in a house that once also housed her father and two sisters--all of whom have gone on before Mandy.  She referred to the house as being "too big for one person" and asked others to pray for her.  That's a reasonable request.

Her brother Harvey was present in church for the first time since his knee replacement surgery.

************************

Rosene Y. had to say goodbye this week to the little girl she has cared for in Thailand for almost 3 years.  The child went with her adoptive parents to the United States.  Rosene gets to come home before Christmas, and her family is eager to have her home.   It's a great blessing for the little girl to have had an English speaking "mother" during these first years, and to have had loving care and Christian training.

************************

Grant shot a big doe yesterday.  They were eager for the meat.

Jeremy, one of the freshmen at our school, also had a successful hunt on Friday--a nice buck.

I saw on Facebook that Marvin Y. also got a big buck yesterday.

No one hunted deer here during my growing up years because there weren't any around.  Things have really changed, and hunting is necessary for limiting the population.

************************

My sister Lois became quite ill yesterday, enough so that the plans for Marvin to "preach" at Zion in OK today had to be canceled.  Their son Benji went instead.  Kristi went along.

************************

My sister Linda is going back to work tomorrow after having taken some time off to work on writing a narrative of an event in Kenya a number of years ago when people from the Beachy mission were attacked by a mob.

This is a slow time of year in the travel booking industry.  People's holiday travels are in place and they haven't started thinking much beyond the holidays for later travel, apparently.  That's my take, at least.