Sorry that I am a little behind in my posting...trying to catch up!
To Luts'k – Thursday,
July 12
Our trip
to Luts’k was
our first rainy day on the trip. We were grateful for the change, and a break
from the intense heat. A long road trip is sometimes easier when it’s rainy outside….except when the bus roof
leaks. Eventually the sun came out for a while, and then turned back to rain.
The road to Luts'k took us through Rivne (to which we will return in a few
days) and included a picturesque countryside restroom stop at a gas station
that had only one restroom. In that case, the women rightfully get the bathroom and the
men get to enjoy a "green stop" out in the field, behind the bushes
and trees. The only problem was that the view from the bus was excellent due to
the height of the passenger deck level and the view of the countryside! Rumor
has it that DP himself may or may not have gotten caught in that one….and some of us chose a more
remote spot! Another great spontaneous moment in this stop was the creation of
a 4-level human pyramid under the cherry trees. That was likely a first for our
Ukrainian singers! (and for some of us, as well).
We eventually
arrived in Luts'k, where we unloaded the bus in the rain. After checking into
the Hotel Ukraina, it was time to grab a quick lunch (at 4pm!) and get ready
for the concert. Our concert was incredibly well received, and another full
house. It was great to see Lydia Hlinska and my friend Yuri, the successful young businesman/sub-basso/sax player
who conducts the youth choir at the church in Luts’k. I met him at last year’s conferences/teaching
sessions here with Steve Benham, Heather Hood, Mark Stover, and Sergey Bogza; Yuri is also a "Beemer buddy" for those of you who know of my love for German engineering. After
the concert I had the great honor of attending a party for Serhiy Bilokin,
together with our Ukrainian delegation, at a small folk-themed restaurant where
there was every possible kind of Ukrainian food served. Songs were sung, toasts
made and Serhiy was blessed
and prayed over. On a separate note, I ate salo for the first time, and I actually liked it. (For those of you who are not as familiar with Ukrainian cuisine: "salo" is
thinkly sliced lard, flavored with herbs, or garlic, or meat flavoring. Kind of
like the white part of bacon without the meat. It is a delicacy here).
At the end of the day (literally) Serhiy
sweetly and humbly accepted the honor and tributes to
him, with these dear friends of his generation. By God's grace, he has already accomplished a lot in his 30 years. It was holy ground. After an exciting ride over wet cobblestone streets back to the hotel, I fell into bed totally exhausted, but very happy. I'm sure it's one birthday Serhiy will never forget!
