OAMC Mission to Romania map

OAMC Mission Romania map, originally uploaded by oamcsinger.

Here's the Mission trek, starting from Bucharest, the southernmost point of the trip, heading to the norheast in a counterclockwise direction around the country.

OAMC festival photos posted

DSCF3162x, originally uploaded by oamcsinger.

The 2009 OAMC Festival of Praise concerts were held in the great anticipation of a sizable contingent's departure for the Mission to Romania on April 12.

It was a day of wonderful music.

OAMC welcomed the William Chunestudy Men's Chorus from Southern California. Other ensembles were His Praise of the Vancouver-Portland area, and the Salem Adventist Men's Chorus.

I've posted a few photos from the 2009 spring festival concerts. Thank you, Glen Heagy, for sharing these photos.

Click the photo to view other concert photos.

Team visits concert hall

IMG_6141 Radio Hall, originally uploaded by oamcsinger.

While in Bucharest, the team visited the Romania Radio Hall, a fine concert hall where the grand finale concert will be held on April 25.

The team was able to visit the hall when no concert was in progress, as well as visit during a concert, to get a feel and sense of the auditorium.

In the photo: Richard Crowley (looking to the left), Bonnie Stathem (departing the van) Alin Apostol (at the van door), Janet Williams (white sweater) with Virginia Oliver; Edi Ciobanu (black bag on his shoulder); Louise Craig (black and white top) and Ralp Stathem (far right, with video camera).

Click the photo to see more photos of the Radio Hall.

Alin Apostol meets team in Bucharest

IMG_6064 Lou and Alin, originally uploaded by oamcsinger.

Alin Apostol, former OAMC member, now a pastor in Romania, and founder of the Romania Adventist Men’s Chorus, met Lou and the advance team as they arrived in Bucharest ... as he promised he would.

The invitation was first extended to OAMC to come to Romania at the General Conference session in Toronto in 2000.

In the meantime, Alin Apostol arrived at what was then Walla Walla College to study theology. Someone invited Alin to sing with OAMC, which he did for several years while he studied at WWC.

During those years on the OAMC risers, a dream was born within Alin to have a men’s chorus in Romania. After he returned to Romania, he came to realize that if there was ever to be a men’s chorus there, he would have to be the one to get it started. So, with music on loan from OAMC, he recruited singers and musicians – some who were professionals and played in romania’s symphony orchestras – and has now held two concerts.

The first concert he had “only” 50 singers. The second concert he had about 100 singers. Through God’s blessing, the concerts were well received and many who attended were blessed.

Now, as OAMC singers are traveling through Romania, some 100 Romanian men will be traveling with OAMC as they present concerts in various cities.

Click the photo to go to Flickr.com to see more photos of the advance team's arrival in Bucharest.

OAMC Advance Team Departs PDX

IMG_5935 Portland Airport, originally uploaded by oamcsinger.

The OAMC advance team departed from Portland International on Monday, April 6. They arrived safely and spent the week resting and preparing for the arrival of the singers, family members and musicians, who are departing on Sunday, April 12.

In the photo: Lou Wildman, Daniel Ciobanu, Virginia Oliver, Connie Smith, Richard Crowley, David Schmidt, Edi Ciobanu, Gary & Janet Williams, Bonnie & Ralph Stathem.

Click on the photo to go to Flickr.com to see more photos from the advance team.

Photos posted to Flickr

I've posted a few photos at Flickr that I've received from the advance team that arrived in Bucharest earlier this week.

Go to: www.flickr.com/photos/oamc2