As we slogged through a week of rehearsals and exhaustion while awaiting the dramatic return of Daddy and Butterfly, I kept telling myself...only until May 23rd!
The joy in my heart was immense as we cleared the hurdle of Friday night. The hot lights of the stage had burned our eyes, the heavy stage make-up had clogged our pores...and we had danced our feet off...but it was over!
19 Cowboys and Cowgirls performed a Branson-styled stage show complete with dialogue in English (no one missed their line), cowboy hats and boots and several verses of "She'll Be Comin' Round the Mountain," "Ol' Susanna", "You are my Sunshine" all polished of with a Square Dance!
We basked in the afterglow of thrilled parents, many inquiries from the public about our little school and of course...our pride of having reached the summit of this mountain....
...but alas...it's not over...
NO...much to my amazement, yea, even my surprise...we've been petitioned to return...to perform a "Remix" of our Friday night show.
(Culture note: Things "Here" take on epic proportions...The stage was massive, the stage lights brighter than the sun and we were performing at a Mall that claims to be "The Worlds LONGEST Walking Street." What was pitched to me 3 months ago as a Spring Performance for the parents became an ENTRY into a Music Festival COMPETITION with maybe 2,000-3,000 in attendance. Even on Friday night, I had no idea that we were being JUDGED for a competition! I can't remember if I posted this thought last week or not...but I am declare...Ben Hur was a more diminutive production than ours!)
So this morning, as we returned to school with Daddy and Butterfly greeting our co-workers with smiles and hugs...they dropped the bomb on me...
"Teacher...our school's performance has been selected to go on to the FINALS in the Music Festival's Competition, THIS SATURDAY NIGHT!"
I think to myself..."You've got to be kidding me?! This is supposed to be our 4 day weekend for Dragon Boat Festival! We're supposed to hang out...chill out...play. And, BTW, what competition? I rehearsed kids for a public show as a part of a Music Exhibition...NOT a MUSIC COMPETITION!"
I had to remind myself that they're all watching the foreign teachers to see our response. Will we be small, petty...will we fuss and moan...? Daddy's eyes were wide with anticipation...his surprised look began to wear a bit like plastic the longer he waited for my response...
Then I remember an important concept from my favorite Book... that I should do all things as unto Him...
Once again I recall that I must remain calm and remember why I came...
...to serve...
...and at this moment...my service to this school is to help them put on another performance in front of yet another group of several thousand people...AND to be broadcast LIVE on local television!
What a surprise it is to come half way around the world...and to be used to do exactly what I used to do...theatre...
I heard just last week, too, that they want me to build a radio studio in the school to assist as a language learning tool...
Before I came here, I could not imagine WHY He was sending me Here...what could I possibly do?...
How fun it is to discover His plan.
Yee Haw!
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1 comment:
Tears, tears, tears! :)
I enjoy living vicariously through your family...it's all mundane here...all seems so pointless. It's Memorial Day and our 'place of meeting' has an men's x-box overnighter and a day of paint balling. My husband skipped it because it makes him angry..out of all the people who attend the games, none of them join him for his intercessory each week. It's 4 years of no one, all though everyone thinks it's a great thing to do, these times of 'thought' are not for them.
Like I said, it's great to hear things charging forward, even though it's much harder to function then it is back here!
Erin K.
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