there's within my heart a melody

The hymn-sing just now was wonderful. It was the group from Virginia, an older couple from Alabama (the wife is British), and an older man from Colorado. Apparently there is a tradition of a capella singing in Mennonite churches (should have realized that if I'd thought about it), although it's not as common nowadays, and everyone was singing parts without needing a piano. I loved it! We did, among other songs, "The Solid Rock," "And Can It Be," "In the Garden," and "Wonderful Grace of Jesus," just to give you a sample. I can't remember the last time I got to sing hymns with other people in English. I think we're going to do it again sometime this week. Bonnie commented that I must have been a Mennonite in another life (don't think about the theology involved there!) because I knew most of the songs and I sing out.

This morning, Stephanie, Lana, Ervie (a professor of ESL, linguistics, and German from Eastern Mennonite University) went with Dave and Laura (American staff members at DCU) to their church in the next town over (which is actually closer than going into the center of Donetsk...we're right on the city line). I liked it a lot...it was bigger than my church in Balaklia, but had the same feel to it as far as service structure. I've been a bit homesick for my church, because I haven't been there all month, and being at Dave and Laura's church helped with that. But my church sings more! I'm beginning to think that I have the singingest church inUkraine, and that makes me so happy. :)