Song Festival

Today, the team traveled to Tallinn (the largest city and the capitol) for our R&R and debrief day.  As has been true of past trips, this day included a lot of walking around the old town Tallinn area (which is like a "little Prague") and hanging out with a couple of our Estonian friends for the last time.

Today was a little different... this weekend is the weekend of the "every other year" Estonian song festival, which is a festival of song and dance in Tallinn that commemorates the nation's independence from the Soviet Union and the fact that they sung their way to freedom.  A few of us from the team went to today's events, which was the dance festival, and watched many youth dance crews demonstrate their national pride through dance.  It was very cool - I had to think that over 3,000 students danced in today's festival show.  I wish I could have been out there tomorrow (but we leave for the States, so no can do) because the Sunday Song Festival show features (actually headlines) a 20,000 voice Estonian choir in which many of our students and friends will be part of.  I don't know about you, but getting to listen to a 20,000 voice choir just sounds pretty freakin' awesome.

Getting to see multiple dance crews... each highly coordinated and awesomely orchestrated... each the size of the Fighting Texas Aggie band... each dancing in national pride for Estonia... each decorated colorfully and costumed in a highly decorative fashion... was amazing.  It was truly a once in a lifetime experience and I'm glad that I took time away from sleep to see it :-).

It is also an answer to my prayers... the prayers that I get to see God breathing life into a culture... I got to see a lot of that in the lives of the students we spent time with at camp (more to come), and I got to see that in a huge way tonight.  There is a spark of life in Estonia... and there is a small crew of Christ-followers whose lives are shining brightly in this country that are the future... and I'm happy to have seen God use us in a small way to lead them closer to the source of life, the author of salvation, and the hope for all humanity.

And this is just the beginning, I believe.