Hospital Choir, and settling in... :)

I am joining a small group of amateur singers who call themselves the Hospital Choir. The group has been around for a couple of decades, and now, it consists of a core of eight or so middle aged and elderly woman, plus a younger pianist called Marika, and a pastor who conducts and sings bass.

It was really a blessing to find this group. I've been looking for something simple and musical to do, and they were one of only a couple of community choirs I found online, with English websites. They practice once a week and then go sing at nursing homes for people who can't make it to church anymore.

I went to my first nursing home visit after church today. I didn't sing, since I don't know most of the songs yet, but it was very sweet. The nurses walked/wheeled 15-20 ladies into a small dining room, where the choir sang for them. Somewhere in the middle, Paivi performed two solos. Listening to her, I realized that she was actually quite good. Her voice has become a little more coarse and trembled ever so slightly from the effects of age, but it still sent little shivers through me, as she made her way through the melody.

Afterward, a few of the ladies at the nursing home tried to speak to me. Unwilling to say en puhu suomea (I don't speak Finnish) to open-hearted old women who in turn didn't speak English, I just tried to smile and nodd. I was, however, able to catch a few hyva's (good) throughout their speech, so I could say kiitos (thank you) in return.

During my first practice with the choir, a few of the women told me that they had been praying for new people and were very happy that I had found them. It felt strange... to be the answer to someone else's prayers. I've prayed for similar things with other groups before, but I've never been on the other end. In a way... it's very humbling... to be the blessing, also to know that God is still watching out for me, even when I'm not paying half so much attention to Him.

This group has been been the answer to my hopes, too, hopes that I honestly didn't put much prayer or heart into. I had hoped, without seriously believing, that I would find a good church in Helsinki. But through Lea, the lady who created the English website, I have actually discovered a good Baptist church, in a country that's over 90% Lutheran, since the state religion is Lutheran. The services are in Finnish (with English translations), but they remind me a lot of some churches I have been to at home. When I mentioned this to Lea, she told me that the church was founded by an American pastor over 20 years ago. Cool, huh?

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In other news, I'm further settling in. I only have a few good friends, but they are friends that I can just hang out with, whether it's in a bar, on an island, or at someone's apartment. At an international student party this past weekend, I knew enough people to feel close to some and comfortable around others. It's really wonderful to feel less and less self-conscious and to be in a setting where there are enough people whom I care about, as well as people who care for me. Just enough.

This knowing of people is related to something that I sort of love about Helsinki. It's the capital and has a big-city feel, but at the same time, it's really not very big at all. It's nice when I can walk through a Unicafe and say "Hi, how are you?" to the few people I recognize. :)