Lubbock Christian chorus sings for the blind in Ukraine

The chorus from Lubbock Christian University in Texas, conducted by Philip Camp, recently completed its third concert tour in the eastern European nation of Ukraine recently. The chorus coordinates its tours with Eastern European Mission. (See our blog post about EEM’s 50th anniversary this year.)

Kendra and Caleb Harrelson, missionaries in Ukraine (photo provided)

The tours are designed to encourage European churches and support possibilities for EEM’s Bible distribution programs in new areas, Camp said. Chorus members from past tours have returned to Ukraine to work in EEM’s summer youth camps.Caleb and Kendra Harrelson, former LCU choir students, now serve as full-time missionaries in Kolentsi, Ukraine.

The chorus performed in Poltava, Ukraine, where EEM has received a request from the region’s ministry of education to distribute Bibles in its public schools. “Chorus activities were designed to promote EEM’s desire and ability to answer the request and firmly connect the distribution with Churches of Christ.” Camp said.

Students at the school for the visually impaired play Ukrainian banduras during the LCU students' visit. (Photo provided)

The chorus also performed in Ukraine’s capital, Kiev, and was hosted by members of three Churches of Christ — Shevchenko, Vinograder and Obolon. While in Kiev, the students visited a school that serves 149 visually impaired children, ages 6 to 19. Kiev church members hope to do outreach at the school, said Jim Noyes, a missionary who works with the Vinograder church. 

“The choir was a great boost in this beginning relationship with the school,” Noyes said. “Traffic slowed the arrival of the choir bus, but the choir walked in and, within five minutes, Dr. Phillip Camp had them organized and ready to sing. … The quality of the performances was outstanding.”

A sight-impaired girl examines an EEM book with Marina Noyes at the Vinogradar Church of Christ's display outside the auditorium after the evening performance. (Photo provided)

The chorus performed a public concert that night in the school’s auditorium. Members of six Churches of Christ in Kiev attended, as did many non-members, Noyes said. Bartosz Rybinski, EEM’s vice president for European operations, provided free Bibles and literature at the concert. Four of the school’s blind students asked for Bibles in Braille.

(The Vinograder church has raised funds to print Bible stories from the Old and New testaments in Braille and hopes to have them ready by September, Noyes said. To help support the effort, contact the College Hill Church of Christ in North Richland Hills, Texas.)

Before heading home, the Lubbock chorus stopped in Athens, Greece, for programs coordinated by missionary Dino Roussos. The chorus sang for a Romanian church with an attendance of about 600, for the Omonia Church of Christ and for the Glyfada Church of Christ, Camp said.

“On their final day, they sang their program focused on Christ for about 300 refugees of mostly Muslims from Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Afghanistan and many other places,” Camp said. “The chorus was well-accepted and the refugees expressed appreciation.”

Erik TRYGGESTAD

7 June 2011 The Christian Chronicle