TOUR TALES CHAPTERS 16-18

Chapter 16: Solana Beach, California

While we were eating our lunch at a picnic table in the fog at Laguna Beach, Brenda came to say that there was a dentist who would see Irina Zhook if we arrived by 3 pm. Brenda, BJ and I volunteered to drive Irina in the car, and leave others for their time at the beach.  Irina had a cracked molar and an infection in her gums. The doctor could not pull the tooth because of the infection, but gave her medication that would see her through until she returned to Ukraine. Several Ukrainians have had to receive dental care. Dmytro Stepovik had to have a tooth pulled. Dentistry is so much better here than in Ukraine.

At the church in Solana Beach, I met our host Rick Jaynes, who would be driving Irina to her appointment. His wife Cecily was in charge of the housing. Both of them are new board members of Music Mission Kiev, and Roger and I would be staying at their home for the next two nights.

The buses arrived around 3:30 pm.  Roger had been body surfing with the guys. Even though the sun was hidden behind the fog he was still sunburned.  He went home to shower and sleep before the concert.

That evening the church was full.  The sales area was outside on the veranda. BJ had saved me a plate of food from the church dinner. The roast pork was delicious, as were the mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables.   I had missed the popular cabbage and onion casserole.

As we sailed through the repertoire for the program, the audience was having a great time.  Even after an afternoon at the beach, the musicians were energetic in their performance. The sanctuary was smaller than some of our venues, and the soloists used the center aisle to enter and exit.  But walking through the people gave an intimate atmosphere.  “New York, New York” received a roar of applause, and no one left during the “Hallelujah Chorus.”

After the concert, so many people stopped at my table to tell me how thrilled they were with our music. Many were choir members who plan to visit and sing in Kiev next May with their conductor Dan Bird.

Roger was tired, and practically fell into the driver’s seat of the car. We started driving out of the church parking lot, and I realized we had no directions. Yes, we had been to the Jaynes’ home in the daylight, but it looked different at night, and there were many turns in the 15-minute drive to their home up in the hills.

“I think we should go back and at least get their phone number from Brenda,” I told Roger. 

“No, I’m sure I can find the way,” he replied.

I kept quiet, and kept watching the landmarks along the road. In the town it seemed fairly easy, but once we got on the dark roads, I felt completely lost.

“Cecily is probably still at the church doing housing,” I told him. “There is a code on the gate. We don’t know the number. How will we get in if we do find the right road?”

Roger finally admitted he was on the wrong road, but he would not go back to the church. Instead he made a U-turn and was going to try again.

“This is like a bad dream,” I told him. “I often dream that I’m on a road, trying to find my way, and everything is wrong.”

Roger said nothing. He just kept driving.

“Even if we get into the gate,” I argued, “there is an alarm on the house. Do you just want to sit in the driveway? I know they can’t be home yet!”

Roger turned in at one gate.  No, this is not it. This one has a polo pony on the metal entrance.

Roger tried another gate. No, not this one.

Roger came to a third. “I think this is it,” said Roger, as he pulled up to the code box and started to look at the directory.

Then a car pulled in behind us.  “Let’s just follow them in,” he said.

A man got out of the car and came to the driver’s window. It was Rick. “What are you doing here?” he asked. “This is not our gate. We’ve been looking for you.  When I saw a car at this gate, I said to Cecily, ‘No one ever stops here. It must be Roger and Diane.’”  We laughed.  “Follow me,” he said.

Five minutes later we were through the right gate and pulled into the Jaynes’ driveway.

The next morning, Roger left early to organize the barbeque at the beach. I chose to stay by the pool and relax.

Rick took Roger to Cosco where Roger bought $500 worth of food:  60 pounds of hamburger, buns, catsup, mustard, onions, 120 potatoes, foil, salad fixings, dressing ingredients, and garbage bags.  They loaded the food onto the two buses and went to Moonlight Beach, where there were grills and fire pits.  Dan Bird, our long-time friend and director of music, was in charge of wrapping all the potatoes in foil, which were then thrown into the fire pit. Everyone had two hamburgers (1/2 lb of meat for each person, and they ate it all!) Roger made his garbage bag salad; that is, cut up the vegetables, add dressing, shake in a garbage bag, and peel the edge of the bag back to serve.

Because Roger’s skin was so red, the group covered him with white cream. After the picnic, Roger came home limping. He was so tired. He showered and lay down as in a coma. “My whole body aches,” he said. “What was I thinking when I thought I could body surf with the younger guys?”

