The congregation sings praise as we united enthusiastically during one of the holiness meeting's festive hymns. Many prayed at the altar following the morning message. 

Guest musical director Tor Halfang and his wife Maryana travelled in from Norway to help conduct our weekend of singing, playing, learning, praying, worshipping, and celebrating the family of God. We only hope they can come again in the near future. 

The "Weekend Gospel Choir" performs on Sunday morning in holiness meeting. We managed to learn and perform four pieces in five rehearsals conducted within one twenty four hour period. Whew! We hope to see a new area-wide youth choir arise from this weekend's festivities. 

Two members of our local Salvation Army Orchestra warm up before worship. Kian Worthing on sax and Captain Valerie Lalac on a more conventional horn than he played the previous day. 

Captain Svetta Sharov helps translate as Tor Halfang leads the tenors in rehearsals of "I've Been Born Again." We sang this piece in Russian first, then later in English as well. 

Chief Secretary Lt. Colonel Bo Brekke smiles in "admiration" as Captain Valerie Lalac plays his makeshift horn in "native costume." 

Captain Natasha Pismeniuk smiles as she helps create an instrument out of an empty 2-litre Sprite bottle. This was but one activity of our recent Music Fest Weekend, three days of choral rehearsals, seminars, preaching, and fellowship in worship. Tor Halfang, our guest musical director from Norway, practices blowing through a handmade (literally) mouthpiece. 

Georgian visit!

Anita dropped down to Tblissi for a weekend to welcome the cadets who cannot travel to Moscow due to visa difficulties. She also visited our one second-year cadet Sofia, who also cannot travel here. The new cadets were quite enthusiastic about their studies with staff who will travel to Tblissi for short-term schooling while visa issues are sorted out.

Gerogian sunset in the mountains outside of Tblissi. The small house you see on the left is an ancient lookout house. When danger arose, the occupant would light a fire to send a message to next occupied peak (as seen in "The Lord of the Rings"!). 

Weather is still nice enough in the Repubic of Gerogia to grow grapes! This small courtyard can be seen from Tblissi's Central Corps. 

Captains Gia and Eka Salarishvilli. Gia is the Regional Officer responsible for The Salvation Army's services in Gerogia. Eka watches over children, youth, and candidates (those who want to become officers in The Salvation Army). 

Anita welcomes our new Heralds of the Good News from Georgia during her recent visit to the Republic of Georgia. Including the Georgians, our Institute for Officers Training has 20 cadets in training. 

Here is the monsatery depicted in the old painting you can see in the last post. This is Tblissi today. 

Georgian folk painting of the capital city of Tblissi. You will see the above monastery in another pic in this series of posts.