President Ruben Yáñez of the Resistencia South Stake and I were visiting a few weeks ago and talked about the talented members and missionaries that we have. We decided one way to utilize their talents and have a good experience for the members, the missionaries and their community would be to hold a talent show. So, last night we did at the Stake Center (Barrio IV). The cultural hall was packed and the talent was amazing. Diane provided some welcoming music on the electric piano as people were arriving.
Elder Bowhill, the Zone Leader, was the Master of Ceremonies. He did a great job making everyone feel welcomed and keeping things moving.
First was Leandro Palacios, a member of the Stake who also served a service mission in the Mission Office for a year. Leandro is a classical guitarist and guitar teacher. He played a few Argentine folklorico songs with incredible fingering and picking and strumming.
Anyone who brings his own footrest to play has got to be the real deal! Leandro has a rare disease that requires him to get blood transfusions every month. But he is a healthy, active and talented young man. He was a great missionary. And, later this year he is marrying Noelia Aguirre, Graciela's daughter who has appeared in the blog on several occasions. Next up was El Coro de Niños Canteros de la Provincia de Chaco. This is a choir of young people who sing all around the province. None of them are members of the Stake but know some members and agreed to sing a number of songs...even one in French. They were great. We could not get them all in one shot, so here are a few pictures of them singing.
I think everyone had their favorite member of the Choir. Mine was the sole male voice second from the end. He had a few attention span issues during the longer songs! Diane's favorite was the young girl on the end on the right side next to the young man. She was locked in and very sweet the whole time. After they performed I went on stage to thank them and their directors and families as well as give them certificates of appreciation and Books of Mormon. The missionaries handed out books and pamphlets to the Choir and their families as they left.
Next up was an incredible father and daughter. The Ayalas. The father plays saxophone in the Resistencia Police Band. I loved his stance and toe tapping music. He was awesome.
And then his 11 year old daughter absolutely stunned us with her professional sounding voice and presence. She sang a couple of modern songs and had everyone clapping their hands along with her.
The finale was Sister Molinas who is a missionary serving in Resistencia from Buenos Aires. She is a flautist soloist. Before she started her mission she and I became friends on Facebook and I kept seeing entries of her performing concerts in Buenos Aires. When she arrived I asked her to play at a few Zone Conferences and other meetings. She is absolutely fantastic. There was such a great feeling among everyone as we watched her and heard her play. I am not sure which was more mesmerizing the music or her playing.
It was a great event all the way around. I pointed out to the Choir that there were people in the audience not just from Resistencia but Brazil, Spain, Honduras, Mexico, Guatemala, Peru, Chile, Canada and the United States. And, there is a lesson to be remembered that there are incredibly talented people all over the world. Sometimes you just have to get to know people to find out!