But by 7 p.m. he was feeling better, and the Jaynes’ took us to a terrific Chinese restaurant.

The next morning we had breakfast with some high school classmates of Roger’s.  It was a late call for gathering at the buses. We left the car in the church parking lot, and the State Farm agent came to take a picture of our car. It still had the dent in it from Redding, where the lady had backed into our driver door in the parking lot.

Then Roger boarded the buses, for yet another beach experience. This time, however, it would be the normal sack lunches from the hosts.  Brenda, BJ and I drove the car straight to the next venue, where we would spend three nights with the same hosts in San Clemente.  Love this California living!

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Chapter 17: San Clemente and Laguna Nigel, Calfornia

As Brenda, BJ, and I walked into the offices of St. Andrews-by-the-Sea church in San Clemente, Brenda’s phone was ringing “When the Saints Go Marchin’ In”. It seemed to be an appropriate entrance. The church was perched on top of one of the hills looking over the ocean, even though the fog kept the ocean from our view.

I rested at my host home with Connie Veldcamp, while the other ladies went to get a pedicure.  Roger came in about 3:30, sandy and salty from the body surfing, his last day at the beach. After a shower and a nap, Roger joined Connie and me for a dinner of salmon, baked potato, and artichokes.

We arrived at St. Andrews-by-the-Sea United Methodist church, and everything was in full swing for the concert.  I gathered the cards for the drawing in the sanctuary.  The orchestra took their places.  Pastor Lucy Stafford-Lewis introduced Roger, and the concert began.  Brenda was having her dinner at the sales table, as she always does.  She makes sure that everything is ready, before she takes time to eat. Tonight it was a Mexican-style chicken casserole.

Diane and Carter Clark had been major players in the organization of the event. No one realizes how much work it entails, but they were equal to the task. They recruited lots of help. Diane bought a book of The Splendor of His Music for every one of her committee. She gave me a list of her team and what they had done.  I thought it would be interesting to share it with you:

Amy, an MMK supporter, took flyers about both concerts all over Orange County and really encouraged people to attend. She is hosting four people at her sister’s home and made her apartment available for two men.

Bev, who went to an orphan camp in Kharkiv, Ukraine in 2007, is hosting six women in her home. She was one of the first to volunteer to host.

Roberta, an MMK supporter, called in June to offer to host five people in her home.

Bob, who is 85 years old and came to Kyiv for the English camp in 2006, enthusiastically promoted the concert around town, is hosting two women, and persuaded three others to host. He is planning and running the Sunday BBQ for 150 people.  

Evey, an MMK supporter, is a widow and lives alone. She took two people to host, but graciously took two more when we had the last 20 Ukrainians to place in homes. She broke a hip last year, but that has not slowed her down, She still opened her home!

Prescott and Wilma, an older couple, are hosting two people. The enthusiastically told their friends; and recruited another host home, and some Laguna Nigel concert sales.

Bob and Ann.  Ann coordinated the Friday night dinner, the largest group she has ever tried to feed. Bob found our last host home, a Georgian concert pianist.

Diane Clark’s sister Linda, with her family Alex, Sasha, Frances, and Ana came from San Francisco to help with running the concert, the meals, taking care of 10 men staying at the Clarks, and to translate when needed. Alex is Ukrainian and from Chernobyl, Ukraine.

Jan is the church facilities coordinate and volunteers in that position more than 20 hours a week. She helped Diane with many details and ran around all of Friday night, helping with everything that keeps the concert going smoothly and the audience happy.

The audience was happy and the concert did go smoothly. The rendition of “Were You There” with Alla Boyar as soloist was the best ever! People left the church completely overjoyed at the musical experience they had been given.

The next day was Saturday, and a rest day until the evening concert in Laguna Nigel. We would be staying in the same hosts homes, however, for three nights. Connie Veldcamp had organized a luncheon at her home, to give Roger and me an opportunity to talk about the Mission to her friends.

We told the story of how we were called by God to go to Ukraine, and some of the pivotal experiences in our early ministry there. The group asked us questions, which we gladly answered. We presented each person at the luncheon with a tour brochure that talks about our present ministries in Kiev.

That evening we had another concert at the Laguna Nigel Presbyterian Church. It was a late booking so it is not on our schedule published in the Gazetta.  By the way, Marcia Johnson, an American with us on the tour, keeps issues of the Gazetta in her backpack at all times. When people ask her about our group as they stop in the rest areas of the major highways, she is ready to pull out a Gazetta and share with them who we are.

