Tournee En France: Days 5, 6, and 7
Updated: May 25, 2019
Bon soir!
I am so sorry I have taken so long to update! Our time in Normandy has been such a whirlwind of an experience, we've barely had time to rest. I am so excited to share more of our tour with you all.
On day five, we began by visiting the American cemetery in Normandy and the D-Day beaches (Omaha and Utah) that the Americans stormed during WWII. It was incredibly sobering to walk the same beaches where so many people died for our freedom, but it was an incredibly powerful experience and a privilege to respect those who died for our freedom. We were all very moved by the great sacrifice of our veterans who fought in WWII.
From the D-Day beaches, we departed to Rouen (and snacked on some awesome chicken sandwiches made by Madame Hossack!). Instead of a typical concert, we opted to record some of our program in the stunning Cathedrale de Rouen. Many people visiting the Cathedral stopped to listen to our recording session and worshipped alongside us in the beautiful space. After our recording session, we sang three pieces outside of the Cathedral (which you can see on our Facebook page!). Many of the citizens of Rouen stopped to listen to us and provided a very enthusiastic audience. We had the amazing opportunity to speak to a couple who lived in Rouen, and we could witness God's spirit in their smiles, speech, and hearts. How wonderful it is to serve such an incredible God who transcends language barriers and cultural differences! If we have learned anything on this trip, it is that we are all a part of God's family!
The next day, we visited Mont Saint-Michel. Mont Saint-Michel is a medieval castle that was used as a monastery for many centuries, then was converted to a prison, and now serves as a popular tourist attraction (the third most popular, after the Eiffel Tower and Palace of Versailles). It was absolutely stunning! We were all in awe of the medieval architecture and found the entire space breathtaking. Thanks to Mr. Hossack for touring us around and sharing so many historical facts with us about Mont Saint Michel!
After we visited Mont Saint-Michel, we set off for our concert in Rennes. Rennes is the sister city of Rochester, and the church we sang in was absolutely glorious. This audience was the most enthusiastic audience we had by far, and the concert was a musically and spiritually glorious experience. The church was so resonant that it felt like the chords were floating above us directly to heaven! It was the most incredible musical experience and the building almost felt like it was made for us.
After the amazing concert in Rennes, we had a brief sleep before setting off to Bayeux. We arrived at Mr. Hossack's church and walked the city, handing out tour flyers and the Gospel of Luke translated in French. We also celebrated a holiday called Le Debarquement, a holiday celebrating the Allied invasion of Normandy during WWII and the recapture of France. The pamphlet coincided perfectly with the holiday and we felt God working throughout our entire day in Bayeux. After our day of handing out flyers, we had our final evening concert in the Cathedral de Bayeux. The audience comprised mostly of those who had flyers from our concerts; and as more people continued to visit the church, they began to stay and enjoy the rest of our concert. God blessed us with an audience whose hearts were open to our message; we received a standing ovation and performed an encore! It was a beautiful concert from start to finish.
I pray that you all will see the fruits of the labor of God's people in France and the tiny part we played in spreading the gospel abroad. Thanks to Evan Bleiler, Dr. Barta, Mr. Hossack, and Katie McNeill for their awesome pictures! Thanks also to Charlene Ryder, Dr. McGee, Halle Thompson, and MJ Britton for your encouraging messages! You can contact us through the "contact" box on our website or through any of our social medias (@therobertschorale). One more tour update to go!
Thank you for following our journey thus far!
Blessings,
Abbey