beyond the green

Monday night we sang at Bethel Mennonite Church in Mountain Lake, Minnesota. I had always wanted to visit Mountain Lake, seeing as it is one of what I might call the “Mennonite Meccas". My high school church mentor, Robert Regier, is from Mountain Lake and and I am certainly looking forward to sharing my experiences with him. Also, my fellow choir member and friend Dmitri Bucklin is from this town. It was fun to see the place he grew up in. From the start we were greeted with hospitality. Even though the choir concert had to be shortened due to a local H.S. band/choir concert the crowd was warm and welcoming. One instance stands out to me: as the choir performed the processional, “This Little Light of Mine,” a man with Down’s Syndrome gave each singer a thumbs up. For me, this was a tremendous confidence boost. It was great to know our presence was appreciated.

Later on, our allotted time was coming to a close. Pastor Galen Kauffman stood up in the audience and insisted that we sing at least one more song. The audience unanimously agreed when Bill put it to a congregational vote. It was wonderful to see such support and it was just another example of the extremely gracious Mountain Lake Community. I will remember these experiences long after the tour is over.

-Kevin Leary