THE JOURNEY SO FAR

Tour journal, part 2. This afternoon we headed for Wiszkow. We arrived at a cinema that evidently only plays films on the weekends. The hall was actually quite nice with seating for about 150. As we were setting up the pastor explained that two years ago there had been a different director over all the theaters in town who was very sympathetic to the church and put in extra publicity with announcements in the media.

This time there was none. Only a few posters around town. Obviously we were headed for a small crowd. In the end there were only about 20 people. Added to that there were significant thunder storms beginning about an hour before the concert that knocked out power a couple of times, including right after our first song. (At least it wasn't during the song.)

We struggled to keep our concentration as difficulties with monitors meant that two of us played the entire concert playing dependent on the little bit of sound we could hear from what came back to the stage from the back of the hall. To be honest it was one of the most difficult and disappointing performances I've been a part of.

Russ and Marj sharing with people after the concert.
But amazingly, the audience was so appreciative they asked for an encore. I told them they may not have been the biggest group I'd ever played for, but they were certainly one of the kindest. After we finished most of the group stayed to talk. Some were young men who'd known someone from the church and decided to come. The conversations lasted for at least half an hour.

The pastor, over supper expressed his gratitude for the wonderful encouragement the evening had been. Two years ago after the Verna Law concert the church had experienced some growth, but the acceptance of Poland to the European Union meant the loss of some of these members who opted to move to other European countries for better jobs. The church is back to the 15 or so members in a big town of about 40,000 people.

He thanked us for our tenacity to share the Gospel and for the encouragement we were to do the same.