Atlanta From the Highway
We arrived it Atlanta, the capital of Georgia State and the biggest city in the southeast of USA. The city based in the novel ‘Gone with the Wind’ is the point of economy, culture, business and education in the southeast of USA. After New York and Houston, the city has the third highest number of big company headquarters.
Home of Coca-Cola
Many Products Bearing the Coca-Cola Name in Store
Atlanta is the home to the world’s number one soft drink ‘Coca Cola’. There is also a Coca Cola museum where you can see the history behind the making of the drink as well as many other products with its name.
In the heart of Atlanta, to commemorate the opening of the 1996 Olympics, there is a Centennial Olympic park. Even after the Olympics it is receiving a lot of love from the people, creating the perfect space for the citizens of Atlanta to rest.
Georgia Tech Stadium
Georgia Tech Stadium
The Christmas festival was held in a large venue called the Atlanta Civic Center, which holds 4600 people. 5.30 in the evening. As one and two people began to gather they began to create a line that did not seem to end, in a blink of an eye. The citizens of Atlanta were full of expectations for the Christmas in the middle of the summer, as they were waiting for the doors of the venue to open
On the Way to the Atlanta Civic Center!
For the Cantata in Atlanta, 50 volunteers gathered. As Pastor Ki was having a meeting with the volunteers, he spoke about the type of heart that a volunteer should have.
“Do you ever know the feeling of all the tiredness being washed away by the happiness? I hope that through this Cantata, you will feel such emotion!”
The students who have volunteered for the world’s best performance also seemed to expect great things from the performance.
Beautiful Dancers, Dancing for King Herod.
“Shush! Baby Jesus is Sleeping!”
The Awe of All the People was Drawn Out by the Little Santas
Anna, who was yearning for the warmth of her father, woke up from the Christmas Miracle and met her father in real life. “Dad!!!” she shouted. As the audience saw Anna, who was hugging her father, they began to weep of joy, sending the actors a big round of applause.
Through the ‘Little Christmas’, the harmony made by the loving family of Anna, her brother and her parents gave warmth also to the hearts of the citizens of Atlanta. “Bravo!” they shouted. They could not simply hold on to their happiness.
Pastor An Preaching the Word, Pastor Joseph Park Translating
“As I was driving the trailer for the Cantata, I felt as if the trailer was a Christmas gift decorated for the Cantata. I came to deliver this gift to you.”
Pastor An of Good News Los Angeles Church grabbed the microphone to deliver the Christmas gift in Atlanta.
“Before Jesus was born, there were sufferings and difficulties in Bethlehem but as Jesus was born, in the hearts of the people in Bethlehem there was thankfulness and happiness. Why did Jesus come to this land? We all sin. We are sinners that cannot help but sin! But! God, through Jesus, washed us all.”
Romans 3:24, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
Citizens Attentively Listening to the Word
Being justified! As soon as he had finished his sentence, people could not contain their thankfulness towards God and there were many shouts of ‘Amen!’ Righteousness, Cleansing and Holiness. As the Pastor explained how God thinks of us, every moment was filled with applause.
In the third act, the last Christmas present was opened as a glorious stage. With the sounds of admiration ringing out from the audience Handel’s Oratorio began.
Carole
“My granddaughter received an invitation letter and she applied for ten tickets which is why I was able to come. How did you make such a performance? It moved me so much. My whole body was filled with the chills and it was almost like I fell into a trance. The point of such a great performance is the reason why Jesus came to this land. Oh Jesus… Jesus. If you were to come next year? I will come again so please come! Merry Christmas! – Carole
Wole, Tola, Shade, Tolani
“My sister was volunteering at the Cantata today, so she gave me a few tickets. With that, I came with my friends. The songs and the acting were REALLY fun and awesome! I actually invited another friend that wouldn’t come because the dislike of classical music. He thought it would be boring. He missed a good performance, I guess! – Wole (Far Left)
“I think that the singing mixing with the acting was so harmonized.” -Tola (Second from Left)
“In all three acts I was really happy that happiness always followed sadness and difficulties. It was a performance where I could feel joyfulness and love!” -Shade (Second from Right)
“I don’t usually dislike Classical music but I usually don’t go out of my way to listen to it. Of course today’s performance wasn’t 100% Classical but the blend of Classical, Opera and Musical genres of music was amazing. The Cantata was my first Classical music performance that I watched but I was really surprised that a Classical performance could be such fun. I now like Classical Music!” -Tolani (Far Right)
The Monsalve Family
“I received an invitation letter to come to the Cantata. Actually, I wanted to come to the Cantata last year but I could not come because I had something else to do. But I was happy that I could come with the whole family today. There are many performances where you start off with a ‘Wow’ and end with an ‘Eh’ but this performance was a ‘WOW’ from start to finish. Actually it got better as it went on. The message the Pastor preached was so, so good. It was touching for me because I did not feel it in my head but in my heart. All the little things in the Cantata are all related with the Gospel, right? It was a wonderful performance. -The Monsalve Family
The Atlanta Civic Center, Filled with 4600 Atlanta Citizens
All 4600 people who were gathered in the Atlanta Civic Center all received a Christmas gift. The gift was so great they could not put in their pockets or in their bags. They filled their hearts with it in order to share it with other friends and family. In order to deliver God’s Christmas present to next city, the tour bus is headed to Charlotte.
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