Hi people. Many of you may be curious, wondering, or just downright confused as to what OAMC is, why I'm trying to go to South Africa with them, and what we plan to do when we get there. The answer to all three questions (plus more!) I promise will be more or less answered in this blog post.
What is OAMC, anyway?
OAMC stands for "Oregon Adventist Mens' Chorus". Their website is
OAMC.org, and has lots of information about their mission and the South Africa trip that is coming up in only a few weeks!
OAMC was founded in 1994, 19 years ago by two awesome people: Dave & Lou. Their goals are to spread God's love through their music, through bringing people into the chorus who they can help, and to impact the world in any way that God leads them to.
So why are you trying to get to South Africa?
OAMC was approached last year by some leaders from the SA mens' chorus and was asked to come to SA as a mission trip and sing at concert with the SA mens' chorus as a way to break color barriers and promote racial equality! South Africa is still suffering the effects of the apartheid regime that was broken in the 1990's, and there is much racial tension in the country.
Well that's neat and all, but last I checked you're not a man, Sarah! Why are YOU going?
Ah, well you see there are many women involved with OAMC as staff and support. I would be going as an assistant for several of the staff ladies who are in charge of everything from feeding the guys to giving them Tylenol, sewing on buttons, finding the tour buses, and much more!
And what exactly is it that OAMC is going to do in South Africa?
Excellent question! OAMC is going to be meeting up with a Romanian chorus and a South African chorus in Johannesburg. From there, we have 5 concerts scheduled (possibly more to surprise us!). We will travel through 5 out of 9 of their provinces, live, breathe, sleep, eat and sing with the two other choruses, and totally promote racial equality and harmony everywhere we go! It's seriously going to be awesome.
Recap: I'm trying to go to South Africa. It is expensive, but look at it this way. If I need roughly 4,000 dollars, all I need is for 400 separate people to donate $10 each! Now put that way it sounds reasonably, huh?
What I need is your prayers most of all. Pray for me, all three choruses, and our prospective South African audiences extensively! Secondly, I need monetary support. I cannot afford to go, and that's the truth. So share! Share this blog with your friends, relatives, neighbors, and everyone! If you can't donate, that's totally fine, just be emotionally supportive!
Something else that would be awesome if donated is frequent flyer miles. Yep, that's right! If enough were donated, that would mean I wouldn't have to purchase a plane ticket (an expense of over $2,000 all by itself!) and would substantially drive the cost down.
I am attaching
a PDF of my fundraising letter, including
a downloadable form which can be filled out and sent to OAMC so that they can keep track of who's donated what for whom.
They are tax detuctible! Good things, eh? However,
any checks made out to me will not be tax deductible.
Thank you all. Love you!
-Sarah
