What a testament to God’s faithfulness and provision the three Candlelight Dinners were! And your prayers were felt throughout the preparations and performances. As I sat in the technical booth watching strangers walk by with plates filled with food, I wondered at the number of Germans who had decided to attend our event rather than the satanic-based cultural celebrations going on in all the villages around Kandern on the same nights. The Fasching tradition shares similarities with Mardi Gras, but is deeply steeped in evil (witchcraft, debauchery and other forms of evil). It is a dark cultural phenomenon the Candlelight Dinner seeks to counteract with God’s Light by scheduling our performances at the peek of the celebration.
For a full photo recap of the evenings, please click on one of the following links.
Slideshow: (much more fun if you have a high-speed connection!)
https://picasaweb.google.com/Shellphoenix/FindingEverlandCandlelightDinner07/photo#s5035391226429617490
Photo album:
https://picasaweb.google.com/Shellphoenix/FindingEverlandCandlelightDinner07
I won’t take much time to “debrief” from the event here as the pictures say it all, but I did want to let you know that our major prayers were answered in a powerful way:
– timely set-up of decorations and sets that took months to create
– health of all the performers (except for me, but my fever broke just before the final show, so that’s a plus! 
)
– a spirit of unity despite representation from several communities
– no technical problems whatsoever (which, with 9 wireless head-mics, 4 radio mics, a full lighting show, special effects, and remote stages is downright miraculous!)
– full attendance on each night
– local Germans who came even without invitation
– a “message” given bluntly and gently by a German member of our staff, which captivated the audience as much as the show did
And now? Today, we tear down the months of work that turned the school’s auditorium into “Everland”. On Wednesday, my mom arrives for two days before heading off to Cambridge, England. And on Friday, I join 250 students as a staff sponsor on the school’s yearly retreat…which means no sleep, endless activity, and leading regular small-group meetings in relation to the topics being addressed by our speaker. “No rest for the weary”—but this weary person has been so blessed by your prayers and God’s answers that I have no reason to complain!
laurishka
WOW!!! Thanks for posting the pictures so quickly. It looks like it was a fabulous evening. I’ve never seen such elaborate costumes and decorations at a Candlelight Dinner thing. Michele, God and you done good. 😉
blackberrymer
yay I made that shoe! Yes, great job, Miss Phoenix. I loved helping out with it. It pulled together wonderfully…
everything was gorgeous!
mereeser
i figured out why i missed “acting” this year…it was because i didn’t get to see my friend, Shell, for too many days on end. it was fun last year being a part of “your world.” i know that coffee and coke and fake champagne are important to the whole scheme too but i missed you. hope you can get some rest (ha!) before another sleepless weekend!
nickel_for_a_penny
That’s so amazing Mish!
nonaliz
wow!!! it looks like it was AMAZING!!! hey – do you remember when we used to think 300 people was a huge turnout for candlelight dinner??!!=) we’ve come a long way, haven’t we??? (the proverbial “we,” that is!) man – i wish i could have been there! i bet you feel like you could sleep for a week right about now! i hope your weekend is miraculously refreshing!=)