With just three hours of driving, Day 3 was the shortest leg of our tour. After saying goodbye to our hosts in Kalona, we made a leisurely stop in Iowa City at the Encounter Cafe, a local Anabaptist eatery, with a focus on outreach to students at the University of Iowa.
Everyone enjoyed the delicious brunch before heading on down the road. The drive south to Leon, IA passed quickly and we arrived at Salem Mennonite with time to spare. I think everyone appreciated the extra hour of rest before rehearsal.
The program felt right. Other members described it as settled, cohesive, and comfortable. It’s nice to have several programs under our belts, to feel at home with the rhythms of tour and music. But for me, it felt like more than that.
I felt the songs begin to sink down into my heart in a new way—to long with the desire of “One Thing I Desire,” to sense the immensity of “’tis mercy all, immense and free.” We still made plenty of mistakes, but I felt that we praised God from the heart, so we leave with the satisfaction of a mission accomplished.
Fun Fact: As we sing Randall Thompson’s Alleluia, the combined number of alleluias we sing is 972.
– Written by Bryce Wenger