Two things struck me about this evening’s concerts. First of all, I noticed Luba Kanuka’s humble reliance upon God as she almost secretly crossed herself in prayer before she entered the sanctuary to sing her solos. Although she has been singing with us for 15 years, her voice is the best ever.

The spiritual “Shut de’ Door” with Alex and his brother Vitaly was a great hit.  Tonight Vika was outside and missed her cue to conduct the chorus in this number. Vitaly started conducting the group, and he was doing a great job. I heard Sergei Golubnichy call, “Vika!” and she came running across the courtyard and into the sanctuary to retrieve the choir from Vitaly and finish the number.

Back at our host home after the concert, Roger was very tired. Fortunately we had three days to rest, and he slept a lot in the comfortable quarters that Connie provided for us.  “I don’t know how many more years I can do this,” he said. But after a cup of coffee, and my encouragement, he was ready to go again.

The next morning was Sunday, and we participated in worship at St. Andrews-by-the-Sea Methodist church.  We filled almost half the first floor of the sanctuary. But we felt an intimate part of the congregation. Irina Loktionova, our translator, read the Scripture in Ukrainian. Besides the hymns, anthem, and other service music, the choir sang “The Lord’s Prayer” in Ukrainian. Irina, translated the sermon, line by line, given by Rev. Dr . Paul Ferris, and the message of God’s love and forgiveness was a good message for our people to hear. They had certainly experienced God’s love through this congregation.

After the worship service, there was food and beverages on the patio. Then the Ukrainians went home with their hosts. They returned at 4 pm for a big picnic on the church grounds. Some had had their last day at the ocean, and at sunset the fog lifted, and the beautiful blue water was visible. “Just in time to say goodbye,” said one Ukrainian.

Monday morning came early and we met the buses at 7 a.m. at the church. This would be a long drive today, across the desert to Tucson, Arizona.
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Chapter 18: Tucson, Arizona

The long desert drive took us past border patrols as we could see the border between the United States and Mexico. With Roger asleep in the back seat and BJ driving, we came to a checkpoint of the border control. There was a sign that said, “Working Dogs.” But five border guards were playing with the dog, taking turns at tug-of-war with a stick.

Tucson is like an oasis in the middle of the desert. The cactuses called saguaros are common here, and it takes 80 years before the cactus grows “arms,” so many are more than 100 years old.

We arrived at the Catalina Foothills Church where we met Tina Atkinson and Janet Flug who had been working the arrangements for our concert and house stay.  They were expecting a full house with an overflow crowd.

We drove to the Ensio’s who were hosting us. Their house backs up to the Santa Catalina Mountains National Forest, with large hills covered by saguaro cactus. Our bedroom was to the rear of the house with a large window looking onto the hillside. A bobcat appeared near the house, and we watched in amazement to see such wildlife on the other side of our window.

A couple hours later, we drove into the full parking lot to begin our concert. I collected the cards from the audience.  One man asked who I was. “Diane McMurrin,” I replied.  Then he asked, “Are you the conductor’s wife or his daughter?”
Wow! I’d never been asked that before!              

I could sense that the musicians were a bit tired after their long trip, but the audience didn’t think so, because they loved the concert, and came to tell me so. “I wish you could come back next year!” said one lady.

Pastor Mark Roessler did express a desire to have us at a larger venue next time, as he noticed that there were many from the community outside his church congregation. Mark is a good friend. We served on the staff of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale together. Mark was Roger’s trainer in Evangelism Explosion.

We came home to the Ensio’s and enjoyed chili and homemade chocolate cake before retiring.

The next day was a day off.  We stayed at our host home and rested. I got in the outside Jacuzzi and watched the birds fly from tree to tree. It was so relaxing.

This is the best tour we have ever had, with the best people, and the greatest positive comments from our audiences and communities.

The good people of Tucson let us hang around the church that morning.  Some played ping-pong, billiards, etc. in the game room.  Some of the tour members packaged some of the goods they had purchased and sent them to a shipping agency that would take them to Kiev. In this way, they would still be within the baggage allowance for weight in international travel.

Max was showing his new cast. His broken wrist, that had been operated on in Yakima, Washington, was x-rayed here in Tucson, and rewrapped in a caste, with an excellent evaluation. He was going to be “just fine.”

We began our desert travel from one oasis to another, the city of Scottsdale, Arizona, in the greater Phoenix area.